Montreal’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-racism strategy functions as a transversal governance framework aimed at institutional transformation. Its implementation relies on a mainstreaming approach and distributed responsibility, whereby all staff, particularly managers, are expected to integrate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into their daily work. The overarching strategy is operationalised through a strategic plan for 2023-2027 providing the main implementation vehicle and a mid-term evaluation currently underway.
Ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and fighting racism in Montréal
Abstract
The Montreal Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Strategy is conceived as a city-wide framework for institutional transformation, aimed at embedding EDI and anti-racism principles across all municipal services and boroughs. Its core objective is to address discrimination in its multiple forms, direct, indirect, and systemic, by restructuring internal governance practices, decision-making processes, and service delivery. In doing so, the strategy directly supports inclusive growth by reducing structural barriers that limit access to opportunities, services and participation in economic and civic life, enabling a broader share of residents to contribute to and benefit from their city’s economy. The strategy aligns with Montreal 2030 (strategic vision for an inclusive, attractive, resilient and sustainable city) and existing legal obligations, the policy establishes a transversal architecture intended to promote coherence, continuity, and long-term commitment to EDI objectives across the administration. It is explicitly oriented toward continuous improvement, positioning EDI not as a one-off intervention but as an iterative and sustained process of organisational change, rigorously monitored and evaluated overtime.
These overarching aims are operationalised through three interrelated expected outcomes that clarify the policy’s theory of change. First, the policy seeks to institutionalise accountability within the municipal workforce, ensuring that staff, particularly managers, are fully responsible for advancing EDI and actively engaged in combating racism and discrimination. Second, it aims to transform municipal service provision, so that all services are both anti-discriminatory and universally accessible, thereby addressing systemic barriers in residents’ interactions with the city. Third, the policy aspires to rebuild and strengthen trust among both residents and municipal employees, enhancing confidence in the City of Montreal’s capacity to act as a credible and effective leader in the fight against racism, harassment, and discrimination.
Country: Canada
City: Montreal
EU member state: No
Geographic scale: City
City size: Large (4 580 000 residents in Montreal FUA)
Date launched: 2023 (launch of current plan EDI Strategic Plan)
Current status: Ongoing
Date of conclusion (if applicable): 2027 (end of current EDI Strategic Plan)
Policy pillar(s): Labour Markets, Public Services
Target group(s): Children, Youth, Women, Older People, People with a migrant background, People at risk of poverty or social exclusion, People with disabilities, Ethnic minorities (Including Roma), LGBTQI+ Community, People experiencing homelessness, Low-income households, Families, Unemployed or Underemployed individuals
Funding and budget:
Total budget: Funding is allocated to specific projects under the umbrella of the policy, on a case-by-case basis. No overall budget was granted.
Funding sources: Local government (City of Montreal)
EU funds/programmes: Not applicable
Stage 1 – Diagnose
The policy is grounded in a diagnosis of systemic discrimination within municipal structures and service provision. The 2023-2027 strategic plan identifies persistent inequalities linked to race, ethnicity, and other axes of exclusion, as well as organisational barriers within the administration itself. Importantly, the strategic plan also highlights limited inclusive citizen participation and uneven internal capacity as challenges, signalling that the problem is not only external (inequalities among residents) but also internal (institutional practices and competencies). This diagnosis underpins the policy’s focus on organisational transformation.
Stage 2 – Prioritise
Based on this diagnosis, the City of Montreal defines a set of priority intervention areas: fostering an inclusive organisational culture, ensuring equitable employment practices, improving accessibility and inclusiveness of municipal services, and promoting inclusive participation. These priorities reflect a deliberate choice to intervene simultaneously at multiple levels (i.e. internal workforce, service delivery, and relations with residents) rather than targeting a single policy domain. The expected outcomes further refine these priorities by focusing on three key objectives: staff responsibility, equitable services, and public trust.
Stage 3 – Design and mobilise
The policy is translated into action through a layered governance architecture, combining a high-level policy framework with the 2023-2027 EDI strategic plan and complementary programmes (e.g. equal access to employment, accessibility plans). The design phase also involves the mobilisation of multiple stakeholders, including municipal staff, unions, and civil society actors. While the policy’s origins lie in a citizen-led consultation on systemic racism, ongoing mobilisation is primarily oriented toward internal actors, reflecting the centrality of organisational change. This stage also entails defining expected results, indicators, and targets, which structure subsequent implementation.
Stage 4 – Implement
Implementation is characterised by a mainstreaming approach, whereby responsibility for EDI and anti-racism is distributed across all municipal services and boroughs. Staff, and particularly managers, are expected to integrate EDI principles into their daily practices, embedding them into organisational routines and decision-making processes. This is complemented by efforts to transform service delivery, ensuring that municipal services are anti-discriminatory and universally accessible. However, implementation faces some challenges, including coordination across departments, administrative delays, and limited staff capacity.
Stage 5 – Monitor, learn and adapt
The policy includes a formal performance measurement framework, comprising expected results, indicators, and targets, designed to promote accountability and support continuous improvement. Monitoring and evaluation are intended to track progress and inform adjustments over time, with a mid-term review of the 2023-2027 strategic plan currently underway. However, data collection and monitoring capacity are identified constraints.
Establish coordinated delivery structures. By embedding EDI and anti-racism across the entire municipal administration, rather than confining them to specialised units or isolated programmes, Montreal’s approach demonstrates how a transversal policy can reorient organisational practices.
Maintain stakeholder engagement and transparency. Montreal’s approach engages staff by empowering them to make a difference and hold them accountable for the inclusive nature of their actions. Organisational change requires distributed accountability, not just political leadership or specialised diversity teams. This approach is only effective if responsibility is matched with capacity building.
EDI Strategic Plan 2023-2027, “Together for a more inclusive and equitable organisation” (PDF): https://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/INTRA_FR/MEDIA/DOCUMENTS/EDI_PLAN_STRATEGIQUE.PDF
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Antiracism Policy (Webpage): https://montreal.ca/articles/politique-equite-diversite-inclusion-et-antiracisme-99191
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