Phase 2.1

Mobilizing Stakeholders: Developing

Organization may have minimal to some experience with implementing cultural initiatives and projects, organization has a stated interest in developing goals that forward racial equity, diversity and inclusion but no clear commitments or goals, yet. Across the board, some team members are deeply passionate about this work, and others are still questioning why this work matters. The organizational leader is committed to move this work forward but is unsure how to move the full team forward to commit to racial equity, diversity and inclusion goals. There may even be discomfort for some team members and stakeholders to fully buy into the organization’s stated interest in developing clear racial equity goals. The organization leadership has relied on the passion of a few team members or a designated department to address issues related to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Leadership might only address concerns through issuing diversity statements, but these statements have not translated into organizational change. Team members are skeptical of how racial equity shows up in day-to-day operations. Organization is unsure how to advance racial equity and lacks a clear strategy for how to move forward.

In this phase, the racial equity team should focus on:

Organize your Racial Equity Team/Taskforce
Create opportunities for staff to engage in multiple capacity building and framing sessions to establish a foundation for the deep, personal work that organizational DEI change requires
Establish data collection and analysis processes that allow the organization to audit their progress in racial equity, diversity and inclusion across their stakeholders and programs.
Research best practices on the budget needed to engage in racial equity work.

Step 1:
Organize your Racial Equity Team.
Step 2:
Create opportunities for staff to engage in multiple capacity building and framing sessions to establish a foundation for the deep, personal work that organizational DEI change requires.
Step 3:
Establish data collection and analysis processes that allow the organization to audit their progress in racial equity, diversity and inclusion across their stakeholders and programs.
Step 4:
Research best practices on the budget needed to engage in racial equity work.

STEP 1:STEP 2:STEP 3:STEP 4:

Step 1:

Determine where you are in your personal commitment to advancing racial equity personally and professionally. Reflect on past experiences and current experiences that help contextualize where you currently are.

Questions to consider:

Who are the current champions for racial equity, diversity and inclusion work in your school/organization?
Who are the current detractors?
- Of the current detractors, which could be brought into this work to motivate other detractors?
What strategies can your team use to communicate your objectives to the wider team?

Actions to consider:

Invite champions to a meeting and outline the launch of a Racial Equity Taskforce/Committee (1, 3)
- Gather feedback on how best to engage the detractors in this work & develop a plan for outreach.
- Ensure that multiple leadership team members are involved in this taskforce/committee.
- Ensure that a diverse representation of identities are involved.
Plan an all staff meeting presentation to announce the launch of the taskforce/committee. (2, 3)
Request time in an upcoming staff meeting to announce the launch of the taskforce/committee and to invite other teammates into the committee. (2, 4)
Create Employee Resource Groups to offer support and gather feedback throughout the process from staff. (1, 5)

Resources:

Step 2:

Create opportunities for staff to engage in multiple capacity building and framing sessions to establish a foundation for the deep, personal work that organizational DEI change requires.

Questions to consider:

What current professional development cycles/calendars exist at our organization?
How are team members held accountable to professional development?
What org-wide goals/values currently connect to individuals professionally developing in DEI?
- If none are explicitly stated, which could be connected?
What data exists on staff professional development needs?

Actions to consider:

Conduct an assessment of personal professional development needs for DEI. Consider the Equity Lens Map, Intercultural Development Inventory, or an in-house PD survey. (1, 2)
Review survey results with DEI taskforce/committee and begin prioritizing the needs. (3)
Contact & vet consultants and facilitators who can lead your team through these sessions, or invest in train-the-trainer models for your staff to lead training internally.
Develop an annual calendar of DEI professional development sessions and capacity building sessions.
Develop a performance annual review metric that holds staff accountable to engaging in DEI professional development. (4, 6, 7)
Establish a professional development philosophy and framework with inclusion, equity, and culturally responsive pedagogies as embedded principles. (4, 5)
Establish surveys and feedback cycles to inform PD topics/delivery (in addition to performance data). (6,7)

Resources:

Step 3:

Establish data collection and analysis processes that allow the organization to audit their progress in racial equity, diversity and inclusion across their stakeholders and programs.

Questions to consider:

To what extent does our (insert stakeholders: staff, board, students, advisory committees, etc) reflect our regional demographics?
To what extent are the outcomes from (insert program: hiring, promotions, student success rates, etc) predictable by participants’ demographics?
To what extent do our diverse populations feel comfortable, respected, and empowered within our organization? To what extent are diverse community perspectives included in decision-making that impacts their lives?
What data do we currently have about our internal staff members’ sense of belonging?
What data do we currently have about our external stakeholders’ sense of belonging?

Actions to consider:

Take an org-wide/school-wide Equity Audit: https://www.wearebeloved.org/equity-audit
Host focus groups with your stakeholders: faculty, staff, parents/families, community members, board, etc. (1, 2, 3)
Conduct a climate survey or belongingness survey. (7, 8, 9)
Review climate survey and belongingness survey data. (4, 5, 6)

Resources:

Step 4:

Research best practices on the budget needed to engage in racial equity work.

Questions to consider:

Where can we re-allocate funds from our existing budget to fund our DEI and racial equity work?
What funders in our region (or nationally) are currently supporting DEI and racial equity work?
What grants exist in our region (or nationally) for DEI and racial equity work?
Who might we partner in our region to build a community of practice for DEI & racial equity work (and potentially split costs with)?

Actions to consider:

Assign a team member to research funders and grants available for supporting DEI & racial equity work. (2, 3, 4)
Design an annual budget that allocates adequate funding to support DEI & racial equity work. (1, 6)
Host introductory conversations with external consultants to learn more about the costs associated with DEI and racial equity work.
Meet with peers who are engaging in this work and ask them how they allocate funds or secure grants.
Allocate stipends to staff who choose to lead internal DEI sessions or committees. (5)

Resources:

Phase 1.3: High

Phase 2.2: Mid-Level

GUIDING QUESTION:

GUIDING QUESTION:

GUIDING QUESTION:

Overview

Audience:

Self-Assessment:

Phase 2.1

Mobilizing Stakeholders: Developing

In this phase, the racial equity team should focus on:

STEP 1:

Step 1:

Questions to consider:

Actions to consider:

Resources:

STEP 2:

Step 2:

Questions to consider:

Actions to consider:

Resources:

STEP 3:

Step 3:

Questions to consider:

Actions to consider:

Resources:

STEP 4:

Step 4:

Questions to consider:

Actions to consider:

Resources: