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City Equity Offices in America |
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 City Equity Offices in the US:Missions and scope of work Albuquerque, New Mexico Popl: 561,000 Office of Equity & Inclusion Link Mission / Purpose statement: To inspire and equip city government to make Albuquerque , a national role model of racial equity and social justice. Scope of work: • Develop a city workforce that is representative at all levels of the demographics of the city, • Increase local purchasing and doing business with companies owned by people of color, • Invest in areas of the city that have been under invested, • Ensure that the city delivers services in a equitable and inclusive manner Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: Racial Equity Here, a partnership of the Governnment Alliance on Race and Equity and Living Cities (REH) Asheville, North Carolina Popl: 94,000 Office of Equity and Inclusion Link Mission / Purpose statement: The recently established Equity and Inclusion function is a , deliberate step toward advancing equity in Asheville, with racial and social equity as top priorities. Scope of work: The Equity & Inclusion Director plays a key role in moving the city organization toward successful , advancement of equity with Asheville through understanding, analyzing and eliminating the root , causes of racial disparities, and advancing equitable policies, practices and procedures. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) Atlanta, Georgia Popl: 524,000 Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion leverages the combined power of government, private and non-profit partners, and communities to dismantle systemic inequities and barriers to opportunity. We work to create One Atlanta – a safe and welcoming city with world-class employees, infrastructure and services, an ethical, transparent, and fiscally responsible government, thriving neighborhoods, communities, and businesses and residents who are equipped for success. Scope of work: The Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is charged to ensure equitable, open and inclusive practices across all city departments and functions. It will also shine light on our forgotten communities and build a bridge towards greater inclusiveness across the entire city. The Office drives the Mayor’s “One Atlanta” agenda to ensure more equitable access to economic and workforce development opportunities across the city by launching a community engagement strategy, galvanizing corporate and philanthropic resources across the region, establishing an Equity Impact Assessment, and developing Equity Champions across citywide departments. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) Austin, Texas Popl: 988,000 Equity Office Link: www.austintexas.gov/department/, equity-office Mission / Purpose statement: The City of Austin’s Equity Office provides leadership, guidance, and insight on equity to improve the quality of life for Austinites. We work to achieve the vision of making Austin the most livable city in the nation for all. The Office strives to build and sustain a culture of equity across the city. Scope of work: The Office directs the Equity Action Plan and provides training to city staff in response to an annual Equity Assessment conducted by city departments during budget preparation. The annual assessment includes: (1) Departmental Analysis: A look at city departments' culture; (2) Budget: A scan of how community input factors in budget planning; (3) Community Engagement: Gauges departmental practices and quality of interaction with the community; (4) Alignment: Evaluates opportunities to address disparities in city priorities. The Office also directs a mini-grant to help local community organizations address equity-related issues. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: REH; National League of Cities' Racial Equity and Leadership (REAL) Initiative Baltimore, Maryland Popl: 590,000 Office of Equity & Civil Rights Mission / Purpose statement: The Office of Equity and Civil Rights is a city agency devoted to advancing equity and upholding the federal and local civil rights laws, the local living and prevailing wage laws, and providing oversight of local law enforcement. The mission of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights is to carry out activities to eliminate inequity, inequality, and discrimination. Scope of work: There are two divisions in the Office: the Equity Division which works to advance equity in the City of Baltimore, and the Civil Rights Division, which consists of the Civilian Review Board, the Community Relations Commission, the Mayor's Commission on Disabilities and the Wage Commission. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: n/a Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: No Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Boston, Massachusetts Popl: 710,000 Department of Resilience and Racial Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: n/a Scope of work: The Department identifies critical issues related to racial disparities, discrimination, and institutional racism within city government. It helps city departments use a racial equity framing tool (REAL) to review current and proposed policies, programs, initiatives, practices, and budget allocations to prevent decision making that adversely impacts communities of color and other marginalized populations. The tool helps surface unintended consequences of proposed actions, identify opportunities for improvement, identify how actions may advance racial equity, and create opportunities for increased community engagement and accountability. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: n/a Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: GARE; 100RC Cambridge, Massachusetts Popl: 122,000 Department of Equity & Inclusion Link Mission / Purpose statement: EEO only Scope of work: The Department of Equity & Inclusion upholds and reaffirms the City’s position and commitment to equal employment opportunity, and assists in creating and maintaining an inclusive workforce that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: No Partnerships with national organisations: n/a Cedar Rapids, Iowa Popl: 136,000 Employee Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team Link Mission / Purpose statement: The mission of the CR Employee Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team is to create and sustain an inclusive environment that reflects the community we serve and where all employees feel valued. Scope of work: Track and measure population demographics against city employee demographics; evaluate and recommend ways to attract, retain and provide for a diverse employee population; sponsor events and trainings that promote diversity in thinking and attitude; promote diversity, inclusion and equity through mentoring and modeling behavior; maintain an open mind and listening atmosphere where all employees feel welcome and appreciated. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Champaign, Illinois Popl: 89,000 Office of Equity, Community and Human Rights Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Office of Equity, Community and Human Rights works to ensure everyone who lives, works, or plays in Champaign is treated in a fair, equal, and inclusive manner Scope of work: Provides ongoing public education and enforcement of the City’s Human Rights Ordinance and Equal Opportunity in Purchasing Ordinance; investigates complaints of discrimination and works with both parties to resolve issues; reviews investigations completed by the police into citizen complaints and provide findings and recommendations to Police Chief. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: n/a Cleveland, Ohio Popl: 379,000 Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity Mission / Purpose statement: Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) only Scope of work: Responsible for the administration, monitoring and enforcement of the city’s minority and female-owned business enterprise programs; the new programs for smaller, local businesses; Fannie M. Lewis Cleveland Resident Employment Law programs; and prevailing wage compliance. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: No Partnerships with national organisations: n/a Denver, Colorado Popl: 734,000 Office of Social Equity and Innovation Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Mayor’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation shall lead efforts to eliminate social inequity and race and social injustices by evaluating institutional and structural government systems, policies, and practices Scope of work: Improve policy, service delivery, and equitable distribution of resources to ensure that priorities of equity are integrated into key programs, practices, and processes: (1) Use research-based practices to develop content and facilitate learning related to social equity, race, and social justice; work with city agencies and departments to develop equity plans to identify social equity opportunities and prioritize strategies that align with citywide goals; (3) Embrace ongoing engagment within community; (4) Utilize data to measure progress of defined goals concerning social equity, race, and social justice. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: GARE (Race Forward); REAL Eugene, Oregon Popl: 178,000 Office of Human Rights & Neighborhood Involvement Link Mission / Purpose statement: n/a Scope of work: Support victims of hate and bias; Coordinate accessibility for events, facilities, programs, and services; respond to discrimination complaints and accessibility grievances; support the Human Rights Commission; help create better access to government for marginalized communities. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: n/a Evanston, Illinois Popl: 723,000 Office for Equity and Empowerment Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Office for Equity and Empowerment is intentional about and accountable for the advancement of equity, diversity and inclusion in programs, policies, services and employment in the City of Evanston. Achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion are our highest priorities as we work to become the most livable city in America. Scope of work: n/a Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: n/a Partnerships with national organisations: n/a Grand Rapids, Michigan Popl: 205,000 Office of Equity and Engagement Link Mission / Purpose statement: EEO only Scope of work: We promote Community, Workforce, and Supplier Diversity for our employees and residents. We make sure the City complies with civil rights laws. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: n/a Partnerships with national organisations: REH Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Popl: 49,000 Office of Equity and Affirmative Action Mission / Purpose statement: EEO only Scope of work: The Director of Equity and Affirmative Action serves as the City’s Affirmative Action officer and Equal Employment Opportunity point of contact, staff liaison to the re-instated Harrisburg Human Relations Commission and change agent to work with Harrisburg communities in developing and sustaining a diverse learning, living, working, and play environment that values individual, communal, organizational, and systematic commonality and difference. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: n/a Partnerships with national organisations: n/a Iowa City, Iowa Popl: 78,000 Office of Equity and Human Rights Link Mission / Purpose statement: n/a Scope of work: The staff of the Office of Equity and Human Rights investigate complaints, coordinate mediation, conduct conciliation, and enforce the provisions of the Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance contained in Title II of the City Code (and, by extension, the provisions of state and federal-level anti-discrimination laws). Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Long Beach, California Popl: 463,000 Office of Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Office of Equity educates and supports City staff and elected officials to advance equity and ensure that all Long Beach residents have what they need to thrive Scope of work: The Office advances equity by: engaging community voices to inform the design of policy and system change; making inequities visible using data and storytelling; building our city's capacity to advance equity through training, tools, and technical assistance, including the Equity Toolkit for city leaders and staff. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: n/a Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Louisville, Kentucky Popl: 625,000 Office of Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: n/a Scope of work: n/a Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: n/a Partnerships with national organisations: REH; 100RC Madison, Wisconsin Popl: 264,000 Department of Civil Rights Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Department of Civil Rights, as a catalyst for change, strives to improve the quality of life for all people. The DCR promotes equality and the prevention and elimination of discrimination through education and enforcement. Scope of work: Training and enforcement regarding disability rights, fair housing, discrimination complaints Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: No Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Minneapolis, Minnesota Popl: 437,000 City Coordinator's Office Link Mission / Purpose statement: n/a Scope of work: The Office is responsible for implementing the city's Strategic & Racial Equity Action Plan, which identifies a set of operational and policy priorities that the city commits to significantly and sustainably improve through 2022. The plan aligns the work from city leadership to departments and defines goals at all planning levels which can be objectively measured and help inform resource decisions. Focus areas are: improve housing stability; support inclusive economic development; improve public safety. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: 100RC New Orleans, Louisiana Popl: 390,000 Mayor's Office of Human Rights and Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Office of Human Rights and Equity works to promote and protect human rights and advocate for equity in local government. Scope of work: Embed equity in City Hall by: using a racial equity lens in determining the city budget; providing training for all senior staff on the use of racial equity tools for policymaking and decisionmaking; providing technical assistance to staff as they implement racial equity practices in their work. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: n/a Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: n/a Partnerships with national organisations: 100RC New York City, New York Popl: 8,323,000 Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity) uses evidence and innovation to reduce poverty and increase equity. It advances research, data and design in the City’s program and policy development, service delivery, and budget decisions Scope of work: Analyzing existing anti-poverty approaches, developing new interventions, facilitating the sharing of data across city agencies, and rigorously assessing the impact of key initiatives. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Oakland, California Popl: 435,000 Department of Race & Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: To create a city where our diversity has been maintained, racial disparities have been eliminated and racial equity has been achieved. Scope of work: Our focus is to cultivate advocates and their capacity to focus on equity, build infrastructure and political will to support the change, employ new skills/tools to make changes, track and recognize progress by: increasing awareness of racial inequity, it’s root causes and how it is perpetuated by institutions and systems; mobilizing advocates to organize support for furthering a shared vision of racial equity through institutional leadership, equity teams and staff engagement in change efforts; developing strategic plans and tools for analysis and resources for advancing racial equity goals, including specific racial equity outcomes; training staff to apply pro-equity tools to change structures, policies, practices and procedures to further institutional transformation; establishing baseline disparity data, targets/benchmarks and processes to track and report outcomes; Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: GARE; 100RC Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Popl: 1,5912,000 Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Link Mission / Purpose statement: n/a Scope of work: The Office makes recommendations over the long term that work to build a more inclusive city workforce related to race, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The Office works with those in government and in the private sector to increase opportunities for all who have suffered from discriminatory practices. This includes reducing barriers in contracting so that every person and every business has the chance to succeed. It means supporting commerce in neighborhoods that have been harmed by unequal lending practices. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: n/a Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: REH Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Popl: 294,000 Office of Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Office of Equity seeks to normalize social and racial equity within city government and our communities. Our staff works closely with community partners, government agencies, experts and communities to inform and implement equitable policies, programs, procedures and expenditures to make Pittsburgh a community for all. Scope of work: Conducts continuous in-depth analysis of outcomes, services and best practices of city departments to examine how they are contributing to inequity around the City of Pittsburgh. They provide recommendations on policies and national best practices to address systemic inequities in government and cities. Administrative liason for Equal Opportunity Review Commission. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: No Partnerships with national organisations: GARE; 100 RC Portland, Oregon Popl: 664,000 Office of Equity and Human Rights Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Office of Equity and Human Rights provides education and technical support to City staff and elected officials, leading to recognition and removal of systemic barriers to fair and just distribution of resources, access and opportunity, starting with issues of race and disability. Scope of work: Promote equity and reduce disparities within city government; provide guidance, education and technical assistance to all bureaus as they develop sustainable methods to build capacity in achieving equitable outcomes and service; work with community partners to promote equity and inclusion within Portland and throughout the region, producing measurable improvements and disparity reductions; support human rights and opportunities for everyone to achieve their full potential; work to resolve issues rooted in bias and discrimination, through research, education, and interventions. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Sacramento, California Popl: 522,000 Office of Diversity & Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: To move forward with urgency and purpose the creation, implementation, and maintenance of a more equitable and inclusive City of Sacramento by facilitating the integration of greater representation, fairness, belonging, and care into our policies, protocols, practices, and work places. Scope of work: Work closely with all City departments and offices to ensure support for diversity, equity, and inclusion is integrated into decision making, planning and implementation, throughout all structures, services, policies, practices, and procedures. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: No Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: No Partnerships with national organisations: GARE San Antonio, Texas Popl: 1,578,000 Office of Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: The Office of Equity works across city departments and with community partners to maximize the city’s impact towards San Antonio’s vision of prosperity. Scope of work: Four annual goals currently drive the Office of Equity’s work: (1) advance equity in budgeting, community engagement, and high priority service delivery; (2) build awareness and involvement in the office through transformational community engagement; (3)collaborate with other institutions to achieve San Antonio’s vision of prosperity; (4) improve services for community members submitting discrimination complaints. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: No Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Seattle, Washington Popl: 783,000 Office for Civil Rights Link Mission / Purpose statement: To end structural racism and discrimination through accountable community relationships and anti-racist organizing, policy development and civil rights enforcement. Scope of work: The Office enforces laws against illegal discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and contracting within Seattle city limits. We also lead the Race and Social Justice Initiative, Gender Justice Project, and Criminal Legal System Project, all citywide efforts to end institutional racism in city government and to achieve racial equity across our community. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: n/a Partnerships with national organisations: GARE St. Louis, Missouri Popl: 294,000 Office of Resilience Link Mission / Purpose statement: Building urban resilience through equity, inclusivity, and people. Scope of work: Create a citywide Resilience Strategy and coordinate its implementation with city departments and agencies, community organizations, private sector partners, and the 100 Resilient Cities Network. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: n/a Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: 100RC Tacoma, Washington Popl: 223,000 Office of Equity and Human Rights Link Mission / Purpose statement: Achieve equity in our service delivery, decision making and community engagement. Scope of work: Identify and eliminate the underlying drivers within our community that perpetuate racial inequity and provide opportunity and advancement for all. Ultimately, we want to change the way we do business as an organization and work with our community to make Tacoma a city that is welcoming, inclusive and accessible to everyone. Performance measures: Yes Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: n/a Partnerships with national organisations: GARE Tulsa, Oklahoma Popl: 397,000 Mayor's Office of Resilience and Equity Link Mission / Purpose statement: Achieve equality for all Tulsans through partnership building, education, cultural awareness, and advocacy Scope of work: The office is charged with implementing a broad strategy to promote resilience and equity in Tulsa in all aspects of city life from employment, economic development, health, mental health, and human rights. The office also oversees the complaint and investigation process for Tulsans who experience discrimination in housing, employment, or public accommodations. In addition, MORE works in partnership with five commissions who represent and advocate for women, Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans, and human rights in Tulsa. Performance measures: n/a Combined equity office / EEO: Yes Reporting to Mayor / City Manager: Yes Partnerships with national organisations: 100 RC Introduction to and analysis of City Equity Offices in the USA © Copyright: City Mayors Foundation. All rights reserved Follow @City_Mayors |