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Los Angeles supervisors approve comprehensive review of County demographic data to ensure inclusiveness and equity.
By News Desk
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved a motion to direct the Executive Director of Racial Equity and all 38 County department heads to conduct a comprehensive review of their demographic data collection processes to improve accuracy and inclusivity and ensure compliance with revised federal standards.
The joint motion by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, who represents the First District, and Chair Lindsey P. Horvath, who represents the Third District, directs the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative, in collaboration with the Chief Information Office and all County departments, to review their collection of race, ethnicity, and cultural data to ensure they fully capture the diversity of the County’s population.
“Collecting accurate and inclusive County data on race, ethnicity, and culture is vital to ensuring we can make informed decisions regarding the equitable allocation of County resources and services to communities with diverse and varied needs,” said Supervisor Solis. “This is an important first step to make certain all of our communities are counted and represented and that our approach aligns with updated federal standards and best practices.”
New guidelines
Earlier this year the U.S. Office of Management and Budget overhauled its guidelines for how federal agencies must collect, maintain, and present racial and ethnic data to provide a more detailed demographic breakdown and clarify currently ambiguous racial and ethnic identity questions.
The motion by the L.A. County supervisors requires County offices to report back to the Board within 180 days on the feasibility of aligning County demographic data collection practices with the new Federal guidelines.
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