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.

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.

Policies, programs, budgets, forms, and services

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Your path

Six steps to work through in order

Clarify the decision and what appliesUse 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
Consider community contextIf relevantIf the decision affects particular Minnesota communities, read the relevant briefs and plan engagement while the decision is open.Explore Minnesota Communities
Choose practical resourcesUse 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 · Operational equity review canvas · Minnesota Equity Analysis Toolkit
Draft your equity analysis recordComplete 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.
Review your workConfirm 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.
Take it to the right peopleBring 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

Make the work meaningful

What a useful result looks like

Still needs work:

An equity section written after the decision was made
Engagement scheduled after the deadline
A single option presented as the analysis

Ready to use:

The decision is stated with its real deadline
At least two alternatives are compared on benefits and burdens
Owners, follow-up, and report-back are dated

Privacy: Do not include names or case details. This record supports a required DHS process but is not the official record; keep the official copy where your division keeps decision records. This page does not save your answers or progress. Notes saved through an earlier version may still be in this browser's site data; this page does not show or delete them.

Published checklist

Equity analysis record

Browse and download only. This published checklist is not a form. Staff notes are not saved here.

Browse and download only. This checklist is published from the knowledge base. Staff notes are not filled in or saved on this page.

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

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These optional practice paths are for reading and downloading. This page does not save your answers or progress. Notes saved through an earlier version may still be in this browser's site data; someone using this computer could see them. This page does not show or delete those older notes. Nothing you read or download here is sent to your supervisor or used to evaluate you.

Participation and course completion in this program do not count toward DHS-required training credits unless management, a director, or DHS leadership expressly approves an exception.

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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.

Six steps to work through in order

Clarify the decision and what appliesUse 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

Consider community contextIf relevantIf the decision affects particular Minnesota communities, read the relevant briefs and plan engagement while the decision is open.Explore Minnesota Communities

Choose practical resourcesUse 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 · Operational equity review canvas · Minnesota Equity Analysis Toolkit

Draft your equity analysis recordComplete 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.

Review your workConfirm 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.

Take it to the right peopleBring 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

What a useful result looks like

Still needs work:

An equity section written after the decision was made

Engagement scheduled after the deadline

A single option presented as the analysis