Creating the Context for Equality Impact Assessment at the Local Level

1. Creating the Context for Equality Impact Assessment at the Local Level Legislative and Non-Legislative Approaches Markus Syrjänen Development and Strategy Manager Department of Health and Social Welfare Vantaa City

2. City of Vantaa • a Part of Helsinki Metropolis • Fast growing, fast ageing • a ”New City” Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

3. Characteristics of Local Governance in Finland • The municipalities are self-governing entities •  A long tradition of a strong autonomy • The municipalities play a central role in society organising most of the welfare services •  social welfare and health services, education, culture •  local government expenditure about 19 % of GNP • The municipalities are significant employers •  e.g. Vantaa has 200 000 inhabitants and the city organization has 11 000 employees, a budget of 1,4 billion euros Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

4. General Context: Equality Impact Assessment Historical view Structural view Pros and Cons

5. Historical View: Development of Equality Impact Assessment in Finland and Vantaa Equality Act 2004 Services for the Disabled Act 1987 Inte-gration Act 1999 ”Theory” =Developmentin Legistelation Gender Equality Act 1986 2010 1980 1990 2000 ”Practice” =Measurestaken in Vantaa Vantaa Multicul-tural Programme 2002 /2009 Permanent Administrative Equality Impact Assessment Council for the Elderly 1979 Council for the Disabled 1979 Gender Equality Plan 1997 /2005 Advisory Board for Multicultural Issues 2001 Vantaa Equality Plan 2005 Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

6. Structural View: Development of Equality Impact Assessment in Finland and Vantaa • Participation / Monitoring by the minority groups • Council for the Disabled • Council for the Elderly • Advisory Board for Multicultural Issues • Local Forum for the Roma Issues • Policy work / Planning • Gender Equality Plan + Equality Plan • City of Vantaa Multicultural Programme 2009-2012 • Accessibility plan • Continious and Permanent Assessment • (Gender) Equality Impact Assessment of Financial Plan • Equality Impact Assessment of Resolutions of Boards and the City Council Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

7. Pros and Cons (1/2) • Council and Boards: Participation / Monitoring by the representatives of minority groups • + genuine equality promotion • + easy to motivate • - requires assistance • - even if the assessment is of high quality, futher use is lacking • Policy work / Planning • + the process might be excellent in awareness raising • + measures • - without mainstreaming the impact might be weak • - mainstreaming leads easily to fading out Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

8. Pros and Cons (2/2) • Continuous and Permanent Assessment • + genuine mainstreaming: equality impact assessment as one of the bureaucratic practices • + systematic • - does not include participation  a risk of superficiality Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

9. Mainstreamed Equality Plan Processes of Mainstreaming Lessons to learn

10. Process of Equality Planning in the City of Vantaa 2005-2006 • Horizontal  including all grounds of discrimination • Mainstreaming  the purpose of the plan is to include the perspective of equality in all strategic and steering documents • Empowering  the implementation of the plan is supported by a practical guide, training sessions etc. Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

11. Input  Output • Network by Join In Project (EC Community Action programme) • 8 months work of the project coordinator • 8 months work of the partner NGOs • Hundreds of office hours with different city departments • Active local NGOs • The Equality Plan • Structures for monitoring • The Toolkit for Equality Promotion • Analyses of Strategic documents • 30 days training organized by the partner NGOs Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

12. Best Results • Launching equality as a horizontal concept • Groups exposed to discrimination exchanging experiences • Raising a political interest • next step ”Gender Impact Assessment” • Also wider interest in equality issues was developed Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

13. Equality Plan: Processes of Mainstreaming at the Local Level

14. Lesson to learn A bias towards central government steering • A legal obligation does not mean a societal change • A wide debate is essential Competition in the “mainstreaming-market”  Overflow of plans, “attention economy” of administrative trends • Consistent and long-lasting marketing and communication are necessary Public sector as an arena-organization • Doctor does not work for the city but for the medical career • For successful mainstreaming, a concept of equality should be adapted into professional paradigms A bias towards local government • Local government is “only” 20% of GNP • Does the public sector have an obligation to be equal or to promote equality in the society? Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen

15. Equality Impact Assessment from Tabula Rasa

16. Steps to take • Preconditions •  Value setting • General Assesment of Impacts of Authority Activities • Structure for the representative dialog •  Systematic Self Assessment (horizontal) • Equality Promotion and Assessment • Goal setting and measuring • Space for separate schemes and interest groups Vantaan kaupunki, Markus Syrjänen