This article is written by Keren Miguel, MSc, Senior Policy/Research Advisor, Ontario Public Service.

Public policymaking is the course of action or inaction undertaken by governments to addressing complex or "wicked" policy problems such as healthcare disparities, poverty, education for all or racism. The intended outcome of policies is to improve the quality of life for citizens.

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Public sector organisations, including where I work in the Ontario Public Service (OPS), have a responsibility to lead in addressing "wicked" problems such as racism because “over the years, public servants, employee networks, bargaining agents and external stakeholders have called on the OPS to critically assess and address racial disparities and inequities in the OPS workplace” (OPS Anti Racism Policy Overview).

As a Senior Policy/Research Advisor at the Anti-Racism Directorate (ARD), I provide leadership, strategic policy advice and research expertise in the implementation of Ontario’s framework for anti-racism to address and prevent systemic racism.

The ARD is the government’s anti-racism expert division established to fight systemic racism and promote racial equity to help the people of Ontario, including everyone working within the OPS. Systemic racism occurs when institutions or systems create or maintain racial inequity, often as a result of hidden institutional biases in policies, practices and procedures that privilege some groups and disadvantage others.

Using an anti-racist lens is central to our work as racism is experienced differently by individuals with intersecting identities.

Using the principle of targeted universalism means I recognise that everyone benefits from government’s removal of systemic barriers faced by the most disadvantaged communities.

My work is guided in part by the annual employee experience survey (EES), which helps the OPS understand and measure employee engagement. EES data captured includes workplace profile and demographics (e.g. race, ethnicity in accordance with the Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism).

My focus is to use an intersectional anti-racist lens to identify racial disparities to raise awareness of disparities in the employment journey, and to conduct trend analysis on employment outcomes for different races in the OPS, such as Indigenous, Black, racialised and White employees.

So, how do I embed evidence into racial equity work? Below are steps I use to embed evidence in public policymaking to promote racial equity.

1. Start with data

Robust data — qualitative and quantitative — is vital to crafting a narrative. Data findings can pinpoint areas of outcome disparities for certain groups, identify trends, measure impact of initiatives, describe and explain a phenomenon.

I use a whole-of-government approach in collaborating with a diverse team of subject-matter experts to analyse data using an anti-racist lens with a focus on outcomes in the employment journey.

Using an anti-racist lens is central to our work as racism is experienced differently by individuals with intersecting identities (e.g. a racialised person with a disability). I look for trends and disparities across ministries and the OPS (e.g. OPS workforce representation by race compared to the Ontario Labour Force). This approach is necessary to identify and monitor potential systemic racial inequalities in programs, services or functions including, but not limited to, hiring, job fit, respect and development and promotion.

An output of this step is presenting information using communication products to our diverse stakeholders, such as equity-seeking groups, ministries and central agencies.

2. Share information

Actively listening to stakeholders is integral to public policymaking, as it provides an opportunity to capture the views and lived experiences of those who are impacted by a program or policy initiative.

Adopting an inclusive process in engaging equity-seeking groups, ministries and central agencies allows for information-sharing, such as findings from the EES to guide dialogues. Through this transparent process, participants interpret and analyse the findings in relation to their knowledge and lived experiences.

We recognise and acknowledge that everyone benefits from the removal of systemic barriers faced by the most disadvantaged people who work in the OPS.

These information-rich dialogues also provide insights to identify barriers in the employment journey. It allows us to see the practical application of the intersectionality of racism (i.e. how racism is experienced differently by various racialised groups) based on gender, race, etc. Stakeholders provide guidance and strategies which contribute to solutioning to create a more equitable workforce.

Outcomes from stakeholder engagements and qualitative data analysis include the development and operationalisation of racial equity action plans, which identify focus areas for ministries and central agencies to take necessary actions (e.g. diversify the talent pipeline to address racial disparities in management and senior management positions, which may be found to exist).

3. Monitor, report and evaluate

Monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of policies is important to understand if the intended outcome was achieved for citizens. It also provides an opportunity to course correct, if the policy did not achieve its intended outcomes or have the desired impact.

The ARD provides guidance to ministries and central agencies in implementing their respective racial equity action plans. Monitoring and reporting of these action plans is a collaborative effort between ministries, central agencies and the ARD. This approach allows us to measure changes over time for targeted goals, track achievements, report to stakeholders and evaluate whether the OPS is proactively removing systemic barriers and root causes of racial inequities in employment for all OPSers.

Speaking truth to power is important

We recognise and acknowledge that everyone benefits from the removal of systemic barriers faced by the most disadvantaged people who work in the OPS.

As agents of social change, the ARD is contributing to advancing racial equity for all OPSers and beyond, through a transparent, evidence-based approach grounded in targeted universalism. — Keren Miguel

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