ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the work of a steering committee tasked with assessing racial disparities in the sanctioning of Wisconsin's welfare clients. It offers an examination of how public policies can be assessed for racial disparities. Assessing racial disparities is qualitatively different from assessing other outcomes, such as comparing agency performance by region or by subgroups. It is different because there is an important emotional and historical context that intervenes. Agencies should initiate this type of an assessment because it promotes good government. The approach of division of workforce solutions (DWS) and the steering committee provides a useful case study to better understand how public agencies can self-assess racial disparities in their poverty programs. The steering committee was supported by technical work groups that were responsible for guiding the specific analysis and for presenting research findings to the committee. There was a strong consensus that the composition of the steering committee gave legitimacy to the study.
