Six commitments for working in partnership

Equity is everyone's work: the program or policy owner is responsible for building equity into the work, with support from equity staff.

Build on what already exists: begin with the people, standards, and relationships already in place before creating something separate.

Center lived experience: people affected by a decision should help shape it, with their role, authority, and compensation made clear.

Follow the evidence: look at who receives services, who is denied or delayed, and who may be missing. Review patterns by community, language, disability, and place. Be clear about what the information shows and what it does not show.

Move at the speed of trust: build relationships and explain how input was used before expanding the work. Rebuilding trust after a rushed launch takes time.

Work in partnership: counties, providers, community organizations, Tribal Nations (government-to-government), and Equity Directors bring knowledge and authority to the work. Involve them as partners, not simply as names on a contact list.