County administration outlines equity indicators and plans public dashboard for 2026
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Summary
County administration presented two internal equity indicators — policy reviews using an equity lens and employee DEI training rates — and said a public OpenGov dashboard showing departmental KPIs, including equity measures, is planned for 2026.
County administration presented its first formal outline of equity indicators to the Tompkins County Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee on Dec. 18, saying the county will begin reporting 2025 results in early 2026.
The administration described two primary indicators: the number of new or updated administrative policies reviewed through an equity lens — five guiding questions that ask who benefits and who is left out, whether policies address historical disparities, and whether they are culturally responsive — and the percentage of county administration employees who complete DEI‑related training each year. “Who benefit and who is left out of our policies?” the presenter asked, describing the equity‑lens review process.
Officials said those departmental equity indicators will be reported internally through regular surveys and will be linked to countywide key performance indicators (KPIs) in the county’s strategic operations plan. Administration staff told the committee that some KPIs are already tracked department‑by‑department and that a public‑facing dashboard using OpenGov is expected in 2026 to display strategic KPIs and, where appropriate, equity indicators.
Presenters also said county administration will examine procurement data — including the share of spending with MWBE (minority‑ or women‑owned business enterprises)‑certified vendors — and that the migration to the new OpenGov procurement and KPI software should make such vendor tracking easier.
Committee members sought clarifications about what the DEI‑training KPI will include. Administration confirmed the KPI will show both the required annual DEI training and any additional DEI courses employees take, allowing the county to report separate numbers for required versus additional training.
Administration told the committee the institutionalizing‑equity report that underpins the equity lens has been in development and that the 2025 update is not yet finalized; staff said finalization and publication of that report will be a priority. Members asked that answers to the equity‑lens questions accompany policies when those policies go to the legislature for approval, a request administration said it could accommodate.
The committee did not take any formal votes on the indicators at the meeting. Administration plans to present 2025 indicator data in early 2026 and to publish departmental KPIs on a public OpenGov dashboard once the system goes live.
