The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Illinois City/County Management Association, and University of Illinois Chicago Great Cities Institute are proud to announce a new pilot program to help municipalities operationalize diversity, equity, and inclusion. This 6-month program will provide ongoing training, coaching, and peer support to an inaugural cohort of 10 municipalities. This pilot is free for participants.

Over the past few years, the Mayors Caucus, ILCMA, and UIC Great Cities have worked closely with elected officials and municipal staff from across the Chicago region and state of Illinois to better understand the unique challenges faced by small- to mid-sized local governments interested in better integrating DEI into their municipal operations. Operationalizing DEI is not an easy feat, and while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this work, municipalities often face shared challenges including:

  • A lack of internal staff expertise, training, and capacity to identify and address inequities both internally within the organization and externally within the broader community;
  • A lack of resources to dedicate towards DEI objectives and needs; and
  • A lack of knowledge of promising practices within this area and awareness of other municipalities engaged in this work.

This pilot was designed by municipalities, for municipalities with these specific needs in mind. Members of the MMC DEI Working Group and ILCMA Diversity and Inclusion Committee played an active role in advising the program structure, design, and curriculum. These groups underscored the importance of integrating DEI principles into everyday internal municipal operations in order to achieve lasting external equitable outcomes with the broader community. These observations from local leaders are backed by research from subject-matter experts at the UIC Great Cities Institute.

Now Accepting Applications

Led by Dr. Kathleen Yang-Clayton of UIC Great Cities, this pilot will provide ongoing training, coaching, and peer support to a cohort of 10 municipalities. Participants will learn the principles of racial equity driven organizational change and how to apply disciplined, practical approaches to incorporate equity into management and leadership decision-making processes unique to their community. The program curriculum will focus on internal organizational practices including performance management, internal communications, human resources, and finance. More information about this program is provided on this webpage: UIC Great Cities Pilot | Operationalizing DEI – Mayors Caucus

Please fill out this application by Friday, June 24th to be considered for the program. To preview the application questions, please view the Operationalizing DEI Pilot Program Application pdf. All responses must be filled out on the online form.

The program is anticipated to take place from August 2022 to January 2023. Municipal governments from across the state of Illinois are eligible to apply. Organizations interested in applying must designate two senior-level staff persons from separate departments within the municipality or separate government entities in the community (such as a representative from the municipality + school district, library, township, etc.). If a municipality would like to elect two senior-level individuals from the same department, these individuals should be able to demonstrate that they are committed to an organization-wide or community-wide participation in the pilot. Participants should have decision-making authority and influence within their organization, such as department heads or managers.

This pilot program is generously supported by the Chicago Community Trust, and participation is free for communities. For more information on how your community can get involved, please contact Katie Friedman, kfriedman@mayorscaucus.org