DIVERSITY TASK FORCE

NEA BOARD MEETINGNOVEMBER 2, 2012

AGENDA•CHARGE•INTERPRETATION OF CHARGE (JUSTIFICATION FOR THOUGHTFUL, DELIBERATIVE APPROACH)

•THE STEPS TO OUR APPROACH•PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER TOWARDS FINAL REPORT•ALTERNATE OUTCOMES VS. ORIGINAL INTENTIONS?•ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE•WHAT’S COMING UP: January Board Meeting•RECOMMENDATIONS for discussion

NEA’S STRATEGIC PLAN: CHARGE

Long Range PlanAction Plan

Interpreting the Charge

CHARGE: LONG RANGE PLANa. Identify the main 3-5 diversity issues facing the organization: Appoint a Diversity Task

Force to identify the main 3-5 diversity related issues facing the organization and make recommendations for addressing them. Human and fiscal resources should be considered when developing the recommendations. The Diversity Task Force submits recommendations to Board within 6 months of convening.

Assignment: Board to appoint a Diversity Task Force, Diversity Task Force to identify issues and make recommendations.

b. Articulate what diversity and inclusion mean to NEA As part of the process outlined in objective a., above, the Diversity Task Force will articulate what diversity and inclusion mean to NEA and develop a diversity statement to be approved by the membership and published on the Website.

Assignment: Diversity Task Force

c. Incorporate diversity considerations into committee activities Charge each committee with developing 2-3 ways to incorporate diversity and inclusion in their activities and,

with Board approval and fiscal responsibility, implementing at least one.

Assignment: All Committees

CHARGE: ACTION PLANSection 1010. a. Identify the main 3-5 diversity issues facing the organization Board and Diversity Task Force

1. Board appoints a Diversity Task Force 2. Diversity Task Force submits recommendations to the Board.

1. By Spring 2011 2. Within one year of convening

10. b. Articulate what diversity and inclusion mean to NEA Diversity Task Force

1. Diversity Task Force submits a finished draft of a diversity statement to the Board for approval. 2. Board presents diversity statement to the membership for vote.

1. Within 1 year of convening. 2. At Spring 2012 meeting

10. c. Incorporate diversity considerations into committee activities All Committees

1. Committees report their 2-3 ways of incorporating diversity and inclusion in to their activities to the Board. 2. Board considers and approves implementation of specific activities.

1. By Spring 2013 2. By Fall 2013

INTERPRETING THE CHARGEAlthough presented with a time frame , and specific goals, we determined there were specific questions that needed to be addressed before attempting to achieve these goals.

•WHAT IS THE INTENDED OUTCOME? FOR WHOM?•WHAT DOES A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE ORGANIZATION LOOK LIKE? •DOES THAT APPLY TO NEA?•HOW DO WE DETERMINE THAT THE GOAL HAS BEEN REACHED, THAT OUR EFFORTS ARE ENOUGH, & ARE SUSTAINABLE? •HOW DOES ONE MEASURE SUCCESS? •WHAT DO WE USE TO MEASURE OUR PROGRESS & RE-EVALUATE PLAN & OUTCOME ONCE GOALS ARE REACHED?

THE STEPS TO OUR APPROACH

• DUAL• DETERMINING OUR ROLE

• SOME “TOOLS” TO ADVANCE OUR APPROACH

THE APPROACH

• INTERNAL• EXTERNAL

ROLE OF TASK FORCE

Long Range Plan

NEA Board

TASK FORCE

NEA Members

hip

“TOOLS”

•Research origins of NEA’s diversity charge•Survey of other professional organization’s similar efforts•Survey of past NEA records at UCONN for precedent•Survey of Board Membership, Fall 2011•Survey of General Membership 2011, 2012

Survey of other professional organization’s similar efforts

ONGOING

•Society of American Archivists•ALA•RBMS•ARL•NARA•ACA•Oral History Association•Digital Commonwealth•Other Regional Archival Organizations:

Midwest Archives Conference (MAC)Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference

Survey of NEA records at UCONN

1. Evidence for precedent of diversity and inclusion: to find and summarize evidence of what the organization has discussed and done in regards to diversity: among board members, with membership, within region, with external groups, etc.

2. Defining the organizational culture without bias and outsider’s perspective: what to preserve and what may need to change a) small town versus big city? b) ambition

3. Why does the past matter?Establish legacy of commitment, legitimacy, and credibility…Who or what is driving commitment? What has been invested towards this goal?

4. Establish context for our time and work as a task force: tendering a favorable response and acceptance through accountability. Can we ensure sustainability beyond leadership changes for the sake of membership ?

5. What precedence (if any) could be found for a “statement” of their mission and values?

RECORDS REVIEW

•Series IV included records of the following committees: membership, outreach, long range planning from 1987-1995 (in essence, the long range planning committee or LRPC is the predecessor to the current Long Range Plan and Action Plan), other subcommittees, and the Task Force on Future Directions.

•Series V, Subject Files, undated, 1977, included information about Goals and Priorities (or the GAP Report) done by SAA in the 1980s, and NEA’s draft and formal response to the report); board emails; past meeting files 1986-1992; regionals 1979-1981 (did not get to this last folder this time).

•We were also able to see correspondence, (but no formal program schedule) of past NEA meetings that were not already included on the web site (1986-1992).

RECORDS REVIEW

We found these transitional years to help us focus and place all events in context:

•Spring 1985 NEA meeting in Williamstown, pre-board meeting discussion of SAA’s GAP Report•1986: NEA board retreat•1989: passing and implementation of first 5 Year Strategic Long Range Plan•1994 end of 5 year Long Range Plan•1996 Task Force on Future Directions

Survey of MembershipHIGHLIGHTS

• 2011One Question included:#11

NEA has recently formed a Diversity Task Force.

What diversity issues would you like to see this task force address?

Response:• answered question: 31• skipped question: 60

• 2012

1. Task force submitted 4 questions

2. Question #19: What areas do you think the NEA Diversity Task Force should focus on? Please selectall that apply:

“Diversity in the types of archivists/recordkeepers represented by the membership”

Highest response among choices at 64.3% (74)

Survey of MembershipHIGHLIGHTS

Another response of great interest to us, from the 2012 Membership Survey, was to question # 3:

Question # 3: If you are a member, how long have you been a member?

Less than a year 8.0% (9)1-5 years 43.8% (49)6-10 years 15.2% (17)11-15 years 10.7% (12)Over 15 years 22.3% (25) (2nd highest!)

MORE ON EXTERNAL APPROACH

The task force looks to promote and collaborate on NEA’s diversity charge with regional and national archives group through an SAA Annual Meeting

session

SAA SESSION PROPOSAL

“Unfortunately I do not have the most encouraging news for you. After discussing this with my fellow officers and past XXXX chair, we do not think we can participate in the session you propose. I'm not sure if I should be ashamed of that or not but we do not have strategies in place or initiatives surrounding diversity per se. We're all agreed therefore that we're not sure what we would talk about or contribute to the discussion as you envision it.”

~Email quote from potential co-panelist from regional archival organization

SAA SESSION PROPOSALOur response:We just completed our proposal form, and I wanted to express my deepest thanks again to you for getting back to us tonight, and for your diligent efforts in reaching out to your fellow officers and past XXXX Chair. We are ecstatic and grateful for your efforts, in the midst of your commitments and with very short notice. Thank you!

Although we are saddened that XXXX will not be represented on our panel, it is our sincerest hope that we will keep in touch with you and your fellow officers throughout the year. Your sentiment (and we totally empathize with you) is at the very heart of why I proposed this session to Karen, who is NEA's Diversity Task Force Chair.

Our region is just getting started as well, and we hoped to share our experiences, step by step, and learn from other regions--no matter what stage in the process we were all in. The session is an opportunity to provide support for each other and strengthen communication between regions, and between regionals and SAA diversity [committee] reps, as myself.

So, if our proposal is accepted, we still hope XXXX members will be in the audience and in full force!

Please know XXXX, that our intention is never to shame anyone, but to highlight everyone's efforts, no matter how big or small, including the process of just thinking about or defining what diversity means for your region. Others could still benefit from hearing just how XXXX got to the point of crafting a strategic long range plan, and your group's vision. So, I hope we can continue this dialogue---if our session is accepted this year---or the next :-)

Our very best wishes to you, and we will let you know if our proposal is accepted.Take very good care,Michelle and Karen

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER TOWARDS A FINAL REPORT

How do we intend to synthesize and use the information and feedback received from all of

these “tools” for recommendations to the board and voting by the board and membership?

USE OF RESEARCH AND SURVEY DATA

RECORDS REVIEW at UCONN: In our records review, we found out that members were complaining about the declining number of government archivists attending NEA meetings in the late 1980s.

2012 MEMBERSHIP SURVEY: “Diversity in the types of archivists/record keepers represented by the membership”Highest response among choices at 64.3% (74)

Therefore, here’s an EXAMPLE of a RECOMMENDATION: The task force would like to recommend a joint meeting(s) and/or social networking events to be coordinated and sponsored with local NAGARA and CoSA officers and members.

ALTERNATE OUTCOMES VS. ORIGINAL INTENTIONS?

It will take a little more time than at first anticipated for this process

Diversity Journey

Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Mainstream

Expansion

CREATING AWARENESS AND BUILDING FOUNDATION

Accountability/Process Integration

Building COMMUNITY OF CHANGE AGENTS

Diversity

Diversity

How Collaboration Can Change the World: Inclusion and Diversity Presentation by Ayelet Baron, October 2009

Moving to Inclusion and Diversity

FROM TO

INDEPENDENT

PROCESS

TRANSFORMATIONALTRANSACTIONAL

ACTIVITY

COLLABORATIVE

LEADERSHIPRESOURCES

How Collaboration Can Change the World: Inclusion and Diversity Presentation by Ayelet Baron, October 2009

We are not trying to be the diversity police!!!

CLARIFYING THE VISION

CREATING A PROCESS THAT FOSTERS SUSTAINABILITY AND CONTINUITY

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE:

COMING UP IN JANUARY

Future requests for board discussion and voting

•Additional Survey(s): board, regional groups & lapsed members•Focus Groups•Second of two public forums

RECOMMENDATIONSWe would like the board to consider the following ideas, submitted in our report for this meeting:

1. The Task Force respectfully recommends that the board have an org chart published on their web site, presenting the hierarchy and communication flow, and a new leader’s guide to NEA (these efforts are related to membership retention and inclusion, better communication internally, and externally between the board and the general membership, & to our counterparts outside of NEA; and coincide with the board’s introduction of a new roundtable structure). The Task Force would like to work with the Membership and Communications Committee, and others on this chart (as well as the Task Force on Organizational Effectiveness, if applicable.) This would aid greatly in the transition from a Task Force to a committee.

2. The Task Force respectfully recommends that the Task Force work with the Education Committee on researching the presentation and delivery of a workshop and/or speaker(s) on diversity and inclusion for the board, first, and then the membership.