AGENDA #12
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Diversity Training and Study of Town Work Environment
DATE: June 11, 2001
SUMMARY
We recommend that the Town contract with McKoy and Associates to conduct diversity training with all Town employees and conduct a study of the Town’s work environment. With the Council’s concurrence, work on the project would begin immediately with funds from the 2000-2001 budget.
At the Council’s retreat in January, Council members expressed interest in hearing employees’ opinions about the Town’s work environment, and adopted this as one of the Council’s goals for the year. One interest expressed by the Council was responding to situations and concerns sometimes expressed by employees to Council members in a way that protected the employee’s confidentiality so that employees could freely express any concerns about working for the Town.
After conducting research into various methods of conducting such a review, we contacted Henry McKoy of Raleigh about conducting a work environment study in Chapel Hill. Mr. McKoy, a former Executive Director of the North Carolina Human Relations Commission, has previously worked effectively with the Town conducting diversity training with department heads and with the Fire Department. He has also recently conducted community environment studies in Greensboro, Reidsville, and High Point, and has been a speaker on this subject both at conferences of the National League of Cities and the North Carolina League of Municipalities.
Staff met with Mr. McKoy to discuss the study and to request his advice on how a work environment review should be conducted. At a subsequent meeting with staff and Council Member Wiggins, Mr. McKoy proposed that an effective way to conduct the study would be to follow the process described here:
· Employee Training: All non-supervisory employees would participate in a half-day training session with Mr. McKoy, and supervisory employees would participate in a daylong session. The sessions would focus on strengths and differences that people have in working together and on individual issues and concerns about diversity. As a part of the training, each participant would complete an assessment of their own ideas about diversity and working with people from diverse backgrounds; this assessment would be for the employee’s own education and would not be shared with the group.
· Work Environment Study Questionnaire: Mr. McKoy has prepared a survey questionnaire that would ask all employees about their perceptions of the Town’s workforce considering race, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability and other issues. (See attachment.) Employees would be able to offer information about concerns and recommendations for change, as well as providing information about their perceptions of the Town as a diverse and fair workplace.
During the last portion of the diversity training sessions Mr. McKoy would offer each employee the opportunity to complete this work environment survey questionnaire and to turn the survey in to him directly at the end of the training time. Employees who have difficulty reading and writing would be offered the opportunity to work with a volunteer co-worker or with Mr. McKoy to have their responses recorded in private. Employees who wish to have more time for the survey would be provided with a stamped envelope to mail the survey directly to Mr. McKoy. The confidentiality of the employees’ responses would be maintained, because surveys would go directly to Mr. McKoy.
· Follow-up interviews: Mr. McKoy will meet privately with any employee who wishes to provide additional information about diversity and work environment concerns.
· Summary of survey results: Mr. McKoy will compile information received from employees into a survey report, which will be presented to the Town Manager and the Town Council. Demographic data – such as employee race, sex, age, department and length of employment with the Town – will be used by Mr. McKoy in his analysis of the survey results to assess different employee perceptions and concerns. The report will include recommendations for next steps and follow-up actions.
Study Timetable and Costs:
If the Council concurs, we would propose the following timetable for the study:
· June and July: training session conducted and survey completed by a pilot group of employees. Survey instrument and training plan finalized by Mr. McKoy based on feedback from this test group.
· September and October: approximately 25 half-day training sessions and 3 full-day training sessions (with supervisors) conducted by Mr. McKoy.
· November: survey results presented in a report from Mr. McKoy.
· In addition, the Council may wish to consider whether the Mayor and Council would participate in a training session and a survey process after the new Council takes office in December.
We estimate that the study would cost approximately $30,000, including the following elements:
1. Training: 5-6 groups of supervisory employees in full-day sessions and 22-23 groups of non-supervisory employees in half-day sessions: $13,000 (costs for training sessions, time for individual meetings with employees and travel expense from Raleigh).
2. Scoring and analysis of the organizational instruments and writing report with recommendations: $8,000.
3. Purchase of 625 self-assessment instruments for use during training sessions: $8000.
If the Council concurs with the study proposal and timetable, we propose to contract with Mr. McKoy immediately, using funds from the current year 2000-2001 budget:
· $22,000 would be allocated from the Council contingency fund.
· $ 8,000 for training instruments would be paid from departmental budgets on a per capita basis.
Mr. McKoy will attend the Council Meeting on June 11 to discuss the diversity training and work environment study proposal.
That the Council adopt the attached budget ordinance authorizing the allocation of $22,000 from the Council’s current year contingency account, and adopt the attached resolution authorizing a contract with McKoy and Associates for the above purpose.
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND “THE ORDINANCE CONCERNING APPROPRIATIONS AND THE RAISING OF REVENUE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2000 (2001-06-11/O-3)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Budget Ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Concerning Appropriations and the Raising of Revenue for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2000” as duly adopted on June 26, 2000 be and the same is hereby amended as follows:
ARTICLE I
Current Revised
APPROPRIATIONS Budget Increase Decrease Budget
Non-departmental
Contingency 34,427 22,000 12,427
GENERAL FUND
Human Resources 513,382 22,000 535,382
ARTICLE II
This ordinance shall become effective upon adoption.
This the 11th day of June, 2001.
WHEREAS, the Town workforce is composed of a large number of employees from diverse backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council and Town management want a workforce that is fair and free of discrimination; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council and Town management want employees to provide their perceptions of the Town as a fair and non-discriminatory workplace in a confidential manner; and
WHEREAS, McKoy and Associates from Raleigh has conducted diversity training and work environment studies for North Carolina local governments;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to contract with McKoy and Associates to conduct employee training on diversity issues, to survey employees on their perceptions of the Town work environment, and to present a report to the Council including recommendations for follow-up actions.
This the 11th day of June, 2001.