Neighborhood Partnerships is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This commitment doesn’t start or end with an equity statement on our website. We recognized some time ago that if we are to live the words that we write and the ideals that we espouse, then we need to rethink existing policies and develop measurable goals and plan accordingly.
Every year at NP we get together as a staff to workshop equity goals. We split up into teams and subcommittees to discuss and then set objectives. These objectives are developed in response to a host of factors: Sometimes it is by examining existing structures, noticing barriers, and developing a goal around chipping away at the barrier or knocking it down completely; or it could be a reaction to a deficiency—a deficiency in representation, data, or policy; often times it is a continuation of previous objectives, just the next step in a team’s long-term vision.
After the objectives are developed and entered into our template, the NP Equity Team reviews all the goals, and provides critical comments and feedback. Often times these equity goal sessions generate lots of objectives, which equates to a ton of work. As an organization we’ve worked diligently to be realistic about the work ahead, and so the goals then go to the NP leadership for review, discussion, and most importantly, prioritization. Some goals are then put on hold and become possible goals for next year.
We have not perfected this process! We are still learning how to create more measurable goals and identify goals that have the most impact. We are still learning how to make the annual workshop sessions effective and energizing. We are still figuring out how to create goals in partnership and not in isolation. And we are still learning how to slow down. Working hard but being kind to ourselves is a balance we strive for. Maybe that should be an equity goal for next year?