How can we operationalize systems transformation into government budgets?
Too often, proposed system shifts are perceived by government staff as a new mandate or just a trending interest of current leaders. To build legacy shifts in government, we need solutions that build on existing infrastructure, while being designed to withstand future uncertainty.
Key Terms from Chicago's story
Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP)
A multi-year strategic plan for a city department aimed at driving equity into its core work. REAPs have a desired outcome (what we seek to change at a population level), data, and actions/goals. You can see the City of Chicago’s REAPs here.
Budget Equity Process
The annual process by which city departments report publicly on the progress of the goals set in their REAPs. This reporting is now integrated into city law, and is a consistent part of what departments must include in their annual budget submission. You can see past Budget Equity reports here.
As Deputy Chief Equity Officer at the City of Chicago, Lauren Burdette took on the challenge of designing a culture shift in government, designed to address inequities in government service delivery and building a stronger government for all constituents.
Combining national research with local expertise, Lauren studied five cities’ approaches to systems change efforts, then mapped the local power structure. In Chicago’s strong mayor system, the second most critical role is that of the City’s Budget Director, whose work shepherds the time-consuming budget process that dictates governing authority for each department’s programs, personnel, and policy.
Recognizing this critical architecture in place, the Office of Equity and Racial Justice worked to embed Racial Equity Action Plans (REAPs) into the City’s budget process. In the newly created Budget Equity process, city departments were now required to report progress on equity goals during the annual budget cycle. Doing so ensures that REAPs become a living strategy document instead of plans gathering dust on a shelf. And because the budget process drives financial priorities, this built greater buy-in for the strategies in the Action Plans amongst department leadership.
Today, this model has become a national exemplar. Not only has this process outlasted a mayoral administration change, but it is also now codified into law. By working closely with the Budget Office to ensure smooth implementation, this model successfully built widespread buy-in and created an annual set of success stories for government, told through departmental equity wins, seen here.
At FTM, we see the story of this case as a reminder of why we start our work with a deep understanding and power mapping of the systems we are working to transform – then targeting reforms to the area where it will be most impactful.
Curious to see what that could look like for your local government? Reach out.