Read this guide to get better oriented to the history, materials, and goals associated with the County’s workforce equity efforts.
What is the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan (WESP)?
The Workforce Equity Strategic Plan (WESP) outlines standards and performance measures the County should meet in order to eliminate employment barriers for people of color and other marginalized groups and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across the Multnomah County workforce.
The Workforce Equity Strategic Plan is the County’s response to longstanding inequities and is meant to serve as a starting point in addressing those inequities. The plan focuses on Multnomah County’s recruiting, hiring, professional development, promotion, and retention practices. Additional work will continue to center the voices of those most negatively impacted by the County’s existing and historical organizational culture and practices.
The Workforce Equity Strategic Plan was officially adopted by the Board of Commissioners on April 5, 2018 and amended Jan. 31, 2019.
Starting from the most recent developments, view this timeline of major events that have occurred relating to the current iteration of Multnomah County's workforce equity efforts.
What is the Jemmott Rollins Group (JRG)?
The Jemmott Rollins Group (JRG) is a national consultancy firm hired by Multnomah County to provide recommendations in identifying and addressing structural and policy barriers within the organization that negatively affect County employees based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, gender and gender identity, or sexual orientation.
What is the Draft Implementation Plan for Recommendations from Jemmott Rollins Group?
The Draft Implementation Plan for Recommendations from Jemmott Rollins Group (also referred to as the Draft JRG Implementation Plan) was the proposed guide to how our organization would implement and execute the recommendations delivered by national consultant, the Jemmott Rollins Group.
Previously, the consultants formally submitted organizational changes and improvements the County could potentially make to help ensure the success of the County’s Workforce Equity Strategic Plan.
County employees were then asked to rank the recommendations included in the Draft JRG Implementation Plan in the form of an organization-wide survey that was shared in late December 2018 through January 2019. In the survey, the recommendations were referred to as “implementation strategies.”
What is the Addendum to the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan?
The Addendum to the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan is simply the Draft Implementation Plan for Recommendations from Jemmott Rollins Group after it was formally approved by the Multnomah County Board of Commissioner on Jan. 31, 2019.
The Addendum to the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan is now officially known as Focus Area 5 for the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan.
Does that mean that the Draft Implementation Plan for Recommendations from Jemmott Rollins Group (aka the Draft JRG Implementation Plan) and the Addendum to the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan (aka Work Area 5 of the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan) are the same thing?
Kind of. To reiterate, the former is the proposed work plan for addressing workforce equity at the County before it was approved by the Board of Commissioners. The latter is the work plan formally approved by the Board.
What is the charge of the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan Committee and who sits on it?
The goal of the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan Committee is to review and track progress and provide feedback to executive leadership, departments, and other implementing stakeholders in Multnomah County. The committee will provide a long-term structure to support ongoing efforts to advance workforce equity.
You can view their membership list, as well as the group’s activities on the Workforce Equity Strategic Plan Committee page.