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Findings released for Dufferin County’s equity audit

March 9, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The County of Dufferin has released the findings of an equity audit that was conducted to help apply a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to the governance and administration of the county. 

In a press release issued last Friday (March 3), the County of Dufferin released a 184-page document reporting the results of an equity audit. The report revealed data about the experiences of Dufferin County staff and provided opportunities to address issues of inequity impacting marginalized groups. 

“Dufferin County is committed to fostering an equitable culture where all staff – regardless of their race, age, disability, gender, sexuality, faith, background, or circumstances – feel safe, valued, heard, supported, and included,” said Rohan Thompson, director of people and equity. “It takes courage to speak about personal experiences to help pave the way for a better future, but through the voices of staff who shared their personal experiences, we can clearly identify what is required to address systemic discrimination at the county, and continue to work to create an anti-racist, inclusive, equitable and accessible organization.” 

The Equity Audit is Dufferin County’s first organization-wide diversity, equity and inclusion assessment, led by Toronto-based equity consultancy, Feminuity. The results of the audit were based on information gathered from anonymous surveys, interviews, focus groups, a review of policy and procedures, and an analysis of the data. 

Some of the key findings from the audit included:

• Marginalized staff have inequitable outcomes and experiences
• Black people, racialized women, LGBTQ+ folks, people with accessibility needs and caregivers are most impacted
• Impacted groups are concerned about the county’s capacity to address inequities
• Staff want to see more commitment to retention and internal promotion at the county 
• Several of the county’s policies, procedures and practices require revisions to be in alignment with best or promising equity practices

“This audit has given us the data necessary to acknowledge the experience of marginalized staff, and provides us with a baseline to begin working towards meaningful solutions,” said Dufferin County Warden Wade Mills. 

The county said they will use the audit findings to develop an equity strategy to close gaps, address systemic issues, and provide support for staff most impacted by inequities within the organization. 

Next steps include the development of a comprehensive and targeted Equity Strategy, which will be part of a larger Corporate Strategy.

The entire 184-page Equity Audit report can be found on the County of Dufferin’s website (www.dufferincounty.ca). 

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