One DHS People, Access and Culture · Learning path · I'm making or shaping a decision that needs an equity look

Equity analysis for a decision

You own or shape a decision and want to build equity into it while it can still change, and to know whether an equity scan or a full analysis is required.

Outcome: By the end, you will have an equity analysis record for a specific decision: the decision and its deadline, affected people and who is missing, evidence and its limits, benefits and burdens, alternatives, engagement, implementation owners, and follow-up. It supports the DHS process; the official record lives with the policy owner.

Situations that may fit this path

Six steps to work through in order

  1. Clarify the decision and what applies — Use Ask to work through the decision, whether a scan or full analysis applies, and what evidence you need. The policy owner confirms what is required. · Ask a question — program page /ask?path=gp-7
  2. Consider community context (If relevant) — If the decision affects particular Minnesota communities, read the relevant briefs and plan engagement while the decision is open. · Explore Minnesota Communities — program page /minnesota-communities
  3. Choose practical resources — Use the scan-or-full-analysis aid, the equity review canvas, the Minnesota Equity Analysis Toolkit, and the equity impact questions. · Equity scan or full analysis: what goes in — program page /resources/ja-equity-scan-or-full-analysis · Operational equity review canvas — program page /resources/ja-operational-equity-canvas · Minnesota Equity Analysis Toolkit — program page /resources/ext-dhs-equity-toolkit
  4. Draft your equity analysis record — Complete the record for this decision. Leave out names and case details. Use the downloaded checklist to write your answers in a tool you normally use. This page does not save them.
  5. Review your work — Confirm the decision is stated, affected people and who is missing are named, evidence and limits are recorded, at least two alternatives are compared, owners are named, and follow-up is dated.
  6. Take it to the right people — Bring the record to the policy owner and your Equity Director. DSD staff can also request a consultation for a difficult decision. · Find the right person — program page /support/right-person?matter=policy_or_program_decision

What a useful result looks like

Still needs work

Ready to use

Equity analysis record

Decision name and owner (required)
What is being decided and who owns the decision.
Scan or full analysis, and who confirmed it (required)
Which applies under the DHS equity policy, and which policy owner or Equity Director confirmed it.
When the decision stops being changeable (required)
The real date choices close.
Who benefits, who carries the burden, and who is missing (required)
By community, language, disability, age, place, and the people who deliver the service.
Evidence and what it does not show (required)
Data by group with small-group protection, what people who use the service say, and the limits.
Alternatives compared (required)
At least two, including not proceeding, with who each helps and burdens.
Access and burden in implementation (required)
Languages, formats, a person people can reach, and burden you can remove.
Who was involved and with what influence (required)
Team, data owners, staff who deliver the service, communities, and the level of influence they had.
What you chose not to assume (required)
About people's access, time, documents, technology, or trust.
Sources and their authority labels (required)
Label each source Official, Guidance, or Outside source; check before use.
Who owns each part of implementation and follow-up (required)
People, not units.
Follow-up and report-back date (required)
When you will look at what happened and tell the people who gave input.

Review your notes against

Questions to bring to Ask

One DHS People, Access and Culture