Employment Law & Human Resources Program
HR Report Proposal
Student Information
Proposal
Topic (summarize your topic in a few words)
The case for diversity in local government and its impact on communities and
citizenry engagement.
Problem Statement (describe the problem/issue you plan to address with your
report, and why it is important in your municipality or the municipal context)
Municipal governments are entrusted with providing public services, guidelines and
regulations that influence the day-to-day life of individuals (and businesses) within a
specified community.
The lack of representation and diversity in municipal governments has a significant
impact on the legislated regulations, public services, organizational culture, citizen
engagement and the culture/values of the community.
Equitable representation in elected and non-elected positions in local government can
be an effective approach to addressing organizational business efficiency, social
inequities, citizen engagement, and ensuring that the decision-making process
reflects the diverse needs and values of the communities.
Research Objectives (list four to five objectives you plan to achieve with your
research—for example, “Analyze case studies in successful succession planning in
municipal government to identify recommended practices for…” or “Evaluate the
effectiveness of my municipality’s succession plan based on…”)
-
To highlight the impact of the lack of diversity on local governments from
various perspectives (business efficiencies, service delivery, community
engagement)
-
To determine the challenges/systems that perpetuate the lack of
representation
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To identify organizational practices and considerations that local governments
can employ to foster Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for elected and non-elected
officials.
Research Methodology (describe how you plan to achieve the research objectives—
for example, the types of sources you will use, what data/evidence you will collect,
how and where you will collect it, and/or how you will analyze it)
The Research methodology will include a combination of analysis of empirical studies
focused on diversity and local government/communities; review of annual reports and
strategic plans and using census data to to highlight the changing demographics of
communities. Using the City of St Catharines as an example from a demographic
perspective.
Preliminary List of Sources (list at least 10 sources from your preliminary readings
and research; provide the author/organization, title, date, and other details as
applicable; the list can evolve as you write your report)
Archer, S & Sobat, E. (2021). The Better Local Government Act versus Municipal
Democracy. Journal of Law and Social Policy volume 34:1
Bird, Karen Schucan. (2011). “The Local Diversity Gap: Assessing the Scope and
Causes of Visible Minority Under-Representation in Municipal Elections.”
Diversity Institute (2020). Diversity Leads – Diverse Representation in Leadership: A
Review of Eight Canadian Cities. Ted Rogers School of Management.
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (2018). Diverse Voices for Change.
Hur, Y., Strickland, R.A., and Stefanovic, D. (2010). Managing Diversity, Does It
Really Matter to Municipal Governments? International Journal of Public Sector
Management 23 (5): 500-515.
Lajoie, J. (2011). Workforce Diversity Management in Ontario Municipalities.
University of Waterloo.
Lang, C. (2020) Workforce diversity policies in practice: drivers and barriers in local
administrations, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 43:11
Leighley, J., & Oser, J. (2018). Representation in an Era of Political and Economic
Inequality: How and When Citizen Engagement Matters. Perspectives on
Politics, 16(2), 328-344.
Maytree Foundation. (2008). Diversity Matters: Changing the Face of Public Boards.
Tossutti, L & Esses, V. (2015). “Local Perspectives on Immigration and Diversity in
Ontario Municipalities. Welcoming Communities Initiative.”
Valverde, Mariana. (2008). “The Ethic of Diversity: Local Law and the Negotiation of
Urban Norms.” Law & Social Inquiry, vol. 33, no. 4,