The City of Alexandria's Race and Social Equity Office (RASE) was honored with a 2023 City Government Experience Award for its Equity Index Map.
The Center for Digital Government (CDG) named Government Experience Award winners to recognize jurisdictions at the federal, state, city, and county levels for developing digital solutions that enable a more responsive government and engaged constituency.
Alexandria’s Equity Index Map shows disparities in key social and economic outcomes to help inform equitable and inclusive decision-making. It was launched in May as part of the City’s ALL Alexandria resolution, a 2021 City Council decision to recognize Alexandria’s unequal past and commit to pursuing a racially and socially equitable future.
City of Alexandria
Equity Index Map 2023 showing racial equity in the City of Alexandria.
"Creating an equity index map was an early goal in RASE's strategic plan, and we are elated to see it recognized with a Government Experience Award,” said Kim Hurley, RASE’s Manager of Programs and Partnerships. “Alexandria's Equity Index Map gives City staff and partners access to data that, when combined with community engagement, can inform the development of equitable policies, programs, and initiatives — it will be used to operationalize equity in Alexandria for years to come.”
RASE leads the City’s efforts to organize infrastructure and operationalize equity principles into day-to-day work with the aim of reducing disparities for all Alexandria residents in accordance with the ALL Alexandria resolution. By making data intuitive to access, the Equity Index Map sets up equity to be a consideration in every legislative, programmatic, and budgeting decision in the city.
“Technology is a powerful facilitator; used effectively, it can allow information to be demonstrated in a meaningful and impactful way. That’s what RASE has accomplished with the Equity Index Map,” said Vanetta Pledger, the City of Alexandria’s Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology Services.
