DEPARTMENT: Diversity and Inclusion Office (DIO)
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Kiran Bains
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Briefing and update on DIO’s Equity Initiative
SUMMARY:
A. A briefing by the Chief Equity Officer about the Office of Diversity and Inclusion created in 2015 and the Equity Initiative pilot and three-year strategy to embed equity as a core operating principle across the city organization.
B. A presentation from Dr. Christine Drennon, Associate Professor at Trinity University, providing an academic survey of inequity through the history of San Antonio.
BACKGROUND:
Chief Equity Officer briefing
DIO was launched in 2015 to foster an inclusive culture across the City organization, ensure City processes have equitable outcomes, and be a safe place for community members to report discrimination.
To this end, DIO launched a pilot Equity Initiative in March 2017 providing 70 employees from 6 departments with 15 hours of workshops and strategy sessions. Each program team developed equity action plans to strengthen their delivery of quality services. The pilot was led in consultation with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a national membership organization for jurisdictions committed to advancing equity. Key findings include:
1. The City is more effective and efficient when delivering equitable quality services to the public.
2. Embedding equity as an operating principle puts the organization’s core values into action.
3. Equity training is desired and welcomed by City employees at all levels of the organization.
4. Data must be disaggregated, at minimum, by race, income, and district to design the smartest policies and programs.
5. Equitable delivery of City services requires equitable community engagement.
6. As a result of the pilot, DIO has developed a strategy to embed equity as a core operating principle across the organization within 3 years (FY 2018-2020).
With the support of the initial 6 departments, DIO has developed a 3-year strategy to scale equity as an operating principle across the organization, beginning with 9 departments in FY 2018. While the pilot led program specific assessments and action plans, the strategy involves conducting department-wide assessments and action plans. Similar to the pilot, the strategy will rely on Equity Impact Assessments, a tool championed by dozens of jurisdictions across the country with commitments to advance equity.
The Equity Strategy is driven by the vision of prosperity for all community members that is documented in the City’s mission statement-we deliver quality city services and commit to achieve San Antonio’s vision of prosperity for our diverse, vibrant, and historic community.
Historical Inequity Presentation
Dr. Christine is an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at Trinity University with expertise in urban geography and community development. She directs the Urban Studies Program at Trinity University. One of her research areas includes the relationship between education and community development, for which she won a 2014 activist scholar award from the Urban Affairs Association.
Dr. Drennon will address inequity in San Antonio today, its historical roots in the development of the community, and institutional decisions that contributed to today’s inequity in incomes, educational attainment, health outcomes, and other measures. Dr. Drennon has presented her research to many community groups, including City department heads last fall. Along with the DIO presentation, this historical and anthropological overview will set the stage for the FY 2018 budget development process.