July 9, 1998
TO:Corporate Services Committee
FROM:Margaret Rodrigues
Commissioner of Corporate Services
Wanda Liczyk
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
SUBJECT:Equal Opportunity - Anti-Discrimination Policy requirements for suppliers
and grant recipients
Purpose:
To clarify the equal opportunity-non-discrimination policy requirements pending
consideration of the recommendations of the Report of the Task Force on Community
Access and Equity and the Municipal Grants Review Process which will be forthcoming.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
None. The process for distributing declaration forms is in place and is jointly administered
by the Equal Opportunity Program with purchasing staff and grant administrators.
Recommendations:
- That in the purchasing and grants process, the use of the former City of Toronto
Non-Discrimination Policy Declaration Form which provides protection on the basis of
race, creed, colour, national origin, political or religious affiliation, sex, sexual
orientation, age, marital status, family relationship and disability, be continued and
expanded to include all other former municipalities;
- That this Report be forwarded to the Task Force on Community Access and Equity and
the grants review process for information and consideration in the preparation of their
respective reports;
- That the appropriate City officials be authorised to take the necessary action to give effect
thereto.
Reference:
On March 4 and 5, and 6, 1998, City Council approved the Terms of Reference for the Task
Force on Community Access and Equity which specifically provided 'that the programs and
policies on Access and Equity of the former municipalities continue to be in effect until
Council formally decides otherwise'.
Background:
Since 1984, the former City of Toronto adopted equal opportunity policies which were
implemented through the contract compliance program and established a condition of
anti-discrimination regarding all expenditures. The policies applied to all recipients of
municipal grants, suppliers of goods and services as well as its agencies, boards,
commissions and special purpose bodies. The non-discrimination policy provided specific
protection on the basis of "race, creed, colour, national origin, political or religious
affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family relationship and disability" and
was implemented through a Declaration Form.
The Declaration Form completed by suppliers compiled data on designated group
ownership of firms and was used to prepare reports to Council on the participation rates of
firms as well as to implement outreach activities.
Discussion:
The former City of Toronto implemented the completion of a Declaration Form as a formal
mechanism for meeting the equity requirements for suppliers. Although the other
municipalities did not have formal requirements for suppliers, the types of purchases
required for municipal services are similar across all the former municipal structures. The
Task Force on Community Access and Equity and the Municipal Grants Review Process
will be reporting later this year, however in the interim it is necessary to have a consistent
approach.
Conclusion:
The formalisation of an equal opportunity-non-discrimination policy as outlined in this
report advances the harmonisation of policies and programs across the new City, continues
to integrate access and equity principles into all municipal functions, and continues to place
the City in a leadership role on equity and access issues.
Contact:
Alison Anderson, 392-5028
Lou Pagano, 392-7312
Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, 392-6824
__________________________________________________________
CommissionerChief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Corporate ServicesFinance/Treasury
