Collaborating for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

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A screenshot from the D&I Executive Council’s Nov. 10 virtual Town Hall.

Welcome back to the Diversity and Inclusion Executive Council’s dive into equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. This week’s article highlights partnerships and resources crafted over the past year that further opportunities for belonging.

A lot has taken place! We’ve divided the activities into four areas.

Save this page to your bookmarks and come back to take advantage of this information over the next few days, weeks and months.

Valuing Diverse Voices

We’ve been listening! Numerous D&I partners have hosted virtual listening sessions and town hall gatherings in the past few months. If you’ve missed them, you can watch most “on rewind.” And stay tuned for upcoming sessions in 2022.

  • D&I Executive Council Town Hall: The D&I Executive Council hosted a town hall on Nov. 15, 2021, to condemn hate-filled speech and create a place of belonging. Watch.

  • D&I Executive Council Listening Session: The D&I Executive Council hosted a listening session focused on creating a space of healing surrounding COVID-19 and social justice experiences on June 24, 2021. Watch.

  • D&I Showcase: Our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Division hosted a D&I Showcase on May 25, 2021. The lunchtime event featured diversity and inclusion presentations from departments across the County including Clerk of the Board, Probation and Planning & Development. Watch.

  • ERG Listening Sessions: The Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees (APACE) Employee Resource Group hosted “Amplifying AAPI Voices: Beyond the Surface” on May 20, 2021. Watch. And then partnered with the County of San Diego Filipino American Employees Association (CSDFEA) for “Amplify AAPI Voices Continued” on June 30, 2021. Watch.

  • ERG Listening Session: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Allies (LBGTQ&A), Middle East Employee Resource Group (MEERG) and the San Diego County Latino Association Employee Resource Group (SDCLA) employee resource groups hosted a listening session on May 5, 2021 for Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Speakers voiced stories of trauma. (Warning: This video contains emotionally difficult topics.) Watch.

  • ERG Resource Council Listening Session: Employee Resource Group Council hosted three Social Justice, Equity and Identity listening sessions. Read about the July 8, 2020, session. Watch the Aug. 20, 2020, session. Watch the Sept. 10, 2020, session.

Creating Awareness and a Unified Language

BIPOC. Systemic racism. Targeted universalism. What do these terms mean? And how can knowing their meanings make a difference for the clients we serve and in the workplace? Several partners have come together to create awareness and a unified language to help us talk the talk and walk the walk.

  • 5-Day Challenge: Boost your knowledge with the 5-Day Challenge. Each session typically takes 10 to 30 minutes a day. They include articles, videos and self-reflection. The sessions are intended to provide a space to learn, reflect and grow in a self-paced environment on racial equity and social justice. These challenges seek to help us to discover how racial and social injustice impact our community and to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. Take the challenge.

  • D&I Digests: The quarterly D&I Digest is an information bridge for sharing ideas and stories about our workplace and community. The online magazine for employees features videos, podcasts, webinars, articles and other resources. Read the latest digest. (The D&I Digest displays best in Chrome or Microsoft Edge.) Find previous digests on InSite.

  • Know the Code: The Office of Ethics and Compliance launched a new series focused on highlighting different sections of the County’s Code of Ethics. Watch the first four micro-learnings: Gifts and Gratuities, Fraud, Waste and Abuse, What Is PII? and Know the Code.

  • Living Glossary: The Office of Equity and Racial Justice is currently working to create a glossary of terms related to equity, belonging and racial justice. These terms and definitions derive from internal discussion and leading organizations committed to our work and implementing best practices through various mediums. The glossary will be released in early 2022.

  • Inclusive Conversation Toolkit: An Inclusive Conversation Toolkit training program was rolled out to County managers this year. This e-learning program contains steps to assist our leaders in creating the necessary environments to foster inclusive conversations that will help us progress our overall D&I goals. This training will be modified and offered to all County employees next year.

Working With Our ERGs

The County has 10 thriving employee resource groups (ERGs) that each play an important role in advancing our commitment to diversity and creating and sustaining an inclusive workplace. ERGs offer employees networking and professional development activities, support County initiatives and promote cultural awareness.

  • Pronoun Policy: In April, the Department of Human Resources implemented a new policy with the help of the LGBTQ&A Employee Resource Group on the use of pronouns. The policy, which fosters an environment of inclusiveness and belonging, supports employees who wish to be addressed by their expressed pronouns and name. The guidelines in the policy can help you navigate the use of pronouns. Learn more.

  • ERG Leadership Credit: ERG leadership worked with the Department of Human Resources on how to incorporate ERG board members experience into qualifying experience for County jobs.  As a result of those conversations, past, current and future County Employee Resource Group board leaders will now be able to credit up to  three months of leadership/management experience towards their employment applications.

Integrating Equity, Diversity & Inclusion into How We Do Business

There’s continuous and momentous work to be done to create the safe space that produces our desired outcomes: exceptional internal and external service, inclusivity for all, a motivated and engaged workforce, and increased organizational effectiveness and innovation. Here's some of the milestones accomplished this year:

  • Equity Impact Statements: Every agenda item that goes before the Board of Supervisors is now presented with an equity lens. In June, equity impact statements were added to all Board Letters. The goal of the tool is to ensure that the County is explicitly and intentionally working to eliminate disparities and improve outcomes for all in its actions and operations.

  • Budget Equity Assessment Tool: In April 2021, the Board of Supervisors directed the Chief Administrative Officer to establish a Budget Equity Assessment Tool to guide the annual budget process and advance equity in San Diego County. The tool will help work towards the elimination of disparities that have impacted our communities, especially our low-income and communities of color. The tool will be presented for the Board's review and approval on Jan. 11, 2022, so it can be used in the upcoming budget.

  • Changes in Rules of Procedures at Board of Supervisors Meetings: Following the rise in disruptive activity, changes were made to protect freedom of speech and promote equitable public meetings. On Nov. 10, 2021, the Board of Supervisors updated the Rules of Procedures surrounding participation from the public. Changes included restricting loud, threating, profane or abusive communications, and specific steps for the Chair to take when a speaker engages in discriminatory and harassing language. Watch this short 4-minute video to learn more.

  • County D&I Partnership Model: There are six partners helping the County move forward in a manner where everyone belongs. See the partners.

  • D&I Group Leads and Departmental Champions: Our champions play an important role in embracing ideas, promoting educational opportunities and building relationships to help meet our D&I Strategic Plan goals. Do you know who your D&I Champions are? See the list.

  • Targeted Universalism: The Office of Equity and Racial Justice (OERJ) in partnership with the Othering and Belonging Institute is in the beginning stages of introducing the concepts of targeted universalism as an approach to equity in County operations and policy. Targeted universalism means setting universal goals pursued by targeted processes to achieve those goals. Within a targeted universalism framework, an organization or system sets universal goals for all groups concerned. It is a platform for bridging programs that move all groups toward the universal goal of equity and belonging. Read and watch to learn more.

  • Partnering with Experts in the Field: In July 2021 the County joined 350+ jurisdictions in their membership to Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE), an organization at the forefront of local and regional government’s work to advance racial equity. The network enables government racial equity directors/leads and subject area experts to exchange information, collaborate to advance their practice and develop solutions to racial equity challenges. Some of our favorite GARE resources so far are the Racial Equity Toolkit, Racial Equity: Getting to Results Racial, Equity Core Teams and Racial Equity Action Plans.

This is the second article in a series from the D&I Executive Council. Share this post with your coworkers and stay tuned for the next installments to this series!

Also read: The D&I Executive Council Invites You to Join the Virtual Parade