City of Sacramento
Racial Equity Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2024-00410 1/30/2024 Discussion Item 4.
Report on Baseline Learning Assessment Results and Recommendations for Implementing Mandatory Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)/Racial Equity (RE) Training for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers File ID: 2024-00410
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and provide direction on recommendations informed by the Baseline Learning Assessment implementing Mandatory Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)/Racial Equity (RE) Training for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers.
Contact: Aimée Zenzele Barnes, Diversity and Equity Manager, 916-808-1174, [email protected], Office of Diversity & Equity, Department of Human Resources; Larissa Wohl, Strategic Workforce Equity Analyst, 916-808-5839, [email protected], Office of Diversity & Equity, Department of Human Resources
Presenter: Aimée Zenzele Barnes, Diversity and Equity Manager, 916-808-1174, [email protected], Office of Diversity & Equity, Department of Human Resources; Larissa Wohl, Strategic Workforce Equity Analyst, 916-808-5839, [email protected], Office of Diversity & Equity, Department of Human Resources
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Council Resolution 2023-0113
3-DEIB RE Baseline Learning Assessment
4-BLA Mandatory DEIB RE Training Report
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The City of Sacramento is committed to integrating race and gender equity both internally, through capacity building and workforce equity, as well as externally, through the emerging work of the Sacramento Centered on Race and Equity (SCORE) Initiative. It is important that the Council lead by example to demonstrate a commitment to this work, both for our community and our employees. As such, the need for DEIB/RE training for Council has become evident. In May 2023, the City Council passed a Mandatory Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Training for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers Resolution, including an updated memo from the Co-Chairs of this Committee (Resolution 2023-0113, Attachment 2). To begin implementation of
File ID: 2024-00410 1/30/2024 Discussion Item 4.
DEIB/RE trainings as per Section 2 of the Resolution, the Racial Equity Committee affirmed (August 2023) the direction for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers complete the DEIB/RE baseline learning assessment to inform and prioritize which type of training, training content, and learning objectives are needed and prioritized for 2024. The DEIB/RE learning baseline assessment was administered and completed by 62 respondents in September and October 2023. In October 2023, the Office of Diversity & Equity (ODE) presented the overall trends of the results to the Racial Equity Committee with recommendations to continue development content and method of DEIB/RE training implementation.
ODE has written a report detailing the full results of the Baseline Learning Assessment including the overall trends presented at the October 2023 Racial Equity Committee meeting and those broken down by response group: Appointed Officers (6), City Elected Officials (9), and Council Staff (47).
The report also includes recommendations for training based on the findings from the Baseline Learning Assessment (Attachment 3).
This report, including the recommendations for training modules and content will be considered by the Racial Equity Committee, including proposals from Race Forward and CPS HR (a company that the City of Sacramento Human Resources Organizational Development team is already in contract with).
Policy Considerations: None.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: This action is not a project that is subject to CEQA because it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines § 15378(b)(5).)
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: This report provides an update on recommendations for training efforts as directed by Council and a full report of the results from the Baseline Learning Assesment.
Financial Considerations: Funding for this training will be paid from the operating budget of the office/department participating in the training.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
RESOLUTION 2023-0113
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
May 2, 2023
Approving Mandatory Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Training for all City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers
BACKGROUND
A. The memo attached to this Resolution as Exhibit A outlines the requirement for mandatory training for Elected Officials, their staff, and Appointed Officers (Charter Offices and Director of OPSA).
B. As a member of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) we are committed to applying the national best practices of normalizing, organizing, and operationalizing racial equity throughout the City’s systems. The City has committed to racial equity work through: (1) the establishment of the Office of Diversity & Equity ; (2) the design and implementation of the Race & Gender Equity Action Plan (2022-2025); (3) the signing of a contract with Race Forward to assist City staff in establishing and implementing a plan for creating the City Racial Equity Resolution; and (4) the Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) initiative and workplan.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
The memo attached to this Resolution as Exhibit A is adopted as guidance for the Office of Diversity & Equity on developing and implementing a mandatory DEIB training program of at least four hours every two years for City Elected Officials, their staff, and Appointed Officers.
SECTION 2.
The Office of Diversity & Equity will establish recurring training , including a racial equity assessment to establish a baseline for these trainings.
SECTION 3.
As the City’s racial equity efforts continue, and the SCORE initiative progresses, there may be a need to adapt the training procedures and topics to reflect new best practices and to align with
the community guided work. We recognize our City is at the infancy in creating a racial equity plan and there may be a need for required training more than a minimum of every two years.
SECTION 4.
Whereas the makeup of the City Council may shift every two years , this may require more frequent training.
SECTION 5.
The Council is committed to expanding this program to all employees citywide.
SECTION 6.
The Office of Diversity & Equity is authorized to make minor changes or adjustments to Exhibit A and the subsequent developed trainings based on guidance from the SCORE initiative and future racial equity developments in the City.
SECTION 7.
Exhibit A is part of this Resolution.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Exhibit A – Memo
Adopted by the City of Sacramento City Council on May 2, 2023, by the following vote:
Ayes: Members Guerra, Jennings, Kaplan, Maple, Loloee, Valenzuela, and Vang
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Member Talamantes and Mayor Steinberg
Attest:
_____________________________________
Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk
The presence of an electronic signature certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy as approved by the Sacramento City Council.
Exhibit A
MEMORANDUM
DATE: __________________
TO: All Mayor/Council Offices
FROM: Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Co-Chair, Racial Equity Committee, Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang, Co-Chair, Racial Equity Committee
SUBJECT: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Training for all City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers
Dear Colleagues,
As part of our continued efforts around race and gender equity, we are recommending a requirement for all City elected officials and their staff, and appointed officers to complete DEIB training every two (2) years from date of appointment or hire. We are also committed to expanding this requirement to all programs Citywide. It is important that we, as an elected body, are aligned with both the internal and external race and gender equity work the City has committed to implementing. Through the implementation of the Race and Gender Equity Action Plan (RGEAP), each Department in the City of Sacramento has been tasked with supporting collective efforts to ensure the workforce reflects the City to better serve the City. We recognize that elected officials, council staff, and appointed officials also require support and training to be effective in our roles and engage with community in a way that honors their humanity and best supports their needs and interests. Given recent meetings at the City Council level, it is evident that we all have room to grow in this area if we are to fully align ourselves with the City’s race and gender equity work.
In addition to this internal work, we are committed to moving racial equity work forward throughout the City.
We have just begun the Sacramento Centered on Race Equity (SCORE) Initiative, led in partnership with the community Racial Equity Alliance and Committee, the Office of Diversity & Equity, and the Council’s Racial Equity Committee. The emerging work of the SCORE Initiative will inform regular training on an ongoing basis.
It is important we lead by example, both for our community and our employees, to demonstrate that we are serious about anti-racist/racial equity/DEIB training. We recognize that we need a shared understanding of these concepts in order to move forward as a City. This training will create the foundation to have these important conversations within the City Council, key staff, and with the community, in a way that uplifts their complexity and nuance and honors different lived experiences.
As such, we propose that beginning in 2023, this mandatory four-hour training, including an in-person engagement piece, will be required for all City elected officials, Council staff, and appointed officials (Charter officers and OPSA Director) at least every two years, to mirror the training requirements for sexual harassment training required by the State. They will also be required to complete the self-guided Advancing Racial Equity course through the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) online learning center, which is comprised of four 2-hour modules. Leveraging the GARE learning center provides basic equity understanding and the role of government historically and moving forward. Training will be iterative and evaluated on an ongoing basis.
Sincerely,
Darrell Steinberg Mai Vang Mayor, City of Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem, District 8, City of Sacramento
Background Proposed Training Content
Alignment with Current Procedures and Rules: This training will be aligned with the following existing rules on misconduct/grounds for removal for Council members, and current initiatives.
1. Chapter 3, Council Rules of Procedure
Content of Council Training: This training will be designed to meet the role and function of the elected Council members and their staff, with a particular emphasis on anti-racism. This training will help develop a vocabulary, a shared understanding of core concepts described below, and skills necessary to manage change and transformation on an individual, Council, and community level.
Core topics that training intends to address may include:
• Why the Council is concerned about bias in any form in public meetings, staff workplaces, and all levels of interaction with residents and community members particularly race-based bias and racism • Anti-racism/DEIB terminology
• White supremacy culture
• White privilege
• Maintaining a respectful work environment including microaggressions • Improving relationships and interactions across race, gender, and sexual orientation • Valuing and not tokenizing diversity
• Cultural competence and cultural fluency
• Addressing bias, including implicit, explicit, and cognitive bias • Anti-racism
• Intersectionality
• Racial identity
• History of racism
• The historical and current impact of racism in the Sacramento community • Use of humanizing, inclusive, and just language when describing places, communities, and behavior that centers economic, social, and physical well-being
• The connection between race equity, decision making, and programs and services • What is a race equity lens, some models, and what can be accomplished Outcomes of proposed training can include:
• Shared or common understanding of and familiarity with racism and racial justice terms/concepts/theories to facilitate and confidently converse in shared discussions on race, racism, and exclusion.
• Helps Councilmembers develop an equity mindset to discuss and nurture racial equity with their staff, residents, and community.
• Allows Council to further embrace a racial justice/race equity priority. • Helps Council and staff to address the feelings and concerns that iteratively and dynamically come up in meetings and interactions with community and residents. • Helps inform our priority setting process.
• Provides clear understanding and expectations in working functions and relationships with all charter offices.
• Generates ideas and possible actions for a racial justice/race equity work priority in 2023 and beyond, including assessment and recommendations for further training and skill development of Council and staff.
• Project-wide curriculum to include development of shared language, terms, analytical frameworks, basic social and historical contexts, and key factors that relate to policy, economic, legal, and social advocacy.
• Develop capacity at a personal level to manage the learning, and to develop and utilize inclusive and equitable communication, conflict resolution, decision making and group norms. • Providing training videos for replay.
• Know the difference between equity and equality.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging (DEIB)/Racial Equity (RE) Baseline Learning Assessment for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers
PART I - DEIB Learning Assessment1
Section Significance: There are many important skills and attributes needed to be an effective DEIB leader. This part will provide a self-assessment to establish a baseline of learning in the five areas of:
Personal Characteristics Several factors that provide the ability to develop and foster meaningful relationships.
Knowledge Having foundational understanding of DEIB and a commitment to continuous learning.
Planning The ability to envision an ideal future state and develop a plan to achieve it.
Leading The ability to influence people and systems to move organizations forward.
Communication The ability to receive and share information in a number of methods and strategies.
For each competency statement, please rate yourself on a scale of 1-5. 1 = Definitely Untrue | 2 = Not Very True | 3 = Somewhat True | 4 = Mostly True | 5 = Definitely True
1 Adapted from Insight Paper: DEI Guidebook Second Edition. http://www.talentfirst.net/uploads/files/DEI- Guidebook-Second-Edition-single-pp.v2.4.1.pdf.
Personal Characteristics: There are several individual attributes that increase the effectiveness of the Leader. Those traits center around being authentic, curious, determined, and resilient while finding value in fostering meaningful relationships.
Self-Assessment:
Competency Statements:
I am
Self-Rating: In each row below (numbered 1-5), circle the number that most accurately describes your skill set.
Definitely
Untrue
Not Very
True
Somewhat
True
Mostly
True
Definitely
True
Self-Aware.
I understand my own cultural
influences, values, identities, triggers,
dimensions of diversity, and how I am
situated within the organization,
community, and world.
1 2 3 4 5
Resilient.
I continuously move forward while
encountering obstacles and lack of
support (Resilient).
1 2 3 4 5
Authentic.
I offer genuine and trustworthy
leadership.
1 2 3 4 5
Catalyst.
I spark or accelerate change within my
team/division.
1 2 3 4 5
Total:
Add together all the numbers circled in
rows 1-5 and place the sum in the box to
the right.
Knowledge: To be an effective Leader in advancing DEIB requires a foundational understanding of multiple diversity and inclusion topics. A willingness to engage in continued learning is essential as the workplaces are constantly evolving with language, research, and practice.
Self-Assessment:
Competency Statements:
I can
Self-Rating: In each row below (numbered 1-5), circle the number that most accurately describes your skill set.
Definitely
Untrue
Not Very
True
Somewhat
True
Mostly
True
Definitely
True
I can explain a foundational
understanding of diversity, equity,
inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) within
the context of city government.
1 2 3 4 5
Create personal knowledge networks. 1 2 3 4 5
Find relevant sources for DEIB/RE
standards and best practices, especially
those that are relevant to the specific
government sector of the City of
Sacramento
1 2 3 4 5
Total:
Add together all the numbers circled in
rows 1-5 and place the sum in the box to
the right.
Planning: Strategic planning is a process, not a product. To help offices and departments advance DEIB, leaders are to envision their ideal future state and then support the development of specific plans, strategies, and actionable steps to achieve it.
Self-Assessment:
Competency Statements:
I can
Self-Rating: In each row below (numbered 1-5), circle the number that most accurately describes your skill set.
Definitely
Untrue
Not Very
True
Somewhat
True
Mostly
True
Definitely
True
Use collaborative planning processes to
integrate the organization’s DEIB vision
and tactics into the overall strategic
plan of my office/department.
1 2 3 4 5
Use data to make decisions that
advance the City’s DEIB goals. 1 2 3 4 5
Design, implement, and embed DEIB in
community engagement, programs and
initiatives.
1 2 3 4 5
Create a shared DEIB culture with my
staff, other electeds/officials, and
community careholders.
1 2 3 4 5
Total:
Add together all the numbers circled in
rows 1-5 and place the sum in the box to
the right.
Leading: Leading organizational change requires both business acumen and political savvy to navigate an organization and communicate data to compel people to act. It also involves influence to shift mindsets, solve problems, and disrupt programs, practices, and systems to move the teams and departments forward.
Self-Assessment:
Competency Statements:
I can
Self-Rating: In each row below (numbered 1-5), circle the number that most accurately describes your skill set.
Definitely
Untrue
Not Very
True
Somewhat
True
Mostly
True
Definitely
True
Secure office leadership to support
DEIB. 1 2 3 4 5
Negotiate the needed level of
autonomy to make change. 1 2 3 4 5
Gain followership throughout various
levels of the office, beyond positional
authority based on passion,
competence, and credibility.
1 2 3 4 5
Consult and cooperate with various
internal City staff and other
electeds/officials to execute strategic
plans.
1 2 3 4 5
Collaborate with community
careholders for sourcing, engagement,
and systems change.
1 2 3 4 5
Total:
Add together all the numbers circled in
rows 1-5 and place the sum in the box to
the right.
Communication: This competency includes listening to others to receive verbal information, speaking to others to convey verbal information; reading documents, charts, graphs, tables, forms, prose, and continuous text; and writing to convey or document written information.
Self-Assessment
Competency Statements:
I can
Self-Rating: In each row below (numbered 1-5), circle the number that most accurately describes your skill set.
Definitely
Untrue
Not Very
True
Somewhat
True
Mostly
True
Definitely
True
Effectively communicate with tact,
dignity, and professionalism to multiple
internal City Staff to other
electeds/officials and community
carholders
1 2 3 4 5
Articulate a compelling vision, business
case, and economic case for DEIB. 1 2 3 4 5
Facilitate bold and difficult
conversations about race and other
dimensions of diversity that also create
a brave place for people to be pushed
beyond their comfort zones,
respectfully challenge, and disagree.
1 2 3 4 5
Use storytelling, data, and other
creative approaches to connect, inspire,
educate, and influence.
1 2 3 4 5
Total:
Add together all the numbers circled in
rows 1-5 and place the sum in the box to
the right.
PART II Racial Equity (RE) Learning Assessment2
Section Significance: Developing RE leadership skills in government relies on self-awareness, understanding intersectional identities, commitment to skill-building in racial equity analysis, and the responsiveness to that analysis and institutional and structural impact analyses. This section highlights City Leaders’ level of growth in these areas.
For each competency statement, please rate yourself on a scale of 1-5. 1 = Definitely Untrue | 2 = Not Very True | 3 = Somewhat True | 4 = Mostly True | 5 = Definitely True Self-Assessment
Competency Statements:
I can
Self-Rating: In each row below (numbered 1-5), circle the number that most accurately describes your skill set
Definitely
Untrue
Not Very
True
Somewhat
True
Mostly
True
Definitely
True
I can share what it means to be working
toward racial justice. 1 2 3 4 5
I can name historical inequalities in
society. 1 2 3 4 5
I can share knowledge of Sacramento’s
history of oppressive practices. (i.e.,
settler colonization, removal of
indigenous people, red-lining, etc.)
1 2 3 4 5
I can share my racial positionality and
how it intersects with minoritized
identities I hold.
1 2 3 4 5
I can name how institutional racism
shows up in the City’s workforce and
the communities the City serves.
1 2 3 4 5
I can explain how equity-focused
practices and changes have been
implemented in the department
because of my engagement in race and
social justice.
1 2 3 4 5
I can communicate an understanding of
my identities and intersectionality. 1 2 3 4 5
I can explain a foundational
understanding of racial justice, social
justice, and inclusion within the context
of city government.
1 2 3 4 5
I can discuss the business case for
actively working toward racial equity. 1 2 3 4 5
I can share how my social identities can
affect how I do my work (i.e., recognizes 1 2 3 4 5
2 Adapted from City of Seattle’s LEAP Self-Assessment & Reflection for City Executive Leaders. https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/HumanResources/Workforce%20Equity/Part%202%20- %20LEAP%20Self%20Assessment%20-%20FINAL%20January%202021%20%281%29.pdf.
leadership, develops budgets,
interviews, employees conduct,
decision making, and work with
communities).
I can proactively name and discuss
current local, national, and global
events that are likely to affect the City.
(i.e., Black Lives Matter, COVID-19
pandemic, civil rights, human rights,
sexual harassment, policing,
immigration, environment, etc.).
1 2 3 4 5
I can name how white supremacy
culture thinking is influenced by my
behavior (i.e., perfectionism, a sense of
urgency, defensiveness, worship of the
written word, belief in only one right
way, paternalism, either/or thinking,
power hoarding, fear of open conflict,
individualism, etc.).
1 2 3 4 5
I can explain what a racial equity lens is
and how it is applied. 1 2 3 4 5
I can share about what it means to be
an antiracist leader. 1 2 3 4 5
Total:
Add together all the numbers circled in
rows 1-5 and place the sum in the box to
the right.
Reflection Questions: Please write down a response to one or all the following questions.
1. What is the purpose of understanding historical inequalities and discrimination in Sacramento and the United States?
2. How do my personal identities affect how I lead the department/my team and engage with others?
3. How have I used information from equity, race-, and social-justice-related trainings to update the practices of the department/division/unit/workgroup/team?
4. What actions have I personally taken to support racial equity work?
5. What white supremacy culture practices do I take part? How might they be harmful? How do I apply antidotes to address such practices?
6. Which equity, race-, and social-justice-focused personal practice and professional development areas do I believe others would name for me as areas of improvement? What areas would I name for myself as areas for improvement?
Training and Learning Courses
Section Significance: Learning opportunities create the groundwork for personal and professional growth in racial equity and social justice mindsets and skills. The following list includes some general learning opportunities the City has available for its leaders. This section highlights areas for City leaders to seek more learning opportunities. Please write down the following racial equity focused trainings you have attended in the past three-year period.
Race the Power of an Illusion Yes ☐ No ☐
Gender Diversity in the Workplace Yes ☐ No ☐
Racial Equity Toolkit Yes ☐ No ☐
Anti-Harassment & Antidiscrimination (annual) Yes ☐ No ☐ Implicit Bias 1.0 Yes ☐ No ☐
Internalized Racial Inferiority or Internalized Racial Superiority Yes ☐ No ☐ City of Sacramento 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge Yes ☐ No ☐ List any added equity, trauma-informed practices, gender identity, harassment, discrimination, racial equity, social justice, and anti-racist focused trainings you have attended during the past calendar year.
Mandatory DEIB/RE Training for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers Baseline Learning Assessment Report
January 2024
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 2 INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 3 Role of Elected Officials and City Leadership ................................ ................................ ....................... 3 Asse ssment Background & Approach ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 BASELINE LEARNING ASSESSMENT RESULTS ................................ ................................ ........................... 6 PART I DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION BELONGING ( DEIB)................................ ................................ ...... 6 Personal Characteristics – Question 4................................ ................................ ............................. 6 Knowledge – Question 5................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 8 Planning – Question 6 ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 10 Leading – Question 7 ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 12 Communication – Question 8 ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 15 PAR T II R AC I AL EQUITY ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 18 Trends and Learnings from the Racial Equity Competency Statements ................................ .............. 18 Trends and Learnings from the Reflective Questions ................................ ................................ ...... 19 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 20 APPENDIX ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 22 A – Racial Equity Competency Statement Results................................ ................................ ............... 22 Overall................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 22 Elected Officials ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 23 Appointed Officers ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 24 Council Staff ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 25 B – CPS HR Consulting ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 27 C - Race Forward’s Proposal for Advancing Racial Equity ................................ ................................ ..... 30 D – Skillsoft Acumen eLearning DEI................................ ................................ ................................ .. 37 E - GARE Self-paced Learning – Advancing Racial Equity in Government ................................ ............... 39 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 40
2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this report is to provide the results from the Baseline Learning Assessment (BLA), presented at the August 2023 Racial Equity Committee Meeting by the Office of Diversity & Equity, and recommendations for DEIB/RE training based on these results to begin in 2024. The BLA evaluated DEIB/RE learning and development skills needed by City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed officials as directed by Council Resolution 2023-0113 approved in May 2023.
In September 2023, the Office of Diversity & Equity administered the BLA online through SurveyMonkey. The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem wrote and disseminated a memo calling for 100% participation from all Council Staff, Council members, and Appointed Officers Council sent with a link to the survey. With guidance from the Office of the Clerk, all Council members, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers were emailed the link to the online survey and key Council Staff were emailed to encourage colleagues to complete the survey. The survey was closed in October 2023, with 62 total respondents reflecting a 100% Council response rate, 94% Council Staff response rate, and 100% Appointed Officers response rate. The only Council Staff members who did not complete the assessment were interns.
At the October 2023 Racial Equity Committee meeting, the ODE presented its analysis of the BLA, highlighting the growth and learning opportunities for Council, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers and areas that should be addressed in training. Overall, there was a lower level of confidence and competence reported in areas of applying racial equity lenses, being a change agent, putting into action basic DEIB concepts, and DEIB action planning. There was also an opportunity for growth in understanding historical inequities at the local level and ways to redress them.
Based on the BLA results, the following is recommended for training in 2024-2025:
• 2024 – Cultural Intelligence Training in three modules • 2025 – Advancing Racial Equity in Government
• Ongoing – SkillSoft self-paced DEIB training through Acumen and resources through the Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE) network portal
3 INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
Role of Elected Officials and City Leadership
From the inception of our country, government at the local, regional, state, and federal level has played a role in creating and maintaining racial inequity. A wide range of laws and policies were passed, including everything from who could vote, who could be a citizen, who could own property, who was property, where one could live, whose land belonged to whom and more. With the Civil Rights movement, laws and policies were passed that helped to create positive changes, including making acts of discrimination illegal. However, despite progress in addressing explicit discrimination, racial inequities continue to be deep, pervasive, and persistent across the country. Racial inequities exist across all indicators for success, including in education, criminal justice, jobs, housing, public infrastructure, and health, regardless of region.
City leaders play a unique role in setting the tone of local governments and institutions. Mayors and Council Members can set an example and commit themselves to prioritizing racial equity by participating in equity leadership trainings and creating deep engagement with community careholders1 to engage voices throughout the city. The City of Sacramento has taken on this commitment furthering alignment with the Race & Gender Equity Action Plan on workforce equity by 1) approving a Resolution calling for mandatory DEIB/RE training for Council, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers and 2) current efforts of the Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) Initiative.
Now that the commitment has been made, addressing discrimination, exclusion, and racial inequities is as important as creating plans, policies, and programs that create a thriving and prosperous Sacramento community. Individual behaviors, actions, and attitudes that foster a culture where equitable outcomes are sustained impact efforts to create systemic change and re-address harm. Our local elected officials and City leadership need to provide the leadership to generate a Citywide culture where coordinated efforts and infrastructure to carry out these functions flourish.
How do we as local government leaders begin to incorporate DEIB/RE into our ongoing efforts? Do we have the knowledge? Do we have the necessary skills?
“I WORK TO NORMALIZE CONVERSATIONS AROUND RA CIAL EQUITY BY TALKING ABOUT CURRENT INEQUITIES AND HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED TO INVEST IN PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED FROM RESOURCES .” - RESPONDENT FROM THE BLA
Assessment Background & Approach
The City of Sacramento is committed to integrating race and gender equity both internally, through capacity building and workforce equity, as well as externally, through the emerging work of the SCORE Initiative. It is important that the Council and Appointed Officers lead by example to demonstrate a commitment to and practice of doing this work, both for our community careholders and our employees. In May 2023, the City Council passed a Mandatory Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Training for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers Resolution from the Co-Chairs of this Committee (Council Resolution 2023-0113).
On August 22, 2023, the Racial Equity Committee meeting affirmed the recommendation from the Office of Diversity & Equity to establish a new experience and skills baseline assessment , which ODE was directed to
1 https://interactioninstitute.org/from-stakeholders-to-care-holders/
4 work on as reflected in Section 2 of the Resolution, for recurring training that included City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers. To establish a baseline for training, ODE developed the Diversity Equity Inclusion Belonging /Racial Equity (DEIB/RE) Baseline Learning Assessment (BLA).
The BLA was designed for these specific groups to establish a baseline for personal and professional growth and development by identifying strength areas and gaps in DEIB/RE knowledge, skills, and competencies. It was also meant to serve as a guide and prompt respondents to think more deeply about their contribution to equity work on many levels and understand that the equity journey is continuously evolving.
The BLA also took into consideration the following criteria:
1. Develop an assessment that can measure pre and post learning, including the effectiveness of the content and delivery of the mandated DEIB/RE training.
2. Be inclusive of the varied roles served in Council and Charter Offices.
3. Identify priority learning objectives and competencies for the content of an appropriate DEIB/RE training for Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers.
The Baseline Learning Assessment was comprised of the following components:
PART I – DEIB Learning Assessment
Adapted from Insight Paper: DEI Guidebook Second Edition. http://www.talentfirst.net/uploads/files/DEI- Guidebook-Second-Edition-single-pp.v2.4.1.pdf.
There are many important skills and attributes needed to be an effective DEIB leader. This part provided a self-assessment to establish a baseline of learning in the five areas of:
• Personal Characteristics - Several factors that provide the ability to develop and foster meaningful relationships.
• Knowledge - Having foundational understanding of DEIB and a commitment to continuous learning. • Planning - The ability to envision an ideal future state and develop a plan to achieve it. • Leading - The ability to influence people and systems to move organizations forward. • Communication - The ability to receive and share information in a number of methods and strategies.
PART II Racial Equity (RE) Learning Assessment
The second part was adapted from the City of Seattle’s LEAP Self-Assessment & Reflection for City Executive Leaders (Leadership Expectations & Accountability Plan) Developing RE leadership skills in government relies on self-awareness, understanding intersectional identities, commitment to skill-building in racial equity analysis, and the responsiveness to that analysis on institutional and structural levels. This section highlights City Leaders’ competency, asks respondents to reflect on the past and current equity learning, and indicate levels of exposure and training.
The BLA used both quantitative and qualitative data collection to measure knowledge and behavior through Likert scale questions, competency reflection prompts and reflective questions to assess prior training and experiences. Individual responses are to be held confidential.
It was important to implement the DEIB/RE BLA prior to the design and development phase of the mandatory training to both inform the training and systematize measuring the impact on learning, continuous improvement, content, and delivery of the mandated DEIB/RE training. As with any learning tool, there will
5 always be more items that can be added, and participants are encouraged to continue to discover additional learning and work they might do.
In October 2023, the BLA online survey was closed with 62 responses. This number represents the following response rates: Council - 100%, Council Staff - 94%, and Appointed Officers -100%. The only Council Staff who did not complete the assessment were intern s who, while important to their Council offices, often have a more temporary role.
The ODE was then asked to analyze the results and make recommendations to the Mayor and Council for a new mandatory training program.
6 BASELINE LEARNING ASSESSMENT RESULTS
PART I DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION BELONGING (DEIB)
The results from this section were evaluated for overall trends as well as trends for the following three groups: Elected Officials, Appointed Officers, and Council Staff. The competency statements were identified as Strength Areas or Opportunity Areas for Growth and Learning. Rather than identify “weaknesses” based on lower weighted averages, we have framed these as opportunities for growth because we want to encourage a shift in our approach to developing our DEIB and RE skills. Our goal is for everyone to see themselves as practitioners on this journey in an ever-changing landscape that requires adaptation and continuing to seek new skills.
We wanted to note that while weighted averages for many areas identified as strengths or areas for growth were only separated by a small margin, we also took into consideration the spread of responses from “Definitely Untrue” to “Definitely True.” Looking more closely at the number and percentages of responses under each of those selections provided us with a more in-depth understanding of this baseline. This is intended to help guide where to prioritize content for training and does not mean that areas of strength will not be included in future training.
Personal Characteristics – Question 4
“THERE ARE SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL ATTRIBUTES THAT INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LEADER. THOSE TRAITS CENTER
AROUND BEING AUTHENTIC , CURIOUS, DETERMINED, AND RESILIENT WHILE FINDING VALUE IN FOSTERING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS .
COMPETENCY STATEMENTS: I AM…”
Overall Trends
Strength Areas: Resiliency and Authenticity.
Opportunity Areas for Growth and Learning: Self-Awareness and Catalyst .
Elected Officials
On average, respondents scored higher for each competency statement in this section than the other groups (Appointed Officers and Council Staff). The weighted averages and spread of responses were also higher than the overall responses of all three groups. Elected Officials self-reported strength in all areas of Personal Characteristics, demonstrating a belief in their ability to move forward through obstacles, offer genuine
7 support, be a changemaker, and have a strong level of self-awareness of their positionality as it relates to the City, internally and externally.
Appointed Officers
Overall, this group demonstrates confidence in their ability in all the competency areas. Their identified strengths and areas of growth generally followed the overall trends. All 6 Appointed Officers responded “definitely true” to the competency statement around Authenticity while there was more variance with the other statements, including one respondent selecting “definitely untrue” for the Resilient competency statement. With such a small group of Executive-level staff who have a substantial impact on the City’s functions, this is an area that should be addressed by training and resources.
8 Council Staff
The lowest score and most variability across responses was for the Catalyst competency statement, which may demonstrate a lack of autonomy or confidence for some council staff to create change in their role or on their team. Areas of strength include authenticity and self-awareness, which aligns with the overall trends.
Knowledge – Question 5
“TO BE AN EFFECTIVE LEADER IN ADVANCING DEIB REQUIRES A FOUNDATIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF MULTIPLE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TOPICS . A WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN CONTINUED LEARNING IS ESSENTIAL AS THE WORKPLACES ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING WITH LANGUAGE , RESEARCH, AND PRACTICE.
COMPETENCY STATEMENTS: I CAN…”
Overall Trends
Strength Areas: Create personal knowledge networks. While this was ranked as an area of strength, with almost 70% (43) of total respondents indicating this was mostly or definitely true, there was almost 15% (9) of respondents who said it was definitely untrue or not very true, and over 16% (10) who indicated it was only somewhat true. This is an example of an area where we wanted to note the strength and the great growing opportunity for many in these roles.
Opportunity Areas of Growth and Learning: Finding relevant sources for DEIB/RE standards and best practices; Explain a foundational understanding of DEIB within the context of City government.
9 Elected Officials
Appointed Officers
Council Staff
10 Planning – Question 6
“PLANNING: STRATEGIC PLANNING IS A PROCESS , NOT A PRODUCT. TO HELP OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS ADVANCE DEIB,
LEADERS ARE TO ENVISION THEIR IDEAL FUTURE STATE AND THEN SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFIC PLANS , STRATEGIES , AND ACTIONABLE STEPS TO ACHIEVE IT. PLEASE SELECT N/A IF THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE.
COMPETENCY STATEMENTS: I CAN...”
Overall Trends
Strength Areas:
• Create a shared DEIB culture with my staff, other electeds/officials, and community careholders.
Opportunity Areas of Growth and Learning:
• Use data to make decisions that advance the City’s DEIB goals • Use collaborative planning processes to integrate the organization’s DEIB vision and tactics into the overall strategic plan of my office/department
• Design, implement, and embed DEIB in community engagement, programs, and initiatives.
While the weighted averages for collaborative planning (4.23), design, implement, and embed DEIB (4.25) and create a shared DEIB culture (4.34) were all similar, there were more respondents that answered “definitely untrue”, “not very true”, or “somewhat true” for the first two listed. This may be due to a variety of factors, including roles and responsibilities or level of experience. It is important for teams to have a high level of confidence in strategic planning that helps meet the DEIB goals of the City.
11 Elected Officials
Appointed Officers
12 Council Staff
Leading – Question 7
“THIS QUESTION IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN SUPERVISORY/LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. PLEASE SELECT N /A IF THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU .
LEADING: LEADING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE REQUIRES BOTH BUSINESS ACUMEN AND POLITICAL SAVVY TO NAVIGATE AN ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNICATE DATA TO COMPEL PEOPLE TO ACT. IT ALSO INVOLVES INFLUENCE TO SHIF T MINDSETS,
SOLVE PROBLEMS , AND DISRUPT PROGRAMS , PRACTICES, AND SYSTEMS TO MOVE THE TEAMS AND DEPARTMENTS FORWARD .
COMPETENCY STATEMENTS: I CAN...”
Overall
Strength Areas:
• Secure office leadership to support DEIB
Opportunity Areas for Growth and Learning:
• Negotiate level of autonomy
• Gain followership
• Consult and cooperate
• Collaborate with community careholders
13 Elected Officials
14 Appointed Officers
Collaborating with community careholders was a particularly low weighted average for Appointed Officers and an area to focus on for this group.
Council Staff
Opportunity Areas for Growth and Learning:
Negotiate the level of autonomy I need to make change in my area(s) of influence.
We want to make sure this area is a part of the learning objectives for the mandatory training for Council Staff’s growth and capacity building. We also wanted to highlight that almost 50% of Council Staff responded that each of the competency statements in this section was not applicable to their roles in the Council Offices.
This is the only section that had an “N/A” option. While some of these areas may not apply given their roles and responsibilities, others such as consult and cooperate with various internal City staff or negotiate the level of autonomy I need to make change in my area(s) of influence should be areas where all staff, no matter their position, can take ownership as a leader, even if they are not in a management or supervisory position. We may need to have a further conversation about the level of autonomy Council Staff feel they have and incorporate that into or consider it for future training.
15 Communication – Question 8
“COMMUNICATION: THIS COMPETENCY INCLUDES LISTENING TO OTHERS TO RECEIVE VERBAL INFORMATION , SPEAKING TO OTHERS TO CONVEY VERBAL INFORMATION ; READING DOCUMENTS , CHARTS, GRAPHS , TABLES, FORMS, PROSE, AND CONTINUOUS TEXT ; AND WRITING TO CONVEY OR DOCUMENT WRITTEN INFORMATION .
COMPETENCY STATEMENTS: I CAN...”
Overall
Strength Areas:
• Effectively communicate with tact, dignity, and professionalism to multiple internal City Staff to other electeds/officials and community careholders.
Opportunity Areas for Growth and Learning:
• Facilitate bold and difficult conversations about race and other dimensions of diversity that also create a brave place for people to be pushed beyond their comfort zones, respectfully challenge, and disagree.
• Articulate a compelling vision, business case, and economic case for DEIB. • Use storytelling, data, and other creative approaches to connect, inspire, educate, and influence Of note in this section are the two italicized competency statements, which are not in full alignment with one another. While most respondents indicated confidence in their ability to effectively communicate, that effective communication did not necessarily include bold and difficult conversations about race and other dimensions of diversity or an ability to create brave places for those around them to lean into discomfort. This is a particularly important nuance given the level of interaction Council Staff, Elected Officials, and Appointed Officers may have with community careholders that requires a different type of communication. This helps inform the learning objectives around communication for training.
16 Elected Officials
17 Appointed Officers
Council Staff
18 PART II RACIAL EQUITY
Developing racial equity leadership skills in government relies on self-awareness, understanding intersectional identities, commitment to skill-building and racial equity analysis, and the responsiveness to that analysis on institutional and structural levels. This section is intended to assess and measure all respondents’ competency in areas that directly contribute to building racial equity leadership including reflecting on their past and current equity learning and indicating levels of exposure and training. This provides a better understanding of the baseline knowledge that respondents are starting with and what areas we need to focus on for mandatory training.
Trends and Learnings from the Racial Equity C ompetency Statements See Appendix A for results from this section.
Strength Areas:
I can name historical inequalities in society
I can communicate an understanding of my identities and intersectionality I can share what it means to be working toward racial justice.
I can proactively name and discuss current local, national, and global events that are likely to affect the City. (i.e., Black Lives Mater, COVID -19 pandemic, civil rights, human rights, sexual harassment, policing, immigration, environment, etc.).
Opportunity Areas for Growth and Learning:
I can explain how equity-focused practices and changes have been implemented in the department because of my engagement in race and social justice.
I can name how white supremacy culture thinking is influenced by my behavior (i.e., perfectionism, a sense of urgency, defensiveness, worship of the written word, belief in only one right way, paternalism, either/or thinking, power hoarding, fear of open conflict, individualism, etc.) I can discuss the business case for actively working toward racial equity.
I can explain a foundational understanding of racial justice, social justice, and inclusion within the context of city government.
I can share knowledge of Sacramento’s history of oppressive practices. (i.e., settler colonization, removal of indigenous people, red-lining, etc.)
I can explain what a racial equity lens is and how it is applied I can share about what it means to be an anti-racist leader _______________
Of note in this section is the strength around naming historical inequalities in society, while there is less confidence in naming how white supremacy culture thinking impacts individual behavior, which has contributed to historical inequalities and inequities. There also seems to be a higher level of confidence and competency in being able to talk about these areas on a national level than on a local level about Sacramento specifically. We are seeing some of the areas of strength are often easier or more comfortable to talk about, because they have become normalized on a broader level. However, using that understanding as a lens to look at what’s happening more locally is less comfortable for respondents or they may not have the tools or lens to do that. It is much easier to name historical inequalities in society than to understand everyone’s complicity or contribution to perpetuating those inequalities or being part of a system that perpetuates them.
19 We also wanted to call attention to the opportunity area for growth and learning around explaining what a racial equity lens is and how it’s applied. We’ve heard a desire from many within the City Council, including the Mayor to apply a racial equity lens on everything we do through the use of racial equity tools, from budget and procurement, to hiring and designing and implementing programs and initiatives. Based on the results of this section, there is not a shared understanding of what that means and how to use them. There are many different racial equity tools depending on what you are trying to accomplish and a tool by itself is not a solution. There needs to be an understanding of how to use a racial equity tool, how to engage with it, and how to make changes based on how the questions in the tool are answered. Without this shared understanding, we risk any racial equity tools we implement existing as a checklist to get through rather than driving the change we want to see across the City.
Government Alliance on Race and Equity’s (GARE) definition: “Racial equity tools are designed to integrate explicit consideration of racial equity in decisions, including policies, practices, programs, and budgets. It is both a product and a process.”
Trends and Learnings from the Reflective Questions
Reflective questions were optional for all respondents. For each of the open-ended questions, between 39- 55% of respondents submitted a response.
Responses demonstrated a range of understanding about foundational DEIB/RE concepts and topics. This may also be reflected in the number of people who chose not to respond to some or all the open-ended questions.
Those who chose not to answer the open-ended questions may not have known how to answer the question, felt confident with their response, or their choice not to answer may have been from discomfort around the topic. Some respondents wrote that they were “unsure” or provided one sentence responses, which may be an indication that they did not have a strong understanding of the topic. We did not ask why respondents opted not to complete the open-ended questions. This may be an area to clarify in the future. While we still have some questions around these reflective questions, we were able to gain some insight from both those who chose and did not choose to respond and what competency areas should be included in mandatory training.
Areas of Understanding (for those who responded)
• Why learning about the historical inequities and discrimination both locally and on a federal level are important.
• How our role as government employees in shaping policies needs to be informed by government’s impact on certain communities past and present.
Opportunities for Deeper Understanding
• Translating information from equity, race-, and social-justice related trainings to implement and update practices at the team, office, and department level. • How the legacy of white supremacy culture has shaped our current systems and can impact our individual actions within those systems.
The areas of understanding are both in alignment with what we learned from the first set of questions of Part II. Respondents indicated they know the importance of learning about inequities and may have some ability to talk about them and make a case for why their work as city employees needs to be informed by historical and current inequities perpetuated by the City of Sacramento. However, this knowledge does not always extend to the actual implementation of racial equity practices to change those disparate outcomes for different
20 communities throughout the City. There seems to be a difficulty in applying the knowledge and information they have to their work.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on results of the BLA, and taking into consideration the best use of resources, varying learning delivery methods, and sustainability, the ODE proposes to begin implementing DEIB/RE training for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers in 2024-2025, with training to continue on a regular basis moving forward. These trainings are designed to be done privately to allow participants a safe space to meaningfully engage in content. The goal is for the City’s Elected Officials to participate in groups of three for the benefits of in-person interaction and feedback from trainers as well as to comply with the Brown Act. It is important to note that the recommendation includes a time commitment beyond the initial 2-4 hours proposed in Resolution 2023-0113. This additional time commitment should be considered due to the scope of the trainings and what is needed based on the results of the assessment. 2024
Cultural Intelligence Training Series - CPS HR Consulting These sessions are a combination of virtual (Appointed Officers and Council Staff) and in-person (Elected Officials). This Cultural Intelligence Training series is designed to elevate leaders' cultural intelligence, fostering a heightened ability to engage effectively with diverse communities. The primary objective is to deepen participants' understanding of various cultures, customs, and perspectives, equipping them with practical tools to navigate crucial conversations with constituents, build trust, and facilitate collaboration within their respective communities. There are also opportunities to include racial equity discussions in these sessions, including around specific topics like the budget.
For this series of trainings, the City can leverage an existing contract with CPS HR Consulting. Costs associated with the training will be billed per participant. Please see Appendix B for the full proposal. 2025
Advancing Racial Equity in Government – Race Forward
These in-person workshops are facilitated by experts to strengthen participants’ skills to deepen their learning of how government has contributed to our current system and to apply racial equity and conscious approaches to current issues, projects, and decisions in the local government elected and appointed leadership and staff experience. They will focus on the areas of racial equity lens/analysis, data analytic assessment, leadership, and embedding racial equity principles in community engagement, building a case for racial equity in government, and systems change. Additional conversations are needed with Race Forward to confirm a proposal that aligns with having the trainings be formatted so they do not need to be publicly noticed.
Furthermore, there may be an opportunity in 2025 to collaborate with the Racial Equity Alliance (REA) and Racial Equity Council (REC) through the SCORE Initiative and have them participate in this racial equity learning experience with the Mayor and Council. As the SCORE Initiative is still evolving, we want to leave space for the many ways this might take place. Please see Appendix C for full proposal.
21 In addition, the Mayor/Council should build infrastructure to provide and incorporate:
1. Infrastructure and accountability of the mandatory DEIB/ RE training of City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers.
2. Onboarding and transition programs to include the importance, values, and priorities of DEIB/RE.
3. Adding additional hours of ongoing DEIB/ RE training for City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers throughout the year.
4. Reporting and monitoring of All City Elected Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers will be required to take DEIB/RE training every two years.
5. A broad DEIB / RE Training program to include all members of boards and commissions
6. Effective communication about available learning opportunities provided by the CityYOU and the Office of Diversity & Equity.
7. DEIB/RE training that uses several instruction methods, including lectures, peer-learning, active discussions, online/virtual, and exercises.
8. DEIB/RE training that is a part of a series of related initiatives/projects to deepen understanding of social issues and application in day-to-day interactions and decisions making.
Additional Resources
In addition to the proposed in-depth workshops, there are many resources currently available at no cost through SkillSoft in Acumen and the City’s membership in the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). These are additional opportunities to deepen learning through self-guided training and resources and are flexible based on schedule and topic interest. We do not recommend them as substitutes to the workshops designed specifically for elected officials and their staffs.
SkillSoft Courses
These courses, ranging from 20-36 minutes, allow participants to choose what is best for their schedule to learn and reflect. They focus on the areas of DEIB importance, including terminology, shared understanding, cultural competency, cultural intelligence, difficult conversations; and exploring how leadership, mindset, and role are important aspects in building competency skills to lead, build trust, and inclusion to advance DEI on individual and systems level. See Appendix D.
GARE – Advancing Racial Equity: The Role of Government Online Training This self-guided online learning course includes access to an online community of practitioners who have previously gone through and are currently going through the course. proficiency in the areas of racial equity focusing on the areas of terminology, shared understanding, historical harm and levels of racism, implicit and explicit bias in government, brave and difficult conversations, building a case for DEIB in government and systems change. See Appendix E.
22 APPENDIX
A – Racial Equity Competency Statement Results
Overall
23 Elected Officials
24 Appointed Officers
25 Council Staff
26 27
B – CPS HR Consulting
28 29
30 C - Race Forward ’s Proposal for Advancing Racial Equity
SCOPE OF WORK for the City of Sacramento - Revised January 2024
TO: Aimée Zenzele Barnes, M. Ed., Diversity & Equity
Manager City of Sacramento
ABarnes@cityofsacrame
nto.org Main Office:
(916) 808-1174
FR: Nikko Viquiera, Deputy Senior Vice President and Training Strategies Director, Race Forward RE: Proposal for Advancing Racial Equity: The Role of Government and Using a Racial Equity Trainings for City of Sacramento Elected Officials, Appointed Officials, and Council Members
ABOUT RACE FORWARD:
In 2017, Race Forward united with the Center for Social Inclusion. Founded in 1981, Race Forward brings systemic analysis and an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity. Founded in 2002, the Center for Social Inclusion catalyzed community, government, and other institutions to dismantle structural racial inequity and create equitable outcomes for all. Race Forward is home to the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), a national network of local governments working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. Race Forward publishes the daily news site Colorlines and presents Facing Race, the country’s largest multiracial conference on racial justice.
OUR MISSION
Race Forward catalyzes movement building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, we build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture.
OUR VISION
Race Forward imagines a just, multiracial, democratic society, free from oppression and exploitation, in which people of color thrive with power and purpose.
For more information about Race Forward, visit www.raceforward.org.
31 Race Forward’s
Training Strategies
team is pleased to
offer our Advancing
Racial Equity: The Role
of Government and
Racial Equity trainings
for the City of
Sacramento Elected
Officials, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers.
Race Forward and GARE trainings frequently highlight common elements of racially equitable organizational change. The movement of an organization from one state to another, such as shifting power, changing policies and practices, and transforming values and culture. Race Forward's model of organizational change includes four key components:
Visioning: Establishing a vision for racial equity. (Visioning: building shared values that move us towards a vision for racial justice.)
Normalizing conversations about race so there’s a shared racial equity analysis, including an understanding of the history of race and key terminology, such as racial equity and inequity, racial justice, structural, institutional, interpersonal and internalized racism, and implicit and explicit bias. (Normalizing: building shared understanding through ongoing conversations about race, with common definitions and key concepts that help to center racial equity and people of color, through and intersectional and inclusive framework.)
Operationalizing new behaviors and policies via specific interventions, such as use of a Racial Equity Tool and development of a Racial Equity Action Plan. (Operationalizing: using shared tools and strategies to systematize racial equity in culture, policies, and practices.)
Organizing to achieve racial equity, including across the breadth (all functions) and depth (up and down hierarchy) of an organization. Together this changes the norms, practices, culture, and habits of thoughts within an organization and the outcomes produced by the organization. (Organizing: building shared relationships within and across organizations and sectors so that we can shift power to advance transformative and equitable systems change.)
32 Our workshops include:
● Interactive and experiential components . Adult learning styles vary. We use varied forms (including exercises and small group discussions) to share information to ensure learning objectives are met.
● Explicit conversation and facilitation to illuminate the connection between individual, institutional and structural racism. Our training methodology allows participants to make connections between individual experiences and the broader societal and structural ways in which race is constructed. We focus on institutional and structural strategies, as those are most effective for leveraging change.
● Strong, expert facilitation. Conversations about race can sometimes be difficult. We have a team of expert facilitators who not only are prepared to lead and guide conversation but to re- design activities in the moment to ensure participants’ time and experience is maximized. ● Applied learning. Racial equity concepts can, at times, be abstract. Our workshops focus on the application of learning in the workplace. Doing is often the best teacher
33 Scope of Work and Fees
Date ACTIVITY RATE COST
TBD Advancing Racial Equity: The Role of Government (full day) for Elected Officials, Council Members, and Appointed Officials ● Foundational training to set a baseline for alignment on racial equity key concepts, language, and tools (an extended training description is included below).
● One day of Facilitation by 2 RF facilitators for up to 70 participants.
● One hour of planning time between the facilitators and the City of Sacramento. If additional time is needed for planning between the City of Sacramento and RF, this is billed at an average of $300/hr depending on the trainers’ rates.
● One day of preparation and planning time for the training for each facilitator. Note: This is for Race Forward’s planning time. ● One debrief session with the City of Sacramento that is 60 minutes in length
covering participant experience, evaluations,
and potential next steps following the training.
If this is an in-person training:
● The City of Sacramento will provide lunch and snacks for attendees and trainers, workshop materials for attendees, be in-charge of reserving a training venue, and printing handouts.
● The City of Sacramento will confirm with RF that COVID -19 protocols are in place.
● The City of Sacramento will pay a flat rate travel fee for 2 RF facilitators if travel is needed (see below).
$15,000 per
session
$13,500 per
session with
10% GARE
Discount
$13,500
TBD OPTIONAL: Seats in open-to-the-public Governing for Racial Equity courses for Council Members (Advancing Racial Equity: The Role of Government equivalent)
● Up to 9 seats in open-to-the-public courses for Council Members to be able to attend at their discretion.
● Courses are offered regularly throughout the year.
● No more than 5 Council Members should attend any one date. $280 per
attendee at the
midpoint of
sliding scale
rates
$252 with 10%
GARE discount
$2,268
34 TBD OPTIONAL: Implementation coaching
● Coaching for decision makers in applying concepts and preparing for the Using a Racial Equity Tool session
● 1-4 people per session max
$300/hr x up to
5 hrs
$1,500
TBD Using a Racial Equity Tool (Two Full Days) for Elected Officials, Council Members, and Appointed Officials
● Intermediate-level training where participants practice applying a racial equity toolkit through analyzing current projects within their day-to-day work (an extended training description is included below).
● Two days of Facilitation by 2 RF facilitators for up to 70 participants.
● One hour of planning time between the facilitators and the City of Sacramento. If additional time is needed for planning between the City of Sacramento and RF, this is billed at an average of $300/hr depending on the trainers’ rates.
● One day of preparation and planning time for the training for each facilitator. Note: This is for Race Forward’s planning time. ● One debrief session with the City of Sacramento that is 60 minutes in length
covering participant experience, evaluations,
and potential next steps following the training.
If this is an in-person training:
● The City of Sacramento will provide lunch and snacks for attendees and trainers, workshop materials for attendees, be in-charge of reserving a training venue, and printing handouts. ● The City of Sacramento will confirm with RF that COVID -19 protocols are in place.
● The City of Sacramento will pay a flat rate travel fee for2 RF facilitators if travel is needed (see below).
$15,000 per
day x two days
$27,000 with
10% GARE
Discount
$27,000
35 TBD OPTIONAL: Seats in open-to-the-public Decision-Making for Racial Equity courses for Council Members (Using a Racial Equity Tool approximate)
● Up to 9 seats in open-to-the-public courses for Council Members to be able to attend at their discretion.
● Courses are offered regularly throughout the year.
● No more than 5 Council Members should attend any one date. $280 per
attendee at the
midpoint of
sliding scale
rates
$252 with 10%
GARE discount
$2,268
Travel Travel fee for 2 facilitators per training (depending on local trainer availability)
$1,500 per
trainer x 3
training days
$9,000
TOTAL $49,500
This proposed scope represents an estimate, and we can discuss adjusting or adding sessions beyond those currently listed for additional groups of participants.
For all trainings:
● Whether in-person or virtual, trainings may be recorded by the City of Sacramento to be used for internal review purposes so long as consent is provided by attendees and the trainers beforehand.
● Presentation materials and resources discussed during the training will be collated and shared with attendees for review post-training.
DETAILS ON PROPOSED TRAINING OFFERINGS
■ Advancing Racial Equity: The Role of Government – This workshop provides an introduction to the role, responsibilities and opportunities for government to advance racial equity. We focus on normalizing racial equity as a core value with clear definitions of key terminology, operationalizing racial equity via new policies and institutional practice, and organizing, both internally and in partnership with other institutions and the community. Participants gain awareness of the history of race and of implicit and explicit bias and individual, institutional, and structural racism and how it impacts the workplace; gain skill at identifying and addressing institutional and structural racism; and increase capacity to advance racial equity. We introduce a racial equity tool that can be used in decisions relating to policies,
36 practices, programs and budget and share effective communications strategies.
This
workshop includes facilitated discussion, exercises and video.
■ Using a Racial Equity Tool – This workshop provides instruction and practice on how to use a racial equity toolkit within policy, program and budget decision-making processes. Participants will gain skills by using the tool with their own topics they would like to assess from a racial equity perspective.
37 D – Skillsoft Acumen eLearning DEI
Inclusive Leadership Mindsets to Drive DEI
Building and Bridging in Cross-cultural Communication
38 39
E - GARE Self-paced Learning – Advancing Racial Equity in Government GARE's Advancing Racial Equity in Government Online course is for government employees who want to begin their work as racial equity practitioners in government and the public sector. The self-paced online course is designed to create a shared understanding of key concepts like:
• The history of racism in the United States
• The 4 levels of racism, with an emphasis on institutional and structural racism • Implicit and explicit bias
• Racial equity
• The role of government in advancing racial equity
• Actions you can take in your workplace to advance racial equity This self-paced online course includes video, audio, quizzes, readings, and recorded presentations. A personal learning journal is designed to spur individual reflection and retention of core concepts.
Enrollment is complemented by an online peer learning community where you can ask questions, comment and reflect with others taking the course and build lasting connections with peers working toward racial equity in public service.
The overall course typically takes up to 8 hours to complete. Each learning module includes an estimated amount of time. We recommend scheduling up to 2 hours a week to complete this course over the course of a month.
40 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to acknowledge the efforts, support, and informative consultation to implement the Baseline Learning Assessment for Electeds, Council Staff, and Appointed Officers.
Larissa Wohl Strategic Workforce Equity Analyst Robert Bell Equity Analyst
Aimée Zenzele Barnes Diversity & Equity Manager Kelly Fong Rivas Senior Advisor on Racial Equity to Mayor Steinberg Darrell Steinberg Mayor
Mai Vang Council Member
Mindy Cuppy City Clerk
Wendy Klock-Johnson Assistant City Clerk
Leyne Milstein Assistant City Manager
Shelley Banks-Robinson Human Resources Director