Volunteers Needed Now for Exciting New 2021 Program Planning Process

Volunteers Needed Now for Exciting New 2021 Program Planning Process

Meeting
Type: 
News
We Need Immediate Help! Volunteer to help in a new inclusive 2021 Program Planning Process.
Contact lwvsolano [at] gmail.com Att: Anita to volunteer.
 
Our Program Planning & Events Committee (PPE), led by co-chairs Craig Paterson and Anita Roberson, is seeking volunteers to help with:
1. Community Focus Groups which will take place via Zoom February 1-14
2. LWV Solano's Program Planning Meeting on Wednesday, February 24th at 7 pm via Zoom.
All LWV Solano members will be emailed the Zoom link before the meeting.
 
Here are the details about the purpose and process and timeline:
 

What is Program Planning? In the League, this is the process by which we decide where and how we will focus our resources – member time, money, reputation – over the next two years. Where will the League have the most impact? What will help build the League name – and help build our organization? We hope many members participate as we address these crucial questions.

In 2021, our League’s Program Planning process and responsibilities are significantly expanded.

Standard responsibilities are two-fold:
  1. Propose up to three “Issues for Emphasis” to the state League by March 1, 2021; and
  2. Determine local League program priorities for the next two years.
New LWV California (LWVC) recommended process:
In addition to our standard responsibilities, LWV California (LWVC) strongly recommends the application of “Making Democracy Work: An Equity Lens” in the program planning process. Here is the primary explanation of what this means:
 

“In that spirit, we encourage you to front end diversity, equity, and inclusion in Program planning by proactively reaching out to both League members and partners in your community who are young, Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, have disabilities, are in the LGBTQI+ community, or otherwise underrepresented.” LWVC

In December, Craig Paterson and Anita Roberson, PPE Co-Chairs discussed how our league might apply this “equity lens” in our LWVSC program planning process for 2021. There are some complications in the inclusion of non-members in our annual program planning session, in particular the fact that only members can actually vote in our priority selection process, which PPE expects to encounter and develop tactics for resolution during the course of the process.

The Executive Team approved and adopted the following aggressive but meaningful plan on January 15th. PPE will be following this sequence of conversations and decisions which will culminate in the reporting of our recommendations to LWVC by the deadline of March 1, 2020

Jan 16 – Jan 31… PP&E will enlist a workgroup to plan and implement efforts to welcome and record community feedback to “see” our county through an “equity lens.”

  • Identify and recruit a variety of community groups and League-member small groups across the county to hold “focus-group” sessions to better inform our LWV program planning decisions. This will be done by direct PPE outreach, LWVSC eblast, and press release soliciting volunteers to participate in the process.
  • Create a standardized conversation process and set of questions for use by each focus-group

Feb 1 – Feb 12… Hold focus-group sessions, and then collect responses from each group

Feb 17… Create a focus-group report for distribution to all LWVSC members

Feb 24… Hold our annual LWVSC program planning session via Zoom

Feb 26 – Feb 28… Prepare and send our three “Issues for Emphasis” to LWVC

Topics for Focus Groups will include:
  • California Water Resources (for example, Suisun City water being diverted to Southern California)
  • Climate Change
  • Homelessness & Housing
  • Voters Rights/Education
  • Campaign Finance / Money in Politics
  • Mental Health Care
  • Criminal Justice (adult & juvenile)
  • Other topics may be generated in the course of the focus groups.
League to which this content belongs: 
Solano County