San Francisco Language Access Ordinance 2018 Report San Francisco Language Access Ordinance 2018 | Page 9

FINDINGS
In viewing individual departmental information over a
three-year period, it becomes clear that many
departments need to improve their data collection.
The tools and methodology used from one year to the
next are inconsistent, making it difficult to obtain a
complete picture of how language access
improvements and changes are progressing. This
inconsistency is likely due to a number of factors,
including the high turnover of department LAO
coordinators, the lack of citywide standards for data
collection, the loss of historical knowledge when
longtime City staff retire, and less than adequate
resources for both data collection and language
services education for staff. In addition, the
documentation and collection of LEP data and
language services usage is not tracked in a uniform
way from department to department.
Data also show that efforts to educate LEP
populations about the City’s language access
laws are working. Overall, language services
provisioning remained steady over the last two
fiscal years and more people are seeking
services in language.
In-person interpretation increased by 27%
between FY 2015-2016 and FY 2016-2017, with
Spanish language services representing 46%,
Chinese 42%, and Filipino 6% in FY 2016-2017.
Telephonic interpretation increased by 5%
between FY 2015-2016 and FY 2016-2017, with
Spanish representing 50%, Chinese 36%, and
Filipino 1% in FY 2016-2017.
Despite these challenges, it is still possible to cull
useful information about citywide trends and
departmental improvements. For example, although
the City has decreased the overall number of public
contact staff since 2014 and, consequently, has seen a
decrease in the number of clients served, the City’s
commitment to its LEP community remains strong.
During this reporting period, service to the LEP
community as well as the number of bilingual staff
increased:
Reported data show a 35% decrease in overall
public contact staff since FY 2014-2015 even
though an additional 26 departments started
reporting in FY 2015-2016. Total clients served
decreased by 6%. 
Bilingual public staffing increased by 11% in FY
2015-2016 and 5% in FY 2016-2017. LEP clients
served increased by 3%. 
47
Departments
Have Training
for Public
Contact Staff
48
Departments
Attended OCEIA's
Mandatory
LAO Training 
48
Departments
Have a Written
LAO Policy