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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-2021-004 - Update: Mayor's Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Staff Report Community Services Department www.kitchener.ca REPORT TO: Special Council – Strategic Session DATE OF MEETING: May 10, 2021 SUBMITTED BY: Michael May, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer PREPARED BY: Elin Moorlag Silk, Project Manager, Mayor’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward(s) All th DATE OF REPORT: May 5, 2021 REPORT NO.: CSD-2021-004 SUBJECT: Update: Mayor’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION: As part of the ongoing work of the Mayor’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, staff are seeking feedback from members of City Council on the following specific questions: 1. In addition to the creation of a new Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Policy that will apply to City staff and direct volunteers, it is recommended by the Task Force that the Code of Conduct which governs members of Council, Advisory Committees and Boards (GOV-COU-005) be updated as well. Do Council Members see a benefit in having the Code of Conduct updated to reflect the corporate commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism at this time? 2. Many members of City Council have expressed an interest in receiving additional training and resources in areas related to equity, anti-racism and Indigenous reconciliation. Does the City’s new formalized and multi-year training strategy effectively respond to those requests? 3. Having reviewed the draft outline of the proposed Community Funding Opportunity for Black, Indigenous and other Racialized Groups (Attachment A), what suggestions for improvement should staff consider before bringing the proposal forward for Council’s consideration/approval? REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:  The purpose of this report is to provide an interim update to City Council on the eight bodies of work that have been the focus of the Mayor’s Task Force on Equity Diversity and Inclusion – (1) policy, (2) training, (3) demographic data collection, (4) *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. communications, (5) hiring and recruitment, (6) youth mentorship program, (7) community funding program and (8) a permanent City staff model.  In addition, staff will seek preliminary input from members of Council on specific questions related to the creation of a Corporate Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Policy, a new multi-year EDI training program, and a grant focused on supporting racialized communities.  As this work has proceeded, staff have been engaging with members of the community on an ongoing basis, including the 30 community members of the Task Force, as well as other members of communities who have experienced racism and/or oppression within Kitchener where their specific input has been sought.  As this work is completed, initiatives started by the Task Force will be brought forward to Council for its consideration/approval at a later date where required. BACKGROUND: In September 2019, the City launched the Mayor’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The Task Force is comprised of 45 members, who themselves are made up of four groups: community volunteers (selected through an application process), representatives from community organizations, City staff, and members of City Council. Members of the Task Force were selected to join based on subject knowledge and expertise, experience with community organizing, engagement or advocacy, and/or lived experiences they brought to the work. A particular focus in the selection process was to ensure ample representation from equity-seeking groups who themselves have experienced oppression, racism, marginalization and/or exclusion. Thus, the demographic make-up of the Task Force includes women (70%), people who are racialized (38%), people born outside of Canada (20%), those LGBTQ2S+ identified (18%), people with disabilities (16%), and those who identify as transgender/gender non-binary or gender queer (8%). In order to create a comprehensive EDI strategy for the City of Kitchener and develop tangible deliverables that will support bringing about sustained, meaningful change across the corporation, the Task Force split into eight working groups, each focused on a specific body of EDI-related work. City staff have supported each of these working groups over the past several months as they have conducted their work through collaborative dialogue and research and targeted community engagement when required. See Table 1 below for a summary of the eight bodies of work. Table 1: Overview of the Task Force Deliverables Council Focus Area Expected Outcome Approval Required Creation of a new permanent full-time staff team to Yes 1 Staffing Model lead this work at the City, Approved by City Council in (complete) October 2020. Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism Policy for the City of 2 Policy Yes Kitchener Equity & Anti-Racism training strategy for City Staff, 3 Training No Volunteers, and City Council Council Focus Area Expected Outcome Approval Required A strategy and resources (questions, FAQs, Demographic 4 educational resources) to facilitate the standardized Maybe Data Collection collection of demographic data across the corporation 1. An Equity and Anti-Racism guide for City staff and Council 5 Communications 2. A comprehensive list of significant dates for the No City to recognize, along with guidelines on messaging/ images to use Completion of an Equity Audit of HR policies and Hiring & 6 practices pertaining to recruitment, hiring and Maybe Recruitment promotion at the City of Kitchener Recommendations for a sustained, permanent Community 7 community funding program for Black, Indigenous and Yes Funding Program other racialized groups & organizations Develop recommendations for the development of a Youth Youth Mentorship Program specifically for low-income Yes 8 Mentorship youth, sponsored and/or facilitated by the City of Program Kitchener The work of the Task Force has been underway for 13 months (there was a break due to the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020 and the need to regroup to continue the work in an online format), and is nearing completion, slated to be wrapped up in the summer of 2021. The purpose of this strategic session is to update members of City Council on the eight bodies of work being undertaken, and provide opportunities for questions, discussion and feedback on several key issues before several of the initiatives are finalized. As identified in the chart above, select deliverables will be brought forward to council for approval once completed, as some deliverables require council approval, and some do not. REPORT: The following provides a status update on the eight bodies of work that make up the deliverables of the Mayor’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: 1. Establish a full-time permanent staff team to lead Equity, Anti-Racism & Indigenous Initiatives work at the City of Kitchener In October 2020, City Council approved the creation of a dedicated and permanent staff team that will provide the City with expertise, lived experience and leadership in equity, anti- racism, Indigenous initiatives and other social justice issues such as poverty, homelessness and addictions. To support the recruitment of the Director position, the City engaged an external consultant with expertise in recruitment of equity leadership roles to conduct a comprehensive search, which resulted in significant interest in the role from across the country. In addition to the consultant and senior leaders, the interview panel included people from equity seeking groups with lived experience, as well as professional expertise in areas such as gender equity, housing, and homelessness. Once the Director is in place, priority will be placed on the recruitment and hiring of the other four positions within the team. 2. Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism Policy The City of Kitchener currently has a policy focused on Respect in the Workplace (HUM- WOR-140), and Inclusive Recruitment and Hiring Practices (MUN-MIR-155), both of which reference the topics of inclusion and human rights, though neither address the specific issues of equity and anti-racism in a way that supports a commitment to addressing systemic barriers, transformational organizational change, and accountability. An Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Policy for the City of Kitchener is currently being drafted by the Task Force working group. An external lawyer with expertise in human rights was also engaged to support the development of this policy. The intent of the policy is to outline the commitment made by the City of Kitchener to develop, foster and promote a workplace and organization where equity, inclusion and anti-racism are key principles which drive the work of the City across all departments. Once the policy has been finalized it will be brought forward to City Council for its consideration and eventual approval. The contents of the policy clearly identify the City’s commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism across the corporation, including the City’s commitment to the identification and elimination of systemic barriers in programs and services, to continually strive for diverse representation of staff through the elimination of systemic barriers in hiring and recruitment, to maintain a dedicated staff team in leading equity and anti-racism work, to provide mandatory ongoing equity and anti-racism training for all staff, volunteers and City Council, to systematically review all City policies and procedures from an equity and anti-racism lens, to undertake sustained demographic data collection across the corporation and to ensure ongoing public accountability In the application of this policy, it is acknowledged that it is not solely the Equity, Anti-Racism and Indigenous Initiatives team who will be responsible for this work. All members of the organization, and particularly those in leadership positions and decision-making roles, are responsible for fostering an environment and workplace culture where equity, inclusion and anti-racism are integral to all operations at the City. Accompanying each component outlined in the policy will be an evaluation framework, which will serve to monitor implementation progress and anticipated outcomes related to equity, inclusion and anti-racism across the organization. Public reporting on this evaluation framework will be done on an annual basis at a minimum. For Council Discussion: In addition to the creation of a new Equity, Inclusion and Anti- Racism Policy that will apply to City staff and direct volunteers, it is recommended by the Task Force that the Code of Conduct which governs members of Council, Advisory Committees and Boards (GOV-COU-005) be updated as well. Do Council Members see a benefit in having the Code of Conduct updated to reflect the corporate commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism at this time? 3. Equity & Anti-Racism Training Strategy Currently the City provides some EDI-related training to staff. While some of the training was implemented as initial mandatory training for leaders (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for Management – Jan & Sept. 2020), the remaining training sessions have been offered as optional through the City’s existing CapaCITY training and development programs. The positive and significant uptake of these courses indicates that staff across the organization are interested in deeper learning and understanding of a wide variety of equity-related training. Since mid-2019, a total of 587 staff have participated in the following training # of Name of Course Course Offering Date Staff 39 Anti-Black Racism Dec 2020 77 Indigenous Intercultural Competency Nov 2020 177 Introduction to Equity (Elin Moorlag Silk) Dec 2019 - Dec 2020 162 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for Jan & Sept 2020 Management (Kike Ojo) 107 LGBTQ2+ Allyship June & Oct 2019; Jan, Oct & Dec 2020 25 Understanding Islamophobia Oct and Dec 2020 Providing these course offerings on an ongoing basis is a good start towards addressing equity and anti-racism, though research has shown that offering voluntary or one-time training sessions on these important and fundamental issues is not an effective way to train staff nor shift workplace culture at a meaningful level. These trainings tend to attract staff who are already interested in the issues and who are committed to making change within the organization, which leaves out a large portion of staff and creates a divide between those who are aware of/committed to the issues and those who are not. Thus, ongoing training is needed across the corporation, with multiple sessions offered through a comprehensive, multi-year strategy. This is particularly important for those in leadership positions with decision-making power, those responsible for hiring and recruitment, and those who work directly with the public either within City facilities or in the community. The new Training Strategy developed is intended to provide City staff, volunteers and Council members with the following:  Increased understanding of the complex issues related to equity and anti-racism in the workplace and in the larger community  Increased competency to speak to issues of racism and equity and understand multiple perspectives within both an historical and social context  Increased ability to provide services from an equity and anti-racism lens for all members of the community The process of developing the entire Training Strategy included researching current best and emerging practices, reviewing examples of equity and anti-racism trainings offered elsewhere, collaborating with City staff, and drawing on the lived experiences and expertise of community members on the working group. The Training Strategy has been developed with an accompanying implementation plan over three years and has two streams: (1) voluntary/self-selected, and (2) mandatory. The plan will be rolled out in three parts, with yearly attainable targets set with priority groups, which will be tracked and the data will be shared publicly on an annual basis. This three-year time period will allow for the developing, piloting and rollout of new content, as well as allow for the time needed to appropriately stagger learning programs across the corporation to maximize the impact from an adult learning perspective. As summarized in Table 2 (below), the City’s new EDI training strategy includes two mandatory trainings for all staff, volunteers and Council members: (1) Introduction to Equity, and (2) Systemic Racism/White Privilege. Additional training for targeted groups include: Anti-Black Racism, Islamophobia, Antisemitism, Indigenous Inter-Cultural Competency, LGBTQ2S+ Inclusion, and Accessibility, Disability & Inclusion. Once all the training has been developed, piloted, and rolled out as part of the 3-year implementation strategy, they will all run on a continual basis, and expand as necessary. Table 2: Equity & Anti-Racism Training Strategy for Staff, Volunteers & Council M – Mandatory R – Recommended Leadership includes the CAO’s Office, General Managers, Directors, Managers and Supervisors Customer Service includes Corporate Customer Service, Community Centres, Pools, Arenas, Golf, Financial Counter Services, Mayor’s Office staff, all other service counters at city (Legislated Services, Planning, Building, Parking, Engineering, etc.), Utilities dispatch, INS staff who enter homes and private residences, Security, Bylaw Public Facing includes employees who have jobs which put them out into the community and may interact with the public: Fire, Parks and Cemeteries, and all INS staff who work in the field In addition to this broad Training Strategy for all staff, volunteers and Council, a training strategy specifically for Human Resources staff at the City has been developed. Given the nature of the work employees in the Human Resources department do, it is most effective to create a separate strategy so that all members of the Human Resources team are thoughtfully included and provided with a consistent program of training and education. For Council Discussion: Many members of City Council have expressed an interest in receiving additional training and resources in areas related to equity, anti-racism and Indigenous reconciliation. Does the City’s new formalized and multi-year training strategy effectively respond to those requests? 4. Demographic Data Collection Equity research overwhelmingly indicates that collecting and reporting disaggregated demographic data is an essential first step to understanding how representative staff, clients and stakeholders are of the community served, and is considered a best practice in identifying systemic barriers and opportunities to make both workplaces and services more inclusive. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has pointed out that collecting and analyzing data that identifies individuals by their race, ethnicity, citizenship, sexual orientation, or similar factors can assist institutions or systems to protect and promote 1 human rights. This type of data can be used to prevent or address systemic barriers to access to services, or to improve equitable service delivery and programs. Disaggregating demographic data means breaking down information into smaller subpopulations to help organizations understand important trends in risk, access and outcomes for particular groups. Without the disaggregation of data, disparities in experiences for specific populations (for example: employment experiences for racialized women) cannot be properly identified or addressed. A comprehensive Demographic Data Collection Strategy is being developed for the corporation. The strategy is organized into three phases, with identified targets and milestones for implementation over three years. Components of the strategy include: explanation of objectives and rationale, guiding principles, two sets of standardized demographic questions (one for individuals and one for businesses/organizations), training and educational resources for staff, and customized FAQs for the different audiences. The strategy includes a detailed approach for data collection within the following areas: City Staff, City Volunteers, Service Users, Delegates to Council, Community Engagement Participants, Contractors/Vendors responding to RFPs, Grant Recipients, and Community Centre Partners. Data will be collected on an ongoing basis, with the results summarized and reported to the public on a regular basis. 5. Equity & Anti-Racism Communications Guide and list of significant dates An Equity & Anti-Racism guide for all City staff, volunteers and Council is being developed by an external expert in equity-driven communications, in response to the Task Force working group’s recommendation. The guide is being written as a Q&A style reference 1 Ontario Human Rights Commission, (2009) “Count me in! Collecting human-rights based data” http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/count- me-collecting-human-rights-based-data document for both a general audience, leadership and for Corporate Communications staff. Some of the topics included in the guide will be: Equity, Racism, Anti-Black and Anti- Indigenous Racism, Oppression, White Privilege, Colonialism, Reconciliation, Microaggressions, Gender & Pronoun use, Equity in the Workplace, Cultural Appropriation, and Equitable Communications. The guide is being written partly in response to requests from staff from across the corporation who would like access to resources and educational materials in order to learn more about racism and other systems of oppression, how they may affect their work, and how to take meaningful action to address and transform them. Much of this work is new to the organization and is also constantly changing based on social context, political climate and emerging practices. This guide is meant to be a point of reference in a long journey towards fostering a more equitable, inclusive and anti-racist organization. Once the guide is complete it will be revised and updated on an ongoing basis (at least once per year) by members of the City’s Equity, Anti-Racism and Indigenous Initiatives staff team. In addition to the Equity & Anti-Racism guide, a list of significant days/weeks/months is currently being generated by members of the working group in order to assist the communications team in the development of a standardized approach to publicly recognizing significant dates from an equity lens, with a particular emphasis on groups who have historically been under-represented or excluded from public and community recognition (Black, Indigenous and other racialized groups, religious minorities, LGBTQ2S+ identified, people with disabilities). 6. Hiring, Recruitment & Promotional Practices In January 2021, an external consultant was hired to conduct an Equity Audit of Human Resources policies and practices pertaining to recruitment, hiring and promotion within the City of Kitchener. The purpose of this audit is to investigate, identify, and address barriers to inclusive HR practices, and help City staff identify and prioritize solutions specific to the City of Kitchener. The equity audit includes information and data gathering, gap analysis, facilitated dialogue/interviews with staff and facilitated workshops with HR staff, hiring managers from across the corporation, and the Corporate Leadership Team. At project completion, a detailed report will be created, outlining key findings, and recommendations to bridge the gap between current and target state, which includes (1) an approach for change over 3+ years, highlighting priority areas of focus, and (2) an 18-month action plan prioritizing specific actions for immediate implementation. 7. Community Funding Opportunity for Racialized Groups A draft outline (Attachment A) has been developed for a proposed community funding opportunity for organizations/groups led by and for Black, Indigenous and other racialized community members. The objective of this funding opportunity has been identified by members of the working group as the following: “A permanent, sustained funding opportunity for groups or organizations run by Black, Indigenous and other racialized community members for the purpose of providing support for community-led programs, initiatives or events meant to decrease inequities and increase opportunities and well-being for racialized communities in Kitchener.” The need for this kind of funding opportunity has been developed in response to community calls for increased support for Black, Indigenous and racialized groups for their own vital community-based support systems. Recent events related to anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism that have come to light over the past year may have been the catalyst for this 2 community call to action, but there is ample evidence to indicate that inequities have long existed within organizations and systems, and that these inequities have had consistent, disproportionate impacts on particular groups. For instance, studies show that those with the poorest measures of health and wellbeing in Ontario identify with one or more of the following groups: African, Caribbean or Black, First Nations, Inuit or Metis, and Refugees. When developing this new funding program, the working group was particularly focused on decreasing barriers for racialized groups, as it was acknowledged that historically, multiple barriers have been experienced by Black, Indigenous and other racialized groups in traditional granting processes, including those administered by the City of Kitchener. Some examples of barriers that were raised in the working group include the following:  Traditional granting processes are often cumbersome in terms of bureaucratic requirements for organizations, to demonstrate history and capacity for doing the work – organizations who are unable to demonstrate this requirement are then not able to access funding  Colonial assumptions around “organizing” and rules around being “registered” as an organization are experienced as a barrier for many groups  Capacity-building and operational funding is often needed for informal/grassroots groups, which make them ineligible for many grants  Ways that “success” are being measured by granting agencies can be problematic – we need to change the ways in which we measure success. We need to talk to communities directly about this  The demographic representation of those making decisions about grants is often not representative of the community In March 2021 staff shared an outline of this potential funding program with racialized community members and local organizational leaders for feedback. Based on the feedback received, staff are still working to finalize the proposal, and it will come back to Council for consideration/ approval. Please see the draft outline in Attachment A. For Council Discussion: Having reviewed the draft outline of the proposed Community Funding Opportunity for Black, Indigenous and other Racialized Groups (Appendix A), what suggestions for improvement should staff consider before bringing the proposal forward for Council’s consideration/approval? 2 The Wellesley Institute (2016) “What we know about Health Inequities” http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/wp- content/uploads/2016/07/What-We-Know-About-Health-Inequities-GRID-2016.pdf 8. Recommendations for a Youth Mentorship Program for low-income youth The development of a Youth Mentorship Program specifically for low-income youth across the entire City, sponsored and/or facilitated by the City of Kitchener is underway with this working group. Some of the considerations that have been raised are the following:  Look to what communities are saying right now regarding what they need – trust the community  The Western/colonial business model that shaped the way we do things doesn’t necessary fit with how Indigenous, Black, or other racialized groups organize themselves or want to be organized. We need to think about what de- colonialization looks like  Can we put the decision-making in the hands of the community, and let the City be the enabler? Could this be a partnership opportunity? Community-led, City- funded? The first step identified by the members of this working group was to conduct targeted engagement with racialized and low-income youth and community members in order to hear from them directly about what they want to see in a youth mentorship program. An attempt at this engagement was made, although it soon became evident that this was not feasible in the midst of a pandemic, as this is a difficult time to be conducting community engagement with organizations and community who have been especially impacted by the impacts of COVID-19. Thus, rather than making recommendations for a youth mentorship program now, this working group is putting together a series of recommendations on how the City can best engage community members in this dialogue at a later date. To that end, an environmental scan has been started, questions have been drafted, and potential strategies, tactics and tools are being identified. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports A Caring Community by completing a comprehensive Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: To financially support this work, funds were transferred from two existing accounts in 2019 and 2020. To date, the City has spent $59,231 to support the advancement of these eight bodies of EDI-related work. There are no direct financial implications resulting from consideration of this report. As work referenced in this report is completed, any requirement for additional funding will be subject to Council’s consideration at a later date. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The entire basis of the work summarized in this report is grounded in collaborative community engagement. Two-thirds of the Task Force membership (N=30) is made up community members, either citizens at large, or representatives from community organizations. Each of the deliverables listed in the previous section were developed in collaboration with members of the Task Force, whose lived experiences and expertise in a wide variety of areas directly informed the direction, scope and contents. The community representation on this Task Force has been, and continues to be, the most significant driving force for the success of this work. The contributions made by members of the Task Force have been valuable, insightful, and essential in moving this work forward at the City. Even with the onset of a pandemic, the commitment that Task Force members have shown for this work has been incredible. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, alternate methods of doing community engagement have been undertaken on targeted initiatives, as everything must be done virtually, which has certainly been a difficult way to engage people on such important issues. Beyond this though, the pandemic has highlighted the long-standing inequities faced particularly by racialized communities and those living in poverty or surviving on low-income and precarious employment. Being respectful of these experiences, and in particular, the fact that these groups have been the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, has meant that we’ve had to reconsider whether it is currently an appropriate time to engage these communities, and from an equity-informed perspective, step back. At the same time, and for the same reasons (i.e. – the longstanding inequities faced by these groups), we need to move forward with this work at the City. The City has a responsibility to do the work in collaboration with members of the Task Force as best as possible, while continuing to move it forward. APPROVED BY: Michael May, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, General Manager, Community Services Department ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A – Draft Outline of Community Funding Opportunity for Black, Indigenous and other Racialized Groups ATTACHMENT A Community Funding Opportunity for Black, Indigenous and other Racialized Groups Draft Outline April 2021 Component Details of Funding Opportunity Objective/ A sustained funding opportunity for groups or organizations run by Black, Indigenous and other Vision racialized community members to support community-led programs, initiatives or events meant to decrease inequities and increase opportunities and well-being for racialized communities in Kitchener. Criteria for Open to formal and informal organizations, community groups in Kitchener, whether the group is newly Applicants formed for the purpose of a specific project, or is a pre-existing group undertaking a project. Applicants must demonstrate that their organization/ group:  Is led by Black, Indigenous, or racialized individuals/groups primarily targeting residents of Kitchener  Has a project budget outlining how they propose to use funds  Has a bank account to receive grants, or has an agreement with an organization to sponsor them financially as a third party  Agrees to report back upon completion of the project, including all revenues, expenses and proof of purchases. Criteria for Project Criteria Projects/ The project/initiative/event will contribute to the well-being of Black, Indigenous or other racialized Potential community members in Kitchener funding Potential Funding Categories categories  Funding for capacity building  Project funding  Event funding Application Applications will be done through a simple online form consisting of questions relating directly to the process criteria. Templates of any required documents will be provided. Paper versions of the application will be available upon request. Applications will be accepted on a quarterly basis, following the same application deadlines as Love my Hood. Staff support will be available for applicants. Granting  Project requests could start with $10,000 maximum amounts  Minimum grant amount = $1000  Events eligible for $2000 Selection A selection committee will be assembled of 8 to 12 people, including (1) Black and Indigenous Process representation, (2) Representation from other racialized groups, and (3) City staff (from EDI team).