Equity Action Plan - FY20

	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Community Indicator What we hope to see in the community.	Outcomes and Actions What actions we will take and what we aim to achieve with these actions	Accountability Who is involved in the actions. Who is responsible for completion.	Timeline When we hope to see changes	Performance Measures What data we use to demonstate if changes are working	Progress Report Quarterly check-in on actions and outcomes

2	Goal 1: Reduce racial disparities within City government
3	A. Workforce equity improved: Eliminate racial disparities in hiring and promotions; improve retention rates
4	Demographics of people of color grows and unemployment and wage disparities decrease between Black and white populations. Baseline Data: 1216 Benefitted Employees - 89% white 11% people of color Executive & Senior Level 90% white 10% people of color FY18 hired 200 employees of which 13% were people of color	Evaluate people of color recruitment efforts to improve and expand outreach to underrepresented communities both local and non local.	Department Directors; Workforce Equity Action Team and Human Resources	November 2019 November 2019	100% of Departments implementing Equity Action Plan Defined and developed metric for improving and expanding outreach
5		Offer strategies to hiring managers for removing implicit bias from the interview, hiring and promotion processes thus increasing people of color employed at all levels of the organization.	Workforce Equity Action Team; Office of Equity & Inclusion; Human Resources	June 2020 October 2018	100% of Hiring Managers in Departments attend Implicit Bias Training Baseline employment data disaggregated by race, salary range, positions
6		Examine and document internal and external examples of recruitment and retention successes	Workforce Equity Action Team; Management Team; Human Resources	July 2019 June 2019 June 2019 August 2019	Shared resources across departments Defined succesful strategies Documented implementation of successful strategies by departments Developed method for sharing across departments
7		Apply recommended recruitment and retention strategies throughout COA to ultimately hire and retain more people of color	Management Team; Workforce Equity Team; Human Resources	October 2019 December 2019 June 2020	Shared resources across departments Documented implementation of successful strategies by departments 2% people of color hired; retained
8		Provide resources to staff to facilitate their professional growth in order to increase the pool of people of color applying for and securing supervisory and manager positions.	Workforce Equity Action Team and Human Resources	Spetember 2020 September 2020 September 2020	5% of employees participate in professional development and growth opportunities 1% increase in people of color employees promoted 1% increase in people of color supervisors
9		Partner with COA HR to track wages and employment statistics to evaluate improvements for hiring and retaining	Workforce Equity Action Team and Human Resources	June 2020	1% increase in people of color employed and increase in average wages
10	B. Contracting & Procurement equity improved: Increase the <$30,000 contracting threshold opportunity for Black owned businesses
11	Minority-owned businesses increase annual income Baseline Data: $40K Annual income for Black Owned businesses - The State of Black Asheville, 2012	Community Engagement with Black owned businesses to identify barriers to conducting business with COA	Contracting & Purchasing Interdepartmental Action Team (Neighborhood Coordinator, Minority Business Manager, CAPE)	November 2019/ongoing	Document and track meeting attendance Document barriers to develop solutions Develop measure of impact
12		Create policy and/or change procedure for all planning for outreach and engagement include stakeholders within the community	Contracting & Purchasing Interdepartmental Action Team, Purchasing Division, Minority Business Manager, City Manager's Office, City Council	November 2019	Ability to track outreach to all Minority Businesses Track Minority Businesses under $30K
13		Improve COA database to indicate whether vendor or subcontrator is a minority business	Contracting & Purchasing Interdepartmental Action Team, Information Technology Dept., Purchasing Div.	October 2019	Establish database Improvement of Minority Business Outreach Resource for COA employees to utilize Develop orientation/training and support for COA employees
14		Departments entering Minority Businesses into database	Contracting & Purchasing Interdepartmental Action Team, Management Team	August 2019	Minority Businesses entered at department level
15		Create measurable minority business outreach requirements for <$30K General Services and Building Constuction contracts	Contracting & Purchasing Interdepartmental Action Team, Minority Business Manager, Management Team	December 2019	Increase Minority Business utilization by COA
16	C. Knowledge and tools used by City staff and Council to advance racial equity increases: Capacity and infrastructure in place to implement Racial Equity Action Plan
17	City policies, practices and procedures support equitable and inclusive government	Employee Equity Survey results are used to develop strategies for increased employee understanding and work to advance initiative	Internal Capacity Interdepartmental Action Team, Office of Equity & Inclusion	September 2018	Equity Training and Technical Assistance program developed
18		City employees have the understanding, core competencies, skills, tools, and resources needed to advance racial equity	Internal Capacity Interdepartmental Action Team, Office of Equity & Inclusion	June 2020 May 2020	Employee performance expectations include advancing racial equity; 30% of employees participate in equity training
19		Establish annual accountability agreements between City Manager(s) and Management Team on applicable Equity & Inclusion Goals	Executive Team, Office of Equity & Inclusion, Management Team	September 2019 December 2019 June 2020	100% of annual Department Director accountability agreements with City Manager are written and signed; Agreements are tracked and reported on quarterly basis; Performance expectations reflect measurable standards for advancing racial equity and are tracked
20		Convene a Racial Equity Strategic Leadership Team responsible for high-level accountability and oversight of implementation of Equity Action Plan.	Executive Team, Office of Equity & Inclusion, Management Team	November 2019	Racial Equity Strategic Leadership Team convened
21		Interdepartmental Action Teams guide the implementation, tracking and reporting of each Equity Action Plan Goal (ie. Workforce Equity, Contracting & Procurement, Community Engagement, Economic Inclusion and Capacity Building)	Executive Team, Office of Equity & Inclusion, Management Team	July 2018 December 2018 May 2019/ ongoing	Interdepartmental Action Teams convened; Oversee and track the implementation of focus area; Report progress on annual performance measures
22	Goal 2: Strengthen how the City equitably provides services and inclusively engages with the community
23	A. Equitable and inclusive outreach and public engagement are improved:
24	All residents have access and opportunities to engage in public decision-making	The City's community engagement activities engage participants who reflect the demographics of the neighborhoods where services, improvements, changes occur and impact the most	City-wide Outreach & Public Engagement interdepartmental team	September 2019 September 2019 January 2020	Develop measure of community engagement Implement community engagement measure Track results
25		City-wide Outreach & Public Engagement interdepartmental team as a structure for coordinating inclusive outreach and public engagement across the city	Neighborhood & Community Engagement Manager, proposed Inclusive Engagement Manager (Equity Office), Community Engagement Pilot Project Team, Departments	June 2019/ ongoing	Establish Outreach & Public Engagement Interdepartmental Action Team Track progress of regular meeting
26		Build relationships with informal community leaders from underrepresented groups for recommendations and applicants for City boards & commissions	Neighborhood & Community Engagement Manager, proposed Inclusive Engagement Manager (Equity Office), Community Engagement Pilot Project Team, Departments, Deputy City Clerk, Boards & Commissions Staff Liaisons	December 2018 October 2019/ ongoing	Establish baseline (May 2018) Increase Boards & Commissions applications by people from underrepresented groups
27		Track, recruit and facilitate the appointment of racially diverse boards and commission members	Neighborhood & Community Engagement Manager, proposed Inclusive Engagement Manager (Equity Office), Community Engagement Pilot Project Team, Departments, Deputy City Clerk, Boards and Commissions Staff Liaisons	March 2020/ ongoing	Increase people of color on boards and commissions by 10% from May 2018 baseline
28		Provide supportive tools and resources for a culture of inclusion on boards and commissions	Neighborhood & Community Engagement Manager, proposed Inclusive Engagement Manager (Equity Office), Community Engagement Pilot Project Team, Departments, Deputy City Clerk, Boards & Commissions Staff Liaisons	February 2020 February 2020/ ongoing February 2020/ ongoing	Create orientation Create tools Provide acces to repository of tools and resources
29		Approval of a city-wide inclusive engagement resolution by City Council	Neighborhood & Community Engagement Manager, proposed Inclusive Engagement Manager (Equity Office), Community Engagement Pilot Project Team, Departments	June 2020 August 2020	Policy approved 30% of externally focused departments (CAPE, Capital Projects, CED, Parks & Rec, Public Works, Water, Transportation) include new policy in workplans
30		City-wide administrative policy	Neighborhood & Community Engagement Manager, proposed Inclusive Engagement Manager (Equity Office), Community Engagement Pilot Project Team, Departments, Equity Office and CMO, Assistant City Clerk, Boards & Commissions Staff Liaisons	July 2020	Policy adopted by Management Team and included in departments' workplans
31	B. Existing services are systematically reviewed and improved using racial equity best practices criteria:
32	All residents agree the actions and values of local government are aligned	Provide appropriate training to all employees to advance attainment of core competencies	Internal Capacity Interdepartmental Action Team, Office of Equity & Inclusion	October 2019/ ongoing	80% employees who attend equity training attain equity core competencies
33		Institutional barriers to racial equity within the city are identified, analyzed and acted upon using equity tools	Internal Capacity Interdepartmental Action Team	June 2020 December 2019 June 2020 March 2020	15% employees participate in equity and incluison training Racial Equity Toolkit training available and tools electronically accessible 30% of departments using Racial Equity Assessment Tools for decision-making Policy, Procedure and Practice changes/newly adopted are tracked
34	Goal 3: Eliminate racial disparities in our communitites
35	A. Race-based disparities in our communities are decreased:
36	All residents share in Economic Inclusion (equitable opportunities in employment, income, affordable housing, wealth building and entrepreneurship) Baseline Data: - Renting vs. Ownership (State of Black Asheville) 63% of black families vs 48% of white familes rent (American Community Survey 2012). 37% of black families vs 52% of white families own (American Community Survey 2012). - Renting vs. Ownership (ACS FactFinder) 71% of black families vs 49% of white families rent their homes (American Community Survey 2016). 28% of black families vs 50% of white families own their homes (American Community Survey 2016). There are ten public housing communities with 3,100 residents; 71.8% are black. 1.350 families receive funding from Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8).	Assess selected city-owned properties for development; Create an opportunity to fund future City of Asheville Community Land Trust Increase affordable housing opportunities	Development and Anti-Gentrification Equity Action Team, City-Owned Property Team	June 2019 June 2020 December 2020 December 2020 March 2019	Identify city-owned property for development; 2 properties under development Decision-making tool finalized, approved by Management Team and adopted by City Council Develop education materials for the community to explain the model and city owned property initiative Asheville Community Land Trust established and incorporated
37		Convene regional partners and potential collaborators in developing Economic Inclusion for Southern Cities strategy	Office of Equity & Inclusion; WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition; Annie E. Casey Foundation; PolicyLink	October 2019/ ongoing January 2020 June 2019	Plan and implement convening Follow-up with action-oriented meetings to develop strategic regional plan; include community engagement Develop Regional Action Plan
38		TBD
39		TBD
40	City, community and public and private institutions work together to address race-based disparities that impact our communities	Convene regional public institutions in action-oriented collaborative to eliminate racial disparities in our communities	Office of Equity & Inclusion, Executive Team	June 2019/ ongoing	Public Institutions formally adopt initiatives to eliminate racial disparities and advance racial equity;
41		Partner with nonprofits and private industy on eliminating racial disparities in our communities	Office of Equity & Inclusion, Executive Team, Management Team, CED, Parks & Rec	June 2020 June 2020	Update Agreements & Partnership Policy to include equity and inclusion outcomes All new partnership agreements include language to eliminate racial disparities and advance racial equity
42		Partner to support education, training, dialogue and other learning opportunities to engage community members in critical race analysis, normalizing, operationalizing and organizing to eliminate racial disparities in communities	Human Relations Commission, Office of Equity & Inclusion	June 2019/ ongoing	Track # of learning and/or dialogue partnership opportunities Develop and track measure of impact
43		Develop trusting relationships with community, especially those most impacted by disparities. Assist in traditionally underrepresented community members connecting and engaging with government and feeling empowered to voice their needs, desires and demands of local government	HRCA, Community, Executive Team, Mayor & City Council	January 2019/ ongoing October 2019/ ongoing	Community conversations occurring Community and City shares power in developing citywide equity statement/vision and accountability measures
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