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Organizational Devel. & Diversity Training , i5~~~E ~ck~ MEMORANDUM February 15, 2006 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Consultant Recommendation for Organizational Development and Diversity Training A Request for Proposals was issued in September 2005 for Organizational Development and Diversity Training for the City of Dubuque. Human Rights Director Kelly Larson worked with a staff and citizen committee and is recommending that One Ummah Consulting be retained to provide the services at a cost of $79,200. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. 0J~fi2'--- Michael C. Van Milligen MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director D~~@UE ~<k~ MEMORANDUM February 14, 2006 From: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director\~J Consultant Recommendation for Organizational Development and Diversity Training To: Subject: Introduction This memorandum transmits the consultant recommendation for Organizational Development and Diversity Training for the City of Dubuque, for review and approval by the City Council. The proposal submitted by the selected firm is attached. Backqround -~ Last budget season, the City Council allocated $7,500 per year for three years to conduct diversity training for all City staff. The proposal approved by the Council anticipated that we would hire a consultant to train one-third of the staff in each of the three years, so that all staff would have participated in training by the end of the three year period. Beginning in July of this year, we established a committee consisting of: Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens, Police Lt. Mark Dalsing, Housing and Community Development Director David Harris, Human Rights Director Kelly Larson, Neighborhood Development Specialist Jerelyn O'Connor, Personnel Manager Randy Peck, Police Captain Tom Raschke, Police Lt. Scott Simpson, Assistant Police Chief Terry Tobin, Police Chief Kim Wadding, Human Rights Commissioners Patricia Foster and Judy Giesen, and community members Claudette Carter-Thomas, Cammie Dean, Chris Doyle, Kris Hall, Hiram Melendez, Marcia Sola, Ruby Sutton, Jerome Thomas, and Gabriella Vega. The Committee met monthly to discuss the structure for training and the elements to include in a request for proposals (RFP). Ultimately these discussions led the group to conclude that the most effective approach for improving the City's ability to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse public would consist of a combination of three elements: 1) an organizational assessment and strategic planning piece that would help to identify areas that need attention, 2) training of city staff, and 3) a train-the-trainer portion that would equip City staff to perform future refresher training as well as training of new staff members. The Committee drafted the RFP accordingly, which the Council approved at the September 19, 2005 meeting. Discussion We released the RFP on September 20, posting it on the City website and distributing it to several local and regional contractors. We received five proposals in response to the RFP, which were distributed to the consultant selection committee consisting of the following representatives from our larger committee: Police Lt. Mark Dalsing, Human Rights Commissioner Patricia Foster, Human Rights Director Kelly Larson, Personnel Manager Randy Peck, and community members Cammie Dean, Chris Doyle, and Gabriella Vega. The committee ranked the proposals as follows: Rank Firm Office Location Fee Proposal 1 One Ummah Consulting Fridley, MN $ 79,200 2 University of Iowa School of Social Work Iowa City, IA $113,680 3 Lambert & Associates Hoffman Estates, IL $231,500 4 TrainSmart, Inc. Rolling Meadows, IL $272,200 5 aha! Process Highlands, TX unclear The consultant selection committee rated One Ummah as the top firm for the following reasons: . One Ummah's response to the requests set forth in the RFP was the most comprehensive, and the diversity of their consultant team itself demonstrates their commitment to and understanding of diversity. . We believe One Ummah's approach will be effective with our staff, will not alienate employees, and will lead to sustained change. The approach is focused on changing behavior rather than belief systems, with an emphasis on helping people to understand that being responsive to all community members is a job requirement for employees in public service. . The assessment tool is scientifically valid and will help us identify areas that need development and appropriately target our training efforts. It also will provide an objective way to measure our progress and the effectiveness of the training. . One Ummah's approach specifically provides a way to keep diversity alive in the organization not only by having trained trainers on staff, but also through the evaluation of our overall manner of doing business, training, recruiting, hiring, and so forth. . One Ummah has worked with a county government health department and also with a school district program. One of the consultants they propose to utilize also has "real world" experience in government EEO compliance and investigations, which could benefit our future planning in these areas. . One Ummah has some familiarity with Dubuque. They have performed some work with Loras College, and they also are utilizing Amer Ahmed as one of their consultants. Amer previously served as the Intercultural Director at Loras and is familiar with the community. . References universally described One Ummah as having a successful, non- confrontational approach with employees, an ability to work effectively with people who are opposed to the concept of diversity training and who come from a broad range of experiences, and a willingness to work with an organization to discuss options, weigh the pros and cons of various approaches, and determine what will be most effective for a particular organization. Several references indicated that the work One Ummah performed for their organization was more successful than approaches to diversity training they had tried in the past, and that their work resulted in an understanding amongst employees of shared responsibility and an environment to sustain ongoing change. At the Human Rights Department budget hearing on February 7, a representative from our immigrant community requested that immigrant perspectives be included in our training efforts. As I indicated at the hearing, our RFP requested that consultants incorporate the views and experiences of community members of various backgrounds. One Ummah's approach recognizes the role of community members as the "on-site experts" that help inform the kinds of skill development that is needed. A second community member requested at the budget hearing that immigrant members of our community be contracted with as paid co-facilitators. With respect to the initial assessment and training efforts, this request is outside of the scope of the current RFP and proposed contractual arrangement with our recommended consultant. However, because the RFP also includes a "train-the-trainer" portion to meet future training needs, one option may be to interview and select community members to become trained trainers along with some City staff. This approach would provide us the option of contracting with these trained community members to co-facilitate refresher training and training of new employees in the future. .~ Budqet Impact Our current budget for this project consists of $7,500 in each of the following fiscal years: 2006, 2007, and 2008. The original budget estimates were premised on the assumption that we would seek only to train our current staff. Since that time, discussions amongst a group of city staff and community members has led to the conclusion that a more effective and durable approach would include an organizational assessment, strategic planning, and training trainers who will then be available to conduct future training of employees. One Ummah's cost is estimated at $64,200 plus travel expenses, which reflects a savings of $16,050 if we contract for all three components (assessment, training, and train-the-trainer) at the outset. We must add to this cost an additional $15,000 in estimated travel expenses, for a total project cost of $79,200. Consequently, we would need an additional $56,700 spread over fiscal years 2007 and 2008 to meet these expenses. We have submitted a budget decision package to reflect this additional cost, and have held the committee's recommendation until now for submission to allow the Council the opportunity to view this decision package in light of the entire budget situation for the coming fiscal year. In the event that additional appropriations are not approved, one option is to evaluate whether it would be appropriate to utilize funds previously budgeted for customer service towards this project. In addition, preliminary conversations with One Ummah have convinced me that we could save some money, without sacrificing statistical validity of the assessment tool, by curtailing the number of people who complete the written assessment. Reauested Action The requested action is for the City Council to approve the selection of One Ummah Consulting to perform assessment, organizational development and diversity training with City staff, and to direct City staff to negotiate a contract not to exceed $79,200 for this project. The contract would contain terms that would allow us to scale back the scope of the project in the event that full funding is not approved for fiscal years 2007 and 2008. -~ Proposal for Diversity Training and Assessment -~ One Ummah Consulting "Channe is Inevitable, Pronress is Optional" www.oneummahconsulting.com Letter of Transmittal Let us first thank you, again, for the opportunity and privilege of possibly being a part of your organization's continued growth and development. The work you do is invaluable and it is truly an honor to be considered Following is a tentative proposal for what we hope will be an on-going collaboration between the One Ummah Consulting team and the City of Dubuque, Iowa. We feel strongly that we have all the necessary resources to fulfill every aspect of the request and look forward to adding other elements to the project from which the City will greatly benefit. Along with our proposal are resumes and brief biographical statements ofthe members of the consulting team that will work directly with this project. From educational to Fortune 500 companies - our team brings years of experience with an unmatched breadth and depth to ensure your organization gets the very best of what the field of multicultural organizational development has to offer. Primary Administrative Contact: Aminah Amatullah 729 Kimball Street N.E. Fridley, MN 55432 1 uconsulting@gmail.com (612)309-1610 .~ Secondary Contact (on-site primary): Nehrwr Abdul- W ahid 729 Kimball Street N.E. Fridley, MN 55432 nehrwr@gmail.com (612)599-6716 Again, we are excited and honored for the opportunity to work with the city of Dubuque and are eager to continue this journey.. .together. Sincerely, Aminah Amatullah One Ummah Consulting 2 Consultant Profile and Qualifications We describe ourselves as a "collaborative" in that we are a small group of like-minded consultants and trainers who've come together around a common philosophy. That philosophy is best described as "challenging individuals and organizations at a pace that maximizes engagement and success." We are made up ofa mixture of full-time and part- time consultants. Our part-time consultants typically get involved with 5-10 projects per year. While our full-time team are usually involved with 3-4 major projects each year and any number of smaller projects as the need arises. Major projects are defined as anything requiring more than a 3-month commitment. This can range from an assessment project with a follow-up session to a year-long monthly training series. Currently, we are involved in two major projects. One is an assessment project for a small community college, the other is a three-year project with a private college that includes assessment, training and curriculum design. Given the current workload, our team is adequately equipped to handle another 4-5 major projects, of which we hope the City of Dubuque will be one of. We have conducted assessments of various types of over 40 organizations and a wide range of trainings with over 5,000 individual contacts. From large organizations like the University of Minnesota, to small non-profits with a staff of 8 - our trainings are always customized to fit the clients needs. Our training topics have included; I. Sexual harassment 2. Equal opportunity / affirmative action 3. General diversity awareness 4. Organizational development 5. Workplace safety 6. Sexual orientation / homophobia awareness 7. Religion in the workplace 8. Successful recruitment and retention The above list is just a small sample of the range of topics we have the ability to cover and will work with you to identify those areas of greatest concern and challenge to you. We will then implement a process that will ensure a level of depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise in those areas in order for on-going work to continue effectively. A sample of some of recent projects in the last 5 years Client Lockheed-Martin Edina, Minnesota Loras College Dubuque, Iowa Project Sexual orientation in the workplace Assessment of level of Intercultural Competency with recommendations for action Consultants Beth Zemsky and Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid 3 University of Minnesota Duluth, Mpls/St.Paul, Crookston, Morris, MN Mental Health Resources St.Paul, Minnesota College of St.Scholastica Duluth, Minnesota University of Illinois Springfield, Illinois Hennepin County (largest county in the state of Minnesota) Training and Development on a wide range of diversity issues and programs Assessment and training of all staff & internal training team On-going assessment and training of staff, programs and curriculum Leadership program creation and facilitation for students of color On-going assessment and training of staff and various programs with an internal training team Client References Monika Helmen, Adventures Plus Program, 763-506-1272 Jim Collins, Laras College, 563-588-7647 Jonathan Hanft, Hennepin County, 612-348-5964 Larry Goodwin, College of St.Scho1astica, (218) 723-6035 Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid, Beth Zemsky, Phyllis Braxton, julius erolin Beth Zemsky and Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid, Beth Zemsky, Phyllis Braxton and julius erolin Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid and Beth Zemsky -~ Aminah Amatullah will handle all of the project's logistical and administrative responsibilities. Finalizing contracts, setting up visits, materials preparation, and consultant coordination. Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid, a full-time consultant, will be the project's on-site coordinator responsible for each of the three phases of the project; assessment, training/internal capacity, and strategic planning for next steps. Having recently spent some time in Dubuque on another project, Nehrwr is familiar with some of the community dynamics and will be well suited to meet some of the challenges and tap into some of the wonderful resources ofthe community. Sara Gleason, a full-time consultant, will assist Nehrwr in each of the three phases, but will be primarily involved in the assessment and training phases (of staff). julius erolin, a full-time consultant, will also assist Nehrwr in all three phases, but will be primarily be involved in the training (of site-based team) and strategic planning. Amer Ahmed, a part-time consultant, brings a wealth of knowledge of the Dubuque community having recently been employed at Loras College for a number of years as the Director ofIntercultural Programs. 4 Phyllis Braxton, and Beth Zemsky, part-time consultants, will all be involved III the training phases as needed. Our program, philosophy and approach all continue to prove to be exactly what our clients are looking for, and so much more. Our developmental and skills-based approach are of particular use with organizations with high interpersonal contact. We avoid any form of shame or blame tactics and focus on using a positive learning environment to maximize participants' level of engagement. Note about Non-Discrimination/Equal Opportunity As we are not an employer, but rather, a collective of consultants, we as organization do not have an employer's EEO/AA statement. However, we have been instrumental in the creation of many organization's statements on EEO/AA and have, as a philosophy (See attached document on "Educational Philosophy") a strong commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action. Our work centers on building such "equal opportunity" in organizations and it is our hope we may be able to assist the City of Dubuque in this regard. ~ 5 Proiect Goals / Scope of Services 1. Organizational Assessment that will define where the organization currently stands with regard to diversity issues and that will provide a roadmap for future development. Response: This approach fits perfectly with our "Road Map" model A "Road Map" For building an inclusive organization SMAR r V$. STlICTClI GOALS 5. Assess organization's ro ress, harriers, halJcngcs port"llnitit.s Th t' 3 "l's" Tlte.Learltinf< Orgif1lizatio 1. Identify and invite sukcholdc 4. Setal1d meet short term goals t.hat move o1'ganization closer to long term goals o Ill! u'it-l, tlO platl, plans to fail 2. Identify mission, vision and motivation 3. Assess whc organization where it \V.In to go how wants to gt't there W hat is tlle "caSt'" fo r d {l i Ii g the W () f k which we have used successfully with several organizations. Assessment is the first, and possibly, the most important intervention an organization can implement. Assessment instruments are designed to focus on specific patterns of human and / or organizational behavior in order to assist in better understanding the dynamics of interactions. The best assessments are those that will provide relevant data upon which training and development can be based. Every instrument provides very unique information and deciding the most appropriate assessment is a critical step in any process. One Ummah Consulting offers a wide range of assessments to assist individuals and organizations in their efforts of personal and professional development. Our team of consultants is all highly skilled in administering and interpreting information to help clients maximize the information provided. This project would likely incorporate the use of two such instruments. The Intercultural Development Inventory (illI) and the Multicultural Organization Development (MCOD). 6 Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) The IDI is a statistically reliable, cross-culturally valid measure of intercultural competence based on Dr. Milton Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS). The IDI can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including; I. Individual assessment in coaching, counseling situations 2. Group analysis in teambuilding efforts 3. Organizational-wide needs assessment for training design 4. Program evaluation to assess effectiveness of various interventions 5. Research The IDI is a theory based instrument that assess the major stages of intercultural competence as conceptualized in the DMIS theory. The instrument is easy to complete, and it can generate a graphic profile of an individual's or group's predominant stage of intercultural development and textual interpretation of that stage and associated transition Issues. Other measures of "intercultural competence" are criterion-referenced, in that they measure how close the respondent matches a set of characteristics or behaviors thought to be associated with intercultural competence. It is difficult to establish reliability and validity for such tests. As a theorv-based test, the IDI meets rif!orous scientific criteria for a valid fJsvchometric instrument. Further, the IDI measures cognitive structure rather than attitudes. Thus, the instrument is less susceptible to situational factors, it is more stable, and it is more generalizable than other tests commonly in use. MnlticnlturaI Organizational Development (MCOD) The MCOD is a model used to assist organizations in developing concrete steps to aid in its effort of building intercultural competency within the context of organizational demographics, policies and procedures (organizational development - OD). The model aims to move beyond strategies designed to raise individual awareness and address larger, systemic challenges that may be impeding the organization's progress. The MCOD assumes a cyclical change process that begins with assessment, moves to strategic planning and possibly various training I educational interventions, and returns to assessment. Further, it assumes that change efforts need to be (and thus, will be) linked to the organization's overall mission and be initiated by constituents in local units of the organization. Our assessment process is simply unmatched in the field of diversity and intercultural competency. We are bringing a completely new approach by bridging the fields of intercultural communication and diversity, then, contextualizing them within a framework of organizational development. This empowers our clients to look at all seven elements within the 7-S framework to make the necessary organizational changes to insure lasting change. 7 The 7-S Framework .~ Assumptions of the 7- S model Productive organizational change is not simply a matter of structure. Effective organizational change is really the relationship between the 7 factors below. Organizational effectiveness stems from the interaction of the factors. You can't make significant progress in one area without making corresponding shifts in the other areas. Failure in implementation of change is often due to inattention to other S' s. The model suggests no starting point or implied hierarchy. When all 7 needles are pointed in same direction, one can say that you are looking at an organized organization. Hard S's o Structure: Organizational structure helps divides tasks and then provides coordination. It decentralizes and then re-centralizes tasks through trades offs between specialization and integration. It can be expressed in an organizational chart. o Strategy: Those actions an organization plans in response to anticipation of changes in its external environment. Structure should follow strategy. Clear ideas about strategy can make the job of structural design more rational. o Systems: All procedures, formal and informal that make the organization work; such as, budgeting systems, training systems, accounting procedures, etc. Systems are how an organization gets things done. This variable can dominate others. It is possible to change an organization by changing its systems without disruptive restructuring. 8 Soft S's o Style: Style is the way leaders come across to the organization. Style is a reflection of an organization's culture. Style is conveyed not just in the words, but in the patterns of actions are that decisive. Style includes symbolic behavior. o Staff: People of the organization. At "hard" end, this variable includes systems such as appraisal systems, pay scales, formal training programs. At "soft" end, this variable includes morale, attitude, motivation, behavior, and organizational socialization processes. Superior organizations manage people as aggressively and concretely as others manage organizational structure. o Skills: What the people need to know in order to get the organizational tasks done. Strategic organizational shifts often require new skills. It is often helpful to audit current skills because sometimes new skills come onlv when old ones are reconsidered and reconstructed. o Super-ordinate Goals: Guiding concepts, a set of values and aspirations, often unwritten, that goes beyond the conventional formal statements of organizational objectives. Fundamental ideas around with an organization is built, its main values, broad notions for future direction the leaders want to infuse throughout the organization, ways in which the team wants to express itself and leave its mark. Super-ordinate goals pull an organization together and provide stability in what would otherwise be a shifting set of organizational dynamics. To be readily communicated, super-ordinate goals need to be succinct. Producing and making meanings is one of the main functions ofleadership. Our assessment process will incorporate both models/tools to provide the organization with reliable data and a framework it can use in its on-going strategic planning. We can produce a detailed report for on-going reference or, a profile summary with an overview of the data and its significance. The two primary consultants working with this component of the project will be Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid and julius erolin. Nehrwr recently conducted a similar assessment for Loras College and provided the College with a detailed report and plan of action that has since caused a number of major organizational developments. julius brings years of experience as an EEO officer, a lawyer (specializing in EEO/AA), and a skilled investigator. julius also is a certified conflict negotiator/mediator in the state of Minnesota. This first phase of the project, Phase A (Assessment) will be detailed in the "Proposal Cost Estimate." However, it should be noted here that it will likely occupy the first month of the proposed time line and will require no less than 4 visits, possibly more. We close this section with brief responses to the questions posed in the original RFP: 1. How will the assessment of the organization be performed? Select Group for IDI analysis - group selected in col/aboration with client -Using the IDr to gather "baseline" data 9 -Using the !DI for interaction data: To predict problems and strengths in a group -Administer the IDI Prefer administration in a face-to-face context: Enables administrator to better "inoculate" participants around issues of: Confidentiality Developmental goal vs. evaluation of person (e.g., performance appraisal) -Administrator to conduct focus group interviews with participants following completion of the IDI using the MCOD questionnaire and other client-specific questions: Sample question: "What are some of the challenges facing your org. I group" -Members of the organization's upper management interviewed individually -Selected members of the community interviewed individually -Profile I report produced based on data and interviews with recommendation -Present general intercultural communication workshop (112 day) to group -Present DMIS workshop to group (//2 day) -Present IDIIMCOD group profile analysis with recommendations to leadership I site- based team -Present IDIIMCOD group profile feedback to organizational members (112 day) Results presented in context ofDMIS & focus group information obtained earlier Action planning concludes feedback session .~ -Selected individuals receive individual IDI profiles with feedback 2. Will the assessment focus on individual attitudes, organizational strategies, outside perceptions, or a combination of these elements? Assessment will focus on level of intercultural competency and level of organizational development with respect to multicultural development. 3. What type of report or plan will be developed by the Consultant based on the assessment results? A profile summary is often useful as it will emphasize the "next steps." However, a detailed report, while costly and time-consuming, can provide the organization a long- lasting reference to which it can refer and build upon for years. We generally leave it to the client to decide what approach it finds most suitable to their needs. We will propose both scenarios in the "Proposal Cost Estimate." 2. Training that will provide the City employees with skills that will insure they have a well developed ability to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse public. Phase B (Building Skills) will be co-created with members within the organization and the community utilizing the data and interpretation we generate during Phase A. Our 10 experience has shown that "diversity training" coming out of the Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Office (or paradigm) is not the most effective (and in some ways can be counter-productive) approach. This is usually what separates, what we identify as, an organization in "compliance" and an organization operating from a "commitment." The "compliance" organization will do enough to keep it in compliance with most state and federal laws, but will not do much beyond this. The organization that is "committed" will make efforts that go well beyond the law and will actually move the organization closer toward a truly inclusive organization. To make diversity an asset of the organization as opposed to something it must legally monitor to be in compliance with the law is a paradigmatic shift we know we can help the City of Dubuque make. Diversity training must come from the whole organization through a diversity steering committee made up of employees from a representative cross-section of the organization. Also, if the training is being developed and lead solely by external diversity consultants and trainers, the training runs the risk of being viewed as the consultants' vrOl!ram and not a program developed by the employees of the organization, for the organization. No ownership or buy-in is solicited and thus none is secured and the program eventually perishes and the external diversity trainer is the "scapegoat." We propose that, if selected, we work closely with an internal group of employees that will be empowered to continue the work beyond the life of the consultant contract and to provide a level of organizational ownership. If no such group exists, we will add an outcome to the consulting services agreement to identify and develop such a group. Lastly, we feel it would be counter-productive to propose a detailed training plan without knowing what type (stage appropriate) of training the organization is in greatest need of. We use a competency-correlated system to determine how much actual training time a group needs in order to justify the appropriate levels of training and development. These times vary between 6-20 contact hours. Ideal training situations will cap groups between 30-50 participants. We also emphasize the importance ofre-assessing individuals before "checking-off' that they've received adequate training. We do not merely just conduct workshops and allow participants to submit questionnaires/evaluations. We make every effort possible to ensure that the knowledgebase (content) is connected to some tangible experience to improve an individual's ability to build skills and interest in on-going learning. We use just one illustration of this point. Our workshops all begin with some ground rules in some form or another. While some of the ground rules might change depending on the group, we always keep the first as the context for having the session. It says; "We believe cross-cultural competency is learned and will focus on tools people can learn to use if they choose. We are not about changing attitudes but about providing skills. We focus on behaviors. not personal belie{.s" and value svstel11s. " This important philosophical principle is a very different approach from some of the more traditional "anti-racism" and "awareness building" approaches. We feel this is 11 another of the many reasons our approach is unique, and, exactly what the City of Dubuque needs to make real transformational change in its organization. Because our training programs are not canned programs (off the shelf) it is difficult to present a budget or outline for what kind of training (or how much) the City of Dubuque needs and we hope our hesitancy in this regard will be taken into consideration as you make any final decisions. We will propose a very general training plan with projected cost estimates but it should be understood that these are over-estimates and the actual cost will likely be considerably less, once 1. The necessary data has been generated and interpreted. 2. The site-based training team is established and developed 3. Logistical plans of who/how many/when/where to train employees is finalized. While the details of the "How will..." questions will be decided and agreed upon in concert with the site-based team, we offer some general responses here. a. How will the Consultm1t provide employees with skills to help them better serve a diverse public and work morc effectively with co-workers of diverse backgrounds? This will be achieved by basing our training on the most reliable and globally recognized assessment data and theory. The training approach will focus on skills, and not just awareness. b. How will the Consultant include awarencss and skill building around issues ofrace, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender and religion without providing employees the. perception they are the sole cause of problems or the target of blame? Our training approach is not shame or guilt based, but rather get participants to focus on taking responsibility for their roles within the organization. We define reslJonsibilitv as "having the appropriate response according to your ability. " c. How will the Consultant incorporate, with assistance from the planning committee, the views and experiences of community members from various backgrounds? We recognize the intellectual capital of the community is a valuable asset and see them as the on-site experts. We will utilize this capital as much as possible emphasizing our role as providers of tools for those internally with the capacity to continue the work. d. How will the Consultant motivate employees to be leaders in combating racism? By creating a positive learning environment and utilizing high energy experiential activities that call for low risk on the part of participants. e. How will the Consultant instruct employees on ways to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable coming forward for assistm1ce or express concems? This will be done with the assistance and support of the site-based team to articulate the organization's support to address and resolve these issues. A process must be articulated (and possibly created) for employees to express concerns. A level of trust and transparency will have to be established by the organization to ensure concerns will be addressed in a timely fashion. 12 ~ r How will the Consultant address specialized training needs I()r eaeh of the !()Ilowing layers of the organization: senior managenlenL supervisory management, field training officers lor lirsl responders. and rank and Ille employees? We bring a tremendous amount of experience in developing "Tiered- Training-Modules" (TTM). While there will be some concepts and skills that every level of the organization will be exposed to and develop - there are a number of level-appropriate concepts that will only be relevant to specific areas of the organization. Our thorough assessment process will provide the necessary information to best address this issue. g. How will the Consultant provide senior management with the skills to demonstrate commitment to diversity and to develop support for diversity throughout the organization? By implementing our "Diversity Works" and ARSR (Attract-Recruit-Support-Retain) models, senior management will understand the difference between compliance and commitment and will know specific strategies and interventions they can implement to reflect a high level of commitment. h. How wilt the Consultant structure training taking into consideration the different types of issues EKed by employees in different job categories (i.e., first responders, payroll clerks, utility billing stall, water treatment plan employees, etc.)ry See response to Question! The primary consultants working with this component of the project will be Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid, julius erolin, Arner Ahmed, Sarah Gleason, Beth Zemsky and Phyllis Braxton. We would make use of such a wide range of trainers to maximize the cost- effectiveness of visits by being able to facilitate multiple groups at once. We also make use of different areas of emphasis depending on the level of the group. Some trainers will work more effectively with a group of mid-level managers while other trainers will be more effective working with front-line staff. Arner Ahmed, having formerly been employed by Loras College as the Intercultural Programs Director brings a very high level of experience of the cultural context of Dubuque that will be necessary during program design and content delivery. Phyllis is the currently the Director of Multicultural Programs for the entire state of Minnesota's Independent School Collaborative. Phyllis is conducts workshops and training programs throughout the state and is also a nationally recognized SEED facilitator. Sarah Gleason, formerly of Wilder Foundation is a well-known local human rights activist and is an extremely skilled facilitator, mediator and trainer. Again, we will make use of the site-based team to ensure what will be the most effective way to conduct the workshops in terms of group demographics, and facilitation team. 3. Training that will identify a core leadership group who will receive further training that equips them to train new employees as they arrive and to insure that diversity remains at the forefront of organizational operations. 13 Response; Phase C (Capacity Building)The One Ummah Team has been conducting the nationally recognized "Diversity Explorations" program for over 6 years. Beginning at the University of Minnesota as a way of developing more internal capacity for the various departments to deal with issues of diversity and intercultural competency, the program has since grown to attracting over 30 participants from across the country with a wide range of professional interests and backgrounds. The program will serve as an excellent "starting point" for a similar program for the City of Dubuque, adding levels of depth, intensity and one-on-one coaching that will ensure a high level of skill and ability in order to continue the work. The Train-the- Trainers program we will propose will consist of no less than three full days, up to five, that will focus on building competency in the following areas: Foundations - Mastery in understanding and teaching basic diversity models and concepts. This includes in-depth training and development on some of the most innovative experiential activities in use in the field today. Facilitation - In-depth understanding of one's preferred facilitation style and tools to improve identified areas of weakness. This includes in-depth training and development on; . Training design - balancing content and process . Dealing with difficult / resistant participants . How to identify and address "hot-button" issues . How to create a "safe" training space for maximum participation Assessment - Knowledge and application of various assessment tools to aid the organization in on-going developmental work. This will include developing a strategic plan to re-assess the organization to measure its growth and development. The primary consultants working with this phase of the project will be , Lead Consultant of One Ummah Consulting, and , Coordinator of Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness at the University of Minnesota, Amer Ahmed, Phyllis Braxton and julius erolin. Together, this group brings more than 50 years of mentoring and coaching experience. 14 Proposed Project Schedule The Project Schedule will follow a general outline according to our "A-B-C" process. Phase A - Assessment Time Period: 15-45 days (business) Process: Visit I - 1-2 days: Consulting team representatives (max. 2) will make initial visit to finalize project details, make initial contact and survey various proposed training sites. Focus group demographics will be established, and members in the organization to receive the 1DI instrument will be finalized (as this may not necessarily be the entire organization, but rather a sample size that will include managers and supervisors). City leadership will formally announce the relationship between One Ummah and the City to ensure a high level of transparency about the intent and goals ofthe project. Visit 2 - 2-5 days: Conduct IDI and MCOD assessments. Focus groups would also be visited during this visit to obtain qualitative data. Depending on number of focus groups and logistics of the IDI assessment, between I and 5 consultants may be necessary during this visit. Visit 3 - 1-3 days: Conduct community needs analysis of the availability, and compatibility of local trainers / facilitators. We will also conduct some assessment of the community's view / relationship of the City's intercultural competency and how that impacts its relationship with the community. Visit 4 - 3-5 days: (This visit needs at least 14 days from the previous visit in order to compile all of the necessary data and depending on the report format requested by the City, may need additional time to prepare an adequate report). Presentation of data findings, training recommendations and recommendations for the site-based training team will be made during this time. Individual IDI profiles will be presented during this time and depending on how many are requested by the client will determine how many consultants are necessary to accommodate the request. Example; if the City wants 50 managers and supervisors to receive individual profiles, allowing 30 minutes for each profile session, we will need approximately 25 hours. Taking 8 hours / day, we could accommodate this request using 3 consultants for a one-day (which may be very difficult to schedule) or 2 consultants over 2 days. We will leave these logistical details to be finalized upon initial approval ofthe proj ect. Visit 5 - 1-2 days: Meeting with site-based training team to finalize training program, initial training-of-trainer materials presented. Also, one-on-one coaching teams will be set-up. 15 Phase B - Building Skills Visits 6-? - 1-3 days each: First round of staff-development trainings and workshops with one-on-one coaching teams to meet and check in. Train-the-trainers work continues. This number is currently unknown because we will make use of the site-based team to analyze the logistical process that would maximize time and effectiveness. Does the organization typically have all-staff training days at certain times during the year? Are there new-employee trainings that need to be revised to include more intercultural competency curriculum? Are some days generally better for two, or four-hour trainings than others? These are questions we leave to the experience and expertise of the site- based team. The training content will also be developed based on the data in Phase A and thus can not be specifically identified as of yet. However, it will be sufficient here to note that given the size of the organization, our focus will be on internal capacity building to ensure that the training is not seen as coming from outside, but rather, from within to establish a higher level of credibility and buy~in. We will likely use the first round of trainings to further the development and training/facilitation capacity of the site-based team. Phase C - Capacity Building This phase of the project will actually begin simultaneously with Phase A and will run throughout the project's time-line. We see this as the most important aspect of the project - building enough internal capacity to continue the work well beyond the direct involvement of the external consultants. We will place an emphasis on our use of the nationally-recognized InsideOut coaching techniques, our facilitator's ToolKit, and our developmental approach to training. These will be areas the site-based training team will most benefit and the organization will have a much greater return on its investment. We will ground the team, as well as the entire HR department, on our ARSR model (Attract, Recruit, Support, Retain) for continuing to improve the demographic profile of the organization as well. We will also train the HR department on some of the newest and more innovative interviewing process, conflict mediation and other tools that will further enhance the internal capacity of the City to continue this work in the most effective possible way. 16 If afforded the honor and opportunity to serve as your consultant, we will assist the City of Dubuque in... Creating Policy that supports the Practice of the organization Develop skill and awareness that facilitates a Practice that redevelops Policy Policy that gives fonn to the Vision of the organization and a Vision that authentically and accurately creates effective Policy Vision that empowers the Practice of the organization and Practice that gives life back to the Vision. VlSion Policy -EECY M Fecbel~ ...... By Beth Zem;ky for One IbmrJh Consullin& 21m mav.ot1CUJ1m7hconsulin&rom .~ P.tactice -rnplo;mn Practias ~ Prartice; Competitive Analysis Competitors Although market rates for comparable work including fees and expenses could range between $200-$1000 per hour. We offer our services at significantly lower rates. It is our hope that by providing these quality services at discounted rates to organizations devoted to social service and education - organizations historically plagued with budget constraints - they will take advantage of the opportunity to gain much needed knowledge and skill in the areas of diversity and multiculturalism. Proiected Bude:et Below are proj ected estimates of a two-year consulting proj ect. The estimates are based on full participation by every member of the organization and are therefore expected to be overestimates. The intention is to provide a ceiling under which the project can be reasonably be expected not to exceed. Initial Assessment (IDI) and Qualitative . $35/instrument for group profile only (X up to 175 staff) $6,125 .~ . $15/instrument for group and individual profile (X up to 75 leadership / management / site-based training team) $1,125 . $75/hour data processing, profile and report preparation X 20 hours $1,500 . Materials fee for focus groups, MCOD assessment $500 . Costs for ALL materials related to the IDr (group and individual profiles) are covered by the above fees . $1,000 X I-day visit X consultant . $1,500 X 2-day visit X consultant . $2,000 X 3-day visit X consultant . $2,500 X 4-day visit X consultant . $3,000 X 5-day visit X consultant *There will be no additional charges for any work conducted during a visit. Whether it be meetings, conductingfocus groups, coaching, or facilitating workshop - the charges for the visit are aI/-inclusive (with the exception of any materials that may be necessary). It may be possible, infact recommended, to combine visits for improved cost- effectiveness not to exceed $10,000 Assessment total: $19,250.00 Training and Development - Building Skills . Materials for workshop and trainings o These fees are for initial printing, copyright use and digital information sharing. As a cost-saving measure, we propose to have all reproduction done by the City $5,000 . $1,000 X I-day visit X consultant . $1,500 X 2-day visit X consultant . $2,000 X 3-day visit X consultant *Until a detailed training plan is established in collaboration with the site-based team, these estimates will serve as a point of reference. Dot to exceed $20,000 Building Sills / Training total: $25,000.00 Capacity Building . $1,000 X I-day visit X consultant . $1,500 X 2-day visit X consultant . $2,000 X 3-day visit X consultant *Coaching sessions may coincide with training sessions in the early stages of the project but will eventually need days and times devoted specifically to capacity building. This would also include the HR development work we've proposed, conflict-mediation training, and the train-the-trainers components not to exceed $15,000 . Materials fee for coaching sessions $1,500 . $75/hour for logistical and coaching correspondence Dot to exceed $1,500 · $75/hour for consultation time X (up to) 10 hours per month X 24 months (with an additional 40 hours per month during the first 3 months) - time includes meetings, event planning, capacity-building with current staff investigation, general correspondence and mediation services Dot to exceed $18,000 Capacity Building total: $36,000.00 Estimated Budget: $80,250 One Ummah Consulting can offer up to an additional 20% reduction of core consulting and training fees to educational programs, social service agencies and non-profit organizations. $16,050 reduction in core consulting and training fees Final Estimated Two-Year Budl!et: $64,200