HomeMy WebLinkAboutReg 2024-06-03 Item 4B - Presentation - Equity in Decision MakingUsing Equity in Decision Making
Recommendations for the City of Tukwila
By: Hollis Evey, Dawn McGeorge, Matthew Moran
EVANS SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY of WASHINGTOIV
190E
N)
Introduction
Project Objective
Develop a framework for an equity -focused decision -making tool to be used citywide
Project inspiration from the passage of the Equity Policy in 2017 and the creation of the
Equity Policy Implementation Committee (EPIC) in 2019
Anchored in improving equity among the diverse population of Tukwila
Relevant Background
22,000 full-time residents and upwards of 150,000 people traveling daily to and
through Tukwila
Local economy is driven by the service and retail industry
- Diverse and migrant population pose communication and engagement challenges
- Difficult to meet the needs of all residents when some groups are not as vocal or visible
Purpose
- Using data to inform or drive decisions is crucial for several reasons including:
- Evidence -based insights leads to more informed and effective decisions
Governments have limited resources, data helps identify areas where resources can be allocated
more equitably
Data -driven decisions can be more transparent which enhances public trust and accountability
Examine data sources both from Tukwila and regional community -based
organizations (CBOs)
- Outline preliminary work needed before creating or using a decision -making tool
- Provide a framework for a data -driven tool
- This framework will serve as the blueprint toward the creation of an equity tool
- Our framework is included in the materials received
CA)
Research Questions
How could the City of Tukwila
develop a framework for a data -
driven tool, to integrate equity into
their decision -making processes?
What types of data -drive tools have
other cities used to promote equity in
decision -making?
What structures and frameworks does
the City of tukwila need in order to
create and use a data equity tool?
What administrative capacity does the
city of Tukwila have to develop and
maintain an equity in decision -making
tool?
Methodology
Our research was conducted through two different methods:
Interviews
Comprised of city staff, city elected officials,
governing organizations, and other local
officials.
Analyzed through two frameworks:
Data -Enabled Decision Making
A decision is in place based on other factors,
but data and information will help refine the
final decision. Decision makers are actively
considering other inputs and are more flexible
to make a decision even if only partially
supported by data.
Case Studies
The City of Seattle, City of Tacoma, Port
of Seattle Equity Indices
Dissertations on equity related
frameworks
Data -Influenced Decision Making
In this scenario, data is not sought, but is
instead discovered or presented to kickstart a
decision -making process that might otherwise
not have been on the radar.
01
CD
Findings
Case Studies
- Identifying shared goals and outcomes is
necessary to creating a useful model for
municipal equity.
- Strong leadership and collaboration is
necessary when attempting to operationalize
frameworks for decision making.
- Sequential steps should be taken in order for
any equity decision making model to be
used consistently across departments over
time.
Interviews
There is substantial fiscal and administrative
upkeep to develop, deploy and maintain an
comprehensive data -centered decision
making tool
Internal barriers include need for more
interdepartmental collaboration, fiscal
burden, and administrative burden
There are plenty of regional resources
available to Tukwila that will eliminate the
need to recreate the wheel
Recommendations
Based on our research, we recommend the following for the City:
1. Conduct a Community Needs Assessment
2. Improve Interdepartmental Coordination through EPIC programming
3. Allocate City resources to support the development of a tool through budgetary action
4. Collaborate with Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE) and Puget Sound
Regional Council (PSRC)
a. GARE: Provides training, support, and resources for jurisdictions at all stages of using data in decision -
making
b. PSRC: Provides data to help planners and decision -makers better understand the region and visualize its
future
5. Partner with neighboring cities to create a Request For Proposal (RFP) to the Sound
Cities Association (SCA) for development of a regional equity tool