Data for Equity Strategy: Supporting Equitable Services, Equity Priorities, Performance Measurement and Accountability

The Data for Equity Strategy includes a goal, objectives, guiding principles and guidelines on how City programs and services should collect, manage and share data that is broken down by socio-demographic groups such as Indigenous communities, racialized groups, gender identities, and neighbourhoods. It also proposes pilot projects and a phased implementation approach. The Strategy advises that socio-demographic data collection should be voluntary except where required for program eligibility. It is also consistent with the City's Access to City Services for Undocumented Torontonians[4] policy. The Strategy will enable the provision of excellent service and advancement of equity and inclusion strategies by the City of Toronto by supporting the collection of socio-demographic data and use of disaggregated data to identify equity and prosperity goals, monitor progress, and assess impacts. Section 8 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 provides the City with a broad authority to provide necessary or desirable services or things to the public. The Data for Equity Strategy aligns with other City of Toronto equity initiatives and allows for a City program to collect, use, analyze and report socio-demographic and disaggregated data in an appropriate manner for the purposes of identifying and addressing inequities in City services for the public's benefit.

2. City Council express its support for establishing a Data for Equity Unit in 2021 and acknowledge the intention of the City Manager to request $314,252.84 gross and net for the establishment of a Data for Equity Unit with four permanent full-time staff positions within the People and Equity Division and $75,000 gross and net for Indigenous community consultations and program support, for a total of $389,252.84 gross and net in the City Manager's Office 2021 Budget Submission for consideration as part of the 2021 Operating Budget process. 3. City Council request the City Manager to submit funding applications, as appropriate, to federal and provincial governments, to non-profit organizations and to private sector organizations to support the establishment and work of the Data for Equity Unit, and authorize the City Manager to enter into such agreements in a form satisfactory to the City Manager and City Solicitor. 4. City Council direct the General Manager, Children's Services, Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, and General Manager, Toronto Employment and Social Services and request the Medical Officer of Health to, upon establishment of Data for Equity Unit in 2021, develop, implement and evaluate the Phase One pilot projects and provide relevant findings to be included in a progress report to the Executive Committee in Q1 of 2023. 5. City Council direct the Chief People Officer, People and Equity Division to make the Data for Equity Guidelines publicly available to help support shared equity priorities and promote consistent approaches across sectors, including community organizations. 6. City Council direct the Chief Technology Officer and City Clerk to include an update on the alignment of the Data for Equity Strategy with the Digital Infrastructure Plan, Open Data Master Plan, and Information Management Policies and Guidelines, in the Digital Infrastructure Plan progress report to Executive Committee in Q3 of 2021. 7. City Council direct the Chief People Officer to report to Executive Committee in Q1 of 2023 with key findings from Phase One of the Data for Equity Strategy including recommendations for implementation of Phase Two of the Strategy.