HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-06 IC Human Rights Commission_Strategic Planning Report_FINAL_WITH appendices
2022 Strategic Planning Process:
Outcomes and Next Steps
June 2022
Jennifer Horn-Frasier, Principal
Bluebird Sky, LLC
BluebirdSkySolutions.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary 1
Methodology 3
Strategic Areas of Work 5
Breaking Bread 5
Regular Reciprocal Relationships 6
Bridging the Gap 6
Recommended Next Steps 7
Onward 7
Appendix A: Ideas and Insights from One-on-One
Conversations A1
Appendix B: City of Iowa City’s Human Rights Office &
Commission Survey B1
Appendix C: Outcomes of Strategy Workshop 1 C1
Appendix D: Outcomes of Strategy Workshop 2 D1
p. 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 2022 Iowa City Human Rights Commission (HRC) strategic planning process used the following
duties and framing question to identify strategic areas of work for the coming three years.
DUTIES
The Commission has the following powers:
1) Make recommendations to the Council for such further legislation concerning discrimination as
it may deem necessary and desirable.
2) Educate the public on human rights and illegal discrimination, such as organizing and
facilitating educational public forums that address one or more of the broad range of topics
included within the rubric of human rights.
3) Cooperate, within the limits of any appropriation made for its operation, with other agencies or
organizations, both public and private, whose purposes are not inconsistent with those of the
Human Rights Ordinance.
4) Coordinate programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural, and other intergroup
tensions.
FRAMING QUESTION
Imagine that, by its 65th anniversary, the Iowa City Human Rights Commission is the hub of a robust,
local human rights network. What would that look like?
ANNUAL FOCUS
Develop a process for determining and publicizing an annual focus for human rights programming
STRATEGIC AREAS OF WORK
1—Breaking Bread: Bringing people together to learn from one another and practice creating
community across previous lines of tension; focusing on individuals
Goal 1: Deepen the interaction among community members and increase their engagement with
the HRC
Goal 2: Increase community members’ knowledge of their rights, local ordinances, and unlawful
discrimination
2—Regular Reciprocal Relationships: Developing deeper relationships with other community
organizations, including human rights nonprofits, other government commissions, and schools to more
effectively advance human rights in our community
Goal 1: Deepen engagement with human rights-focused community groups
Goal 2: Collaborate with community groups to co-create, co-sponsor, and co-host human rights-
focused programs
p. 2
3—Bridging the Gap: Developing stronger individual and collective relationships with the city council
Goal 1: Individual commissioners have active relationships with council members
Goal 2: HRC actively communicates with the city council about human rights-related current events
Goal 3: HRC makes timely and relevant recommendations to the city council whenever warranted
p. 3
METHODOLOGY
The strategic planning process was organized into several phases, each of which is described here.
Phase 1: Current-State Analysis
A) Documentation review and one-on-one conversations with key leaders
A comprehensive view of the current state of Iowa City Human Rights work was developed through the
following activities:
• Reviewing the status of efforts related to previous strategic plans
• Reviewing other available documentation, including annual reports
• Exploring via one-on-one conversations with five key leaders (staff and Commission members)
the current state of the Commission, human rights efforts in Iowa City, and areas of work that
may be furthered in the future
• Exploring relevant current trends and future signals that may affect planning
Deliverable: A report synthesizing the results of the documentation review and leader conversations
and proposing a future vision framing question to be used to guide planning sessions. This report is
included in Appendix A.
Note: A framing question is a tool of appreciative inquiry that invites a group to vividly imagine together
a future they would like to co-create. Rather than focusing on perceived problems, it directs focus toward
the positive future and fosters shared understanding and enthusiasm for the future. An example of a
framing question from another context is this: Imagine a community where agencies and systems don’t
re-traumatize those with trauma histories. What would that look like?
B) Survey of Commission members, City staff, and constituent representatives
This survey was distributed to City of Iowa City employees; Council; Human Rights Commissioners;
members of other commissions; representatives of Iowa City community organizations; and staff within
the Iowa City Community School District, the University of Iowa, and Kirkwood Community College.
The survey included items soliciting input on topics including a SWOT-type of analysis (strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats/challenges), the four enumerated powers of the Commission,
current trends, future signals, and respondents’ ideas for the future of the Commission.
Between April 18 and 29, 2022, 45 people provided responses.
Deliverable: A report synthesizing the results of the documentation review and leader conversations,
providing an analysis of survey results, and proposing a future vision framing question to be fine-tuned
at the beginning of Phase 2. This report is included in Appendix B.
p. 4
Phase 2: Envisioning the Future
This phase was designed using outcomes of Phase 1 and structured around two three-hour workshops
held in consecutive weeks in May. Workshop participants included all Commission members and were
held in person. The two workshops were designed to build upon one another.
A) Workshop 1: Creating a shared vision for the future → What could we do?
In advance of the workshop, participants were provided preparation materials drawn from Phase 1
outcomes. Primary activities of Workshop 1 included:
• Discussion of current-state analysis
• Exploration of current trends and future signals for Iowa City and issues related to human rights
• Creating a vivid shared picture of the future based on the framing question
• Generating ideas for what the HRC might do to bring the future vision to life
B) Workshop 2: What should we do? → What will we do?
Again, in advance of the workshop, participants were provided preparation materials drawn from the
outcomes of Workshop 1. Primary activities of Workshop 2 included:
• Reviewing and reflecting on the outcomes of Workshop 1
• Identifying areas of work likely required to bring the future vision to life
• Determining initial goals and objectives for the key areas of work
− Goal: A broad desired outcome within the strategic area of work (a future state to be
attained)
− Objective: A measurable result that contributes to achieving the goal (likely several
objectives will be needed to attain the goal)
Deliverables:
• Meeting preparation materials for workshop participants
• Workshop design and agenda
• Workshop facilitation
• Documentation of the outcomes of both workshops
Outcomes of Strategy Workshop 1 are included in Appendix C of this report, and outcomes of Strategy
Workshop 2 are in Appendix D.
Phase 3: Articulating the Plan
The outputs of Phases 1 and 2 are synthesized this report designed to guide the Commission’s activity
for the next three years and to support implementation of the plan.
Deliverables:
• Strategic planning process report
• Implementation support—guidance for the subcommittees established for each strategic area of
work
p. 5
STRATEGIC AREAS OF WORK
Over the course of the strategic planning workshops, the commissioners collectively created a vision for
the future of the HRC and human rights in the Iowa City area. Using the four specified duties of the
commission as focal points, they then developed lists of potential strategic outcomes—not solutions,
but outcomes—that would help move the HRC and human rights in Iowa City in the direction of the
future vision. The strategic outcomes were evaluated based on their potential for helping the
Commission achieve the desired future vision.
This process resulted in the identification of three primary areas of work on which the HRC will focus in
the coming years. Additionally, the commissioners established an overarching strategy to connect the
areas of work, which is to define each year an area of focus or a theme to unify human rights
programming.
The strategic areas of work are shown below, and they include draft goals and objectives. The
definitions used by the commissioners for these elements are as follows:
• Strategic area of work: A focus area where new approaches are needed in order to bring the
future vision to life
• Goal: A broad desired outcome within the strategic area of work (a future state to be attained)
• Objective: A measurable result that contributes to achieving the goal (likely one of several
objectives needed to attain the goal)
First step—Annual Focus: Develop a process for determining and publicizing an annual focus for human
rights programming (e.g., criteria for selecting the focus; time of year for selection; means of publicizing)
Strategic Area of Work 1—Breaking Bread: Bringing people together to learn from one another and
practice creating community across previous lines of tension; focusing on individuals
Goal 1: Deepen the interaction among community members and increase their engagement with the
HRC
Objective: Develop regular schedule of activities in which HCR members and community partners
can engage in meaningful dialogue, learning, and interaction
Objective: First host events where relationships already exist, then expand outward
Example: Coffee with the Commission
Example: Quarterly listening posts
Goal 2: Increase community members’ knowledge of their rights, local ordinances, and unlawful
discrimination
Objective: Regularly release educational videos recorded by commissioners on various topics
Objective: Release educational videos in connection with important current events
Question: How else might the HRC help increase community members’ knowledge of these topics?
p. 6
Strategic Area of Work 2—Regular Reciprocal Relationships: Developing deeper relationships with
other organizations, including human rights nonprofits, other government commissions, and schools to
more effectively advance human rights in our community; focusing on community groups
Goal 1: Deepen engagement with human rights-focused community groups
Objective: Create more active relationships with the organizations who receive grants from the HRC
Objective: Identify other community organizations to engage with in order to build the local human
rights network
Goal 2: Collaborate with community groups to co-create, co-sponsor, and co-host human rights-focused
programs
Objective: Coordinate this programming with the identified human rights focus for the year
Strategic Area of Work 3—Bridging the Gap: Developing stronger individual and collective relationships
with the city council
Goal 1: Individual commissioners have active relationships with council members
Objective: Each HRC member has a regular (monthly?) coffee with a council member
Objective: All HRC members have shared talking points to effectively convey unified messaging
Goal 2: HRC actively communicates with the city council about human rights-related current events
Goal 3: HRC makes timely and relevant recommendations to the city council whenever warranted
p. 7
RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS
The commissioners have developed a strong strategic framework for the coming three years. As with
any strategic planning process, the most challenging step is typically not developing the plan but
carrying it out. To facilitate successful execution of the plan, the following steps are recommended:
1) Subcommittees: Establish subcommittees of 3-4 people for each strategic area of work. This will
allow the subcommittees to function nimbly and on a schedule that works best for the work at
hand.
2) Metrics: Each subcommittee should clearly define desired outcomes for their work and
determine metrics that may be tracked along the way to determine whether the work is
progressing as needed.
3) Meeting cadence: Each subcommittee should establish a regular cadence of meetings (e.g.,
every 30 days) that best supports the work.
4) Action: Generally speaking, the agenda for each subcommittee meeting should include the
following:
• Reviewing desired outcomes and metrics for the work
• Gleaning what has been learned since the last meeting
• Applying the learning to plan next steps
• Determining what action is needed next
• Committing to specific actions each subcommittee member will take before the next
meeting
• Setting the next meeting date, time, and location
5) Communication: Each subcommittee should create a standard protocol for recording its
progress and storing information needed by its members. Additionally, communication should
take place regularly (e.g., via monthly HRC meetings and/or quarterly) among the
subcommittees to share learning, insights, and relevant developments that may affect the work
of other subcommittees.
6) Strategy Review: At least annually, the HRC should review the strategic plan’s desired strategic
outcomes and consider whether any changes are warranted, based on learning developed
through the work of the subcommittees, changing conditions in the community, or other
factors. At this time, the HRC should also consider the progress of the individual subcommittees’
work toward their stated goals and evaluate whether any changes are warranted.
ONWARD
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission has developed a promising plan and strong forward
momentum to carry it out. May the HRC truly be the hub of a robust, local human rights network by its
65th anniversary in 2028.
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Ideas and Insights from One-on-One
Conversations A1
Appendix B: City of Iowa City’s Human Rights Office &
Commission Survey B1
Appendix C: Outcomes of Strategy Workshop 1 C1
Appendix D: Outcomes of Strategy Workshop 2 D1
A 1
APPENDIX A
SUMMARY:
Ideas and Insights from One-on-One Conversations
May 6, 2022
BACKGROUND
In early April 2022, conversations were held with five individuals who are involved with the Iowa City
Human Rights Office and Commission. Topics for the conversation included the following:
• Each person’s path to working on human rights
• How well each thinks the commission is currently functioning
• What the commission does that has the biggest positive impact
• Areas the commission should consider working in
• Local human rights issues anticipated to be noteworthy in the next five years
• Who in the community the commission should seek input from via a survey
• What should and should not change in what the commission does
KEY INSIGHTS/OBSERVATIONS
• There is a lot to be proud of regarding the work of the office and commission.
• There is uncertainty or unease regarding the relationship with/to the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission.
• The ICHRC may not be using Stefanie’s extensive knowledge and expertise to the fullest extent.
• There is some desire for the ICHRC to be more visible in the community.
• Sometimes the commission develops big ideas that don’t end up going anywhere fruitful; there
is not currently clear process, structure, or expectation for how the commissioners might be
involved in implementing some of these ideas.
• There is great potential for increasing the impact of the ICHRC by revamping the current grant
program to include more interaction with and learning from the awardees.
IDEAS FOR FUTURE ACTIVITY
• Review and update the onboarding process for new commissioners to increase shared
understanding and expectations for roles.
• Redesign the grant award process to ensure more diversity in awardees, year over year, and to
build in opportunities to engage with and learn from awardees (e.g., orientation for awardees,
reporting requirements, progress reports).
• Make better use of data to drive decision-making and priorities.
• Establish name recognition again.
• Re-engage on the topic of disability.
• Resurrect the “brag book” to publicize and highlight activities and accomplishments.
• Deliver more know-your-rights training.
A 2
• Organize book reads.
• Organize film screenings.
• Sponsor programming related to relational aggression among adolescent girls.
• Conduct more public education, including through collaborations with other organizations.
• Establish and track measurable metrics related to the commission’s goals.
• Focus on welcoming immigrants.
• Deepen work with the ICPD, move beyond introductions to collaboration.
ORGANIZATIONS TO REACH OUT TO
The ICHRC may consider reaching out to organizations with similar missions with which there is not a
current active relationship:
• UI
• UI DEI
• UI Center for Human Rights
• ICCSD Equity Committee
• UI Black Greek organizations
• Hancher
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission
POTENTIAL TOPICS FOR STRATEGY WORKSHOPS
• Get specific: Create shared, specific definitions for key ideas, such as disability, housing
affordability, and more.
• Evaluate potential actions using the question, Is this a role for ICHRC, or is another organization
already doing it well?
• Establish a sub-committee looking a future signals and trends to identify issues the ICHRC should
be aware of and potentially prepare to address.
• Clarify expectations for commissioners, including for involvement and activity beyond the
monthly commission meetings.
• Explore ways to more deeply partner with the city council.
• Create an asset map of all the human rights-related resources both in the purview of the ICHRC
and existing elsewhere in our community.
• Ask, What’s needed? What’s accomplishable? → Identify priorities → Set funding parameters
B 1
APPENDIX B
ANALYSIS:
City of Iowa City’s Human Rights Office & Commission Survey
May 6, 2022
OVERVIEW
This survey was distributed to City of Iowa City employees; Council; Human Rights Commissioners;
members of other commissions; representatives of Iowa City community organizations; and staff within
the Iowa City Community School District, the University of Iowa, and Kirkwood Community College.
Between April 18 and 29, 2022, 45 people provided responses.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There was nearly equal representation of government sector, nonprofit sector, and community
members among respondents, with roughly 40% of respondents classifying themselves as one of these.
(Note: respondents had the option to identify themselves in more than one category.)
About 15% of the respondents were from the education sector.
The two duties perceived to be fulfilled to the highest degree are:
• Make recommendations to City Council for further legislation concerning discrimination
• Work with and support other agencies and organizations in the planning and conducting of
programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural and other intergroup tensions
The two duties perceived to be fulfilled least are:
• Develop and run city-sponsored programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural, and
other intergroup tensions
• Educate the public on human rights and unlawful discrimination
However, between 13% and 25% of respondents did feel able to evaluate how well the ICHRC performs
each duty.
Comments suggest that, while there is appreciation for the work of the ICHRC, there is also opportunity
for improving communication about that work.
The large majority of respondents (71.1%) remembered attending at least one event or program
sponsored by the Iowa City Human Rights Commission in the last two years. This suggests the
respondent pool is fairly well engaged with and informed about the work of the ICHRC.
B 2
Types of programs and events respondents attended include the following:
Program/Event Type # of
Mentions
Training 8
Awards 7
Festivals 6
Commission Meetings 3
Other 4
While a small sampling, these responses suggest that the training opportunities are seen to be useful or
valuable to the community.
Additionally, local festivals appear to be a good draw for the community.
Respondents overwhelming identify housing as the most important issue in the purview of the ICHRC.
The second tier of issue priority includes:
• Employment
• Education
The third tier of issue priority includes:
• Public accommodations
• Credit
Education and funding are most often cited as the ICHRC’s most significant accomplishments.
The next tier of important accomplishments includes:
• Race-related work, including BLM
• Fair housing assistance
• Awards, including youth
• Events
The top tier of concerns for the future includes:
• Housing discrimination
• Education about bias, systemic inequity
The second tier of concerns for the future includes:
• Affordable housing
• Bias in policing
• Unequal and unjust punishment in the school system
B 3
Respondents submitted many ideas to improve organizational effectiveness, collaboration, and/or the
ability to accomplish the Commission’s goals and objectives. The main themes of the suggestions were
these:
• Collaboration: Work more intentionally and collaboratively with other local groups
• Publicity/Outreach: Communicate more broadly about the work the ICHRC does
• Community Engagement: Integrate more deeply and authentically in the community
Categories of ideas shared for new human rights-related programs, initiatives, or policies included the
following:
• Support for renters and first-time home buyers
• Connecting with people where they are in the community
• More educational programming
• Creating an annual calendar of ICHRC-related events
• Lending discrimination
• Consider adding voting rights to the list of issues the ICHRC addresses regularly
• ID/drivers license access
• Immigrant support
• Equitable hiring practices
• Increase grant funding
B 4
FULL SURVEY RESULTS
1) Which category or categories best describe you? Check all that apply.
“Other” responses:
• private business
• Religious sector
NOTE: Total percentages do not equal 100% because respondents were asked to select all that apply.
• Selecting 2 options: 3 respondents
• Selecting 3 options: 3 respondents
• Selecting 4 options: 1 respondent
Key Takeaways
There was nearly equal representation of government sector, nonprofit sector, and community
members among respondents, with roughly 40% of respondents classifying themselves as one of these.
(Note: respondents had the option to identify themselves in more than one category.)
About 15% of the respondents were from the education sector.
B 5
2) The Iowa City Human Rights Commission has four primary duties, which are listed below. Please
rate the degree to which you believe the Commission fulfills each duty.
Weighted
Ranking
Weighted
Average Duty “I Don’t
Know”
1 3.29 / 4.0 Make recommendations to City Council for further legislation concerning
discrimination
11
(24.4%)
2 3.27 / 4.0
Work with and support other agencies and organizations in the planning
and conducting of programs designed to eliminate racial, religious,
cultural and other intergroup tensions
4 (8.9%)
3 3.08 / 4.0 Develop and run city-sponsored programs designed to eliminate racial,
religious, cultural, and other intergroup tensions
7
(15.6%)
4 3.05 / 4.0 Educate the public on human rights and unlawful discrimination 6
(13.3%)
Optional comments:
I realize I am not aware of all that you do. I am not really able to assess the 'degree to which the Commission
fulfills each duty.' I do appreciate your visibility and leadership. And, whenever anyone, whatever age, tells me
they feel like they have been discriminated against, I always tell them to talk with Stefanie. I say, she will know
what that is and what can be done. Some have gone to her.
I have to admit I have not been able to attend many of the sponsored events over the years (just have not made
it a priority apparently) but I know they do a lot in the community.
I do not know a lot about the work of the ICHRC so my opinions may not be accurate.
thank you for all your work.
I am unfamiliar with the work your team has done for other agencies in the area. I do know of and have
attended some of the events that have been sponsored by the commission but I do not know what specifically
you have done to eliminate intergroup tensions. What I do know best is people and most of the people I work
with are unaware of their rights, especially as it pertains to housing and landlord interactions. I know you have
available information, but I do not think it is being effectively shared.
We appreciate the social media presence that we share on our platform, the giveaways (especially the
calendars!) and the workshops that we can use as resources for our staff!!
Extremely helpful.
B 6
Key Takeaways
The two duties perceived to be fulfilled to the highest degree are:
• Make recommendations to City Council for further legislation concerning discrimination
• Work with and support other agencies and organizations in the planning and conducting of
programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural and other intergroup tensions
The two duties perceived to be fulfilled least are:
• Develop and run city-sponsored programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural, and
other intergroup tensions
• Educate the public on human rights and unlawful discrimination
However, between 13% and 25% of respondents did feel able to evaluate how well the ICHRC performs
each duty.
Comments suggest that, while there is appreciation for the work of the ICHRC, there is also opportunity
for improving communication about that work.
3) Have you attended or participated in an event or program sponsored by the Iowa City Human
Rights Commission in the last two years?
B 7
If yes, what was the event or program? (You may list more than one.)
Breakfast White Privilege
Award Breakfast. Juneteenth. TRC meetings. Missed MLK events. I have missed most of your programming due
to schedule conflicts.
Pride Fest
Youth Awards
breakfast
Zoom book and movie discussions; Zoom trainings.
school to prison pipeline three-part series
The Human Rights Award
I don't remember
Human rights Day events and film discussions
HRC commission meetings; implicit bias training; UICLHR webinars; recently “Moving Forward” webinar related
to feminism and discrimination…
We were a recipient of the SJRE Grant and in the process of developing our project, not only learned about what
being an anti-racist org can and should do, but connected with tons of folks in the community committed to
anti-racism. We have attended the two-day DEI workshop, and one of our staff really got a lot out of the LGBTQ
workshop.
Coralville Pride, White Privilege 101, Night of 1000 Dinners
Black history month presentations
Iowa City Pride Festival
owned
Awards Ceremony
Awards
Commission Meetings Truth and Reconciliation Commission Meetings
Over the last two years, I was able to attend many zoom webinars on racial equity and lgbtq+ issues.
Coralville Pride Festival
Key Takeaways
The large majority of respondents (71.1%) remembered attending at least one event or program
sponsored by the Iowa City Human Rights Commission in the last two years. This suggests the
respondent pool is fairly well engaged with and informed about the work of the ICHRC.
Types of programs and events respondents mentioned attending include the following:
Program/Event Type # of
Mentions
Training 8
Awards 7
Festivals 6
Commission Meetings 3
Other 4
B 8
While a small sampling, these responses suggest that the training opportunities are seen to be useful or
valuable to the community.
Additionally, local festivals appear to be a good draw for the community.
4) Listed below are the issues within the purview of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission. Please
rank them in order of importance over the next five years, with 1 being most important and 5 the
least.
Ranking Weighted Average
(out of 5) Issue
1 4.47 / 5.0 Housing (buy, sell, rent, lease, assign, sublease)
2 3.42 / 5.0 Employment
3 3.07 / 5.0 Education (educational institution)
4 2.18 / 5.0 Public Accommodations (places open to the public)
5 1.87 / 5.0 Credit (consumer or insurance)
B 9
Key Takeaways
Respondents overwhelming identify housing as the most important issue in the purview of the ICHRC.
The second tier of issue priority includes:
• Employment
• Education
The third tier of issue priority includes:
• Public accommodations
• Credit
5) Please list what, in your opinion, have been the most important accomplishments of the Iowa City
Human Rights Commission over the past several years. The items do not need to be in any particular
order.
Word Cloud of Responses
Unabridged Responses
Land Acknowledgement
Grants
I think the distribution of the yearly grant money to local nonprofit is the most impactful accomplishment of the
commission.
Adding a youth award.
Working on ways to improve the city's behavior, especially in the wake of BLM
I'm glad there is one - I know its rare. Im not very familiar with the programs though.
Education
The response to the BLM issues last summer were adressed quickly by city staff and city leaders. We're still not
done, but I feel like the commission and the city took the bull by the horns very quickly.
education
The Commission did great work at the annual job fair for several years. The equity grants have been an
important source of support for various locally based organizations promoting rights and social justice.
I'm not really sure
B 10
working with the immigrant communities to assist in accessing services
funding for other entities, trainings, disseminating information
Education
Don't know
the youth awards, supporting and sponsoring events
awarding grants to non-profit organizations
Calming and affirming response to 2020 protests.
I think having a conversation on race
I don't know
Information provided to public, job finding help, housing assistance
Helping push back a bit against discrimination in rental housing
The SJRE grant, the breakfast award, letter of recommendation to the city council
I am unaware of what all work you have done, but what I am most aware of is the information you have created
to help people understand their rights.
outreach to all segments of the IC community
Educating the public about implicit bias
All the education! We love The Lens that comes out every month. The SJRE Grant. The Juneteenth Celebration.
Black History Month is always lit thanks to HRC.
Supporting the local BLM movement, White Privilege events, Implicit Bias series
Helping with the BLM protests and conversations at the City level, educating about Black history
Public Education events and addressing issues of bias locally.
Education
Advising the city council
funding
Giving thoughtful and fair consideration to grant applicants, raising awareness for fair housing, staying on top of
current issues and emerging issues.
rating the social justice racial equity proposals
Voter Restoration, Fight Housing Discrimination, Police Community Relations
.
Awards
Help to Council about Truth and Reconciliation, CPRB
Establishing a social justice funding program
City of Iowa City has received national recognition as one of the best LGBTQ+ places to visit and live.
enforcing laws against race discrimination in housing
funding programs
Support for the LGBTQ+ communities
i am not aware
B 11
A summary of the types of accomplishments respondents mentioned and their frequency is shown in
the table below:
Accomplishment Types # of
Mentions
Education / Outreach 14
Grants / Funding 12
Race-related work, including BLM 6
Fair housing assistance 5
Awards, including youth 4
Events 3
Job fair 2
Advising city council 2
LGBTQ+ support 2
CPRB (Community Police Review Board) 2
Immigrant support 1
Helping people understand their rights 1
Land Acknowledgment 1
Key Takeaways
Education and funding are most often cited as the ICHRC’s most significant accomplishments.
The next tier of important accomplishments includes:
• Race-related work, including BLM
• Fair housing assistance
• Awards, including youth
• Events
6) Please describe issues, concerns, trends, and opportunities you feel are most important to consider
in planning for the future work of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission. (Focus on unlawful
discrimination related to credit, education, employment, housing, or public accommodations.) You do
not need to identify potential solutions to your concerns; see items 6 and 7 for this.
Word Cloud of Responses
B 12
Unabridged Responses
How they allocate grant funding to the same organizations year after year. These same organizations often are
already well established and well known but also receive funding from other City sources.
educat the Community about the Works the commission does
lack of available affordable housing
How to educate white people about the systemic inequity. Increasing leadership of color throughout IC
metroarea.
Discrimination in housing, especially the de facto discrimination allowed by state law allowing landlords to
reject Section 8, is something the city should try to address through other means.
Educating the community on biases
Work with area Human Rights groups
I think housing is probably the number one area where we see discrimination happening.
more education, small in person groups, increase visibility in companies in the area.
Discrimination in housing is the number one issue in IC. Discrimination in the public schools especially regarding
unequal punishment stats is also a top priority.
lack of access to driver's lincenses for undocumented immigrants
With limited affordable housing in our community, I think the Commission will need to work on making sure
people are not being discriminated against in obtaining and keeping affordable, decent housing.
state legislation allowing landlords to deny tenants who have a housing choice voucher
Unlawful discrimination, housing
Educating public, focus on landlords, tenants
none in particular
I think the commission should work on discrimination on the housing sector. This should be the commission's
priority.
Safety net of services
Racial dynamics
eliminating seclusion, restraint, suspension, and zero-tolerance policies in schools; add robust restorative justice
programs to the schools and city / public housing and benefits for people with disabilities
Education, employment , housing
Discrimination against low-income renters, especially those of color. Discrimination in mortgage lending against
people of color and women
Education, racial justice, housing
Accountability for landlords, both in conditions of housing and retaliation against tenants. The people I work
with have lost housing, income to retaliatory fees and intimidation tactics, as well as health concerns due to
unsafe living conditions. Most people living in poor housing conditions.
Housing policing
Housing
Affordable housing and transportation. We've worked with women who have been through DVIP and are paying
$850/mo, dealing with crappy landloads, and don't have reliable transportation to work (we give away
bikes/locks/service). In working with clients through the shelter house there are a lot of men who take
advantage of our free bike program for transportation to work, and I wonder just how many women, specifically
with children, need transportation and childcare.
Trans ban in sports, access without harassment to abortion and other reproductive healthcare services, access
to affordable housing for all
it is important to consider the diverse populations that contribute to our culture and include all populations
Our city needs to have short & long term startegy adressing ongoing issues of bias in all its forms and policing.
Funding for BIPOC credit lending
Housing
Educate the public on human rights and unlawful discrimination
Housing remains a key issue - both access to affordable housing and preventing/addressing discrimination.
B 13
the hrc should have a representative on the civilian police review board
Police Community Relations, Immigrant Community Relations, and LGBTQ issues
.
Collaboration and partnership
Catholic Workers House residences/occupants
Work with the realtor sector to eliminate neighborhood steering.
not sure
racial disparities in denials of residential rental applications and evictions
We need wet shelters immediately and more long term housing solutions
Housing
Policing
A summary of the types of issues, concerns, trends, and opportunities respondents mentioned and their
frequency is shown in the table below:
Types of Issues, Concerns,
Trends, and Opportunities
# of
Mentions
Housing—discrimination 17
Education about bias, systemic inequity 10
Housing—affordable 5
Bias in policing 4
School system—unequal and unjust punishment 3
Publicize the work of the ICHRC 2
Collaborate with other human rights organizations 2
Immigrant issues, including access to drivers license 2
Employment discrimination 2
Credit and lending discrimination 2
LGBTQ+ rights & access to health care 2
Increasing the variety of organizations receiving funding/grants 1
Increasing diversity in area leadership 1
Safety net of services 1
Racial dynamics 1
Restorative justice 1
Transportation—affordability and family friendly 1
Inclusion 1
Key Takeaways
The top tier of concerns for the future includes:
• Housing discrimination
• Education about bias, systemic inequity
The second tier of concerns for the future includes:
• Affordable housing
• Bias in policing
• Unequal and unjust punishment in the school system
B 14
7) If you have ideas about things that the Commission and/or staff could do in the future to improve
organizational effectiveness, collaboration, and/or the ability to accomplish the Commission’s goals
and objectives, please describe them here.
Unabridged Responses
Be in the community as a commissioner!
Do you have regular meetings with other agencies/nonprofits/orgs that you share values and commitments
with? To do broader community planning and collaboration with?
Not at this time.
This survey was a helpful information tool. Perhaps putting those tasks on all of your correspondence? (in
headers, or footers etc)
Organize a yearly Human Rights calendar with sponsors events
I am not familiar enough with the commission's processes as they are, so cannot really comment here.
I think the staff does an excellent job within the confines of state law and local ordinances. These often act as a
constraint on the actions of the Commission.
Work cooaboratively with other organizations, such as working with the Center for Workers Justice on wage
theft issues and education
Have more visibility in the community so that more people are aware of your presence and services
Not sure
continue to provide basic information in multiple languages to persons who may be subject to discrimination
such as tenants and employees
I would like the commission to reach out to the community and talk with residents that are being discriminated
against when trying to rent/buy a house.
The commission needs to be more engaged with the public
Provide meaningful city grant support to organizations involved in uncovering racial discrimination in Iowa City
Inviting community leaders (religious, non-profit, education, etc.) to not only hear about what the humans right
commission is doing but also what they are doing and how the commission might better partner with
established groups.
Be more visible to the public; advocate and perhaps agitate
Would inviting someone on the Commission who has lived experiences, and compensate them, be a good idea?
In an effort to get a variety of perspectives?
I feel like the trans community is a bit sidelined generally. As more and more teenagers in school begin to make
these transitions, the population is more visible. While they may want to generally fly under the radar, I feel this
group is one of the most misunderstood. I also feel that we tend to not think too much about our Asian
community.
Reaching out more to under representative communities across the city
More public outreach and advertising
work with people of color in the issues they face with landlord
DEI leadership in the government and private sectors
.
Appoint people to the commission people who understand
not sure
testing residential housing applications for racial disparities
Open a wet shelter
Hopefully add staff and reach to all of Johnson County
B 15
Respondents submitted many ideas to improve organizational effectiveness, collaboration, and/or the
ability to accomplish the Commission’s goals and objectives. The main themes of the suggestions were
these:
• Collaboration: Work more intentionally and collaboratively with other local groups
• Publicity/Outreach: Communicate more broadly about the work the ICHRC does
• Community Engagement: Integrate more deeply and authentically in the community
8) If you have ideas you would like to share for human rights-related programs, initiatives, or policies
within the scope of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission (education, employment, credit, housing,
or public accommodations), please describe them here.
Unabridged Responses
Plan activities around heritage months and cultural observances.
Work with the neighborhood associations and the South District to connect with people where they are.
Not at this time.
Organize a yearly Human Rights calendar with sponsors events
I am not sure it is the commission's direct responsibility, but I think there is a need for financial management
training for renters and first time home buyers. I think the financial piece plays into some of these issues in a
tangential way.
I urge the Commission to include voting rights activities within its purview. The attack on voting right in Iowa has
emerged as a critical issue. It will be hard to advance any other rights if citizens find it more difficult to vote.
Make it possible for Community ID holders to have a drivers license
I think more educational programs, especially to immigrant communities, about their rights and where to go for
help would be useful.
talk with residents, do interviews, find the people that needs help.
The housing issue is pretty bad
Help educate city council on the importance of reducing discrimination in lending against minorities.
I would like to see each new tenant given welcome packets with detailed check lists for their records along with
material on what conditions a house should be in upon move in, what are the duties of a landlord and tenant,
what are illegal fees or eviction methods, and who to contact if there are questions or concerns. I would like to
see incentives for landlords to properly maintain properties. An eviction rehabilitation program that benefits
tenants with prior evictions and benefits landlords willing to participate in the rehabilitation program.
Thanks for being the bomb.
educational presentations are fun.
Affordable Housing issues and related biases continue to be with us
Programming on equitable hiring practices
housing discrimnation polcy and educate low-income communty about their right
Require Banks to invest in CRA portfolios, and require Credit Unions to do begin gathering similar data and
ultimately provide it to the public and hold themselves accountable for their lending practices.
Increase SJRE grants funding
not sure
All public meetings (including all commissions, etc) should be fully accessible via Zoom. There should also be
more frequentfree, accessible public trainings on microagressions, antiracism, etc
More outreach. More people need to know about the work of this commisssion
B 16
Categories of ideas shared for new human rights-related programs, initiatives, or policies included the
following:
• Support for renters and first-time home buyers
• Connecting with people where they are in the community
• More educational programming
• Creating an annual calendar of ICHRC-related events
• Lending discrimination
• Consider adding voting rights to the list of issues the ICHRC addresses regularly
• ID/drivers license access
• Immigrant support
• Equitable hiring practices
• Increase grant funding
C 1
APPENDIX C
Outcomes of Strategy Workshop 1
May 12, 2022
5:30 – 8:30 P.M.
PROCESS
At a high level, the process for the first of two strategy workshops was as follows:
• Create a shared understanding of the current state of the IC Human Rights Commission
• Create a shared picture of the future of the HRC, focusing on five years from now, 2027
• Identify areas of work that have strong potential to move the commission in the direction of the
desired future
FRAMING QUESTION
A framing question is a tool of appreciative inquiry that invites a group to vividly imagine together a
future they would like to co-create. Rather than focusing on perceived problems, it directs focus toward
the positive future and fosters shared understanding and enthusiasm for the future. We will use the
following framing question to guide our discussions:
Imagine that, by its 65th anniversary, the ICHRC is the hub of a robust, local human rights network.
What would that look like?
OUTCOMES
CURRENT STATE: The commissioners’ discussion of the current state incorporated review of the survey
conducted in April and an overview presentation of the IC HRC’s history provided by Stefanie Bowers.
Public perception of the IC HRC:
• It may be wise to do more to publicize the work of the ICHRC; there doesn’t seem to be public
awareness to the level desired.
• Publicity of the ICHRC’s work would help the public better understand what the duties and
influence of the commission are. This would involve clarifying which areas of human rights are a
focus of the HRC.
• Public perception seems to be that the IC HRC primarily supports the work of other community
organizations rather than designing and running its own programs.
Issues:
• Affordable housing is extremely important to the community right now; the commission may
need to explore where it’s appropriate to be involved or supportive.
• There is a desire to build relationships and trust within the community.
C 2
Ideas:
• Focus on creating more visibility for the IC HRC through direct, strategic engagement, meeting
communities where they are.
• Create a more robust calendar that focuses more on programs and events—interaction with the
community—than on proclamations.
• Two-way interaction: IC HRC members could be more visibly present at and involved in other
organizations’ events, AND the IC HRC could more often invite representatives of other human
rights organizations to HRC events. Representation matters.
• Make proclamations meaningful, interactive, less performative.
• Advocate, and agitate when needed.
• There is a substantial opportunity to create deeper, continuous engagement through the social
justice grant program.
Questions:
• What should commissioners be doing in between monthly meetings?
• How can the IC HRC influence housing and other issues in a more active way?
• How can/should the IC HRC connect with the city’s environmental goals?
ENVISIONING THE FUTURE: The commissioners developed ideas about the possible future of the IC HRC
through a future journaling exercise, and through small-group and full-group discussions of the framing
question.
The Possible Future—Community:
• We experience hope!
• Community members develop “legislative literacy,” awareness and activism related to
legislation with impact on human rights.
• Barriers to achieving community members’ dreams are eliminated. There is a sense of
fulfillment. There are celebrations.
• There is increased equality and acceptance across the community. We look at one another as
human beings, not as categories or stereotypes.
• Current community matures and welcomes new people to the community. There is a sense of
openness.
• There is an increased focus on and advancement of community policing.
• Local immigrant organizations combine and expand their impact.
• There is greater alignment among local nonprofits
• There is also greater alignment and mutual support among local nonprofits and businesses.
The Possible Future—Society:
• Student debt is eliminated.
• There is equity in pay.
• We have self-driving cars.
• There is a great deal of hybrid work.
C 3
The Possible Future—IC HRC:
• The IC HRC serves as a community convener, bringing the community together again, building
bridges.
• The IC HRC continues to manage the tension that is inevitable between newness and continuity,
including with respect to the rotating terms of commissioners.
• The IC HRC becomes a more nimble organization.
• Establish a youth advisory council to the HRC.
• Identify HRC commissioners who can lead planning in specific areas.
• Mentor new HRC commissioners.
• Every commissioner leaves meetings with specific action items.
The Future Encompassed by Our Framing Question, Team 1:
• Weekly collaborative meetings with community partners (nonprofits, IC HRC subcommittees,
etc.)
• Immersive, significant human rights grant experience
− Clear expectations, follow-up, continued engagement → collaboration with nonprofits and
IC HRC subcommittees
− Continued education for commissioners
• Thoughtful programming and creation of accessible resources relating to housing
discrimination/civil rights, etc.
− Quarterly listening posts
− Providing help in using resources
• During IC HRC meetings:
− Reporting updates from partners
− Planning in advance
− More seats in the audience are filled by interested community members
− Commissioners clearly define roles, including planning listening posts, organizing resources,
etc.
The Future Encompassed by Our Framing Question, Team 2:
• HRC commissioners have active relationships with community organizations
− Attend events
− Create connections with youth and schools
− Are well known in multiple organizations
• Collaborating with other commissions and organizations
− Combine recommendations
− Speak with one voice, amplify one another’s voices
− Plan/host joint events
• Commissioners from many/all city commissions meet annually
− Create more connections among the various commissions
− Host leaders of community groups together
− Include youth and youth organizations
C 4
POTENTIAL AREAS OF WORK
Collectively, the group identified potential areas of work that emerged from the workshop’s discussions,
then voted on those they felt had the strongest alignment with IC HRC duties, would have the most
impact on helping to create the desired future, and were doable. The results of the voting are shown in
the following table.
# Votes Areas of Work
6 Weekly/biweekly engagement activities with community (nonprofits, other commissions, etc.)
4 Creating specific roles for individual commissioners to make the IC HRC more effective and efficient
3 Comprehensive collection of resources and aid sessions designed to support people in using the
resources (e.g., housing, coffee with a cop, employment discrimination)
2 Immersive grant experiences, including interactive feedback loop and more meaningful
engagement between recipients and IC HRC
2 IC HRC member develop their own “job descriptions,” expectations, commitments, and unique
contributions
2 IC HRC leads the community to come together again
2 Planning and hosting education sessions on avoiding unlawful discrimination
1 Training for IC HRC members, including orientation for new members and continuing education for
all
0 Reciprocal collaboration with community organizations
D 1
APPENDIX D
Outcomes of Strategy Workshop 2
May 17, 2022
5:00 – 8:00 P.M.
GOALS
The goals for the second of two strategy workshops were as follows:
• Clarifying 3-5 priority outcomes for the next three years
• Developing draft goals, objectives, and metrics for these areas of work
• Identifying teams to address each area of work
GUIDES FOR DISCUSSION
The group continued to be guided by a framing question, a tool of appreciative inquiry that invites a
group to vividly imagine together a future they would like to co-create. Rather than focusing on
perceived problems, it directs focus toward the positive future and fosters shared understanding and
enthusiasm for the future. We will use the following framing question to guide our discussions:
Imagine that, by its 65th anniversary, the ICHRC is the hub of a robust, local human rights network.
What would that look like?
Additionally, the group focused its discussion very tightly on the four specified duties of the IC HRC:
1) Recommending legislation concerning discrimination to the City Council
2) Educating the public on human rights and illegal discrimination
3) Cooperating with other organizations, both public and private, in support of the Human Rights
Ordinance
4) Coordinating programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural, and other intergroup
tensions
D 2
RESULTS OF THE SESSION
STRATEGIC OUTCOMES: Focusing on each duty one at a time, the commissioners developed lists of
potential strategic outcomes (NOT solutions) that would help move the Commission and human rights in
our community in the direction of the framing question.
1) Recommending legislation concerning discrimination to the City Council:
• Engaging with council leads to public awareness of the HRC
• Engaging with council leads to necessary updates to the law
• There is positive public perception of and confidence in the HRC
• Residents feel their voices and concerns are being carried to Council
• Deeper involvement by all commissioners—including in developing relationships with
councilor—leads to timely responses to current human rights-related events
• The HRC is both proactive and timely reactive
• Commissioners both have individual relationships with council members and speak with one
voice
• Council delegates appropriate issues to the HRC and invites commissioners to work sessions on
human rights issues
2) Educating the public on human rights and illegal discrimination:
• Community members view the HRC as a resource; seek education from HRC, and are aware of
where to get information on illegal discrimination
• There is a well-organized library of resources
• There is continuity of programming despite the regular changes in commission membership
• The HRC hosts big events on topics the community care about, not just in reaction to negative
events
• Community members are more aware of their rights
• Therefore, community members engage in more self-organizing to address discriminatory and
predatory practices
• Knowledge → Power
3) Cooperating with other organizations, both public and private, in support of the Human Rights
Ordinance:
• The HRC regularly leverages partnerships to have expert voices speak on relevant topics
• There is a great deal of two-way interaction between the HRC and other community
organizations
• There is regular attendance by community members at HRC meetings; there is also regular
attendance by HRC members at meetings of other organizations, especially grant program
awardees
• The HRC and other organizations make shared statements, join voices, to lend more weight,
influence, and credibility to messaging about human rights issues
• HRC members help other organizations get conversations started on needed topics; through this
engagement, HRC members are better able to bring community input back to the HRC
D 3
4) Coordinating programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural, and other intergroup
tensions:
• People are coming together to learn and practice doing things they’re not comfortable with
• Programming takes place in and with businesses, schools, and other community locations
• There is a greater focus on humanity, as opposed to law
• There are more activities/programs along the lines of Breaking Bread (people of diverse
backgrounds coming together to share meals); community members come together to bridge
different backgrounds
• Community members have expanded awareness of the roots of their personal biases
Other outcomes:
• The work of the HRC remains fresh, not rote; it is organically rooted in the community
• Commissioners and community members are invested in and proactive in regards to human
rights work
PRIORITIZING STRATEGIC OUTCOMES: The commissioners reviewed the complete list of potential
strategic outcomes and narrowed the list to those believe to be most useful in moving the work of the
HRC in the direction of the desired future. They then voted to select the top strategic priorities for the
new strategic plan.
Votes Strategic Outcome
4 A. People come together to learn and practice being better humans
3 B. The HRC is out in the community bridging the gap with the city council
3 C. The HRC has a “focus of the year,” or an annual theme
3 D. Breaking Bread
2 E. Relationships with community organizations
2 F. Engaging with city council
2 G. Community members see the HRC as a resource that helps other organizations
1 H. Hosted events
1 I. Regular, reciprocal relationships with other organizations
0 J. Facilitating and mediating opportunities to help groups reduce tensions
0 K. Community members view the HRC as a valuable resource that carries their voices and concerns to
the city council
0 L. Building trust by showing up regularly for other organizations’ events → City council relies on the
HRC
0 M. Community members view the HRC as a resource hub to seek information on illegal discrimination
0 N. Community members are aware of their rights and biases→ improved human relations
0 O. Use network to identify resources for community use
Through discussion of the voting results, the group combined similar items and developed three
strategic priorities for the next three years:
1) Breaking Bread: Bringing people together to learn from one another and practice creating
community across previous lines of tension
2) Regular Reciprocal Relationships: Developing deeper relationships with other organizations,
including human rights nonprofits, other government commissions, and schools
D 4
3) Bridging the Gap: Developing stronger individual and collective relationships with the city
council
Additionally, the group determined that it would amplify the work of the HRC to determine a specific
human-rights focus or theme for each year. This theme will be threaded throughout the planning for the
strategic priority areas.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Using the discussion in this workshop in combination with the ideas generated in Workshop 1, the
commissioners developed the framework for a strategic plan. The framework is organized into
1) strategic areas of work, 2) goals, and 3) objectives. The group used the following definitions of these
terms:
• Strategic area of work: A focus area where new approaches are needed in order to bring the
future vision to life
• Goal: A broad desired outcome within the strategic area of work (a future state to be attained)
• Objective: A measurable result that contributes to achieving the goal (likely one of several
objectives needed to attain the goal)
In the coming months, as the commissioners work in subcommittees on the three strategic areas of
work, they will refine these goals and objectives and add quantifiable metrics to track progress toward
achieving them.
First step—Annual Focus: Develop a process for determining and publicizing an annual focus for human
rights programming (e.g., criteria for selecting the focus; time of year for selection; means of publicizing)
Strategic Area of Work 1—Breaking Bread: Bringing people together to learn from one another and
practice creating community across previous lines of tension; focusing on individuals
Goal 1: Deepen the interaction among community members and increase their engagement with the
HRC
Objective: Develop regular schedule of activities in which HCR members and community partners
can engage in meaningful dialogue, learning, and interaction
Objective: Host first events where relationships already exist, then expand outward
Example: Coffee with the Commission
Example: Quarterly listening posts
Goal 2: Increase community members’ knowledge of their rights, local ordinances, and unlawful
discrimination
Objective: Regularly release educational videos recorded by commissioners on various topics
Objective: Release educational videos in connection with important current events
Question: How else might the HRC help increase community members’ knowledge of these topics?
Interested subcommittee members (NOTE: Only four will be selected): Ashley, Mark, Bijou, Jason, Roger
D 5
Strategic Area of Work 2—Regular Reciprocal Relationships: Developing deeper relationships with
other organizations, including human rights nonprofits, other government commissions, and schools to
more effectively advance human rights in our community; focusing on community groups
Goal 1: Deepen engagement with human rights-focused community groups
Objective: Create more active relationships with the organizations who receive grants from the HRC
Objective: Identify other community organizations to engage with in order to build the local human
rights network
Goal 2: Collaborate with community groups to co-create, co-sponsor, and co-host human rights-focused
programs
Objective: Coordinate this programming with the identified human rights focus for the year
Interested subcommittee members: Siri, Ali, Roger, Sylvia (to be verified)
Strategic Area of Work 3—Bridging the Gap: Developing stronger individual and collective relationships
with the city council
Goal 1: Individual commissioners have active relationships with council members
Objective: Each HRC member has a regular (monthly?) coffee with a council member
Objective: All HRC members have shared talking points to effectively convey unified messaging
Goal 2: HRC actively communicates with the city council about human rights-related current events
Goal 3: HRC makes timely and relevant recommendations to the city council whenever warranted
Interested subcommittee members: Siri, Roger, Ashley, Jason