The following is a recording of a practice run of a council delegation for an upcoming DEI “Five Year Plan” proposal. The slideshow presentation focused on the Niagara Region DEI document including the survey and focus group data. The prospect of Mandatory DEI training for staff is an admitted risk: Staff said, “It doesn’t go very well”–causing resentment, and businesses said feels like “scolding”–and leads to “polarization”.
The staff survey did not have strong buy-in with only 43% responding, with Corporate departments responding much stronger. Meanwhile, as Niagara Based reported, the community survey data was presented in the draft final documents having excluded vaccination status on it’s “key findings” page. In the survey data, 24% of respondents vaccination status, making it the fourth most common form of discrimination, as per the survey, but this became an omission in the final document.
This delegation simulation resulted in much of the presentation being restructured, and some comments removed, to allow for clarity and time. The DEI action plan was on track for the July 21 council meeting, but because the DEI Advisory Committee did not reach quorum, the proposal was pushed back by two months until after the advisory committee can meet in late August. Therefore, the DEI proposal is now expected Sept 25, and whatever form this delegation takes have to be presented either then on Sept 25 or at the Corporate Services Committee on Sept 14.
Given that window of time, the video serves as a useful political speech in raising awareness of the issue and the research that has gone into the delegation.
