Equity and Inclusion

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ICMA was founded with a commitment to representative local government with a dedication to promoting efficient and effective public services. To fulfill this commitment, ICMA works to maintain and enhance public trust and confidence in local government, achieve equity and social justice, affirm human dignity, and improve quality of life.

Members of ICMA dedicate themselves to the faithful stewardship of the public’s trust in striving for management excellence as outlined in ICMA’s Declaration of Ideals (below):

Provide an environment that ensures the continued existence and effectiveness of representative local government and promotes the understanding that democracy confers privileges and responsibilities on each citizen.
Recognize the right of citizens to influence decisions that affect their well-being; advocate a forum for meaningful citizen participation and expression of the political process; and facilitate the clarification of community values and goals.
Respect the special character and individuality of each community while recognizing the interdependence of communities and promoting coordination and cooperation.
Seek balance in the policy formation process through the integration of the social, cultural, and physical characteristics of the community.
Promote a balance between the needs to use and to preserve human, economic, and natural resources.
Advocate equitable regulation and service delivery, recognizing that needs and expectations for public services may vary throughout the community.
Develop a responsive, dynamic local government organization that continuously assesses its purpose and seeks the most effective techniques and technologies for serving the community.
Affirm the intrinsic value of public service and create an environment that inspires excellence in management and fosters the professional and personal development of all employees.
Seek a balanced life through ongoing professional, intellectual, and emotional growth.
Demonstrate commitment to professional ethics and ideals and support colleagues in the maintenance of these standards.
Take actions to create diverse opportunities in housing, employment, and cultural activity in every community for all people.

ICMA completed its three-year review of the Code dedicated to focus on better integrating the profession’s long-standing ethical commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion into the 12 tenets in June 2023.

As background, the Board adopted a statement in June 2020 that included several steps ICMA would take with one action specific to ethics:

“The local government management profession and ICMA were founded on a Code of Ethics and a Declaration of Ideals, which demand that we serve the best interests of all, achieve equity and social justice, and act with integrity so that we may earn the trust of all those we serve. Addressing systemic racism is our ethical obligation. We will revisit our Code of Ethics to better integrate our ethical commitment to racial justice and equity into the very fiber of the 12 tenets.”

The project scope of work included the following steps with the assistance of a consultant team:

Conducted an environmental scan to learn how other professional associations are addressing equity and racial justice in their codes.
Convened focus groups to help shape a survey to membership.
Facilitated discussions: in-person meetings and virtual sessions.
Developed a survey to send to all members to gauge ways to strengthen the Code’s commitment to equity and social justice and the ethical responsibility of members to serve the best interests of everyone living in their communities.
Prepared a report for the Committee on Professional Conduct (CPC) and Board summarizing recommended changes to the Code.
Developed a member communications strategy for proposed Code changes.

Engaging members in discussion was a crucial component of the effort to review the language in the Code. ICMA facilitated 17 sessions and heard from over 600 members who shared their perspectives. The discussions focused on four tenets and some of the corresponding guidelines that participating members identified as most relevant to the profession’s continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion that shaped the survey that was sent to membership in July 2022.

The consultant team briefed the CPC on its initial survey analysis then presented to the Board its preliminary survey results where the board offered feedback. The CPC refined its recommendations during its meetings in October and November.

Revisions to tenets of the ICMA Code of Ethics require the approval of a majority of corporate members voting while the board has the authority to revise the guidelines. In December 2022, the board approved the CPC’s recommendation to place four changes to the tenets of the Code before the members for consideration. The CPC also provided recommended changes to the guidelines for the board’s consideration after the results of the member vote on the tenets were available.

An election to revise language in Tenets 1, 4, 9, and 11 was open March 1-31, 2023, to voting members. In early April 2023, ICMA canvassed 2,544 ballots cast. Via this special election ballot, 84% of corporate members approved the proposed changes. Notably, this special election holds the distinction of having the highest participation rate (31%) in ICMA’s online voting history. The board voted to approve the changes to the associated guidelines at its June 2023 meeting.

Applicable Tenets and Guidelines

Tenet 1. We believe professional management is essential to effective, efficient, equitable, and democratic local government.

Tenet 4. Serve the best interests of all community members.

Guideline on Effects of Decisions. Members should inform the appropriate elected or appointed official(s) of a decision's anticipated effects on community members.
Guideline on Promote Equity. Members should ensure fairness and impartiality in accessing programs and services and in the enforcement of laws and regulations. Members should assess and propose solutions to strive to eliminate disparities.

Tenet 9. Keep the community informed on local government affairs. Encourage and facilitate active engagement and constructive communication between community members and all local government officials.

Guideline on Engagement. Members should ensure community members can actively engage with their local government as well as eliminate barriers and support involvement of the community in the governance process.

Tenet 11. Manage all personnel matters with fairness and impartiality.

Guideline on Diversity and Inclusion. It is the member’s responsibility to recruit, hire, promote, retain, train, and support a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization.