Dear City of Cambridge Employees:
I write to update you on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A Workforce Plan for Recruitment, Hiring and Promotion (RHP) project. Before delving further into the RHP project, I must acknowledge the significant amount of work our City staff and departments have been engaged in around antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The City has long been committed to this work, and the issuance of the RHP report and work plan are an important part of our continued journey.
In January 2019, the City selected Working IDEAL, a team of experts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), employment law and discrimination, to conduct an independent, multi-method assessment of the City's recruitment, hiring, and promotion practices and policies through a DEI lens.
The goals of the RHP project were to identify and implement innovative recruitment, hiring, development, and promotion strategies for a diverse workforce. These policy changes are aimed at further increasing DEI in the City's workforce. The project provides an opportunity for the City to further demonstrate its leadership in DEI and take a proactive stance.
In their transmittal letter to me, Working IDEAL shared five observations regarding the City's work:
• First, the decision to embark on this engagement shows leadership by the City.
• Second, this endeavor shows perseverance.
• Third, this project demonstrates the City of Cambridge's long term and ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Fourth, the City of Cambridge undertook this effort comprehensively tackling recruitment, hiring and promotion holistically as one ecosystem.
• Finally, releasing this report is an example of the City of Cambridge government staying true to its community.
I am pleased to share the results of this comprehensive independent assessment with you. The detailed Trend Analysis Report outlines Working IDEAL's independently determined findings and recommendations for improvement. These findings and recommendations are based on information collected directly from you and from Working IDEAL’S independent review. Working IDEAL also assisted the City in developing a written internal Work Plan for Implementation to strengthen our DEI efforts across the City workforce and begin to implement the recommendations.
The internal work plan provides a timetable, sequence, and implementation schedule. By releasing this work plan overview, we hope to demonstrate how seriously we take this work and how committed we are to carrying out these recommendations to the fullest extent possible. Please make time to review the documents which are posted on Common Ground and the employee reopening website at www.cambridgema.gov/employee.
Finally, look for invitations and requests in the future to participate in workgroups that will be established. The City will seek your critical input to help us determine how best to implement these recommendations in departments and citywide.
I want to thank the entire staff for their engagement and all department heads for their leadership during the RHP project's assessment phase. We are already working to lay the groundwork for the full implementation of the recommendations. Every City employee has a role to play to help transform the way we recruit, hire, and promote the City's workforce. The only way the City can provide excellent, inclusive, and equitable service to all residents is by drawing on its diverse staff's varied talents and perspectives.
I know we all will rise to this occasion to build an even more inclusive and equitable culture in the City of Cambridge. Our collective work will benefit all our employees and the community we serve.