Reflecting back on all the work and planning that was done to establish a workgroup that is inclusive of people with marginalized lived experience, assess your efforts by asking if you completed all of the steps recommended in this toolkit. Ask yourself, did you...
Develop and implement a process for receiving and analyzing community member experience and the agency’s broader community engagement strategy. This is critical to understand where improvements must be made for a more relational government; a government that can successfully collaborate with community members to advance a government of, by, and for the people. Do not rely on agency staff experience alone. Remember, government is in the position of institutional power, so the community members must inform how well government collaborates.
The 7 Pit Stops Toward a Belonging State document is a comprehensive framework that illustrates various components that individuals, agencies, or workgroups can utilize and embed in their approach to working together in a mutually beneficial way. To effectively co-create and advance equity, justice and belonging for all Washingtonians, we must be aware of how we are showing up whether for ourselves or others.
Onboarding must be completed via a face-to-face meeting (either virtual or in-person) with the workgroup manager and new members. New members, especially those from underrepresented populations or who are new to government engagement, may feel intimidated or unsure of their role, so it is important to establish a safe, welcoming environment where they can freely ask questions and be brought into the project at their own pace.
When recruiting community members for workgroup involvement, government staff must seek community members, actively finding them through the methods they seek information and where they are in public spaces. Recruitment must be active instead of passive. We must find and meet people where they are, and not expect them to come to you. Too often, information about a new workgroup soliciting new member applications can only be found in an agency’s newsletter or deep within their website.
Disability occurs across every racial, ethnic, language, gender and social group. The intersection of these complex identities can create unique experiences of discrimination and oppression. Taking time to educate yourself about the disability community helps foster understanding and empathy, breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions.
Before any external communication, applications, scheduling, or meetings take place, the project manager should understand the project intent, goals and process, including any relevant timelines or deadlines and who must be included for the workgroup to successfully complete its work. Planning cannot be overlooked; it is the primary building block for every decision that follows.
Effective community interaction has several parts that must all be done to be meaningful. Our status quo is thinking that if we focus on engaging community members, we will have done our due diligence. Meaningful community engagement requires more than engaging, talking to, or facilitating. EQUITY developed the SPICE model as a guide for impactful community interaction.
There are currently 5 different classes of Workgroup in WA state. Determine what Class your workgroup falls under to ensure compliance with all compensation and reimbursement rules.
The PEAR Plan and Playbook states, “Community is the guiding light for planning, implementing, continuously improving, evaluating, and measuring government actions to achieve pro-equity anti-racism outcomes in the state of Washington.” Effective collaboration requires trust amongst collaborators. Therefore, to have successful and productive work groups that include community, we must make government more relational and be accountable to the people we serve.