Best Practices to integrate the Equity lens in a project cycle. This section will prepare and guide you to respond to the Equity lens tool questions.

Planning Phase

Identify target population/communities that would be potentially affected by the initiative.

Identify the equity deserving groups, rights holders or communities that are impacted or would be impacted by your initiatives. Integrate an intersectional lens to understand the dimensions of diversity of groups and communities.

Identify needs, barriers, inequities and potential impact.

To integrate an equity lens into environmental scans, needs assessments or data collection, consider the following questions.

• What current statistics or demographic data would help us understand the groups of people who face inequities or systemic barriers in relation to the issue in question?
• Is the data available sufficient to help us identify the barriers for all Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups?
• Is the data available sufficient to help us identify the potential impact of the initiative for Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups.
•  Do we need further public engagement with equity deserving groups to provide more insight to the potential impact of the project?
• How do we ensure adequate representation of Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups during this public engagement (what types of accommodation are needed to ensure participation of equity deserving groups)?
• Does the data collection tool include socio-demographic questions?
• What do we want to accomplish by reviewing and analyzing this data? How will the metrics we analyze accomplish this for Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups?
• Does the data analysis show barriers, needs and inequities for Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups?
• Does the final report include findings on the needs, barriers and inequities identified for Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups?

Conduct inclusive and meaningful engagement with community.

Integrating equity lens into engagement ensures that everyone particularly equity deserving groups can participate meaningfully throughout the engagement process. Consider the following questions.

• What engagement approach will help to ensure that Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups are able to fully participate (Example, use mixed approaches: surveys, focus group, anonymous feedback, collaboration with organizations that serve specific equity deserving groups)
• What accommodations are required to ensure Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups can fully participate (consider multiple language options, sign language, childcare options, multiple time slots)
• How might you consult with the people most affected by this issue to ensure the reliability of your data, approach and findings? (Example ask community leaders about the cultural appropriateness of the data or approach)
•  What channels of promotion can we use to ensure that information can reach Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups (Consider online and offline options: website, social media, community organizations, community gatherings)
• Have we provided enough information for Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups to understand the objectives of the engagement and to decide whether to participate.
• Are the language and the images on our promotion materials inclusive and reflective of the population we are engaging?
• Does our team represent the diversity of the population we are engaging?
• Does the data collection tool include socio-demographic questions?

*** Considering these questions would guide you in responding to the question 1 of the Equity lens tool

Identify and assess potential impact.

Analyze the data/ engagement findings to identify, assess and describe the direct and indirect impact of the initiative to equity deserving groups: positive and negative impacts, intended and unintended impacts. Consider these questions.

• How would the initiative impact women, Black, racialized, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQQIA, older adults and youth groups in all their diversities.
• How would the initiative impact Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups with intersectional identities (For example black women who is an immigrant with disabilities)?
• Will the impact of the initiative affect Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups in different ways?
• Will the initiative affect Black, racialized, Indigenous and other equity deserving groups negatively? How?
• Will the initiative impact or influence or be impacted by any internal or external environmental factors (Examples, political, socio-economic, socio-cultural, technological)
• Are the insights from groups who face systemic barriers and inequities reflected in the report and the final product?
• How will we report back the findings to the full diversity of people who were involved in the engagement activity?

*** Considering these questions would guide you in responding to the questions 2 and 3 of the Equity lens tool