An “Equity Lens” for Nashville
ADVOCATING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN “EQUITY LENS” POLICY TOOL WITHIN
METRO GOVERNMENT WILL BE A MAJOR FOCUS FOR A VOICE IN 2021. SEE BELOW TO LEARN MORE!
On This Page:
Webinar: What is an “equity Lens & how could Nashville use it to create systemic and
institutional change?
Check out this fantastic webinar, hosted by the Metro Human Relations Commission (featuring Mel Fowler-Green and Ashford Hughes, Sr.) explores the “equity lens” public policy tool. It seeks to answer the following questions and how an equity lens approach could be used here in Nashville:
What is an “equity lens”?
How can it be used to articulate and operationalize racial equity goals?
How are other cities are using equity lenses to move beyond inclusion by interrupting biases, increasing transparency and accountability, and shifting long-standing inequitable institutional patterns?
What opportunities does Nashville have right now to employ this policy tool?
Success Story: Equity Lens in Mayor’s Transportation Plan
A Voice applauds Mayor Cooper and the work of his Senior Advisor on Transportation, Faye DiMassimo, for not only including a strong focus on equity in their new Transportation Plan, but for including an equity lens tool as a key part of the planning and implementation process!
The plan’s “Equity-in-Design” tool will be used “to evaluate policies and specific capital projects through an equity lens, defining equity metrics and objectives to track progress (i.e., reductions in particulate air pollution, increases in access to the most affordable transport modes, walk/bike/transit), and conducting community engagement with a focus on underserved or vulnerable communities.” (Emphasis added)
Advocacy Focus: Equity Lens for Metro FY22 Budget
Stay tuned for more as the Metro Budget FY22 cycle begins!
Advocacy Focus: Equity Metrics for Metro’s Performance Management System
Mayor Cooper recently created the Office of Performance Management, which “is responsible for tracking impactful and relevant operating performance variations, identifying items that require immediate attention, and supporting data-based decision making.” The Performance Management System is still in beta-stage, but so far it has been implemented for three of the Mayor’s policy priority areas: 1) Public Safety and Justice, 2) Neighborhoods and Community Engagement, 3) Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability.
A Voice believes strongly that Metro’s Performance Management System must include equity as a metric. The only way to improve something is to measure it. If Metro is committed to equity in its policies and operation, it must include equity in its Performance Management System.
For that reason, we strongly support the Metro Human Relation Commission’s recommendation from its April 2020 policy memo (also available below) that calls on Metro to include equity metrics in its Performance Management System.
“MHRC recommends that the Mayor’s office and City Council incorporate equity as a metric in the Performance Management System to ensure that all Metro departments are considering matters of equity and inequity - historical and present - when designing and implementing programs, distributing resources, and serving Nashville constituents.” (pg. 3)
Background Info:
What is Equity?
From “Racial Equality or Racial Equity? The Difference It Makes” by Paula Dressel. April 2014. Available at https://viablefuturescenter.org/racemattersinstitute/2014/04/02/racial-equality-or-racial-equity-the-difference-it-makes/. Accessed on July 27, 2019.
From “What’s the Difference Between Equity and Equality?” by Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. April 2018. Available at https://publichealthonline.gwu.edu/blog/equity-vs-equality/. Accessed on July 27, 2019.
From The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “Race Equity and Inclusion Guide: 7 Steps to Advance Equity and Embed Race Equity and Inclusion within your Organization,” 2014. Available at https://www.aecf.org/resources/race-equity-and-inclusion-action-guide/. Accessed July 27, 2019.
WHAT IS AN “EQUITY LENS?”
“An equity lens is a process for analyzing or diagnosing the impact of the design and implementation of policies on under-served and marginalized individuals and groups, and to identify and potentially eliminate barriers.” [1]
HOW COULD METRO GOVERNMENT APPLY AN EQUITY LENS TO CITY POLICY?
Though there are many different approaches to implementing an equity lens or equity-based approach to public policy, the 7-step “Race Equity and Inclusion Action Guide” by the Annie E. Casey Foundation is a great place to start.
For example, before drafting a new ordinance, allocating funds, or selecting a contractor, Metro government could conduct an equity-based “systems analysis,” starting with the following questions:
What are the racial inequities, barriers or negative outcomes involved in the problem being examined? Who is burdened most and who benefits most?
What institutions are involved? What unfair policies and/or practices are involved?
What social conditions or determinants contribute to the problem (such as poverty, housing segregation, education)?
What other compounding dynamics are involved (such as income or gender inequities)?
What cultural norms, myths or popular ideas justify or maintain the problem?
How did things get this way and what are some of the cumulative impacts?
What are the key causes or contributing factors?
What solutions or interventions could eliminate the inequities?
What can be learned from prior efforts to solve the problem or change the system?
What strategies could result in systemic change and advance equitable solutions? [2]
This webinar from PolicyLink provides guidance and illustrative examples about how to use the concept of equity to tailor economic development to the specific needs of different communities:
EXAMPLES OF AN EQUITY LENS APPROACH IN ACTION:
“Planning with an Equity Lens: Making Cities More Fair” — An article on the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), an alliance of cities and counties that are using an equity lens to review existing policies.
“Promising Practices in Government to Advance Racial Equity” — A report from Portland’s Office on Equity and Human Rights that provides a plethora of examples of cities and counties that are using an equity lens, with links to many of their policies and tools for implementing an equity lens.
“Seattle is Helping Baltimore Consider Racial Equity in Budget Decisions” — Examples of putting an equity lens into practice in Seattle and Baltimore.
Seattle City Government’s Racial Equity Toolkit provides a step-by-step process for the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, initiatives, programs, and budget issues to address the impacts on racial equity.
Baltimore’s Outcome Budgeting System is an approach to developing a city budget that starts by asking what results matter most to citizens (instead of just starting from last year’s budget). It prioritizes transparency and performance data and evidence of impact. This 2018 report from Results for America provides details on Baltimore’s outcome budget process and its results.
“San Antonio's 2018 Budget Uses 'Equity Lens' To Allocate Funds” — This 47-minute panel discussion from San Antonio Public Radio highlights San Antonio’s implementation of an Equity Lens. Panel participants include Sheryl Sculley, City Manager for San Antonio, Kiran Bains, Chief Equity Officer for San Antonio's Diversity and Inclusion Office, and Christine Drennon, Director of the Urban Studies Department at Trinity University
FOOTNOTES
[1] University of Minnesota, University Policy Library. "Equity Lens." Available at https://policy.umn.edu/equity-lens/. Accessed July 22, 2019.
[2] The Annie E. Casey Foundation, "Race Equity and Inclusion Action Guide: 7 Steps to Advance and Embed Race Equity and Inclusion Within Your Organization." Available at https://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/AECF_EmbracingEquity7Steps-2014.pdf#page=10. Accessed July 27, 2019.