PM Magazine, October 2020

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The Role of the Chief Equity Officer 10 Intersectionality in the LGBTQIA+ Community 26 The Path to Equity in the Public Sector 30

Equity AND

INCLUSION

Tyeastia Green

Director of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Burlington, Vermont OCTOBER 2020 ICMA.ORG/PM

2020 ICMA Coaching Program Thrive in local government!

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OCTOBER 2020 VOL. 102 NO. 10

CONTENTS

30

F E AT U R E S

10 A New Kind of CEO: The Role of the Chief Equity Officer A closer look at this critical position and why you should have one on staff

20 The Resiliency of Palestine During COVID-19 Providing equitable service delivery to its most vulnerable residents Abdallah Anati, Association of Palestinian Local Authorities

26

48

Intersectionality in the LGBTQIA+ Community Defining the issues and understanding the history of systems of discrimination Justyn Miller, Berkeley, Illinois; and Nathan Bassett, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Women of Color: The Path to Equity in the Public Sector Ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion remain leading workforce values Cheryl D. Orr, Institute for Excellence in Public Service; and Marcia L. Conner, National Forum for Black Public Administrators

34 Inspiring Inclusion Bringing together Asian Pacific Islander Americans in local government Elaine Wang, Barre Town, Vermont; and P.J. Gagajena, Moorpark, California

38 Racial Equity in Action How three local government leaders are making strides in their community ICMA and the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)

44 Promoting Equity through Employee Resource Groups The benefits abound for employee members, the workplace, and the community at large Rolando Fernandez Jr., Local Government Hispanic Network

48 Art: Creating Possibilities in Emergencies Engaging the public through art for more effective emergency management of racism and other public health crises Amelia Brown, Minneapolis, Minnesota

54 Helping Women Entrepreneurs in the Philippine City of Cagayan De Oro When we empower women, communities prosper and countries thrive Eileen San Juan and Raelita Legaspi, Cagayan De Oro, Philippines Cover image: ŠSAMMYDEPTH PHOTOGRAPHY

Photo by munshots on Unsplash

30

D E PA RT M E N T S 2 Ethics Matter!

Is This an Ethics Violation? You Ask. We Answer.

4 Letter from the Executive Director This Special Issue on Equity and Inclusion

5 Women in Leadership

Helping Other Women Along the Way

6 IDEALS

The Creation of ICMA’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Action Team

60 Next Generation A Path Forward

64 Professional Services Directory

International City/County Management Association OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 1

ETHICS MATTER!

Is This an Ethics Violation?

You Ask. We Answer.

Advice for real ethics scenarios

BY MARTHA PEREGO, ICMA-CM

Exploring lessons learned from the field,

MARTHA PEREGO, ICMA-CM, is director of member services and ethics director, ICMA, Washington, D.C. (mperego@icma.org).

last month’s column stressed the importance of beginning with the end in mind. In any situation, think through the consequences of your actions before you take that first step.

The end objective after all is to make ethical, principlebased choices.

A critical element in plotting out a successful course of action is data and external validation. Would your outcome benefit from the advice of an independent, objective, and trusted source? Might that advice help you see all aspects of the issue? Uncover your bias or lack of objectivity? Explore additional avenues to reach your desired outcome? Of course! And that is why ICMA provides confidential ethics advice to our members. Offered in strict confidence, we believe that an impartial but informed outside perspective contributes to better decisions and outcomes. Here are some ethics scenarios where members sought advice.

My city is considering an economic development proposal. The lead firm in the partnership offered use of their private plane so that we can visit their other facilities across the country. Attendees would include the mayor, council president, economic

development director, and me, the city manager. We plan to comply with the state conflict of interest act, which does require full disclosure of the transaction.

The mayor is onboard, but I am not sure. With disclosure and transparency, is it okay to proceed?

This city manager should decline the offer. This travel is a gift even if presented as part of a business opportunity. Gifts that are more than nominal in value can create a quid pro quo. Literally this is a “something for something” scenario: the gift was offered to induce a favor or in recognition of one provided. If it is essential to visit the locations, then the city should pay for the travel. Company-paid travel raises legitimate concerns about influence, fairness, and whose interests are being served. If public incentives are offered, did the gift of travel work to the benefit of the company?

If the company does not meet stated expectations down the road, was the city’s response influenced or biased by the travel? Nothing may end up going south on the deal and who paid for the travel may never be raised. But in the interest of avoiding even the appearance of impropriety, it is best to decline the travel. That approach positions any decisions you make as favoring the community’s interests, not the company.

Public Management (PM)

International City/County

Public Management (PM) (USPS: 449-300) is published monthly by ICMA (the International City/County Management Association) at 777 North Capitol Street. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4201. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICMA.

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October 2020

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After serving as town manager for a decade, I retired. It was a very positive experience, but there was tension in the relationship with some council members near the end. My family and I have roots here, love the small-town culture, and plan to stay put. My encore career includes some consulting work, but so far does not include any work for town-based or town-focused clients. A firm that is opening a medical marijuana facility in town has approached me for assistance with the permitting process. I am confident they approached me for my insider access and not my expertise in medical marijuana facility requirements.

Having thought about this, I am not sure that it would be appropriate to take on this client. But is this truly an ethics issue?

It is not a violation of the Code of Ethics for a former manager to work as a consultant for clients in the community they once managed. This assumes that they are not leveraging any confidential information they obtained as the manager to the benefit of their new client and that the relationship began after they left the city’s employment. That said, in this situation the member was advised to go with his gut and decline the work.

In a small, rural community where everyone knows everyone, his engagement, even if it were behind the scenes, would be known. The tension with council members has the potential to adversely impact the client as well as the staff who would be engaged in the permitting process.

I am an assistant city manager, and I live in the city where I work. I have been asked to join my homeowners’ association (HOA) board. Is this a violation of the Code of Ethics?

Serving on the HOA in a community where you serve as the manager or assistant is generally not a good idea, given that 2020–2021 ICMA Executive Board PRESIDENT

Laura Fitzpatrick, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager, Chesapeake, Virginia

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Troy Brown City Manager, Moorpark, California

Mountain Plains Region

PAST PRESIDENT

Michael Land, ICMA-CM City Manager, Coppell, Texas

Jane Brautigam, ICMA-CM City Manager, Boulder, Colorado

Raymond Gonzales Jr. County Manager, Adams County, Colorado

VICE PRESIDENTS

Dianne Stoddard, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager, Lawrence, Kansas

Chris MacPherson Chief Administrative Officer, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

We look forward to sharing more ethics inquiries and encourage all members to reach out for ethics advice.

Southeast Region

Victor Cardenas, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager, Novi, Michigan

Robert Kristof City Manager, Timisoara, Romania

With outside employment, it is critical to (1) not create a conflict of interest in fact or appearance with your day job, (2) not use public time or resources for the outside work, and (3) get permission from your organization. Pitching your services directly to colleagues in the region where you work creates the potential for a conflict of interest in fact or appearance.

This assistant city manager should avoid the direct marketing approach, and instead focus on competing for work in a transparent, competitive process in another part of the state.

Clint Gridley City Administrator, Woodbury, Minnesota Molly Mehner, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Stephen Parry, ICMA-CM* Chief Executive, Gore District Council, New Zealand

An assistant city manager working for another city in the region emailed me to introduce herself and her consulting firm. In her email, she referenced seeing my LinkedIn profile where I do brag about all the great things going on in my city. As part of the introduction, she talked about her role in her city and the fact that she does sales tax analysis on the side.

Her closing pitch was that she thought my city would be a good candidate for a comprehensive analysis by her firm. Being relatively new to the region, I met her city manager at a regional gathering of managers, but do not know him well and have never met her. This outreach just struck me as inappropriate. Is it?

Midwest Region

James Malloy, ICMA-CM Town Manager, Lexington, Massachusetts

International Region

the residents served by the HOA are also your constituents.

The same holds true if you work in a position that oversees any city services or in a regulatory function. Consider these questions in evaluating the potential for a conflict of interest: What official business will the HOA have with the city? How would you manage service delivery issues? How can you objectively serve the HOA’s interests while also serving the city’s interests?

Northeast Region

Christopher Coleman, ICMA-CM Town Administrator, Westwood, Massachusetts Teresa Tieman, ICMA-CM Town Manager, Fenwick Island, Delaware William Fraser, ICMA-CM City Manager, Montpelier, Vermont

Michael Kaigler, ICMA-CM Assistant County Manager, Chatham County, Georgia Nate Pagan, ICMA-CM City Manager, Owensboro, Kentucky

ICMA Executive Director Marc Ott Director, Member Publications

Lynne Scott lscott@icma.org

Managing Editor

Kerry Hansen khansen@icma.org

West Coast Region

Newsletter Editor

Kathleen Karas kkaras@icma.org

Edward Shikada, ICMA-CM City Manager, Palo Alto, California

Graphics Manager

Delia Jones djones@icma.org

Design & Production

picantecreative.com

Peter Troedsson, ICMA-CM City Manager, Albany, Oregon Roxanne Murphy Assistant City Manager, Valdez, Alaska * Appointed to serve unexpired term following resignation of Sue Bidrose

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LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

This Special Issue on Equity and Inclusion

BY MARC OTT

As city, county, and town managers, you often turn a laser focus to local challenges. The focus can be as narrow as the problems of one city block or one rural road—helping those specific residents resolve their particular issue. It is only when we take a step back and look at the broader community—and in my role, the mosaic that is made up of communities around the globe, that you see how interconnected we are. How the fundamental desires of residents all over the world are essentially the same—to provide a safe, healthy, and economically viable life for their families. Central to achieving these fundamental desires are equity and inclusion, and I might say it even stronger, freedom from oppression.

One of the authors featured this month is Abdallah Anati, executive director of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities. I met Abdallah when I visited the Middle East in 2018 to learn about the work being done by ICMA and our volunteer members in Palestine. I saw firsthand how difficult the work of local government is when the full potential of its residents and even its staff cannot be realized because of systemic cultural and racial oppression. In fact, Abdallah planned to join us at the ICMA Annual Conference that year to sign our affiliation agreement, but was unable to obtain the proper approvals from authorities. While we persevered and held a signing ceremony connecting our two locations in real-time virtually, I couldn’t help I think about the distance we’ve but feel frustrated that the lessons our two countries could have been come, and about the expanse sharing throughout the four days of the conference were thwarted.

And that’s just one example of the opportunity costs imposed by we have yet to travel, on this journey that must end systemic exclusionary practices that truly prevent so many of our institutions and local governments from realizing the benefits of diversity in racism and create inclusive improving our leadership and management practices. communities.

That’s why I am particularly proud of this month’s issue and the richness of its content. Articles looking at the benefits of inclusion demonstrate that diverse perspectives do more to resolve longstanding problems than any other strategy or tactic we can employ. We’re sharing leadership insights from Palestine and the Philippines, as well as our colleagues representing the Local Government Hispanic Network, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, Government Alliance on Race and Equity, CivicPRIDE, and the International Network of Asian Public Administrators. And the first feature brings it all together with a look at local government chief equity officers—a position I am proud to say we created while I was city manager in Austin, Texas.

Finally, one of the most compelling takeaways from this month’s magazine is the timeline on page 8 that our research team has developed as part of a history of African American city and county managers. It begins in 1964 with a single article in PM on race relations and integration. I think about the distance we’ve come considering this issue and about the expanse we have yet to travel on this journey that must end systemic racism and create inclusive communities. This moment will most certainly appear on a timeline the next generation will be creating. I have never felt so hopeful that the shift happening in our communities today will result in lasting change, and I’m most appreciative to be part of this association, which is helping to make it happen.

MARC OTT is executive director, ICMA, Washington, D.C.

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WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

Helping Other Women Along the Way Seek out opportunities to help rising female leaders I have always known I wanted to serve. I

jozefmicic/stock.adobe.com

enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1984. Although I wasn’t able to complete that journey in the manner I envisioned, I was able to continue pursuing my desire to help others by embarking on a career in public service. Now 36 years later, I am proud to have been recently appointed the first Black female city manager of Ocala, Florida.

According to ICMA research, at the end of 2018, only 17.9 percent of chief administrative officers (CAOs) were women. In 2014, that number was 14.4 percent. And in

BY SANDRA WILSON

the mid-1970s, ICMA reported the number of female CAOs at less than 2 percent, although that figure was not limited to ICMA membership.

I am honored today to be a part of this rising number of women who bring a different perspective to leading in local government. But it has not been a quick and easy path. I haven’t had many female leaders to look up to along the way. Because of that, I have continuously sought out opportunities to nurture and mentor other women in hopes that I haven’t had many I will inspire them to seek female leaders to look their own advancement, up to along the way. whether in local Because of that, I have government or otherwise.

Women should continuously sought advocate for themselves out opportunities to to be positioned to pursue nurture and mentor leadership opportunities in title and in role. other women.

Volunteering to serve on a board or committee that aligns with your passion says just as much about your leadership abilities as does landing a leadership role in your organization.

And existing female leaders should be advocating for and supporting the rising female leaders in their organizations.

Creating and sustaining a diverse workforce and leadership community is not only about race and ethnicity, it is also about gender.

As a leader in local government, it is important that I make others feel heard—not simply hand down directives.

Why? Because I am here to serve; serve my elected officials, serve my community, and serve my organization. As a woman, I believe I am uniquely positioned to fulfill that tenet of public service. The following quote by Maya Angelou sums it up for me: “I’ve learned that people will forget SANDRA what you said, people will forget what WILSON you did, but people will never forget how is city manager, you made them feel.”

Ocala, Florida.

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 5

INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESSIBILITY, LEADERSHIP, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (IDEALS)

The Creation of ICMA’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Action Team Standing up for positive change

BY TAMMIE SIMMONS-PARKER

In the wake of the international unrest

Speak up, ICMA! Email us your thoughts on the issues of equity, inclusion, race, and social justice to speakup@icma.org.

TAMMIE SIMMONSPARKER is the executive office coordinator and assistant to the executive director, ICMA, Washington, D.C. (tparker@icma.org).

following George Floyd’s killing, the ICMA Executive Board issued an unequivocal statement affirming its commitment to racial equity and social justice. This statement was not a new articulation of values, but an amplification of principles enshrined in ICMA’s Declaration of Ideals, specifically: “ICMA was founded with a commitment to the preservation of the values and integrity of representative local government and local democracy…. To fulfill the spirit of this commitment, ICMA works…to achieve equity and social justice, to affirm human dignity, and to improve the quality of life for the individual and the community.”

ICMA has an honorable history of standing up for positive change when course corrections are called for. The time-honored principle of neutrality, so esteemed in local governance, can only permit ethical treatment of all when the policies employed consistently produce equitable outcomes for all. If, at any point, those policies are found to result in disparate or unjust treatment, however unintended, we have a moral and ethical obligation to identify the disparities and take action to change them.

Thus, on the heels of the executive board’s statement, Executive Director Marc Ott directed the creation of the Racial Equity and Social Justice Action Team to carry forward ICMA’s charge for equity and justice. In simple terms: • We are here to listen to you; to engage with you and understand what you need to deliver on the work of ICMA’s mission and vision through the lens of equity and inclusion.

• We are here to advocate for you with our strategic partners, nonprofits of different interest areas, international affiliates, academia, and others to help promote the needed changes in local government.

• We are here to equip you with robust knowledge resources, training, consulting, and access to the technical expertise of domestic and international members.

• We are here to encourage you by fostering a safe space for community dialogue around the challenges, choices, and opportunities for those engaged in addressing systemic injustice.

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• We are here to inspire you by sharing the success stories of local government professionals, our partners, and communities.

To date, this team has undertaken a number of actions: • Building out a resource-rich webpage (icma.org/ topics/social-justice) containing research, reports, and tools to support your social justice work.

• Cosponsoring a number of webinars with respected subject matter experts.

• Producing a series of audiocasts featuring local government veterans from diverse disciplines.

• Working with the ICMA events team to construct a strong Equity and Inclusion track for this year’s UNITE virtual event.

• Designing robust training opportunities for local government professionals at all levels of the social justice journey.

Yet, as important as this new team is in creating an environment for change, it’s equally important to note that ICMA has stood for the equitable treatment of all people for decades. (See “ICMA’s Path to Building Diverse and Inclusive Communities and Profession” on page 8).

Why Racial Equity and Social Justice Work Matters

Fundamentally, racism exists to dehumanize and disenfranchise, to divide and control people, and to concentrate power and resources in the hands of the few.

It does so across boundaries of race. “White people” are not the enemy. The poison of racism—that insidious, destructive contagion that defrauds people of their humanity—is the enemy. Racism hurts both minorities and non-minorities by corrupting our perceptions of ourselves and one another. In the last four years, we’ve seen a distressing increase in race-based hate crimes and brutality against minorities across the globe. This is an international crisis, but remedies are in the hands of local leaders and their communities, and we will be right there beside you.

Social justice is the action of dismantling inequitable systems that have persisted, often undetected, in denying equal human rights to people we are committed to

serve, replacing them with policies and practices that duly honor the humanity of all.

In every movement, it seems someone is left behind. At this crucial moment in the evolution of human society, we are being intentional about bringing everyone with us. The perfection of our communities requires your contribution to help ensure that all community members are honored, protected, and respected. Your voice matters!

We know that many of our members have been on the front lines of racial equity and social justice for years, and we need you to keep doing that good work. We need you to tell your stories—the trials and the triumphs—to encourage your brothers and sisters in the profession.

And we need you to remember, no matter how dark the days may seem, that you are making a difference in the lives of real people.

iStock.com/sabelskaya

Come As You Are

We also know that some members are finding these conversations hard to hear, even angerinducing. Many good-hearted, well-meaning people feel displaced, confused, and even scared right now. Some of it may be because, in this new paradigm where stories of the marginalized are being highlighted, your own stories of marginalization and those of your family are being ignored.

Perhaps, too, those voices articulating the need for change seem to be hostile against you specifically, not realizing that you do care.

For those members who are uncertain, but who want to learn: it is most brave to declare that one has gaps in understanding, and to say, “I want to grow.”

We need you. You are welcome. Come.

We approach this work with great humility. We will endeavor to be excellent. We will have learning moments along the way. And we will always bear in mind the principles to which we have sworn ourselves, by which we, together with you, have the power to touch lives and change the world, for good. We look forward to hearing from, serving, and building a better world with you. We invite you to connect with us at speakup@icma.org.

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 7

ICMA’S PATH TO BUILDING DIVERSE AND IN Urban Data Service released first report: “The American City and Civil Disorders”

November issue of PM magazine announced ICMA’s launch of “goals review” December issue of PM magazine focused on urban unrest in summer of 1967

1967

First Task Force for Women in the Profession created

HUD grant awarded to advise participating universities on the recruitment of minority group members National Urban Fellowship Program created

1968

February issue of PM magazine focused on the Model Cities Program

1970

1969

ICMA Training Program on Race Relations and Social Change

May issue of PM magazine featured an article on the Kerner Commission

April issue of PM magazine devoted to minorities in management efforts by ICMA

1972

Minorities in Management Program Launches

July issue of PM magazine featured articles by various senators and Otto Kerner about the Kerner Commission Report

ICMA establishes talent program for minorities and women in the profession

1985

1974

ICMA membership approved a Resolution on Diversity

Talent Referral Program for minorities and women established

August issue of PM magazine devoted to ICMA’s declaration of ideals

ICMA Executive Board Task Force created Minority Development and Placement in the Profession

Municipal Yearbook published article “Minorities in Municipal Management”

ICMA Executive Board launches a Task Force on Race Relations

1984

1973

May issue of PM magazine featured article “Minorities, Women, and Young People in Local Government”

September issue of PM magazine featured article on U.S. Riot Commission Report

PM magazine published special edition on Hispanic issues in the profession

Ford Foundation grant established Minority Executive Placement Program

ICMA Action Plan on Diversity created

1989

ICMA establishes Committee on Workplace Diversity

ICMA begins publishing Job Opportunities Bulletin (J.O.B.) newsletter Task Force on Workplace Diversity created Hired first director of ICMA International Hispanic Network

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1991

1992

ICMA board issues policy statement in the aftermath of Rodney King beating

ICMA’s Next Generation Initiatives began

2008

2003

The Strategic Plan stated in our core beliefs that we had a responsibility for “ensuring that local governments and the association reflect the diversity of the communities we serve”

NCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES AND PROFESSION

1975

September issue of PM magazine features articles on the changing nature of the council-manager relationship

1977 November issue of PM magazine featured articles on ICMA’s programming and perspectives from African-American city managers and others ICMA board approved decision to include more minorities on the ICMA Executive Board

November issue of PM magazine featured an article discussing Elijah Rogers appointment as DC’s city manager

1978

ICMA’s Minority Executive Placement Program was highlighted in The Congressional Record

Ford Foundation grant to ICMA to support women in the profession

1979

HUD grant to develop outreach mechanisms for Hispanics interested in the profession

1980

June issue of PM magazine published a special edition on Black Managers Caught in the Middle

Created an ICMA Affirmative Action Committee

Executive Board approved recommendations of the diversity subcommittee to consider expanding eligibility for voting and for service on the ICMA Executive Board

2012

The board directed staff to develop an implementation plan with the goal of engaging the membership in a discussion prior to placing a constitutional amendment before the membership

2014

Task Force on Strengthening Inclusiveness in the Profession created Report of the Task Force on Strengthening Inclusiveness in the Profession produced

Marc Ott selected as ICMA’s first African-American executive director

2016

2017

The Strategic Plan, Envision ICMA, codified our commitment to equity and inclusion into ICMA’s current and future operations ICMA Equity and Inclusion Team composed of ICMA staff members created

1983 ICMA Annual Conference keynote speech delivered by James Baldwin Elected Sy Murray as ICMA’s first African-American president

Subcommittee on diversity created

October issue of PM magazine featured article on award given by ICMA to DRCOG’s (Denver) minority placement program

ICMA announces new award category for community Diversity and Inclusion Task Force on Women in the Profession was reestablished and charged with examining the status of women in local government management

1982

1983

NFBPA founded ICMA membership votes to adopt a constitutional amendment expanding member voting to include affiliate members ICMA launched Social Justice Action Team composed of ICMA staff members PM magazine published a special supplement “Moments of Change: Leading with Courage and Commitment for Social and Racial Equity”

2019

2018

2020

Engaged ICMA members on board diversity initiative through online focus groups and at regional conferences and state association meetings, which resulted in 2020 ballot initiative Executive Board to consider ballot initiative at the 2019 Annual Conference in Nashville

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 9

A New

KIND

of CEO:

The Role of the Chief Equity Officer (and Other Equity Positions) A closer look at this critical position and why you should have one on staff

A

s cities and counties continue to grow in variations of age, economic status, educational attainment, immigration levels, and population size, they find themselves in need of someone who can focus on identifying disparities in community programs and services and on helping create ways for departments to address those gaps. This is especially important now, as COVID-19 has exacerbated our communities’ racial and class disparities, while we also experience global civil unrest over racial and social injustice. Enter the chief equity officer. No matter the exact job title, they will be crucial in leading the charge for equity and inclusivity.

Learn how these five leaders have established an equity and inclusion presence in their local government, along with their challenges, successes, and their advice for local governments trying to create an equitable and inclusive environment.

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Tyeastia Green Director of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Burlington, Vermont Tell us about your role.

ŠSAMMYDEPTH PHOTOGRAPHY

My long-term focus is on changing and challenging practices and policies that harm BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). Currently, my focus is on ensuring a racially just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the racial reckoning happening across the country. It is important to me that I fully utilize this role to ensure that Burlington will be on the right side of history moving forward. Âť

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 11

©SAMMYDEPTH PHOTOGRAPHY

What is one of the biggest challenges your community is facing right now and how does it intersect with systemic racism?

It is important to frame racism as what it is—a system, not an event. I believe the challenges of racism in all forms affect each community the same—regardless of whether you live in the north or south, or on either of the coasts or the heartland, racism in its structural, institutional, and systemic form doesn’t change.

Because racism is systemic, and the basis of all things we hold dear as Americans, we would be hard pressed to find an avenue where systemic racism isn’t. Racism is in education, healthcare, income, wealth attainment, housing, childcare, banking, and on and on. It’s everywhere, making it extremely pervasive. It’s what we eat, drink, and breathe.

It’s normalized. When I think of the challenge of undoing systemic racism, I have the image of a ball of rubber bands. Once you think you’ve got the hang of unraveling it, you realize there’s so much

going on underneath, and some of the rubber bands feel impossible to remove.

What have you found to be the best method for speaking up in a non-diverse room? How do you engage with people reluctant, afraid, or uncomfortable with having these discussions?

I’ve always believed the best method to speak up in any room is with honesty. No smoke and mirrors, just pure honesty. An important aspect of inclusion and belonging is to be able to show up as who you are—authentic, with your life story and the way you see the world. Affinity groups are a great option for having these discussions with people who see the world as you do.

They provide the safe space that people need to really dig deep in these conversations.

When you’re in a safe space, it removes the requirement to be brave. During affinity group meetings, racial awakening occurs. It is when whites realize that they too have a race, have been racialized, and that their

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race has meaning. For BIPOC communities, affinity groups can provide guidance on how to navigate white spaces, how to share methods of resiliency, but also how to work toward accomplishing self-care. It is not the oppressed communities who should be tasked with fixing racism. That work falls solely on those who are a part of the dominant group. Racial awakening is an important step of that work and at the core of dismantling systemic racism.

What advice do you have for small local governments trying to create an equitable and inclusive environment?

My advice would be to focus on race-centered policies.

There’s too much focus on race-neutral policies because that’s what is deemed to be politically correct. I believe one of the biggest barriers we have to becoming inclusive is steeped in political correctness.

The way that I’m defining political correctness means to not upset the status quo, and not disrupt normalcy. We

have to remove the standard of normalcy in order to be equitable and inclusive. What is normal for me may not be normal for you. We should insist on the celebration of culture; celebrate the uniqueness and the gifts that we receive from being inclusive. The standard of our society is to center whiteness, which is the standard of normalcy, and how we define normal. When we use terms like diversity, a question you should ask yourself is, diverse from what? And the answer that will appear is different from whiteness. The term diversity keeps white supremacy culture alive by “othering” populations who are not white. Don’t ask, “how do I attract diverse talent?” or “how can I increase diversity in my organization?”

Instead, ask what it means to be inclusive of other races, cultures, and perspectives.

It is not about seeking answers externally. It’s about looking inward by performing organizational analysis, and receiving the answers to make significant changes.

How do you get your leadership engaged in supporting your efforts?

Every day I come to work as my authentic self. It is my job to point out instances when whiteness is centered; it is also my job to keep BIPOC in the forefront of our minds when we are making decisions that will undoubtedly affect them and all too often leave them out. I am here to ensure that BIPOC aren’t left out. I am here to ensure that the city works toward achieving racial equity. Showing up as who you are gives you the confidence and the

fearlessness needed to engage with leadership. Early on in my tenure I engaged the mayor on declaring racism a public health emergency. We were able to do that together with the help of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and many organizations throughout the city in July. I believe that the elected body in Burlington is extremely engaged in supporting racial justice. In June, the city council passed the resolution “Racial Justice through Economic and Criminal Justice” with bipartisan support. The resolution was brought forth to the council by the first black councilwoman for Burlington, Zoraya Hightower. It was historic and groundbreaking, and I believe it makes my job of marching us toward racial justice much easier. With the passing of the FY21 budget, the mayor of Burlington, Miro Weinberger, dedicated $1 million to the fight against systemic racism.

What kind of partners are you finding in the community to help your local government achieve your goals?

We have 30 organizations in the Burlington area (and counting) who have signed on the declaration of racism being a public health emergency. They have also pledged actionable steps toward how they will combat systemic racism within their organizations. This work cannot be done in a bubble.

We need all sectors—public, private, and nonprofit—to take the pledge and do the work of undoing America’s longest standing pandemic—racism.

Stefanie A. Bowers Equity Director and Human Rights Coordinator Iowa City, Iowa Tell us about your role.

As the equity director for the city, I work with the city manager’s office on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Specifically, focusing on providing strategies, planning, facilitation, and development of government work on equity and engagement for the present and long term. I also work with city departments to promote and measure equity and inclusion within city operations, and provide and coordinate community education and outreach.

Since 2017, I have been training city departments on using a racial equity toolkit/lens to review their policies, services, and programs. » OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 13

I also publish an annual report on racial equity that measures the city’s progress on increasing the racial diversity of city staff and those serving on city boards and commissions. The report also provides the number of police traffic stops and charges by race of the person.

I also staff the Human Rights Commission (HRC), which consists of nine members of the Iowa City community who serve as an advisory board to the city council, enforce the local anti-discrimination laws, and determine the merits of complaints alleging discrimination that are filed with the office

in the areas of employment, housing, education, credit, and public accommodations.

As the LGBTQ liaison for the city executive’s office, I serve as a resource to the city’s LGBTQ communities to access city services and promote equality.

When talking about equity in local government, what does success look like?

Success is not just breaking down and removing the current barriers to equality, but also working to make sure those barriers continue to be eliminated while advancing fair treatment, opportunity, and full participation by all community members.

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How do you use data to influence positive outcomes for equity?

The use of racial equity toolkits (RETs) have been very helpful to us in analyzing data we already have or to begin to collect data in a particular area to better inform our decisions.

They assist in identifying who benefits and who is burdened by a particular proposal, policy, service, or program.

Specifically, RETs have afforded us the opportunity to work with and get feedback from those community members most affected and work with them directly to come up with solutions that either mitigate the barrier or remove it all together. Data

and community feedback and engagement also hold us accountable to continually work at improving outcomes for Iowa City residents.

To date, RETs have led to the elimination of late fees for books in the children’s and teen collections at the library, an improved process for how employment opportunities are advertised and promoted to the community, translations of core city documents in languages other than English, an increased number of participants in the Low-Income Utility Discount Program, and a requirement of a BIPOC impact statement as part of the Grants Management Policy.

Toni D. Newborn, JD Chief Equity Officer Saint Paul, Minnesota Tell us about your role.

I lead the equity steering committee, equity design team, and department equity change teams to provide support and guidance in integrating equity into the city’s services, engagement, policies, and practices. I work in partnership with departments to develop educational opportunities for city staff and residents to advance city-wide equity initiatives with the goal of eliminating disparities.

How do you see your role or department expanding within the next two years?

Ideally, my job is to work myself out of a job by working to eliminate disparities and inequities in our city.

I will equip our city departments with the resources to view their work through an equity lens. I will provide learning opportunities to staff about anti-racism and anti-blackness. I will work with the mayor and deputy mayor to embed this work into the city enterprise by hiring additional staff to focus on community engagement, inclusive communications, and training and development.

What advice do you have for small local governments trying to create an equitable and inclusive environment?

In order to create an equitable and inclusive work environment, it is important to start with your elected and executive leadership team—mayors, city councilmembers, directors, and city coordinators. The elected need to be your biggest cheerleader. They should be on the front line talking about the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 15

Karla Bruce Chief Equity Officer Fairfax County, Virginia Tell us about your role as chief equity officer.

I was appointed chief equity officer in June 2018, following the adoption in November 2017 of One Fairfax, a policy that commits the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board to intentionally consider racial and social equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. The policy was enacted after nearly a decade of work to address the disproportionate representation of African American and Latino children in various county and school systems.

The policy was an acknowledgment that there was no one root cause and that no single agency or department that could address the problem of disproportionality.

The county and school leadership began to understand 16 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

us a better understanding of the dynamics of opportunity within the county. We are mapping opportunity and vulnerability and examining the structural drivers of disparities to understand who has access to opportunity and who does not. Through policy and practice we can target interventions and resources by geography and population.

that efforts focused solely on individual-level factors would not suffice—institutional and structural change was necessary.

Bryan Hill, the county executive of Fairfax County, established the role of chief equity officer, and embedded it in the county executive’s office, to develop and manage a county-wide strategic framework for advancing racial and social equity in Fairfax County.

Responsibilities of the role include building the capacity of the workforce and leadership around key equity concepts and advising and supporting the board of supervisors and senior leadership in shaping and directing policy and practice that fosters equitable opportunity for all residents.

As chief equity officer, I also work very closely with the community—residents, community-based organizations, and philanthropy—to gain a deeper understanding of how the doors of opportunity have been opened or closed to different populations and areas of the county and to co-create solutions that will advance the county’s progress toward equity.

What is one of the biggest challenges your community is facing right now and how does it intersect with systemic racism?

Like most jurisdictions, addressing the compounding and intersecting issues associated with the coronavirus is the biggest challenge facing our community. While COVID-19 is a public health crisis, Fairfax County is confronting it recognizing that health is tied to the conditions that people live in and the opportunities they have for housing, jobs, transportation, education, healthcare, etc. The way that the pandemic is affecting our community reflects dynamics of race and class that existed well before COVID-19 emerged and that has implications that extend beyond health.

Fairfax County is approaching COVID-19 from the fundamental position that to effectively respond and recover—from a public health perspective as well as economically—we must understand that our community is only as healthy and strong as those most vulnerable. While we are continuing to implement

the critical public health mitigation strategies necessary to curb the spread of the virus and “box it in,” we are also working aggressively to ensure that opportunities are available to all communities so that residents are better prepared to weather the range of challenges that this pandemic has brought, focusing on those experiencing the most adverse health, economic, and social effects.

How do you use data to influence positive outcomes for equity?

First and foremost, data was instrumental in establishing that disparities and inequities exist in Fairfax County, and specifically disaggregated data. Besides the insights we have been able to glean from the analysis of our own programmatic and service data, we have benefited from outside reports from the Northern Virginia Health Foundation and Virginia Commonwealth University and PolicyLink, and the USC Equity Research Institute.

The use of data and analytical tools is giving

What have you found to be the best method for speaking up in a non-diverse room? How do you engage with people reluctant, afraid, or uncomfortable with having these discussions?

The Government Alliance on Race and Equity has great resources for helping people to talk constructively about race.

Depending on the context and who I’m talking to, I try to direct the focus away from what people assume has to be the focus of conversations about race—individual acts of bias, bigotry, and discrimination—to help people understand that equity is deeper than changing people. It is about changing the conditions in which people live and improving access to opportunities. One of the challenges that we encounter is that many people come from a deficit model, meaning that they are conditioned to assume that there’s a flaw in people, and that by directing their efforts to correcting the flaw, they will resolve the issues people face. Our premise is that it is not a deficiency in people that produces disparate outcomes.

Our efforts must be focused on the systemic and structural nature of racialized outcomes.

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 17

Liz Cedillo-Pereira Chief of Equity and Inclusion Dallas, Texas Tell us about your role.

As the chief of equity and inclusion, I provide executive leadership oversight for the offices of Equity, Environmental Quality and Sustainability, Ethics and Compliance, Fair Housing and Human Rights, Resilience, and Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs. This umbrella of offices strives to build and deliver equitable and inclusive programming that serve all Dallas residents.

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When talking about equity in local government, what does success look like?

As a city we are striving to embed equity-oriented practices in all that we do, from the budget to structural changes to service delivery. The work of equity is about building an ethos in our organization which recognizes that race and ethnicity continue to predict outcomes for our residents.

It is through this recognition that we can identify the need to assess government policies, practices, and programs that reduce disparities among Communities of Color while improving outcomes for all. The work is also about bridging the relationships with Communities of Color and low-income neighborhoods so that all of us can do the tough work together through collaborative and shared decision-making among departments and communities.

What is one of the biggest challenges your community is facing right now and how does it intersect with systemic racism?

One of the biggest challenges for the city of Dallas is enduring the impact of COVID-19.

COVID-19 is not like anything we have experienced before as it impacts everyone in various ways—workers, employers, elders, students, all income bands. Yet, we know COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting Communities of Color. We are working to address the root causes of the disproportionality by understanding the underlying determinants of health in Dallas. Communities of Color are frontline or essential workers, they tend to live in multi-generational households and denser environments, they had less access to healthcare pre-COVID, and many neighborhoods have fewer healthy food options. In this moment, the disparities we have been studying have become more evident than ever before. We must ensure that equity is embedded in every step we take to undo systemic barriers so that beyond the pandemic we can truly become a more resilient and inclusive community.

How do you use data to influence positive outcomes for equity?

Data is one of our greatest assets. It serves as a fundamental source to support city departments in thinking about

the ways that they can be more equity-oriented when planning and prioritizing for their area of service. In October 2019, the city of Dallas released our Equity Indicators Report, a tool to help Dallas measure disparities and advance equity in our community. The indicators are designed to measure disparities in outcomes across five thematic areas: economic opportunity, education, neighborhoods and infrastructure, justice and government, and public health. This report is highly referred to and used internally within city of Dallas departments, as well as externally in the community.

Derived from an ICMA blog post, “Is It Time to Hire a Chief Equity Officer?�.

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 19

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iStock.com/KingMatz1980

The Resiliency of

Palestine

During COVID-19 Providing equitable service delivery to its most vulnerable residents The State of Palestine, located in the Middle East, continues to be a beautiful and thriving sovereign nation despite its ongoing geopolitical challenges, now compounded with the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many local governments globally, Palestinian local authorities (more than 400 municipalities and village councils) lack the appropriate resources to respond to the pandemic. Notwithstanding, local authorities and the Palestinian people remain resilient under these circumstances.

BY ABDALLAH ANATI

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 21

Palestine is home to about five million people, including three million located in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and two million in the Gaza Strip. Forty percent of the population living in Palestine are refugees, including 70 percent in the Gaza Strip alone. Furthermore, an additional eight million Palestinians live outside of the respective borders.

The Palestinian Authority has full civil and security control over only 18 percent of the West Bank (Area A) and manages civil affairs in around 21 percent of the West Bank (Area B), with security under Israeli control.

The remaining 61 percent of the West Bank is under full Israeli military administration (Area C). The situation in Palestine remains fragile and is subject to a range of political, security, social, and economic threats.

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Understanding Local Authorities

Local authorities in Palestine remain the cornerstone to a sovereign and democratic nation. As one of the oldest existing levels of government, local authorities in Palestine form the backbone of the Public Administration Sector and the national government (Palestinian Authority) relies on local authorities to provide a diversity of public services.

For example, local authorities are statutorily required to deliver at least 27 public services including, but not limited to, the management of water, sanitation, electricity, street maintenance, and urban planning. Local authorities are also playing an essential role during the establishment of the Palestinian State, serving as a channel to communicate national policies.

Furthermore, local authorities have the power to take all necessary precautions

and measures to improve public health and prevent the spread of diseases. While geopolitical factors affect Palestine daily, local authorities must remain diligent in providing a high level of service to improve the quality of life for all Palestinians.

As a nonprofit organization, the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) represents the interests of all local authorities in Palestine.

In September 2018, APLA and ICMA signed an affiliate agreement, which proudly signifies APLA as the first Arab affiliate of ICMA. The affiliate agreement details how the two associations are committed to strengthening their relationship and partnership.

Declaring a State of Emergency

On March 5, 2020, the Palestinian Authority declared a state of emergency following its first registered cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19)

at a hotel in Bethlehem.

The Palestinian Authority’s leadership was decisive and unwavering to protect the lives of Palestinians. Consequently, like many countries and local governments globally, the declaration resulted in substantial reductions and disruptions for most of the public and private institutions. Although there are compounding impacts to Palestinians due to lack of resources even prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Notwithstanding, the local authorities are appreciative for their substantial network of supportive governments and agencies.

The situation in Palestine remains fragile and is subject to a range of political, security, social, and economic threats.

Beyond Service Delivery

A beloved Palestinian poet and author, Mahmoud Darwish, once wrote, “And I say to myself, a moon will rise from my darkness.” This quote embraces internal optimism even in the darkest of days.

Regardless of challenges, Palestinians have always remained dedicated to helping one another throughout our historical struggles and in times of crisis.

While still providing public services, local authorities and partnering governments and agencies quickly mobilized to coordinate a response. They immediately began reviewing existing contingency plans and activities to contain the pandemic. These efforts have saved Palestinian lives and ensured service delivery at the local level, as well as helped facilitate stability at the national level by collectively ensuring that basic needs are met.

Furthermore, local authorities have been fulfilling additional roles and responsibilities to assist other

Palestinian governmental agencies. Various levels of government (e.g., national government, governors, and competent ministries) have approached local authorities to assist them with implementing the national policies and procedures. For example, many Palestinians work inside Israel, and since the Palestinian government has no control over the borders, to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, local authorities have been assisting with health screenings between

borders. Municipalities of Turqumia, Ithna, and Beit Oula established a support committee in coordination with the emergency committees in neighboring municipalities in order to deal with workers returning from Israel. A tent was established next to the border crossing to perform a number of services: • Register the data of returned workers and perform the necessary health check-ups to ensure their safety and the safety of their families.

• Provide them with advice.

• Deliver them to home quarantine.

• Follow up with them in cooperation with medical teams, providing the necessary needed awareness and support.

Local authorities have stepped up to provide an additional level of social services for the most vulnerable populations in Palestine. Services include providing emergency aid kits and various medical supplies,

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 23

out cleaning and sterilization campaigns in the Dehaisha, Al Azza, and Aida camps located within the borders of Bethlehem governorate.

In a fragile context like Palestine, and due to the geopolitical fragmentation and the central government not having control over more than 61 percent (Area C), the local authorities have many responsibilities to their residents as the only form of government and service delivery actors in these areas. assisting medic teams with mobilizing equipment, and identifying and implementing innovative responses stemming from open lines of communication between stakeholders. In fact, this public health crisis has shed more light on the importance of solidarity and community cohesion among stakeholders, especially in the areas of data gathering and needs mapping.

Equitable Service Delivery

Since almost half of the residents of Palestine are refugees, equality and inclusive service delivery is culturally important across all levels of government. Many refugee camps are located in the heart of Palestinian cities, and delivering basic services to the respective camps are typically the responsibility of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Some of these refugee camps have some of the highest population densities in the world.

Local authorities have played a major role in supporting these communities and complementing UNRWA activities. Concerning refugee camps, local authorities have allocated their staff, vehicles,

and equipment to support such efforts as collecting solid waste, continuously sterilizing public spaces, and assisting in various medical and emergency services to ensure service accessibility to this highly marginalized population.

The Al-Jalazoun Refugees Camp, located in the north of Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate, recorded a rapid spread of coronavirus infections due to its population density.

The municipality of Ramallah conducted a sterilization and cleaning campaign in the camp using its staff, machines, and materials to support the efforts of the emergency committee in the camp in implementing safety and prevention measures.

Meanwhile, the municipality of Bethlehem had carried

24 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

During the pandemic, the local authorities have stepped in to handle extra duties. In addition to their regular duties, they are required to act more as unifying entities, especially in the rural areas and the areas out of the control of the central government.

Large efforts have been undertaken for inclusive service delivery for youth, women, elderly, and other vulnerable populations, especially in the planning process. Beit Ijza village council formed a special all-female committee to support and activate the role of women in the village. During the pandemic, the women’s guidance and counseling committee carried out special activities for people with sensitive needs. The committee

targeted women working in the village institutions to provide them with food packages, as well as prevention and sterilization packages, especially for the families in need. The committee conducted medical check-ups for the elderly in the village. The committee also provided psychological support and guidance to the village’s female students. Overall, the committee played a very important role in supporting all other efforts in the village.

In light of school closures and the inability of students to continue their studies, local authorities worked to provide educational support for students. The municipality of Kober formed a special operations room to assist students, especially in electronic activities and exams. The Qaryout village council prepared a special hall inside the council building for university students with all the necessary equipment and materials to help university students complete their studies via electronic means.

Despite these efforts, more attention must be given to these marginalized communities in times of greatest need.

Today, citizen participation in the planning and policy development process is even more critical to ensure inclusive services.

In conclusion, to all those affected by this public health crisis globally, remember the words of the poet Mahmoud Darwish: someday a moon will rise from our darkness.

ABDALLAH ANATI is executive director of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (a.anati@apla.ps).

Intersectionality IN THE

BY JUSTYN MILLER AND NATHAN BASSETT

Community

Defining the issues and understanding the history of systems of discrimination With the recent social unrest in the United States, organizations may need a framework to better understand the issues surrounding these events.

Intersectionality is one of many lenses that can be used to better understand these issues.

The Intersection of Race and Sex First, an explanation of the term intersectionality. The ideas of what would eventually be called intersectionality have some of their roots based in 1970s feminism. “Black feminist scholar-activists, a number of whom were LGBTQ, developed theoretical frameworks to serve as a model for other women of color, to broaden feminism’s definition and scope.”1 During this time, feminism was broadly focused on the experiences of heterosexual, white women while disregarding issues such as sexuality and race.

The term intersectionality was coined by Kimberle Crenshaw, who, at the time, taught law at the University of California, Los Angeles, Law School. Her piece, “Demarginalizing Intersection of 26 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Polices” (1989) was groundbreaking in framing these many ideas into the term intersectionality. For the majority of her career, Crenshaw has focused on the idea of critical race theory. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, critical race theory (CRT) is “the view that the law and legal institutions are inherently racist and that race itself, instead of being biologically grounded and natural, is a socially constructed concept that is used by white people to further their economic and political interest at the expense of people of colour.”2 In her piece, Crenshaw attempts to create a legal framework to better explain intersectionality that involves three court cases addressing the issue of race

and sex discrimination. More specifically, that in each court case, the ruling only applied a singular analysis of either race or sex discrimination, but not both. For example, one of the plaintiffs is an African American woman, and Crenshaw argues that the law forgets that African American women are both racially Black and female, and can be discriminated against on the basis of both of these traits.

Prior to this, courts had found cases involving claims for both racial and sex discrimination to be impracticable. More specifically in one of the cases, DeGraffenreid vs. General Motors (1976), five African American women sued General Motors regarding a company policy that they felt targeted African American women.

According to the policy, General Motors did not hire African American women

prior to 1964, and when layoffs occurred in the 1970s, all African American women hired prior to 1964 were laid off. The courts did not allow the women to sue for both race and sex discrimination, and as stated above, ruled that considering both types of discrimination made their case unworkable.

With her piece, Crenshaw hoped to bring to light that courts were not considering all different intersectional perspectives when interpreting discrimination law.3

discrimination or disadvantage; a theoretical approach based on such a premise.�4 Figure 1 demonstrates the countless, different overlapping systems that make up intersectionality. The use of the term intersectionality has been widely adopted by a variety of groups since it was coined in the late 1980s.

Many groups have embraced the ideas of intersectionality in their movements, including the #Metoo, Black Lives Matter (BLM), and LGBTQIA+ movements.

When attempting to formulate how to respond to social unrest in our communities, intersectionality is one lens that can be utilized to view and understand these issues. While this lens is not the only way to examine pivotal issues, it may give organizations

Defining Intersectionality

For a broader definition, the Oxford Dictionary defines intersectionality as “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of

ability

mental health

additional perspective that they may not have considered. The times we are currently facing require a greater understanding of intersectionality, and how the different facets of the human condition warrant nuanced responses.

The LGBTQIA+ Lens

For those of us in the LGBTQIA+ community, the lens through which events are seen may be slightly different than the rest of the population.

Though the community has made great strides in the last two decades, the right to serve in the military,5 inherit from your spouse,6 get married,7 and sue for employment discrimination8 are newly minted for us. For transgender individuals, some of these rights are still not guaranteed, with the federal government placing

gender identity

race

personality

gender appearance fertility expression

language

political affiliation

age culture nationality

sexual orientation

hobbies

physical health

occupation

religion

class

location

marital status

education

ethnicity

Source: Misty McPhetridge, BSSW; https://calendar.utk.edu/event/images_of_intersectionality

a prohibition on transgender individuals from serving in the military only three years after they were initially allowed to serve openly,9 and multiple other protections being removed. Simply existing as a gay man or lesbian in some countries is punishable by death,10 and the murders of transgender People of Color have made headlines in the United States frequently over the past year.

For some in the LGBTQIA+ community, this rapid change adds a different layer of perspective and illustrates how the goals and struggles of the community are not neatly sorted. The win on marriage for same-sex couples at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 did not signal the end of the movement for LGBTQIA+ equality.

Since the start of 2020, the year has been a microcosm of all the current ails in society proliferating and solidifying at once, resulting in protests, riots, further social inequality, a pandemic, and an economic crisis of unparalleled size.

A lack of federal leadership to tackle these issues has exacerbated their impact and forced state and local governments to fend on their own.

Intersectionality During COVID-19

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and protests over police brutality and race issues, transgender individuals have continued to see their federal protections erode, with federal regulations around homeless shelters and healthcare being modified to accommodate religious beliefs of shelter providers11 and healthcare providers.12

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 27

ink drop/stock.adobe.com

Rules such as these may impact the willingness and ability of individuals to seek shelter or medical care, which could have profound implications for local governments that are seeking to stop the transmission of a pandemic.

According to the Commonwealth Fund, approximately half of the 137,501 entities covered by the rule change are expected to rescind protections for transgender individuals, “including access to health

found many ways to address the issues when confronted with them. Across the country, local governments enacted mandatory face mask statutes, shelter-in-place orders, reforms of their police departments and policing statutes, and community engagement initiatives to address systemic racism. On April 2, 2020, Laredo, Texas, became the first jurisdiction in the United States to mandate that residents wear a mask in public to help stem the transmission of COVID-19,

The pandemic has laid bare how the connections between race, class, and gender have fueled disproportionate rates of the disease among the Black and Latino population, particularly women, due to their overrepresentation among low-income workers.

The hospitalization and death rates for the Black community in particular are considerably worse than for white people.15 As our understanding of COVID-19 deepens, we also have begun to see a deeper

protests in at least 48 other countries.17 Communities are struggling to cope with the repercussions of protests, heightened tensions, and increased awareness around racial issues. City councils around the country are coping with a swift change in public opinion on policing in the aftermath of Floyd’s death.

The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to abolish their police department in late June, pending a vote by the public in November. The police department would be replaced by a department of community safety and violence prevention, which may have a smaller division for law enforcement, if the legislation is approved by voters.18 Taking Action

After reading through this piece, you might be asking, what can my organization do to step up in these challenging times? In the final section, we want to provide a brief internal and external example of what some organizations have done to address these issues.

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FORMULATE HOW TO RESPOND TO SOCIAL UNREST IN OUR COMMUNITIES, INTERSECTIONALITY IS ONE LENS THAT CAN BE USED TO VIEW AND UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES. services, receiving care consistent with their gender identity, and getting coverage for gender transition services.”13 On top of potential discrimination in healthcare, transgender individuals already face serious issues with public harassment, mental health issues, and economic issues, which are compounded for transgender People of Color.

This year has ignited a unique mix of serious crises and local governments have

with a fine of $1,000 for any individual that ventured into public without one.14 The cost of the fine caused some controversy in the community, where roughly one third of the population lives at or below the poverty line, but ordinances and mandates for mandatory face masks became more widespread when the CDC changed its initial guidance and began recommending they be worn to prevent the spread of the virus.

28 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

connection to the root causes of why these communities have higher transmission rates and worse health outcomes.

In late May, while still in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, a police officer in Minneapolis knelt on the neck of George Floyd, a Black man, for almost nine minutes, leading to his death by asphyxiation; his last words were “I can’t breathe.”16 His death ignited protests large and small across more than 350 cities in all 50 states, as well as solidarity

Internally, local governments have sought to establish a broad range of resources for employees, including employee resource and affinity groups, diversity or equity offices, and public safety liaisons to these communities.

Human resource departments have also begun providing a broad range of training, with an emphasis on fostering a welcoming environment to encourage employee productivity. Local government managers need to be cognizant of the individual conditions

that their employees face, and how they are supporting their employees to further the mission of their organization at a time when municipalities are facing severe constraints on their financial resources.

Externally, our organizations are facing an ever-growing chorus for us to respond to the recent social unrest. In many instances, it could be difficult for an organization to formulate

a response. This may be for many reasons, including overanalyzing the response or being afraid that the response could contribute to worse civil unrest.

The bottom line is that the public expects us, as leaders and organizations, to step up and meet the calls for change during these challenging times.

Most recently, when civil unrest occurred after the death of George Floyd, there were examples of local governments coming forward to help formulate solutions. Sheriff Chris Swanson of Genesee County, Michigan, made national headlines by putting down his riot gear and joining a protest against police brutality.19

Other local governments have taken the opportunity to present initiatives intended to improve their local police forces. Police Chief Ana Lalley of Elgin, Illinois, with the approval of the city council, announced the formation of a task force to examine areas of improvement for the police department, the launching of an online community survey, and establishment of eight

resident-led community advisory boards to discuss policing issues. Also, Chief Lalley announced that police officers and the community will take part in the “21-day Racial Equity Challenge,” created by the Privilege Institute, which involves taking action to address issues such as power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity.20,21 As community leaders, we have a responsibility to promote and serve the best interests of our community. Going forward, that means taking diversity and the intersectional interests of our communities into account throughout any decisionmaking process, especially

during crises of the magnitude that we have experienced this year.

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

“What Is Intersectionality? A Brief History of the Theory | Time.” 28 Mar. 2019, https://time.com/5560575/ intersectionality-theory/. Accessed 6 Jul. 2020.

2 “critical race theory | Definition & Facts | Britannica.” 28 May. 2020, https://www. britannica.com/topic/critical-race-theory.

Accessed 7 Jul. 2020.

3 “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black ....” https://chicagounbound. uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi?article=1052&context=uclf. Accessed 6 Jul. 2020.

4 “Intersectionality | Definition of Intersectionality by Oxford ....” https:// www.lexico.com/en/definition/ intersectionality. Accessed 2 Jul. 2020.

5 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal legislation signed by President Barack Obama on December 22, 2010, and implemented in October 2011. https://archive.defense. gov/home/features/2010/0610_dadt/.

Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

6 Decided 26 June 2013. https://www. supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12307_6j37.pdf. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

7 Decided 26 June 2015. https:// www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf.

Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

8 Decided 15 June 2020. https:// www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/19pdf/17-1618_hfci.pdf.

Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

9 https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbcout/trump-s-controversial-transgendermilitary-policy-goes-effect-n993826.

Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

10 According to this photo article from June 2019, 12 countries still enforce the death penalty for gays and lesbians. https://www.usatoday.com/picturegallery/life/2019/06/13/iran-yemenamong-countries-where-being-gay-ispunishable-by-death/39574925/ Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

11 https://www.nytimes. com/2020/07/01/us/politics/hudtransgender.html. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

12 https://www.npr.org/sections/ health-shots/2020/06/12/868073068/ transgender-health-protections-reversedby-trump-administration. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

13 Corinne Lewis, Yaphet Getachew, and Mekdes Tsega, “Federal Government Moves to Eliminate Protections in Health Care for Transgender Americans,” To the Point (blog), Commonwealth Fund, updated June 19, 2020. https://doi. org/10.26099/wyyj-yn46. Accessed 10 July 2020.

14 https://www.washingtonpost.com/ nation/2020/04/03/laredo-coronavirusmasks/. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

15 https://www.forbes.com/sites/ naomicahn/2020/05/10/mothers1

day-and-covid-19s-impact-on-womenof-color/#4474308041ac. Accessed 12 Jul. 2020.

16 https://www.startribune.com/four-firedminneapolis-officers-booked-chargedin-killing-of-george-floyd/570984872/.

Accessed 12 Jul. 2020.

17 https://www.aljazeera.com/ indepth/interactive/2020/06/ mapping-cities-george-floyd-protestserupted-200601081654119.html.

Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

18 https://www.npr.org/sections/ live-updates-protests-for-racialjustice/2020/06/26/884149659/ minneapolis-council-moves-to-defundpolice-establish-holistic-public-safety-forc.

Accessed 12 Jul. 2020.

19 “Meet Chris Swanson, Genesee County sheriff who joined Flint ....” 4 Jun. 2020, https://www.freep.com/story/ news/local/michigan/2020/06/04/ chris-swanson-genesee-county-sheriffprotests/5308685002/. Accessed 12 Jul. 2020.

20 “Elgin chief presents initiatives for police improvement, while ....” 25 Jun. 2020, https://www.dailyherald.com/ news/20200625/elgin-chief-presentsinitiatives-for-police-improvementwhile-council-wants-task-force. Accessed 12 Jul. 2020.

21 “21-Day Racial Equity Challenge — America & Moore.” https://www. eddiemoorejr.com/21daychallenge.

Accessed 12 Jul. 2020.

JUSTYN MILLER is assistant to the village administrator in Berkeley, Illinois, and a member of the CivicPRIDE Steering Committee. CivicPRIDE is the first nationally recognized professional association for LGBTQIA+ professionals in local government. (jmiller@berkeley.il.us) NATHAN BASSETT is a senior budget analyst in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and a member of the CivicPRIDE Steering Committee and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments 2019–2020 cohort on Race and Equity conducted by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). Find him on Twitter: @nathanjbassett. (nathan.bassett@ gaithersburgmd.gov)

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 29

A

WOMEN

century ago, on August 18, 1920, the women’s suffrage movement, including many women of color, won the right to not be denied one’s vote on account of sex through the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.

This momentous occasion occurred 50 years after the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were passed that abolished slavery, guaranteed the “equal protection of the laws,” and explicitly defended the right to vote regardless of race. The amendments were the result of the Civil War and the abolitionist movement to free slaves. Yet, women of color still faced significant barriers both legally and in practice.

Even today, a century after women’s suffrage, and 150 years after the Fifteenth Amendment, real equity has not been achieved.

of COLOR:

The Path to Equity in the Public Sector Ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion remain leading workforce values 30 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

The National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) is the principal and most progressive organization dedicated to the advancement of African-American public leadership in local and state governments. Our mission is to serve as a catalyst for linking public and private organizations, as well as academic institutions, to support the professional development of African Americans choosing public service careers. Many African American women have benefited from the advocacy of NFBPA. This summer, as protests erupted across the country demanding racial equity, we spoke with hundreds of NFBPA members and partners discussing ways in which local and state governments can work to improve representation and support for their African American employees. What we found was that employees of color, but especially women of color, continue to report obstacles to opportunities for advancement in the public sector. However, the victories achieved by powerful women in the struggle for equal rights proves that this is not how it has to be. By looking at the successes of the women’s rights movement, our public sector managers and executives can implement solutions to guarantee equity for women in public sector jobs and administration.

BY CHERYL D. ORR AND MARCIA L. CONNER

Early Struggles and Successes

Despite the half-century between the passage of the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments, the movements fighting for equality regardless of race or sex were inherently linked together. The Seneca Falls Convention, held in 1848, was the first women’s rights convention in the United States. During this meeting, powerful coalitions between women’s rights advocates and abolitionists were formed.1 Many of these organizations, including the American Anti-Slavery Society, provided important mentorships for women, giving female organizers experience in speaking, writing, and even editing newspapers.

This disenfranchisement of women led to the establishment of two prominent women’s organizations, the American Women Suffrage Association (a purely suffrage-focused organization for women only) and the National Women Suffrage Association (which included men and advocated for social mobility beyond the right to vote). Among the issues they disagreed on was whether to support the Fifteenth Amendment, because it did not specifically enfranchise women. Further ostracized were women of color who faced increased racism from both major suffrage associations.

They would ultimately go on to form the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs in 1896. Although both white and African American women were fighting for similar rights, this divide showed that the discriminatory effects of race and gender would lead the fight for equal rights to drag on well through the twentieth century.

Aretha Ferrell-Benavides, City Manager, Petersburg, Virginia

Tanisha Briley, City Manager, Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Verdenia Baker, County Administrator, Palm Beach County, Florida

Over the next 40 years, women continued to fight for rights. In 1923, the National Women’s Party drafted the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) for Congress. Today, over 95 years later, the measure has not been ratified, although the ERA is still being pushed by women in Congress as well as throughout the States.

had entered the workforce and had become “Rosie the Riveter” were relegated back to their household roles. However, some women chose to remain employed in the public and private sectors, and over time began to alter the U.S. workforce, at a time when the civil rights movement was pushing for equality in this country.

In 1963, Congress passed an Equal Pay Act, prohibiting discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers; although today, women continue to be paid less than men in many occupations. This was followed by the 1964 Civil

Representation in the Workplace

Although women’s rights at first focused on equality under the law, the movement still greatly impacted the legal and social barriers of the workplace.

After World War II, when men returned home, women who

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 31

“To have strong women of color invest in and guide young female emerging leaders is essential to ensuring the success

Justina Mann, Director, Capital Development, Houston Airport System

Dee Williams-Ridley, City Manager, Berkeley, California

These dramatic figures reflect a reality that despite successes in the women’s rights movement, and overall higher educational attainment, women in both the private and public workforces face obstacles to advancement that their male colleagues do not.

The Push for Equity Today Jelynne LeBlanc Burley, President/CEO, Center for Health Care Services

Stacy Rodgers, County Administrative Officer, Baltimore County, Maryland

Rights Act, which became a pivotal moment for women of all races, even though women were not initially included in the act. Although the act’s purpose was to protect and guarantee the rights of African Americans across the south, women and other minorities across the country nonetheless benefited from its passage.

In local and state governments, women and minorities took advantage of greater opportunities to climb the ladder of success in public administration. Some capable women were able to reach the executive level of public administration, yet many have also been met with discrimination based on their

gender. Women of color have a twofold barrier in that they were at times met with not only gender discrimination, but also racism, as evidenced by the still present wideranging disparities between women of color and other groups.

In fact, as of 2019, women overall were paid 82 cents for every dollar paid to men, with a median annual difference of $10,194.2 This difference increases dramatically for women of color, with African American women being paid 62 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men; and Latinas being paid 54 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.3

32 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

The limitations women of color face in the public workforce are not for a lack of trying. African American women are more likely to desire executive-level positions than their white counterparts, and their numbers in mid-level managerial positions have increased, yet despite this, their presence in executivelevel positions has remained stagnant.4 Tanisha Briley, city manager of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, believes that “local government organizations should reflect the communities they serve from the line worker to executive leadership, but in many cities, minorities such as Black public administrators are overrepresented in lower-level public positions and underrepresented in executive roles.”

For African American women, this disconnect

between their ambitions and their representation has remained persistent, and many have attributed this to the perceived negative perception of their own power. Indeed this negative perception of African American women and power has remained an obstacle for women, as qualities such as ambition, tenacity, and forceful leadership remain valued in their male counterparts.

However, when women in public service exhibit these same traits, they are penalized, or viewed as unsuitable for positions such as department head, city manager, or even president of the United States.

As Stacy Abrams notes, “Ambitious women have always been a problem for those who have wanted to maintain the status quo.”5 The current social justice movement emerging across the country is leading protesters, activists, and workers to demand racial equity across all fields of government and society. This can and should be addressed in public sector workplaces by changes that focus on the needs of African American employees, as well as all other groups that suffer from inequity and a lack of representation in the executive levels of government offices. This includes those who continue to suffer from discrimination based on race, but also sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

As protests in the streets lead to conversations in the office, issues such as pay inequity and comparatively low representation of women of color at senior and executive levels of government will become an area where

of the next generation of leaders.” — Stacy Rodgers women will demand more attention. In public administration, women and minorities have historically been overrepresented overall, yet not at the executive level.

Their relatively low status in government has left them vulnerable to job loss and pay cuts when local government budgets are cut.6 Yet, increased diversity in upper levels of public administration can have tangible benefits for state and local governments. In the private sector, “companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation.”7 Jelynne LeBlanc Burley, president and CEO of the Center for Healthcare Services, states: “Organizations that lack diverse senior leadership continue to fail at assessing talent primarily because they are trying to fit a homogenous mold.” In public administration, female participation in decisionmaking roles is also positively correlated with economic development. Furthermore, increased representation will not be a detriment to male colleagues, as greater equity will lead to women working collaboratively with their male counterparts to ensure that men and women ascend through the ranks on equal footing.

The Value of Mentorship

When considering concrete steps that public sector managers can take to ensure that women of color are provided the ability to take part in executive-level leadership, one of the most

important is to support the role of mentorship in the career development of their employees. Influential leaders and managers offer tangible experience, coupled with social knowledge on navigating leadership roles.

They possess essential skills for any executive in the public or private sector: resilience, coping with stress and difficult situations, and knowing how to manage hypervisibility.8 Stacy Rodgers, Baltimore County executive, notes that “to have strong women of color invest in and guide young female emerging leaders is essential to ensuring the success of the next generation of leaders.”

NFBPA has promoted the value of mentorship for decades through its Mentor and Executive Leadership Institute programs. These programs have allowed hundreds of public administrators to grow their skillsets and enhance their professional networks, with many graduates ascending to executive management positions in state and local governments. Ms. Briley notes that these programs “show the next generation of leaders the path forward, prepare them for the journey, and provide the support needed along the way as well as when they arrive, support that is too often lacking in traditional systems.”

Membership organizations themselves, including NFBPA, can also be sources of support and skill sharing. Justina Mann, director of capital development at the Houston Airport System, states that “by not only being a member that can network with higher levels within public administration, but taking it a step further and

ENDOTES AND RESOURCES

Hewitt, Nancy A. “Not for Ourselves Alone: Abolition & Suffrage.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/ kenburns/not-for-ourselves-alone/ abolition-suffrage.

2 U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement: Table PINC-05: Work Experience in 2018 – People 15 Years Old and Over by Total Money Earnings in 2018, Age, Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex, and Disability Status.

Retrieved 19 March 2020, from https:// www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/ demo/income-poverty/cps-pinc/pinc-05. html (Unpublished calculation based on the median annual pay for all women and men who worked full time, year-round in 2018).

3 “Quantifying America’s Gender Wage Gap

by Race/Ethnicity.” Nationalpartnership. org, National Partnership for Women and Families, 2020, www.nationalpartnership. org/our-work/resources/economic-justice/ fair-pay/quantifying-americas-genderwage-gap.pdf.

4 Pace, Cindy. “How Women of Color Get to Senior Management.” Harvard Business Review, 4 Sept. 2018, hbr.org/2018/08/howwomen-of-color-get-to-senior-management.

5 Scott, Eugene. “In Accusations of Being Too Ambitious, Some Black Women See a Double Standard.” Washington Post, WP Company, 3 Aug. 2020, www. washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/03/ accusations-being-too-ambitious-someblack-women-see-double-standard/.

6 Cooper, David. “The Public-Sector Jobs Crisis: Women and African Americans Hit Hardest by Job Losses in State and Local Governments.” Economic Policy Institute, 2012, www.epi.org/publication/bp339public-sector-jobs-crisis/.

7 Hunt, Vivian, et al. “Delivering Through Diversity.” McKinsey.com, McKinsey & Company, Jan. 2018, www.mckinsey.com/~/ media/mckinsey/business%20functions/ organization/our%20insights/delivering%20 through%20diversity/delivering-throughdiversity_full-report.ashx.

8 Pace, Cindy. “How Women of Color Get to Senior Management.” Harvard Business Review, 4 Sept. 2018, hbr.org/2018/08/howwomen-of-color-get-to-senior-management.

1

Marcia Conner at ICMA’s 2019 Annual Conference

being engaged in committees and ultimately the NFBPA Board, doors will be open based on your colleagues and peers seeing you in a different light.”

Unfortunately, as government budgets tighten, professional development opportunities in the public sector are being cut by more and more managers. Therefore, at a time when public leaders are asking what can be done to support African American employees, their decisions to cut professional development opportunities are directly limiting the career mobility of their workers.

Public administrators can demonstrate their willingness to support their employees by ensuring that pathways to advancement remain open. By allowing for professional development programs and promoting flexible work schedules to support mentor relationships, executives can ensure that the many talented and capable women of color working in the public sector can develop the opportunities needed to become successful executive leaders themselves.

CHERYL D. ORR is managing partner of I4x, the Institute for Excellence in Public Service (cherylorr02@gmail.com​).

MARCIA L. CONNER is executive director of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (mconner1@nfbpa.org).

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 33

INSPIRING

Inclusion

BY ELAINE WANG AND PJ GAGAJENA

Bringing together Asian Pacific Islander Americans in local government

W

hat do Austin, Dallas, Kansas City, Metro Tacoma, Vermont, the California Bay Area, and Southern California all have in common? Their local governments each have the rare distinction in the United States of possessing staff who are Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA). These individuals are also members of the International Network of Asian Public Administrators (I-NAPA).

If you live in the United States and haven’t thought much about Asians in public administration, there’s a reason for that. There are many fewer in senior local government positions than are representative in the U.S. population at six percent. Even in California counties such as Los Angeles and Alameda, in which APIAs account for more than 30% of the population, only a few have reached city or county executivelevel positions. As past ICMA President Pat Martel would say, “You can’t be what you can’t see,” to which we add, you can’t picture what you can’t see either. I-NAPA was created in part to change this lack of inclusion of APIAs, with aspirations to expand, add value to, and learn from our international colleagues in the future.

I-NAPA became a reality as the direct result of ICMA’s efforts to support diversity and 34 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

inclusiveness, beginning with an “aha” moment in 2015.

At ICMA’s 2015 annual Conference in Seattle, keynote speaker Vernā Myers asked attendees to self-identify by various groups. When she called out “Asian,” only a handful of people stood among a crowd of a thousand. After the session, non-Asian colleagues remarked that they were surprised to see so few Asians in the crowd; of course, those of us Asians present were not.

Ed Shikada, currently the city manager of Palo Alto, took that moment in the Seattle plenary hall as a call to bring visibility to Asians in public administration.

He himself had benefited from the efforts of trailblazers Mona Miyasato, Susan Muranishi, and Reyna Farrales, senior county executives who brought together Asian public administrators in California as Cal-NAPA. “Our numbers are so small [in the United States] that it’s helpful to have a support network,” said Shikada.

Rey Arellano, Austin’s assistant

city manager, had the same thought. They both spoke with Pat Martel, and then-executive director of ICMA, Bob O’Neill.

The two wholeheartedly opened up ICMA’s resources to the effort.

Over the next several months, Arellano, Shikada, and Farrales, along with Genesis Gavino (who worked for Tacoma at the time, and now for Dallas), conducted a survey of ICMA members and others regarding interests and issues in serving APIA communities. Survey results were presented at the 2016 annual conference in Kansas City at a session attended by 15 APIA-identifying ICMA members. Our number was small, but those of us Americans in attendance were heartened to no longer be “the only Asian in the room.”

Momentum from that survey and ICMA conference led to the establishment of the first iteration of the I-NAPA organization, along with a LinkedIn presence that grew

“Being a Filipino woman made me different from what most people were used to seeing among their local government leaders. I chose to lead in a way that valued difference, and aimed to understand all perspectives in helping organizations improve and communities thrive.”

to 150 members within a few months, and a website hosted

by ICMA. The unglamorous but important work of organizing proceeded over the next two years, made even more challenging by the sparse and geographically distant membership. The work included development of an aspirational mission statement and objectives, as informed by the 2016 survey. The objectives were to encourage excellence among public administrators of Asian heritage by: • Developing emerging leaders of Asian heritage.

• Supporting public administrators of Asian heritage.

• Providing networking opportunities.

• Providing unique resources to Asian public administrators.

Thus far, I-NAPA has made progress on these objectives through events, social media, and developing leader profiles,

which have connected and showcased public administrators of Asian heritage. Thirteen profiles are currently available at icma. org/i-napa/resources.

Two strategic planning retreats have been held. The first was in 2018, where I-NAPA was greatly aided by the skilled facilitation of Magda Gonzalez, a city manager and member of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN). The retreat yielded goals for the short and long term, and crystallized our rallying vision—to inspire inclusion.

I-NAPA concluded its second retreat in July of this year, conducted virtually due to the pandemic. We came out of it reinspired with a proactive member engagement strategy to invigorate our LinkedIn membership of more than 200 people, a quarterly webinar series, and

monthly virtual roundtables dubbed “Boba Breaks.”

What once seemed to be our Achilles heel, the sparsity and geographic spread of Asian ICMA members has become an unimportant detail: the pandemic has made virtual interactions commonplace.

There are a few lessons to be taken from I-NAPA’s development: • The importance of a reliable incubator. ICMA has served that role for I-NAPA. Unlike some other affinity groups, I-NAPA needed ICMA’s administrative and structural support in order to succeed. ICMA provided a springboard, allowing I-NAPA to make the leap from a “handful of scrappy volunteers” to functioning organization much more easily than otherwise.

ICMA’s backbone support has included administering surveys, providing a

36 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

professional website, and arranging for I-NAPA spaces and visibility at ICMA conferences.

• The value of those who have come before. CalNAPA, LGHN, and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators are our trailblazers, resources, colleagues, and sources of inspiration.

• The engine that is community. Those of us who take on projects and responsibilities for I-NAPA do so because our fellow members are in community with us; we want to give because we receive. Many of us felt alone in our Asian public administrator identity prior to I-NAPA. As I-NAPA, we inspire each other to reach higher for ourselves and for others, so we may all be seen in governance.

• Inclusion brings more resources to bear.

Expanding who is in public administration needs to remain a top priority for local government not just because it is the right thing to do. Including the talents and abilities of current and aspiring Asian public administrators means local governments can do more than they could have previously imagined. As Reyna Farrales, the former deputy county manager of San Mateo County, California, described, “Being a Filipino woman made me different from what most people were used to seeing among their local government leaders. I attribute my success to my parents, supervisors, and mentors who saw potential in me and supported me throughout my career.

They made me believe that

Profile: Charles Ozaki The advancement and respect of the local government profession are built on the shoulders of public servant leaders such as Charles Ozaki. Among one of the first ICMA members of Asian heritage, his career spans 43 years in local government management. This includes serving as city and county manager of Broomfield, Colorado, for eight years, and as its assistant and deputy city and county manager for 29 years.

Ozaki grew up in a poor neighborhood next to downtown Denver that was redlined and relegated for Asians, African Americans, Latinos, and other minorities after World War II. His family settled there after his father, mother, and infant older brother were among the Japanese nationals in Lima, Peru, who were kidnapped as hostages by the U.S. government during the war and imprisoned in Crystal City, Texas.

Ozaki’s parents worked hard, and overcame significant language and cultural barriers to help their five children succeed and graduate from college. Ozaki also attributes his family’s success to a strong support network of neighbors and community members, especially the Japanese American community of Denver.

His exposure to public administration while attending the University of Colorado would lead him to a career in local government in the mid-1970s where he was very aware of being one of the few minorities and Asians at city hall.

Today, Ozaki serves as a senior advisor to the ICMA-affiliated Colorado City and County Management Association after retiring from Broomfield in August 2019. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Mile High United Way that serves the most disadvantaged communities in Metro Denver. In his role as a senior advisor, Ozaki supports city managers in transition and emerging leaders and coaches them regarding their ability to see oneself objectively and how one affects other people. He notes that Asians and minorities in America who live in a majority social environment may be predisposed to this ability since they are often outsiders looking in, and may be more acutely aware of how words and actions affect them and others. This same self-awareness touches on the rising national consciousness and forced recognition of racism coming to bear in society after the tragic death of George Floyd. He hopes the momentum for social change continues, and the narrative remains focused on equity rather than simply equality so that there is an actual reversal of the conscious and unconscious barriers impacting people of color.

Ozaki recognizes that public administration is not a traditional profession for Asians, but people from Asian communities bring with them knowledge, skills, and experiences that adapt well and can contribute greatly to the city and county management profession. He believes that I-NAPA can play a significant role in opening doors, creating opportunities for positive change, and shining a light on the responsibility of city and county managers, along with appointed and elected officials, to promote and support diversity and inclusion, especially at the highest levels of local government.

being different is a strength along with other unique qualities that make me a good person and effective leader. While I acknowledge that stereotypes and biases still exist, which can be really discouraging at times, I chose to lead in a way that valued difference, that aimed to understand all perspectives in helping organizations improve and communities thrive.”

Now we ask you: How can you inspire inclusion? Can you be an incubator? A trailblazer?

Will you foster community?

Will you expand who is in your administration? What will you do? To join us as a member or become an ally, email I-NAPA at intlnapa@ gmail.com to receive membership and event information.

ELAINE WANG is assistant town manager, Barre Town, Vermont, and I-NAPA’s vice president for membership.

Previously she worked for environmental nonprofits supporting local governments and community organizations in tackling climate change in the United States and China. (ewang@barretown.org) PJ GAGAJENA is assistant city manager, Moorpark, California. He previously worked for the cities of Indio, Los Angeles, New York, and Torrance; and served as an adjunct professor of political science at El Camino College in Torrance, California. (pjgagajena@moorparkca.gov)

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 37

RACIAL EQUITY ACTION

BY ICMA and the Government Alliance On Race and Equity (GARE)

Contributors: Alan G. Vanderberg, Steve Mokrohisky, and Ray Corpuz

IN

Jim Ekstrand/stock.adobe.com

How three local government leaders are making strides in their community

Over the course of 2020, racial inequities demonstrated through the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, and criminal justice have been front and center. City and county managers are uniquely situated to lead and support their jurisdiction’s efforts to address inequities and advance racial justice, recognizing the reality that government played a central role in the creation and maintenance of racial inequities. City and county managers have the ability to lead and implement policy and practice change at multiple levels and across multiple sectors to drive larger systemic change.

ICMA and the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) are working together to achieve racial equity in communities across the country. We are excited to share the experiences of several city and county managers who are using GARE’s framework of normalizing conversations about race, organizing within government and with community partners to achieve racial equity, and operationalizing with new policies, practices, and racial equity action plans. Read on to learn more about these racial equity leaders and the strides they have made within their communities.

Salinas, California

38 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

What is your jurisdiction’s vision for racial equity?

Alan G. Vanderberg, County Administrator, Ottawa County, Michigan

Our county’s vision statement was “Ottawa County strives to be the location of choice for living, working, and recreation,” until it was completely rewritten in 2016. What led to the change?

In 2012, the county embarked on the Four Cs (customer service, communication, creativity, and cultural intelligence) organizational improvement, and strategic alignment initiative.

The county partnered with the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance (LEDA) to provide cultural intelligence training for nearly 700 employees in such areas as diversity, implicit bias, and white privilege. Many employees reported that it was the most impactful professional training that they had received in their career. Strong support from major employers continue to emphasize the importance of the work. In 2016, the board of commissioners changed the county vision statement to “Where you belong.” Words are meaningful and this change has been key to providing a clear statement on where we stand to all employees and residents.

Steve Mokrohisky, County Administrator, Lane County, Oregon

Rex Wholster/stock.adobe.com

Our vision for Lane County is to be the best place to live, work, and play for everyone. This means that Lane County must be a healthy, safe, and thriving community. We cannot reach our full potential as a community until every resident has access to a level playing field to reach their full potential.

Oregon and Lane County have a tragic history of racist policies and practices—from forcible exclusion of people of color and restrictions on property ownership, to refusal to recognize

Ottawa County, Michigan

indigenous tribes—that have created structures and institutions that continue to foster and perpetuate inequities based on race.

We continue to reckon with this local history, just as our nation continues to reckon with its broader history of racial oppression and inequities.

Racial inequities have been built into the very fabric and foundation of our nation. Therefore, it’s going to take all of us— particularly those of us who have historically benefited from inherent privileges in our society—to make racial equity a part of our community’s vision, values, and daily work.

In Lane County, our racial equity priorities are to: 1. Normalize: Institute required training and regular communication on racial equity.

2. Organize: Strengthen racial equity structures, accountability, and programs.

3. Operationalize: Establish a racial equity lens that is embedded into all decision-making.

Our vision and priorities for racial equity in Lane County were developed in partnership with our GARE cohort team, and reviewed and approved by our county-wide equity committee. Our GARE cohort team is made up of nine employees that together participated in GARE’s nine-month Northwest Cohort in 2019.

Our county-wide equity committee is made up of the county

Lane County, Oregon OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 39

administrator, appointed department directors, the elected assessor, and one representative from each department from varying levels of classifications (from front line staff to upper management).

The process to develop the vision, priorities, and goals included several facilitated focus groups with the teams mentioned above, as well as our Board of County Commissioners and our Equity and Access Advisory Board, comprised of volunteer community members. In June 2020, our Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution in support of Black Lives Matter and Lane County’s commitment to putting in the work to achieve racial equity.

How have you built racial equity competencies for your jurisdiction’s leadership?

Alan G. Vanderberg, County Administrator, Ottawa County, Michigan

In addition to the LEDA training previously mentioned, the county also facilitated and hosted annual diversity forums featuring practitioners and industry experts to speak on racial equity and inclusion. The Cultural Intelligence Committee (CIC), a 15-member volunteer employee-led group, promoted lunch-andlearns, training, and engagement around racial equity, and remains active in both the community and internally. Ottawa County was also one of the early adopters of GARE, joining the network across the county. In 2019, the first diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office was staffed. In 2021, we are planning to work with the local municipalities, townships, villages, and cities—along with internal departments—to establish learning communities that will create and implement racial equity toolkits and action plans, and operationalize these within each of their respective locations.

Steve Mokrohisky, County Administrator, Lane County, Oregon

We have incorporated our racial equity priorities into our countywide strategic plan to align the work with organizational and community priorities, and to ensure accountability. We recently established an equity lens for our organization and are working to operationalize the lens into our regular decision-making. We have created new committees, comprised of staff at various levels of the organization, to take on specific objectives that fit under our racial equity priorities to further work on normalizing, organizing, and operationalizing racial equity. We invited two speakers from GARE to conduct a day-long racial equity training for all of our supervisors, managers, and emerging leaders last winter.

In order to build racial equity competencies for middle management and frontline staff, we have expanded our capacity by bringing on new facilitators (emerging leaders in our organization) to conduct Equity 101 trainings for all of our employees. We have a requirement that all employees conduct a minimum of three hours of equity training each year. We have conducted trainings that focus on tools, such as “affirm, counter, transform,” to better equip our employees to have impactful conversations about racial equity.

I have sent daily emails to all employees since mid-March to provide updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, and I often use this forum to reinforce our racial equity priorities and address information about systemic racism, which includes the racial inequity exposed during this public health emergency.

Finally, we are excited about the upcoming virtual town halls that we will be facilitating to ask residents what it would look like to achieve racial equity. We are seeking our community’s input on how to view our policies and practices from various perspectives, and how to best approach dismantling systemic racism in our organization and community.

Ray Corpuz, City Manager, Salinas, California

Richard & Susan Day/Danita Delimont/stock.adobe.com

Ottawa County, Michigan

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Leadership will be learning racial equity competencies through this model, through partnering with the county DEI office, and continued work with GARE.

I have hired directors who come with racial equity competencies and together we offer training for all staff in race equity strategies and planning. With broader support from directors, we can count on increased engagement from middle management and frontline staff. In 2014, Governing for Racial Equity (GRE) training was conducted by Race Forward, blended with Trauma Informed Healing training done by the National Compadres Network. We trained 50 staff, including nearly all directors and middle managers.

The training was innovative and the first of its kind in the country.

Out of this training came the development of a GRE steering committee made up of equal parts community and city leadership that continues to meet to this day. The leader of the steering committee is Jose Arreola, community safety administrator and director for community alliance for safety and peace. Jose has been a champion of the city’s racial equity efforts. His participation has been instrumental in moving race equity forward internally within

Salinas, California

Yuval Helfman/stock.adobe.com

Salinas, California

city hall and externally with community partners. The goals of the steering committee were to: 1. Tell the Salinas story.

2. Develop ongoing city trainings.

3. Develop ongoing community trainings.

4. Expand community engagement.

5. Conduct or begin actual new projects, policies, or practices.

The development of the Salinas case study “Building the We” and the short documentary of the same name are how we “tell the Salinas Story.” In 2015 and 2016, we expanded the training to include all staff. In 2016, we registered for the Government Alliance on Race Equity (GARE) and invested in a team of nearly 20 staff with representation from all departments to attend the year-long Northern California cohort in Oakland. We graduated GARE

cohorts in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In February 2020, the city council of Salinas accepted a grant award from the California Endowment of $120,000 over two years to fund continued and expanded race equity training for staff. The key outcomes of funding from this grant are: 1. Increased capacity of city employees to deepen a shared understanding of structural racism and its role in perpetuating health and other key life inequities.

2. Increased understanding of the city council to deepen collective shared understanding of structural racism and its role in perpetuating health and other key life inequities.

3. Increased commitment and implementation of healing-informed GARE practices across all departments that allows the city to make substantive progress toward institutional change.

4. Participation and engagement of city leadership in East Salinas Building Healthy Communities-Towards a Racially Equitable Monterey County.

How have you been able to integrate racial equity into policy decision-making and budgeting?

Alan G. Vanderberg, County Administrator, Ottawa County, Michigan

One of the key priorities of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Office is to lead the development of their strategies across the county. Part of that work includes racial equity work through OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 41

implicit bias templates (i.e., racial equity toolkits) which are then applied to policies, programs, procedures, and decision-making, including budgeting. In addition, the DEI strategy requires an audit of current policies and procedures, which are being reviewed in tandem with the overall goal of operationalizing DEI throughout.

Ray Corpuz, City Manager, Salinas, California In 2016, the Salinas City Council approved an allocation of $647,000 toward the development of the Alisal Vibrancy Plan, a key new project influencing policy in land use and development in an historically under-resourced and low household income area of our city. The Alisal is the most densely populated, low income, and predominantly Latinx community in Salinas. The Alisal is where most of our large campesino (farmworker) population live. A key to the success of this plan was the development and sustainment of an all-resident-led steering committee that worked for nearly three years from start to finish. The Alisal Vibrancy Plan fundamentally shifted and improved how we think about and execute community engagement in the city of Salinas.

Partnerships with community groups have been key to our success, but also one of our greatest challenges. Other key partners in this effort are activists and they occasionally protest the city’s actions. We have had to have very difficult conversations and temper our egos to stay the course in achieving the important goals of developing a more just and equitable Salinas for everyone. This is often much easier said than done. However, we are still working together today and have secured funding to continue training and developing race equity tools for at least three years, which would complete nearly a decade of continuous race equity training and development for the city.

Have your relationships with communities of color shifted?

Alan G. Vanderberg, County

Administrator, Ottawa County, Michigan

We have seen a major improvement in relationships with communities of color. It wasn’t so much that we had a poor relationship; it was more of a nonexistent relationship. We created a Cultural Intelligence Committee (CIC) made up of a cross-section of county employees and one of its tasks was to establish better ties with our communities of color. The CIC began lining up county officials and staff to co-sponsor and attend events such as the Latin Americans United for Progress annual dinner and meeting, the Asian-Pacific American Chamber of Commerce annual awards dinner, and the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce Minority business awards luncheon.

The county also established the first diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) department with a full-time executive director in 2019. Robyn Afrik, who implemented and managed the DEI program for Meijer Corporation was selected to lead the office. Robyn also happens to be the first woman of color to serve as a director for the county, also signifying a major county commitment to our communities of color, which has been received tremendously well.

In 2019, Ottawa County became the first government to be awarded the Champion of Diversity Award by the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce.

Lane County, Oregon

Jamie Hooper/stock.adobe.com

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Lane County, Oregon

What is your advice for cities or counties that are just getting started?

Alan G. Vanderberg, County Administrator, Ottawa County, Michigan

My best advice is to focus on the “why.” Work to develop consensus in your organization and, if possible, in the greater community as to why it’s important for you to undertake this work. In my opinion, many local government diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts die before they begin because they haven’t focused enough on the “why.”

We chose to focus on future prosperity instead of blame, shame, and guilt, and this fits our conservative culture in Ottawa County.

Steve Mokrohisky, County Administrator, Lane County, Oregon

We lead with race because we recognize that the creation and perpetuation of racial inequities has been baked into our government structures throughout history and that racial inequities across all indicators for success are deep and pervasive. While we also know that other groups of people are still marginalized—based on gender, sexual orientation, accessibility, and age, to name a few— focusing on racial equity provides the opportunity to introduce a framework, tools and resources that can also be applied to other areas of marginalization.

This work is not easy. It requires patience, humility, listening, self-reflection, balancing varying perspectives, and arguably most important: commitment. As a white man with 40-plus years of privilege under my belt, I wonder how I’m qualified to lead a local government through racial equity reckoning and transformation.

I often worry I’m going to say or do the wrong thing. You’re not going to get everything right all of the time, but that’s not a reason to delay the journey.

One of the easiest and most impactful things you could do right now is to reach out to your employees of color and ask for feedback on their experience as an employee in your organization. Give them space to offer an honest assessment of their experience. Just listen and learn. Use this new dialogue to open up other conversations that engage employees in thoughtful discussions. We don’t have to have all the answers; we just have to listen and be open to new thoughts and ideas that help us achieve our vision for racial equity.

Reaching out and listening to employee experiences has been an impactful practice for me and a realization that while I have the privilege to set this work aside and take a break when I need to, our employees of color do not have that privilege. They live and breathe the realities of racial inequity every moment of every day in ways I can’t imagine. It has to be exhausting, terrifying, and infuriating. For the rest of us, all we can do is everything we must do to make our organizations and communities the best places to live, work, and play for everyone.

For more information about GARE, visit www.racialequityalliance.org.

ALAN G. VANDERBERG, ICMA-CM, is county administrator, Ottawa County, Michigan. ICMA member since 1984.

STEVE MOKROHISKY is county administrator, Lane County, Oregon. He is president-elect of the National Association of County Administrators (NACA). ICMA member since 2007.

RAY CORPUZ is city manager, Salinas, California.

ICMA member since 1973.

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Promoting Equity

through Employee Resource Groups

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THE BENEFITS ABOUND FOR EMPLOYEE MEMBERS, THE WORKPLACE, AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE

BY ROLANDO FERNANDEZ JR.

for inclusiveness, and advance leadership for local government employees of color.

In Phoenix, for example, the local LGHN chapter, Phoenix Hispanic Network, has partnered with the local NFBPA chapter to jointly adopt a family during the holidays. Members from both organizations get together to wrap gifts and deliver items, which provides members with joint community service and networking. The Phoenix-area ERGs also come together and host an annual ERG meet-and-greet where all city employees are welcome. Each ERG has an information table, and speakers reinforce the importance of ERGs to the mission of local government.

Benefits to Employees

For local government employees, these groups provide a long list of benefits that in turn help the organization, since fulfilled employees are essential to high-functioning workplaces. The best groups provide the following for their members: Help new employees settle in. The first two to three months are critical for an employee’s long-term performance and satisfaction, and members of traditionally underrepresented groups face particular challenges becoming acclimated to a new workplace. By involving appropriate ERGs in the onboarding process, local governments help them acclimate and begin to feel like valued members of the organization. This can help promote retention and improve performance.

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 45

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For decades, local governments have promoted employee resource groups (ERG) as a way to connect employees who share demographic factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, or other common backgrounds or interests. Employees have much to gain from participating in ERGs. Membership in these groups can spark innovation and a sense of belonging, and provide support and a platform to advocate for change.

In this time of renewed interest in equity and inclusion, it’s important to understand how local governments and the communities they serve can benefit from them. With the nonwhite population expected to reach majority status by around 2044, leaders and employees of public agencies need to respond to the nation’s growing diversity and ensure they look like the communities they serve. ERGs are poised to serve as catalysts for change in local government workplaces, and it’s time for leaders to examine their relationships with them to ensure that everyone is benefitting from their potential.

ERGs began in another time of immense change, with Xerox launching the first group, for Black employees, in 1970. They spread within the private and public sectors and branched out to represent women, LGBTQ, and Latinx employees, among others. In some workplaces, ERGs are freestanding, not affiliated with chapters elsewhere. Others, such as our organization, Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN), and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, link employees in different public agencies to each other to share ideas, advocate

Develop talent. Through professional development, networking, and mentoring, ERGs assist in finding and nurturing future leaders, which benefits both the employees and the organization. The LGHN Padrinos/Madrinas program draws on a tradition in Hispanic culture in which cherished adults serve as an extension of family and provide a strong support system for family members. The program creates a similar support system for emerging leaders in local government, pairing them with a seasoned coach who has expertise and knowledge in a variety of areas.

Other talent development pathways include internal and external leadership development programs, coaching, and skill sharing.

Ultimately the informal and formal talent development leads to more satisfied employees, reduced turnover rates, and a more diverse pool of leaders.

Be heard. Effective local government leaders listen to, ask questions of, and act on recommendations from their ERGs. This dialogue helps leaders to consider multiple perspectives on important issues and lets employees know their input is valuable.

For employees to truly understand this, it’s important that they see their contributions lead to action, or they may grow disillusioned if nothing ever emerges from their input.

Benefits to Employers

Many of the biggest benefits to employees extend to employers, too.

Both the community and its leaders win when all local government workers feel valued, heard, and satisfied at work. ERGs extend the following benefits to local government organizations:

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Promote diversity. The best organizations look and sound like the people they serve, and this is especially important in local government, where it is imperative for decisions to consider everyone. When stakeholders see employees who look and sound like them at community meetings and city hall, they are more likely to feel like they belong and solutions to problems are more likely to be representative of the community at large.

Gather feedback and increase trust. An individual employee might feel intimidated at the prospect of raising issues related to diversity to their managers. By making the time to meet with ERGs, and asking for honest feedback, managers are more likely to know how employees are really feeling and where opportunities for improvement lie. Are your employees empowered and feel empowered to bring their ideas to the table? Have you analyzed your policies and procedures through the lens of equity?

Are managers held accountable to ensure equitable opportunities are prevalent in their departments? These are important questions to ask, and leaders are more likely to get direct answers from resource groups. Once they have the answers, it’s vital to act on them; inaction leads to mistrust, which turns off the feedback spigot pretty quickly.

Find talent. In addition to nurturing future leaders, ERGs can be a big help with recruiting a diverse workforce. ERGs should be involved in getting the word out about new positions, inviting people to apply, and vetting applicants as appropriate. Many groups like LGHN offer job boards for member organizations to advertise for open positions. As a bonus, applicants are often impressed with

Opportunities Moving Forward

Perhaps your local government is doing everything outlined above. If so, great! But there is always room for improvement, especially in a time of great change like we are experiencing now.

Ask yourself: Are we also doing the following? If not, why not? The following are suggestions of how you can further support ERGs in your organization: Provide support. Most work in ERGs is led by volunteers, and tasks such as creating flyers, ordering food, and reserving rooms creates a burden that doesn’t help build members’ leadership skills.

Providing administrative support alleviates some of the burden, thereby encouraging them to do what the organizations were created for. Encouraging middle managers and executive leaders to attend ERG events, engage with attendees, and champion the group’s efforts sends a message of support and increases its effectiveness.

Compensate leaders. When ERGs were largely a support network, it made sense that they were volunteer-led. But with members now attending budget meetings, leading community forums, and providing other direct service while representing their group, it makes sense to consider compensation where

possible. It doesn’t have to be a salary increase or a bonus; it could take the form of dedicating a set percentage or number of hours to resource group work.

Fund membership and conference attendance. Employees can develop their network, receive talent development, and reap other benefits from participating in conferences and belonging to national ERGs. For a small fee, it’s another way to make employees feel valued and deepen their commitment to their work.

Encourage collaboration. An increasing number of public agencies are creating roles dedicated to diversity and inclusion.

Those roles could potentially develop into rivals to ERGs, but smart leaders will ensure they work together in the pursuit of the greater good. Most resource groups understand that the aims of each individual group are similar—to promote equity—but that the overall organizational goal is supported by groups retaining their own identity even as they learn to work together.

When conceived and managed well, employee resource groups provide a long list of benefits to employee members, the workplace, and the community at large. Local government leaders can work with resource group leaders to identify opportunities to improve so that they are prepared to meet new challenges and assist in making workplaces and communities more representative and equitable.

ROLANDO FERNANDEZ JR. is president of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN). For more information about LGHN, visit https://lghn.org/.

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prospective employers who signal their commitment to diversity by involving resource groups in all stages of the recruitment process.

ERGs can do the same for diverse contractors and suppliers, encouraging them to apply for contracts with the local government to ensure spending is equitable.

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Patrick Smith / Staff via Getty Images

Art:

Engaging the public through art for more effective emergency management of racism and related public health crises

Creating Possibilities in

Emergencies Emergency management is a critical function of local government.

As emergencies increase and evolve, the methods for which we prepare, respond, and recover from emergencies must adapt as well. Public managers need to look at this work in new ways, identifying the intersectional nature of emergencies and expanding opportunities to create a more equitable and safer environment for the entire community.

BY AMELIA BROWN

Emergencies Are Intersectional

Evacuspots are bus stops where residents can find a safe ride out of New Orleans in emergencies. These spots are marked by a statue that looks like a man holding up one arm. Image from evacuteer.org.

Emergencies can be defined as natural, human-caused or technological. These types of emergencies can include acute shocks categorized by sudden events, such as earthquakes or floods. Emergencies can also be systemic. Many human rights issues that are created and upheld by social, economic, or political practices are chronic stressors that impact us daily or in cycles, such as unemployment or violence.1 Acute emergencies often reveal existing conditions and increase institutional and systemic inequities. For example, longstanding disparities in housing and transportation were exacerbated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane (a natural disaster) caused the levees to break (a technological disaster), leading to disparities in housing and transportation (a systemic disaster).

These intersections are factors that contributed to Hurricane Katrina being classified as one of the costliest and deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history.2 These emergencies are devasting to our communities. Within this devastation, we can disrupt harmful patterns and procedures and create new opportunities for our communities.

Racism Is a Public Health Emergency

This year, intersections within emergencies have become increasingly visible to some people while becoming increasingly traumatizing to our communities. Studies show that “getting killed by police is a leading cause of death for young black men in America,” and that “police killings of unarmed black men were associated with an increase in mental health problems such as of these disproportionate and severe impacts. This awareness depression and emotional issues for black people living in the state can translate into action, including activism, an increase in data where the killing took place.”3 collection and sharing, and shifts in practices that recognize these Structural racism, such as a lack of access to adequate disparities and work to address them. Public managers can build healthcare and food systems,4 has led to an increase in health and upon this increased awareness to create positive change in their economic disparities for African Americans, including dying at communities. For example, using resources that disaggregate disproportionately higher rates compared to all other races during data by race, like the City Health Dashboard,8 can help managers the COVID-19 pandemic.5 Racism has a cumulative impact that find areas in their community that have been disproportionately can lead to additional dire outcomes, such as the development impacted by COVID-19. This information can be applied to of coronary heart disease.6 In these emergencies, the impact on develop data-driven strategies or to partner data with other creative African American communities is compounded. strategies, to increase resources, to craft messaging that promotes Experiencing the impacts of inequitable education, housing, access and addresses disparities, and to develop engagement and healthcare are all examples of chronic stressors. When strategies for emergency response. another human being is murdered when driving, walking, sleeping, or doing other daily A Key Challenge to Community Recovery activities, we experience this as an acute shock.7 in Emergencies Racism is a Acute shocks become or intersect with chronic Intersectional emergencies such as systematic human-caused, stressors when people continue to experience racism need an integrated emergency the stress of oppression, violence, and loss of life management approach. Multiple studies and chronic, systemic, because of racism. Racism is a human-caused, articles discuss the importance and challenge of intersectional chronic, systemic intersectional emergency public involvement in emergency management. emergency with with acute shocks. Racism has become a public George D. Haddow and Jane A. Bullock share health emergency. a study by the New York Academy of Medicine acute shocks.

Opportunities can arise within emergencies that reports emergency management planners Racism is a public to develop new and creative ways to address must engage the public in the planning process in health emergency. long-standing issues. The compounding effects order to fully understand the public’s needs and of COVID-19 and systematic racism to African concerns, and that the public is vitally interested Americans has led to increased public awareness in getting involved in this process. An article from 50 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

Government Technology shares that a report by FEMA reveals that they have not been able to reach any of their goals in preparing individual households and communities for emergencies for the past two decades.9 These studies reveal some core challenges throughout various types and phases of emergencies: Plans developed without the involvement of those intended to utilize them can lead to inaccurate assumptions about public behavior that can have severe consequences. Increasing gaps between the needs of the public and the plans made without their input can have disastrous results. In ICMA’s 2019 Disaster Resilience and Recovery Survey, 60 percent of responding managers said they had not created a post-disaster public engagement strategy inclusive of the whole community.10 Developing processes to close this gap is crucial to effective and integrated emergency management.

A Key Component to Community Recovery in Emergencies

How do we increase public involvement in planning and supporting community recovery? How can we apply these lessons to address the public health emergency of racism?

Through more than 20 years of work across four continents, I have found a key to increasing public involvement in planning and implementation of community recovery efforts—art. One of the most overlooked yet vital roles in emergency management is the role of artists. Integrating arts and emergency management is essential to addressing various types of emergencies.

Government entities can experience challenges with public-

informed plans due to various factors, including a history of extracting information or dictating policies that create distrust and compound trauma for communities.

Artists can: • Implement creative strategies to gain, record, and share community insight to inform emergency management plans.

• Facilitate opportunities for engagement in which community members can define their own needs to inform their own prevention of or recovery from a disaster.

• Overcome social barriers, such as language and culture.

• Create communication and build solidarity11 to overcome inequities and increase racial equity in public health.12 After leading disaster recovery work in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, I saw how intersectional partnerships among government, art, community, and emergency management can be successful. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, many without personal transportation were left stranded in the midst of a disaster.

The city of New Orleans has a city-assisted evacuation (CAE) plan, a public evacuation option for those without transportation.

Through community outreach with the organization Evacuteer, who manages volunteers to assist in CAE, they learned that people were unaware of the pick-up points throughout the city to safely evacuate via public transportation.13 A partnership among Evacuteer, FEMA, the Arts Council of New Orleans, and the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness worked to increase visibility and use of the CAE pick-up points. They developed the first-of-its-kind public art OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 51

Photo by munshots on Unsplash

with an emergency management function, commissioning 17 public art pieces named Evacuspots to serve as identifiable markers designating gathering locations for public transportation during a mandatory evacuation.14 While working in New Zealand after they experienced several earthquakes, I saw how artists were critical in a public health campaign aimed at normalizing conversations about wellbeing and mental health. The campaign launched in 2013 to support the recovery of community members following the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.15 The campaign reached 70 percent of the disaster-impacted population, and of those who were surveyed 93 percent shared that the campaign helped them think about their wellbeing, and 85 percent commented that they had done the activities suggested in the campaign to improve their wellbeing.

In Minneapolis, artists are on the frontlines of the public health emergency of racism. Artists lead in a multitude of areas, including the Black Lives Matter movement, protests, memorials, and honoring the lives of George Floyd and many of our community members who have died from police brutality and murder. We have experienced the power and beauty of images and murals across the city that scream for justice, honor our communities, and express grief as boarded-up buildings provide space for many who are underrepresented, underserved, ignored, and traumatized by the racial inequities in our cities. This work radiates throughout the world and many artists are leading the way in their respective communities. The Urban Art Mapping George Floyd and AntiRacist Street Art database16 documents street art from around the

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world that has emerged in the aftermath of the horrific murder of George Floyd as part of an ongoing movement demanding justice.

The database describes street art as transformational: “...in the context of a crisis, street art also has the potential to transform urban space and foster a sustained political dialogue, reaching a wide audience and making change possible.�

These examples show how art is one key to increasing public involvement in community recovery. Beyond the beauty of murals, this art is capturing history while it is being made, changing the landscape of our cities, increasing public representation in our communities, conveying the realities of racism, increasing attention to social issues, and increasing accessibility and providing space to create, connect, and discuss critical topics. Art continues to be a way to build solidarity, heal communally, and advance community recovery.

To address intersectional emergencies, including the public health emergency of racism, we need to increase public involvement in both planning and response. Working with artists to implement creative strategies for community recovery can result in publicly informed plans and actions that address the emergency of racism.

The Public Manager’s Role

Public managers can practice integrated emergency management in a multitude of ways. First, work to align internal and external practices. Have resources been prioritized toward community recovery for African American communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and racism? Have resources been allocated toward African American staff for their own recovery

Integrating art

andrey gonchar/stock.adobe.com

into all phases and to directly address internal workplace Conclusion disparities such as pay, career advancement, Emergencies are intersectional and they call for of emergency and developing a healthy work environment? innovative and integrated approaches to management can How is every individual working on internalized emergency management. Racism is a critical increase the impact, racism? ICMA’s creative placemaking guide is public health emergency. Integrating art into all effectiveness, a resource for more information on how artists phases of emergency management can increase can play a larger role in your organization. My the impact, effectiveness, and equity of and equity of Grandmother’s Hands is a resource for learning community recovery, and can help generations community and practicing embodied racial justice and of communities recover from the public health recovery. learning how trauma and resilience interact. Pair emergency of racism. training or reading with dedicated and consistent practice individually and collectively with antiCopyright © 2020, Amelia Brown, Emergency Arts. racism groups to increase accountability and action. We cannot overlook the halls within ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES ourselves or our own government buildings 1 http://www.100resilientcities.org/resources/ when addressing this emergency.

2 https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/business/t019-s001Second, we learn from New Orleans most-expensive-natural-disasters-in-u-s-history/index.html 3 that listening to the most underserved https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2019-08-15/policeshootings-are-a-leading-cause-of-death-for-black-men and underrepresented communities 4 https://civileats.com/2020/05/05/people-of-color-are-atprovides pathways to improved emergency greater-risk-of-covid-19-systemic-racism-in-the-food-systemplays-a-role/ management and community recovery.

5 https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/health/coronavirus-africanDevelop cross-sector partnerships among americans-study/index.html local government, neighborhood, arts, and 6 https://www.npr.org/2017/10/28/560444290/racism-isliterally-bad-for-your-health emergency organizations. Combine expertise 7 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/07/ and assets to advance community recovery.

485114263/philando-castile-is-remembered-by-st-paul-publicThird, we learn from New Zealand that schools-kids-loved-him 8 https://www.cityhealthdashboard.com/ artists have an important role to play in community representation, 9 https://www.govtech.com/em/preparedness/Report-Weve-Failed-Miserablycommunication, education, engagement, and translating all of this at-Preparedness.html 10 into communal action. Hire and partner with artists to develop https://icma.org/sites/default/files/Disaster%20Resiliency%20and%20Recovery%20 Survey%20Summary_0.pdf and advance all aspects of government communications. There are 11 https://springboardforthearts.org/additional-resources/community-emergencymany benefits to this partnership, including increasing the ability relief-fund/ 12 to reach people that have been harmed, hold legitimate distrust, https://arts.ufl.edu/sites/creating-healthy-communities/resources/evidence-basedframework/increase-health-service-equity-and-access/ and have been severely underserved by government entities. This 13 https://evacuteer.org/ benefit is not solely to advance the message of public managers, 14 https://evacuteer.org/evacuspots 15 but to understand and advance the messages of the communities https://www.allright.org.nz/about 16 https://georgefloydstreetart.omeka.net/ we are responsible for serving.

17 https://www.cnn.com/style/article/george-floyd-mural-social-justice-art/index.html Fourth, we learn from Minneapolis that artists are on the frontlines of community recovery, creating space and methods to increase public engagement, while helping community members process trauma and build resilience. Public managers who seek AMELIA BROWN is a coach, consultant, writer, to support community recovery in intersectional emergencies speaker, and artist with more than 20 years of must face multiple layers of trauma. Artist Láolú Senbanjo shares community development experience spanning four how art helps process trauma: “Every time there is a new senseless continents. As the first creative city-making program death, or blatant manifestation of harmful white supremacy, art can manager for Minneapolis, she partners artists with city help us to instigate, remember, imagine, discuss, and express these staff to address equity goals. She is the founder of Emergency complex experiences and feeling states.”17 In working through the Arts (https://emergencyarts.net), providing resources to transform crises through creativity and support community resilience. layers of trauma, we also need embodied anti-racist action. Local (https://emergencyarts.net/contact/) government leaders can dedicate resources and develop processes to support the work that artists, specifically African American artists, are already doing in community recovery. City and county managers can also develop partnerships with artists to create new With support from ArtPlace America, ICMA is developing a ways to increase public engagement. Hiring an intermediary or guide on opportunities for local governments to solve problems consultant grounded in anti-racist practices that specializes in through creative placemaking partnerships. Look for this managing the process of working with local government leaders guide’s release late fall of 2020. and artists can increase the impact of this critical work.

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 53

Helping Women ENTREPRENEURS

IN THE PHILIPPINE CITY OF CAGAYAN DE ORO

BY EILEEN SAN JUAN AND RAELITA LEGASPI

T

When we empower women, communities prosper and countries thrive.

he global COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down economic growth all over the world, crippling business operations, tourism profits, and consumer spending. Businesses closed, employers let go of some or all of their workers, and entrepreneurs had to come up with innovative ways to stay afloat. In Cagayan de Oro City, in the Northern Mindanao region of the Philippines, an initial report showed that the services sector—particularly wholesale, retail, and tourism-related businesses, are among the

sectors hit hardest as a result of being categorized as nonessential production activities.

In 2019, there were 27,518 registered enterprises in Cagayan de Oro, 96.5% or 26,555 of which were micro and small enterprises.

About 34% of these were able to access subsidies from the Department of Labor and Employment COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program. Many of these small and microenterprises are owned by women, and these women entrepreneurs find it difficult to remain in business during the pandemic. Their challenges include mekko jean bacorro/EyeEm/stock.adobe.com

54 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

Through funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), ICMA is implementing the SURGE Project in Philippine cities to improve local capacity in inclusive and resilient urban development, improve local economic development, and expand economic connectivity and access between urban and rural areas.

Value-chain analysis planning FGD for Coffee and Cacao sector including farmers, processors, baristas, coffee shop owners, retailers, and service providers.

Bulua Traditional Pottery Arts and Crafts Group

sourcing raw materials, gaining more customers, distributing products, access to credit, and business training and technology.

Research conducted by White & Case1 stated that women entrepreneurs in the Philippines face constraints that men do not. Some banks still prefer the husband’s signature or consent in financial transactions, and some still demand that the male partner co-sign any financial contract. Getting a loan approved is also challenging for most women entrepreneurs. When banks require

collateral, borrowers must pledge their home or land. Women who lack these assets are placed in a difficult position.

However, the Philippines is still positioned as the most gender equal country in Asia, ranking 16th in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020. The report ranks 153 countries in four categories: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. The Philippines closed 80% of the labor force gap in OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 55

Export and Digital Marketing Seminar organized by ORO-TIPC and DTI with USAID and the United Parcel Service (UPS) as part of the W-GDP Initiative.

2019, as women outnumbered men in senior and leadership roles, as well in professional and technical fields.2 Through the years and now during the pandemic, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project, has worked with the local government and partners from the business sector and academia to help bolster the local economy of Cagayan de Oro City. Early this year, USAID and the local government initiated activities specifically to assist women entrepreneurs as part of a larger initiative, the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative.

The W-GDP Initiative was created to enhance opportunities for women so they can participate actively in the economy, contributing both to prosperity and national security. Established in February 2019, the W-GDP is the first whole-of-government effort by the U.S. government to promote women’s economic empowerment in a global sense.

Background: Entrepreneurship in Cagayan De Oro

Since 2016, USAID has worked closely with the local government of Cagayan de Oro to improve the ease of doing business for entrepreneurs and automate and enable online transactions for business and building permit applications, payment of taxes, and other fees. The local government provides support for microentrepreneurs in several ways. The Community Improvement Division (CID) provides livelihood training. The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), provides mentoring to prepare businesses to compete on the open market.

Cagayan de Oro Trade and Investment Promotions Center (Oro-TIPC), in 56 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

tandem with DTI, provides coaching and support for business continuity planning and adjusting to the new normal.

Oro-TIPC works to maintain business-enabling local conditions.

This includes ensuring ease of doing business and providing investment incentives. Their investment priority areas used to be agribusiness, information and communications technology, logistics, and tourism. Now, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) constitute Oro-TIPC’s special attention sector since MSMEs compose more than 90% of Cagayan de Oro’s 27,000 registered businesses, a shift that proved timely with the pandemic hitting the sector hard.

Oro-TIPC was originally created to form part of a tripartite partnership with the Misamis Oriental Provincial Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Promote Northern Mindanao Foundation, Inc. (PRONORMIN). Oro-TIPC relies on this partnership to reach out to and assist its MSME client base.

Oro-TIPC is a perfect example of a women-led organization pursuing the growth of businesses and investments in the city.

The team is composed mostly of women and is led by a woman entrepreneur who sits on the board of a homegrown corporation, and who closely collaborates with a female USAID/SURGE Project city program coordinator with an impressive legacy of service in the public sector. With this, Oro-TIPC understands the unique challenges of women-owned enterprises and considers what projects and programs will most benefit women entrepreneurs.

To support women-owned businesses, One-Town-One-Product Philippines Hub|Ginamâ (OTOP.PH|Ginamâ) was eventually launched to serve as an incubation, market-testing venue for city- and region-based MSMEs. It is run by a female entrepreneur, 90% of members are composed of women entrepreneurs, and it is overseen by both Oro-TIPC and the Misamis Oriental

Provincial Office of the DTI. OTOP.PH|Ginamâ is part of the country’s OTOP.PH network, which connects its MSME suppliers with OTOP.PH hubs all over the Philippines.

Beginning in December 2019, a number of business continuity planning (BCP) workshops for MSMEs were held, many of which were led by women. The first group of participants submitted their business continuity plans within the first quarter of 2020. They were invited to an Export and Digital Marketing Seminar co-organized with USAID and the United Parcel Service (UPS).

Partnership with USAID

level and providing them with the training and resources to take a proactive part in generating or augmenting their respective and collective incomes.

This is done in collaboration with the country’s Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), and Cagayan de Oro’s City Agriculture and City Veterinary Offices, opening avenues in learning marketable skills, vegetable gardening for household consumption and small-scale commerce, and livestock raising.

The approach has since expanded to entrepreneurship coaching and grooming with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Oro-TIPC, evolving into a whole-of-government approach toward economic empowerment, similar to what the U.S. government is working to achieve under the W-GDP. The local government encourages the participation of women in programs, which has resulted in their leadership in charting the course for many of the city’s offspring ventures. The city, together with its partners, slowly began shifting its attention to clear and present economic drivers, which collectively already constitute more than 90% of registered businesses: MSMEs mostly led by women.

iStock.com/gionnixxx

The Oro-TIPC also serves as the city’s clearinghouse for official development assistance. The center works closely with USAID in achieving the common goal of balanced, inclusive, and resilient economic growth for Cagayan de Oro City.

The center and USAID work together in serving as the city’s EODB (ease of doing business) watchdogs, jointly championing and supporting automation for business permits and licensing earlier on, and more recently for building permitting. Oro-TIPC and USAID are also partners in the Technical Working Group (TWG) for Area Response and Recovery Planning (ARRP), which is now engaged in risk assessment and scenario planning with academic partner Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan, using the university’s Geospatial Risk Database for Decision Support System (GRiD-DSS).

The local government of Cagayan de Oro City has consistently allotted manpower and resources for the economic empowerment of its citizens, particularly the sector with the least financial capacity.

Acknowledging the sustainability of equipping its constituents with the needed capability and skills, the city has a long history of organizing citizens into cooperatives at the barangay (or village)

“

Some Philippine banks still prefer the husband’s signature or consent in financial transactions, and some still demand that the male partner co-sign any financial contract.”

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 57

In January 2020, USAID led a focus group discussion on women entrepreneurial development with officials from the local government, including DTI Region 10, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT), officials of the Department of Science and Technology, and the Cagayan de Oro Trade and Investment Promotion Office, as part of its W-GDP work. Presidents and key officials of women enterprises and business groups such as the Oro Chamber of Commerce, Mindanao Mountaineering Federation, Ginamâ One Town-One Product Hub, Multi-fiber Organization, Food Producers Association of Northern Mindanao (FOPANORMIN), and Health and Wellness also joined the FGD. The objectives of the focus group were to identify the capacity development needs of women entrepreneurs to successfully participate in international and domestic trade, and to determine the needed business support services of women entrepreneurs.

Various means of technical assistance were provided, including an export audit to determine capabilities; technical assistance in certifications, such as Food and Drug Administration certification, Halal certification of fresh and processed foods, fair trade, and others; capacity building for non-food production (e.g., handicrafts); development of local tourism; and collaboration with government and private sectors.

With USAID, a traditional craft group was also organized in early 2020, serving an immediate need of the pottery subsector. The Bulua Traditional Pottery Arts and Crafts was formed with 45 members led by women. One member company of the group is already regularly exporting their pottery products abroad.

Learning to Adapt During the Pandemic

The majority of the female-led MSMEs in Cagayan de Oro found it difficult to remain in business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community quarantines limited the opening of businesses and the mobility of employees and clients alike, resulting in drastically reduced sales.

Many found it challenging to source materials and distribute their products with distributors shutting down, plus the rising costs and restrictions on logistics. Add to that fewer customers and competition from home-based startups, lack of credit access, and evolving government-imposed guidelines.

With the easing of restrictions under the city’s current Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), MSMEs have started to reopen, turning to takeout and delivery services to ring in sales.

Women-led MSMEs have had to adapt, learning digital marketing and transitioning to cashless transactions.

The onset of the pandemic necessitated a shift in gears, with the sessions reformatted to cover rapid impact assessment and migrating to 58 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

non-face-to-face platforms, such as teleconferencing and even social media chat groups. Oro-TIPC had to resort to the latter since many of the stakeholders’ internet access and devices could not support online meetings.

Women entrepreneurs are now engaged in group chat-facilitated and online meeting-enabled consultations with fellow MSMEs, public and private partners, retailers, malls, restaurants, and hotel operators.

This has become a venue for dialogue, consultations, coaching, sharing and giving feedback on evolving quarantine guidelines, as well as reskilling and re-tooling to cope with the demands of the new normal.

The Shift to Digital Marketing

Women entrepreneurs are also provided with online training on business continuity planning, digital marketing, and cashless transactions through the partnership of ORO-TIPC, USAID, and DTI. USAID has been helping ORO-TIPC and DTI mentor over 200 MSMEs on how to upgrade and survive in the new normal through group chat consultations and webinars on: • Screening and applying for financial relief assistance from government agencies and financial institutions.

• e-Commerce and digital marketing.

• Guidelines for operating in quarantine conditions and the new normal.

However, like any other shift to a new way of doing things, challenges arise in introducing online platforms to the participants. The major stumbling blocks include: • Entering into an entrepreneurial mindset and putting that knowledge into action.

• Stepping into the relatively unfamiliar territory of digital marketing.

• Adopting third-party delivery services and cashless transactions that do not provide as much control as face-to-face transactions.

• Establishing trust with clients relative to the faceless and paperless manner in which technology-facilitated business is conducted.

“

Economic empowerment and equality for women will only materialize when women entrepreneurs enjoy equal access to the same affordable financing mechanisms that men have access to.”

With continuous collaboration and support, best practices still arise from this unfamiliar situation. The group of MSMEs, together with ORO-TIPC and other partners, created several group chats where they can communicate regularly on issues about business, health, and other related concerns, and even air complaints on facilities and establishments not following protocols.

The group chat-facilitated value chain analysis was originally put in place since many of the MSME respondents did not have stable internet access. The group chat members are grouped according to their subsector. In total, there are 11 subsectors: health and beauty, tourism, food and beverage, processed meat, hotels and restaurants, multi-fiber, pottery, cacao and coffee, information and communications technology, processed food, and cashews and peanuts. With the spread of the pandemic and resulting quarantine, the group chats have been reformatted for rapid impact assessment and instant feedback and information dissemination. In fact, the group chats were used by DTI to advise clients on packaging their applications for financial relief assistance.

Suppliers to OTOP.PH|Ginamâ were also not able to immediately shift to e-commerce websites and online marketing as individual MSMEs. While this is still the goal, cashless transactions were already encouraged through enrollment to digital apps like GCash or Pay Maya, where QR codes may be scanned through their phones. Payment from OTOP.PH|Ginamâ to suppliers will now be through these platforms.

While waiting for the launch of its e-commerce website next year, the hub also refurbished its Facebook page with product profiles and helpful posts. This way, enterprise suppliers are acclimatized to the environment of cashless transactions even before a complete e-commerce site becomes available.

Moving Forward

More activities are planned to further foster women entrepreneurship utilizing digital technology. Virtual business-matching and virtual fairs and exhibits for clients, as well as a virtual investment forum, are being planned. Because of the pandemic, every business suddenly needs to be technology-savvy to survive. Oro-TIPC, with the help of its public and private partners, will offer COVID-19 business continuity and recovery planning training in an online format in the next six months and leverage its local leadership in this field to bring in other organizations to help coach micro and small entrepreneurs (MSEs). Budgets for 2021 are currently being crafted to include coaching MSEs in BCP under the new normal, including finding new revenue streams and marketing channels.

The center will need guidance on maintaining business-enabling conditions, as well as facilitating ease of doing business in the new normal. It is eyeing more ways to facilitate online transactions using credit cards and online payment systems like GCash and PayMaya. PayMaya is also planning to set up an ATM machine

where both buyers and entrepreneurs can conduct transactions.

As the Cagayan de Oro local government unit completes its Area Response and Recovery Plan with the help of USAID, the directions for each affected sub-sector assessed will be clearer. Coaching on access to financial and other firm-level assistance will be costly and while local coaches may be trained to do this, an external stimulus package that includes funds to pay coaches and can contribute to boosting the local economy will be welcome.

Conclusion

Economic assistance from the government—including tax breaks, access to credit subsidies, debt relief, and employment subsidy support—is very much anticipated. Women-led MSMEs need help from coaches and mentors that can walk them through loan applications, simplified business continuity planning, and advisory services for reopening that are practical and applicable to them.

The pandemic has impressed upon each and every citizen the importance of supporting their own locality. This renewed focus on uplifting one’s own backyard should be further encouraged by supporting small enterprises with constructive feedback, technical guidance, and commercial patronage. It is noteworthy that womenled MSMEs in Cagayan de Oro are now more motivated in helping one another toward their common goal—business resilience and equity—with the help of committed partners from both the public and private sectors advocating for the same goal.

Economic empowerment and equality for women will only materialize when women entrepreneurs enjoy equal access to the same affordable financing mechanisms that men have access to: equal access to markets, market information, digital technology, and services. Just as W-GDP co-creator and advisor to the president Ivanka Trump has said, “Investing in women is vital for our collective economic prosperity and global stability. When we empower women, communities prosper and countries thrive.”

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

White & Case and Goldman Sachs. “Legislation, Regulation and Practices Impacting Women’s Access to Financial Inclusion.” https://www.whitecase.com/publications/article/ philippines-closing-credit-gap-women-entrepreneurs 2 https://www.rappler.com/nation/247372-philippines-rankings-gender-gap-report-2020 1

EILEEN SAN JUAN is the Local Economic and Investment Promotions Officer (LEIPO), and head of Cagayan de Oro Trade and Investment Promotions Center (Oro-TIPC).

RAELITA LEGASPI is the MSME Specialist of Cagayan de Oro Trade and Investment Promotions Center (Oro-TIPC) who handles MSME development and promotion and assists the WED program.

OCTOBER 2020 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 59

NEXT GENERATION

A Path Forward

Voices of the next generation of leaders

BY REBECCA DESANTIS

As the recent events across the world have unfolded, many of those actively participating in movements

of change are the emerging leaders in public service. Ready to work to promote equity and inclusion in earnest, they make the commitment to pursue justice and build thriving communities in their careers as local government leaders.

ICMA is dedicated to raising up the voices of our next generation of leaders, as they will be the ones leading our profession in the years to come. To this end, we asked members of our student chapters to give us their perspective on the question “As a future local government leader, how do you hope to work toward building equitable and resilient communities in your career?�

REBECCA DESANTIS is a program manager, career and equity advancement, ICMA (rdesantis@icma.org).

Natalie Davenport

Myra Ray-Howett

MPA Candidate Grand Valley State University

Public Administration Fellow The University of Delaware, Biden School of Public Policy & Administration

My career in local government will focus heavily on inclusivity and equity for all by creating stronger community ties and ensuring all government employees receive bias training. It is vitally important to ensure that public services are distributed equitably and inclusively, however, it is imperative to identify the barriers that hinder disadvantaged groups of society from receiving fair allocation of government resources, programs, and services. By identifying these barriers, public leaders can strategically plan for ways to overcome them through education, planning, and policymaking. Public leaders must prioritize community engagement to address the unmet needs of the community and better strengthen the relationship between government entities and the public. Staff members of the organization must also be educated and trained to properly ensure that every community member is treated justly and in good conscience.

Equity and inclusion are not singular endeavors, but instead are attributes that must permeate through every action of the organization. I strongly believe that all public leaders have a responsibility to unpack implicit biases to ensure equity on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, and educational attainment at both an individual and organizational level. Being a public servant means serving every member of the community with fair, equitable, and inclusive treatment—not only serving the affluent.

I believe that with proper education and resources, we can work to create and sustain equitable, inclusive, and resilient communities for decades to come.

As our country faces economic hardships from a global pandemic and the looming effects of climate change, meaningful commitments and actions toward building equitable and resilient communities are more important now than ever before.

Resilience comes in many forms; therefore, efforts to build stronger and more inclusive communities need to be creative, collaborative, and provide multiple benefits.

During my past summer internship in communications at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, I helped create case studies of environmental best management practices throughout the Chesapeake Watershed. I was inspired and energized by the various forms of projects in green infrastructure implemented by local governments and the options that exist to help fund those projects.

As an emerging leader in local government, I will support investments in green infrastructure because they are proven to create jobs, improve environmental sustainability, and when targeted in underserved communities that lack access to green spaces, mitigate existing environmental justice inequities.

I will foster a tight-knit community that can depend on and uplift one another by empowering residents of all ages to become community leaders. I will engage my community in the brainstorming, decision-making, and construction processes of green infrastructure and community revitalization projects. Residents will know that local leaders see them, acknowledge their worth, and will work with them to support a healthier and more civically minded community.

Continued on page 62

60 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

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Jessica Harris

As a future local government leader, how do you hope to work toward building equitable and resilient communities in your career?

MPA Candidate Grand Valley State University

What I have seen more than anything from governments at any level is the inability to prepare and adapt. After decades of taking a laissez-faire approach preparing for the futures of our local communities, the issues we are facing today are a direct reflection of the neglected matters of the past. For too long, governments have ignored the growing opportunity gap that has explicitly advanced some over others. Local governments specifically have tremendous power to start taking actions and facilitating community conversations now to implement change.

Conducting an annual community assessment focused on equity would be an excellent place to start. This assessment would help local governments capture detailed information about specific challenges that might otherwise fall under their radar, such as the intersectionality among issues. It is not enough to simply identify an issue—we must start analyzing the relationships between these issues in our communities and acknowledging the effects they have on one another. We cannot discuss the problems within our environment without acknowledging that lowerincome communities are statistically more likely to live in neighborhoods with higher lead levels in the water, poor air quality and higher asthma rates, lower access to fresh produce, and less natural land. We cannot celebrate a “booming economy” without admitting that the policies and systems it operates under exploit Black and Latinx communities. Once we start exposing and responding to how these intersections occur in our communities, we can start developing a plan for a sustainable path forward for all.

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