HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO 02-26Report to Council
Report Number: CAO 02-26
Date: January 26, 2026
From: Marisa Carpino
Chief Administrative Officer
Subject: Pickering Anti-Black Racism Taskforce Award for Consulting Services File: A-1440
Recommendation:
1. That the proposal submitted by Azmi and Warner Consulting in response to Request for Proposal No. RFP2025-1 for the City of Pickering Anti-Black Racism Action Plan in the
amount of $60,000.00 (excluding HST) or $67,800.00 (HST included) be accepted;
2. That the total gross project cost $67,800.00 (HST included), including the proposal, contingency and other associated costs, and the total net project cost of $61,056.00 (net of HST rebate) be approved;
3. That the Director, Finance & Treasurer be authorized to finance the net project cost of
$61,056.00 to be funded from Property Taxes (Account 502530.4603), as approved in
the 2026 Current Budget;
4. That the Supervisor, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion be authorized to execute the Form of Agreement with the above-mentioned consultant pursuant to Request for Proposal No RFP2025-1; and
5. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the necessary action
to give effect hereto.
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is obtain Council’s authorization to award
Request for Proposal RFP2025-1 to Azmi and Warner Consulting for Proposal for the development of the City of Pickering Anti-Black Racism Action Plan.
On March 25 2024, Council approved the consultation budget for development of the City of Pickering Anti-Black Racism Action Plan. This project will be coordinated by the Pickering Anti-
Black Racism Taskforce (PABRT), as part of their Council approved 2024 workplan
(Resolution #445/24), with the support of City staff.
Request for Proposal No. RFP2025-1 was advertised on the City’s bids&tenders portal on September 4, 2025. Nine companies submitted proposals. The Evaluation Committee, consisting of staff from the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion team and members of PABRT
reviewed and evaluated these proposals based on criteria outlined in the RFP document
including proponent’s experience and knowledge, understanding the community, technical and analytical skills, and professional experience and credibility.
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All reference checks and required pre-conditions of the award have been received and approved. It is the recommendation of the Evaluation Committee to award the contract to Azmi
and Warner Consulting as the top ranked Proponent.
Relationship to the Pickering Strategic Plan: The recommendations in this report respond
to the Pickering Strategic Plan Priority of Advocate for an Inclusive, Welcoming, Safe &
Healthy Community; and Foster an Engaged & Informed Community.
Financial Implications: The recommended proposal from Azmi and Warner Consulting was
within the approved $60,000.00 in the 2026 Committee Expenses Budget for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
1. RFP Amount RFP2025-1 $60,000.00 HST (13%)
Total Gross Proposal Amount
7,800.00
$67,800.00
2. Estimated Project Costing Summary
RFP2025-1 HST (13%) Total Gross Project Amount
HST Rebate (11.24%)
Total Net Project Costs
$60,000.00 $7,800.00 $67,800.00
(6,744.00)
$61,056.00
3. Approved Source of Funds - Operating Budget Approved Code Source of Funds Approved Budget Required
502530.4603 Property Tax 60,000.00 $61,056.00
TOTAL $60,000.00 $61,056.00
Net project costs under (over) approved funds $(1,056.00)*
*The overage will be funded from anticipated operational savings achieved throughout the
year.
In 2024, the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Budget included “Committee Expenses” to support the Anti Black Racism Action Plan. This approach recognized that many elements of the project still needed to be defined and explored through community based research as the work progressed. Beginning with the 2026 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee Expenses
Budget, and acknowledging the evolving nature of the initiative, individual components of the
project will be budgeted separately in alignment with the City’s established business practices.
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Discussion: The purpose of this report is to obtain Council’s authorization to award Request for Proposal RFP2025-1 to Azmi and Warner Consulting for the development of the
City of Pickering Anti-Black Racism Action Plan. Established in 2021, Azmi and Warner
Consulting formalize decades of anti-racism work executed by Shaheen Azmi and Remi Warner in academic, municipal and private sectors.
In May 2024, City of Pickering Council endorsed the municipality’s first multi-year Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Strategy. The EDI Strategy establishes a framework for advancing
and embedding equity, diversity and inclusion within the policies, practices, programs, services and facilities of the municipality as a standard of public service and local governance. As such, the EDI Strategy identifies five areas of focus:
1. Education and Awareness
2. Structure and Resources
3. Community Engagement and Consultation 4. Policies, Practices and Program 5. Measurement and Accountability
Each area represents priorities within which to ground the City’s efforts to advance EDI.
This request for proposal builds on the third area of focus, Community Engagement and
Consultation, by identifying best practices for effectively engaging and supporting Council‑appointed advisory groups and taskforces. PABRT’s work, with the awarded consultant and the support of City staff, is intended to strengthen the City of Pickering’s efforts to address systemic Anti‑Black racism within the responsibilities and resources assigned to the Pickering Anti-Black Racism Taskforce.
The City of Pickering Anti-Black Racism Action Plan will be a Council-approved document designed to combat systemic racism and promote equity, diversity and inclusion within the City
of Pickering. To develop this strategy, the consultant will prepare two reports.
In the first report, entitled Current State Report: Research and Evaluate the Current Landscape, the consultant will conduct a thorough review and evaluation of existing data, reports and studies to understand the current state of anti-Black racism in Pickering and Durham Region broadly, and identify and incorporate relevant evidence-based research that
can guide the development of the Action Plan.
In the second report, entitled Action Plan & Recommendation Report, the consultant will prepare an action plan based on community feedback, research findings and input from the PABRT, City staff and community partners. The report will include a detailed 5 year action plan with specific, actionable steps for the Pickering Anti-Black Racism Taskforce, with the support
of City staff, to address anti-Black racism within the context of municipal governance. The
report will outline a clear implementation strategy with timelines to the year 2030, milestones, responsible parties, metrics for success, and estimated/associated financial implications.
This strategy will guide current and future decisions to ensure a culture of inclusion for both the municipal workforce and the broader community. It will support the implementation of the City’s
anti-racism efforts and bolster the application of the City’s EDI Strategy. By focusing
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specifically on anti-Black racism, the strategy aims to create an environment where all residents, particularly those from Black and other marginalized communities, can thrive and
feel valued.
Attachment:
None.
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Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By:
Justine Wallace Mark Guinto
(Acting) Supervisor, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Division Head, Public Affairs &
Corporate Communications
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Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering City Council
Marisa Carpino, M.A. Chief Administrative Officer
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