Fair or the Same?
Every contractor receives the exact same instructions, timeline, and resources, even though some face different barriers.
What is Equality?
One person may not make the final decision, but their position gives them significant ability to influence resources, policies, practices, and outcomes.
What is Power?
Instead of asking only, “Why aren’t people participating?” the team investigates what underneath the visible problem may actually be producing it.
What is a Root Cause?
Some contractors receive additional support or resources based on what they need to have a fair opportunity to participate.
What is Equity?
An opportunity technically exists, but the real question is whether people can actually reach it, participate in it, and benefit from it.
What is Access?
One employee makes an assumption about a contractor based on the contractor’s identity and acts on that assumption.
What is Individual Inequity?
Instead of repeatedly helping people navigate an unnecessary barrier, the program changes the requirement that created the barrier in the first place.
What is Justice?
Two people approach the same process, but one encounters fewer obstacles because systems tend to value their identities, experiences, or circumstances more favorably.
What is Privilege?
During repeated interactions, one colleague interrupts, dismisses, or treats another colleague differently in ways connected to identity.
What is Interpersonal Inequity?
People aren’t simply invited to the table. They have meaningful opportunities to participate, contribute, and influence what happens.
What is Inclusion?
A reviewer believes they are being objective, but unexamined assumptions affect how they interpret two otherwise similar applications.
What is Bias?
A longstanding organizational procedure appears neutral on paper, but the way it operates consistently creates different outcomes for different groups.
What is Institutional Inequity?
The A-Team identifies an inequity, determines who needs to act, follows its progress, and makes sure the issue doesn’t disappear when it leaves the meeting.
What is Accountability?
An organization treats one communication style, definition of professionalism, or way of working as the normal or “right” way, even though no written rule requires it.
What is Dominant Culture?
The same population encounters barriers across education, financing, contracting, professional networks, and employment, with those interconnected structures reinforcing one another.
What is Systemic Inequity?