The Situation
The Department of Human Services Office of Strategy and Performance Management Team was in need of a Consultant for their Engaging Community in Measure Development project. The original focus of the project was to build a replicable model for community inclusion, engagement and the co-development of measures in their ongoing performance improvement work, focusing on the African American community and tribal nations. The Word Applied, Inc. was selected to be the consultant focusing on the African American community.
The first programs that were to be the focus of the project were the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and MN Family Investment Program (MFIP) programs; and was to include tribal nations. In addition, the Team was seeking to build their engagement skills in order to replicate the community engagement model of authentic engagement. However, in 2020 COVID 19 significantly impacted the country and the state of Minnesota. And as a result, both the SNAP and MFIP programs found themselves overwhelmed with new recipients, and unable to participate in this project.
The Office of Strategy and Performance Management Team met with The Word Applied, Inc. to brainstorm options for modifying the project that included working within the existing framework of their Equity Partnership (which is a a partnership between MN Department of Human Services and County Representatives). A new project emerged that would address equitable engagement with African American individuals and families in suburban counties. The project title was modified and became “Equitable Engagement with African American Individuals and Families within our county.”
The Work
Stearns County and Dakota County expressed interest in participating in the project, each creating their own Teams to work with DHS and the contracted Consultant to achieve the overall goals of:
- Co-creating an engagement framework within the Equity Partnership
- Giving voice to the African American experience within suburban counties as they interact with county staff and partners (ex: community agencies and schools)
- Providing insight and mechanisms for continuous, useable information that would be actionable in helping to improve the experience of African Americans within the impacted county
- Being a model for all counties seeking to improve their relationships with the African American community
Stearns County wanted to better understand the lived experience stories of the African American community who are recipients of their Minnesota Family Investment Project (MFIP) program. Their specific goal was to learn why the rate of success in obtaining pathways out of poverty or maintaining employment for African American recipients was lower than White and African recipients.
Dakota County decided to focus on Child Protection and Out of Home Placements of African American children within the county in order to understand what was producing the disproportionality of out of home placements in the African American community.
Results
Due to the limitations of COVID19, The Word Applied, Inc. used virtual collective story harvesting sessions to facilitate conversations with current and former African American MFIP recipients for Stearns County. As a result of what was learned through their collective story harvesting sessions, Stearns County and their project team is designing a process for continuous engagement with recipients of their services that includes implementation of the actionable recommendations that have been developed.
Dakota County had several key take-aways as they undertook this project. A significant one for them was deciding to slow down their process, expand their Team, and design a continuous engagement process that specifically utilizes the African American community (as Community Advisors) who have expertise in the area of Child Protection. They are in the early stages of this work.
The Word Applied, Inc. has developed a final report titled “Equitable Engagement with African American Individuals and Families within our county” along with a Guidebook that provides insights for others looking at implementing the strategies and key learnings from this project.