A City of Dallas agency will be looking to include an equity element in 95% of its major projects next fiscal year in order to align itself with the City’s Racial Equity Plan.
The goal will apply to the Office of Data Analytics & Business Intelligence, according to the proposed budget, which City Manager T.C. Broadnax recommended to the City Council earlier in August.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Broadnax recommended increasing the budget to $4.63 billion for the coming fiscal year.
A spokesperson for the City said “equity elements” for major projects cited in the budget are determined by demographic data.
“The data is specific to Data Analytics & Business Intelligence only,” said Catherine Cuellar, director of communications, outreach, and marketing, in a statement to The Dallas Express. “Data Analytics & Business Intelligence works to incorporate equity elements and strives to meet the annual target of 95%. Equity project qualifications include specific demographic data as it relates to people and geographic locations.”
The Office of Data Analytics & Business Intelligence harvests, analyzes, and interprets data for City policymakers, staff, and residents.
“The team’s day-to-day work is coding, data analysis, project delivery, map creation, and engaging with project partners inside and outside the city,” the agency’s website reads.
Specific agency projects include crime analytics, a COVID-19 dashboard, a recycling map, and a pop-up vaccine directory.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the City’s crime analytics dashboard, among other public-facing data projects, has been fraught with functionality issues ever since a purported ransomware attack targeted City computer systems back in May.
The 95% equity goal listed in the budget stems from the City’s latest Racial Equity Plan, which was adopted by the Dallas City Council last year.
“Equity means that each person has the resources and services necessary to thrive in their own unique identities, circumstances, and histories. Equity reduces disparities while improving outcomes for all,” reads the plan.
The Office of Data Analytics & Business had the same goal last year to include equity in 95% of its major products but ended up only hitting the 89% mark, according to the proposed budget. Cuellar said the result is based on year-to-date totals and includes data through the month of May.