Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR)

We are creating a Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) ecosystem in which all Washingtonians have full access to the opportunities, power, and resources they need to flourish and achieve their full potential.

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a photo of two smiling parents with two children in a park.
A multi-ethnic group of students gather around a table outdoors

What is PEAR?

Pro-Equity Anti-Racism, or PEAR, is an innovative approach that goes beyond traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts to drive systemic change, aiming to dismantle oppressive systems and promote equity in all facets of society. This approach recognizes that systems of oppression are the upstream sources of all our inequities, and therefore, addressing these systems is crucial to creating a more equitable world. Oppressive systems such as racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and heterosexism cause inequities and hurt all people.

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Why are we doing PEAR?

Some Washingtonians question the legitimacy of state government because decisions are consistently made without them, some question state government’s effectiveness because it is not delivering services that meet their needs, and some do not trust state government because of its history of oppression and marginalization. 

Implementing Washington’s Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) Ecosystem Plan & Playbook (Executive Order 22-04) is a critical dimension of the state’s pursuit of bridging opportunity gaps and reducing disparities, including racial and ethnic disparities, statewide and across state government, to keep Washington a great place to live, learn, work, play, and stay.

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How do we support PEAR?

The Office of Equity provides consultative services to state agencies that is rooted in the Washington State Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) Ecosystem Plan & Playbook and the PEAR framework it outlines. We provide consultation through thought leadership, thought partnership, recommendations, advisement, and technical assistance on Office of Equity tools/resources including the PEAR framework and the development of statewide tools and resources that Washington state agencies will use to create a PEAR ecosystem.

PEAR Ecosystem Goals & Outcome

The PEAR goals and overall strategies below guide the delivery of state goods, services, policies, and practices so all Washingtonians can participate, prosper, and achieve their full potential. The Office of Equity will partner with state agencies and communities to create an annual report to the Governor and Legislature. The report will include agency strengths and accomplishments made on PEAR expectations and the effectiveness of agency programs and services on reducing disparities, including the agency’s action plan to address areas for continued improvement and a timeline for the action plan.

Overall PEAR Ecosystem Strategies

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1. Implement a pro-equity, anti-racism framework in partnership with relevant communities and organizations

Partner with others to intentionally name and address implicit and explicit bias and all levels of racism, particularly against people who are seen and treated as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color.

Black woman speaks in a meeting with community.

2. Embrace continuous learning, growing, and pivoting

Build organizational capacity and infrastructure to continuously learn, improve, and make adjustments to sustain meaningful policy and systems change that achieves equitable policies, practices, and outcomes.

Woman leads meeting and looks to graph on projector screen.

3. Consistently assess your equity impact

Understand and acknowledge your agency’s equity impact to inform agency planning, decision-making, and action steps when changing policies, programs, and practices that perpetuate inequities and when developing new policies and programs that perpetuate equity.

Two construction workers review blueprint.

4. Make values driven, data informed upstream investments

Identify and target root causes of opportunity gaps and disparities and prioritize the people who have traditionally been excluded to improve outcomes that benefit all.

Diverse group of office colleagues smile at camera.

5. Be transparent, accountable, and operate with urgency

Create and maintain a long-term commitment to change and help others to see the benefit to them for acting immediately. Build public trust and accountability for sustaining equity through values-driven, data-informed decision-making and outcome tracking.

1. Implement PEAR Framework

Asian woman leads a small meeting.
Asian woman leads a small meeting.

1. Implement a pro-equity, anti-racism framework in partnership with relevant communities and organizations

Partner with others to intentionally name and address implicit and explicit bias and all levels of racism, particularly against people who are seen and treated as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color.

2. Embrace Continuous Improvement

Black woman speaks in a meeting with community.
Black woman speaks in a meeting with community.

2. Embrace continuous learning, growing, and pivoting

Build organizational capacity and infrastructure to continuously learn, improve, and make adjustments to sustain meaningful policy and systems change that achieves equitable policies, practices, and outcomes.

3. Assess Equity Impact

Woman leads meeting and looks to graph on projector screen.
Woman leads meeting and looks to graph on projector screen.

3. Consistently assess your equity impact

Understand and acknowledge your agency’s equity impact to inform agency planning, decision-making, and action steps when changing policies, programs, and practices that perpetuate inequities and when developing new policies and programs that perpetuate equity.

4. Make Investments

Two construction workers review blueprint.
Two construction workers review blueprint.

4. Make values driven, data informed upstream investments

Identify and target root causes of opportunity gaps and disparities and prioritize the people who have traditionally been excluded to improve outcomes that benefit all.

5. Be Transparent & Accountable

Diverse group of office colleagues smile at camera.
Diverse group of office colleagues smile at camera.

5. Be transparent, accountable, and operate with urgency

Create and maintain a long-term commitment to change and help others to see the benefit to them for acting immediately. Build public trust and accountability for sustaining equity through values-driven, data-informed decision-making and outcome tracking.

PEAR Plan & Playbook

The Washington State Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) Ecosystem Plan & Playbook outlines the framework and tools that Washington state agencies will use to create a PEAR ecosystem in which all Washingtonians have full access to the opportunities, power, and resources they need to flourish and achieve their full potential. 


View and download the PEAR Plan & Playbook
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The PEAR Process

Meeting in bright room.

1. Establish a Complete PEAR Team

Executive Order 22-04 directs state agencies to create a PEAR team composed of agency executive leaders, the agency equity officer, employees, external customers, partners, and experts for key business lines. The PEAR team model is rooted in relational partnership, contact us for more information on the relational partnership model.

The PEAR team is responsible for assisting their respective agency to achieve PEAR outcomes and the goals set forth in Executive Order 22-04.

Note that the PEAR Team should be fully established and actively engaged before completing the baseline Equity Impact Assessment. Without a strong team in place, there is a greater likelihood of gaps in the work. 

Group of people in discussion.

Step 2: Complete Initial Baseline Equity Impact Assessment (EIA)

The five-step equity impact assessment (EIA) process blends numerical (quantitative) data and community voices (qualitative data) to inform agency planning, decision-making, and implementation of actions that achieve equitable access to opportunities and resources that reduce disparities and improve equitable outcomes statewide. 

The EIA is a critical step in developing the PEAR Strategic Action Plan because the assessment informs the strategic actions ultimately defined in the action plan. The fully formed agency PEAR team will complete the EIA before creating the agency’s PEAR Strategic Action Plan. Learn more about the equity impact assessment (EIA) and download the template.

Person smiles in meeting.

Step 3: Complete the PEAR Strategic Action Plan Template and Quarterly Performance Tracker

Each agency is required to create a PEAR Strategic Action Plan that is informed by a completed Equity Impact Assessment (EIA).

The action plan includes measurable goals that focus on outcomes and impact. It outlines service line investments the agency will make in the coming year. Each investment is designed to close gaps in opportunity or remove barriers that negatively impact Washingtonians. The investments the agency will make are guided by the PEAR Determinants of Equity and are designed to serve the impacted communities. 

1. Establish PEAR Team

Meeting in bright room.
Meeting in bright room.

1. Establish a Complete PEAR Team

Executive Order 22-04 directs state agencies to create a PEAR team composed of agency executive leaders, the agency equity officer, employees, external customers, partners, and experts for key business lines. The PEAR team model is rooted in relational partnership, contact us for more information on the relational partnership model.

The PEAR team is responsible for assisting their respective agency to achieve PEAR outcomes and the goals set forth in Executive Order 22-04.

Note that the PEAR Team should be fully established and actively engaged before completing the baseline Equity Impact Assessment. Without a strong team in place, there is a greater likelihood of gaps in the work. 

2. Assess Equity Impact

Group of people in discussion.
Group of people in discussion.

Step 2: Complete Initial Baseline Equity Impact Assessment (EIA)

The five-step equity impact assessment (EIA) process blends numerical (quantitative) data and community voices (qualitative data) to inform agency planning, decision-making, and implementation of actions that achieve equitable access to opportunities and resources that reduce disparities and improve equitable outcomes statewide. 

The EIA is a critical step in developing the PEAR Strategic Action Plan because the assessment informs the strategic actions ultimately defined in the action plan. The fully formed agency PEAR team will complete the EIA before creating the agency’s PEAR Strategic Action Plan. Learn more about the equity impact assessment (EIA) and download the template.

3. Plan & Track Performance

Person smiles in meeting.
Person smiles in meeting.

Step 3: Complete the PEAR Strategic Action Plan Template and Quarterly Performance Tracker

Each agency is required to create a PEAR Strategic Action Plan that is informed by a completed Equity Impact Assessment (EIA).

The action plan includes measurable goals that focus on outcomes and impact. It outlines service line investments the agency will make in the coming year. Each investment is designed to close gaps in opportunity or remove barriers that negatively impact Washingtonians. The investments the agency will make are guided by the PEAR Determinants of Equity and are designed to serve the impacted communities.