Summary of objective implementation status (achievements or progress over last year; significant delays or issues, etc.)
The OOE established the Sonoma County Equity Core Team in late Spring of 2021, with 76 members initially representing 25 County Departments. The Core Team became the first cohort of equity champions who have helped expand the Office’s capacity to begin its work in alignment with the Racial Equity and Social Justice pillar of the County’s 5-year Strategic Plan.
Since its creation, Core Team members have participated in several opportunities for professional development including:
- Racial Equity Foundations Training: All Core Team members worked in racial affinity groups – White, Black, and Non-Black People of Color – to create the conditions for learning foundational equity principles and skills, including sharing concepts and definitions, learning about the history of racism in the United States and Sonoma County, and building relationships as employees of the County of Sonoma.
- Facilitation training: 20 Core Team members representing 9 departments, participated in an intensive three-day workshop, in which they developed their facilitative expertise to navigate and lead conversations about race.
- Anti-racist Results-Based Accountability training: 31 Core Team members representing 12 departments joined a year-long training in which they learned to develop technical expertise in Anti-Racist Results-Based Accountability (AR RBA) methodology.
As of January 2024, the Core Team was made of 47 participants representing 17 County departments and agencies:
- Auditor-Controller-Treasurer- Tax Collector
- Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
- Agriculture/Weights & Measures
- Board of Supervisors – District 3
- County Administrator’s Office
- Child Support Services
- Community Development Commission
- Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters
- County Counsel
- Department of Emergency Management
- Department of Health Services (DHS)
- Human Resources
- Human Services Department (HSD)
- Office of Equity
- Probation
- Public Defender
- Sonoma Water
The OOE received $50,000 in Strategic Plan funds on 2/7/2023 to support the development of the next action steps, to create a sustainable path to continue to nurture the professional development of existing (and new) Core Team members who are instrumental in expanding the capacity of the OOE to advance equity initiatives across all departments.
Key milestone update (include relevant metrics, if applicable)
- Steering Committee: In addition to offering the professional development opportunities mentioned above, in February 2023, the OOE also established a Steering Committee (SC). The purpose of the SC has been to act as a group of strategic leaders who work with the OOE to co-develop the Racial Equity Action Plan (RESJ Goal 3; Objective 1 and 2) through an Anti-Racist framework. The Board of Supervisors adopted the Racial Equity Action Plan after the discussion, and on August 13, 2024, a final version was presented and accepted as part of the consent calendar.
- Antiracist Expertise: Trained Core Team members continue to provide support to their departments in several areas, including in the development of equity analysis for significant board items in their departments, as well as various other processes in which an anti-racist expertise has been needed, such as supporting hiring panels, participating in focus groups, and/or sharing their expertise in different settings in support of their departmental operations.
Coordination and partnership update
The OOE has been working in partnership with the department heads, who have supported the capacity of Core Team members to attend anti-racist professional development opportunities, including:
- Auditor-Controller-Treasurer- Tax Collector
- Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
- Agriculture/Weights & Measures
- Board of Supervisors – District 3
- County Administrator’s Office
- Child Support Services
- Community Development Commission
- County Counsel
- Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters
- Emergency Management
- Health Services (DHS)
- Human Resources
- Human Services (HSD)
- Office of Equity
- Probation
- Public Defender
- Sonoma Water
Community, equity and climate update
The Office of Equity operates using anti-racist and equitable principles in all of our work.
If this objective received Strategic Plan funding, please provide amount spent to date for non-position related funding.
In Year 1, OOE received $240,000 in one-time Strategic Plan funds to get the Core Team work underway. All of these funds were spent.
In Year 2, OOE received $50,000 in ongoing Strategic Plan funds to continue the work of the Core Team. The OOE used the full $50,000 in fiscal year 2024-2025 towards the creation of a sustainable path for the professional development of existing (and new) Core Team members.
