Fiscal Note
This Resolution authorizes the first steps in a change to the strategies and methods traditionally used by the Community Development Division to solicit (and fund) proposals from area nonprofits for the provision of various community support services. Any funding decisions that may result from the funding process modifications prescribed herein would be incorporated into the CDD's 2016 Operating Budget submission. There is no fiscal impact for 2015.
Title
SUBSTITUTE Community Development Division Funding Process for the 2016 Budget
Body
Background
The City's Community Development Division (CDD) allocates roughly $9 million annually in purchase of services (POS) contracts with various community agencies. These funds are derived from a combination of City tax levy, which constitutes the bulk of available dollars, and several federal and state sources, chief among them Community Development Block Grant Program funds. Collectively, the funds are intended for use in helping to address broad-based City goals primarily focused on strengthening neighborhoods, addressing issues associated with poverty and racial and social inequities, and otherwise helping to improve the quality of life for all City residents. Traditionally, the Division has allocated these funds biennially through competitive funding processes. In recent years, however, that schedule has been somewhat disrupted.
In 2014, the Mayor and Common Council requested an evaluation of the Division's funding processes and appropriated funds for this purpose. Following an open competitive process, Forward Community Investments (FCI) was selected to undertake the evaluation. Work on the effort commenced in the summer of 2014.
In the first, "Discovery" phase of the evaluation, FCI held community conversations with identified stakeholders to inform issue identification and gather input for potential process improvements. FCI published a report in November 2014 summarizing these conversations.
Subsequently, as part of its "Design" phase, FCI has produced a "Theory of Change" for the Community Development Division, which articulates shared goals and objectives for the Division that are focused on addressing issues of poverty, racial equity and social justice. FCI has also identified 10 recommendations intended to guide the Division's future efforts. They speak to the agency's mission and values, as well as potential process improvements, guiding principles, and transition and implementation strategies.
The FCI recommendations contemplate a gradual and incremental transition from the traditional funding allocation processes that have been conducted in the past, which concurrently entertain proposals from a multitude of service agencies across most or all program areas, to an approach that is much more targeted or focused. The recommendations also suggest a departure from a funding model that relies upon making awards on an agency by agency, or program by program basis, in favor of one that encourages greater collaboration in efforts designed to address a range of needs in target populations from a more holistic perspective. The transition to a revamped process or set of processes is expected to play out over the next three to five years. This Resolution describes and seeks authorization to proceed later this year with the initial steps in such a transition. Specifically, it would authorize the CDD to:
1) Conduct a focused request for proposals (RFP) process in the summer of 2015, through which it will allocate 2016 resources focused on senior adults and on crisis intervention. That RFP will be guided by proposed goals and objectives that include a heightened commitment to the provision of culturally and linguistically responsive services in both areas. Proposed funding allocations will be formulated through the appropriate CDD policy committees and submitted to the Mayor and Council as part of the City's 2016 budget process.
2) Review and renew existing POS contracts that were not the subject of a funding process undertaken in the summer of 2014, which made allocation decisions affecting 2015 and 2016. The contracts to be renewed, as well as those authorized through last summer's funding process, will be supported at currently committed levels. Specific funding allocations for 2016 will be reviewed by the appropriate CDD policy committees and submitted to the Mayor and Council as part of the City's 2016 budget process.
3) Formulate, in consultation with one or more of its policy committees, a separate RFP, through which to address one or more targeted initiatives. It is anticipated that any proposed commitment of funds resulting from this effort would be supported with new funding in 2016, and would be presented to the Mayor and Council for consideration as part of the City's 2016 budget process.
During the next several years, it is anticipated that all of the various projects and efforts supported with CDD-administered funds will be reviewed within the context of one or more formal funding allocation processes. It is further anticipated that these processes will evolve incrementally and be influenced by input from elected officials, service agencies and community stakeholders, and that they will strive to improve the City's capacity to effectively address community needs.
ACTION
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 33.16, Madison General Ordinances, the Community Development Division and its policy committees, which include the Community Development Block Grant Committee, the Community Services Committee, the Early Childhood Care and Education Committee and the Committee on Aging, are responsible for making recommendations to the Mayor and Common Council regarding the allocation of City administered resources used to support and promote a wide variety of community development activities; and,
WHEREAS, the City, through its Community Development Division, has traditionally employed competitive application processes through which it solicits proposals from a broad array of community agencies, and provides funds through purchase of services (POS) contracts to support City goals and efforts to strengthen neighborhoods, address issues of poverty and other social service and community development needs, and improve the quality of life within the City; and,
WHEREAS, at the direction of the Mayor and the Common Council, an evaluation of the funding processes by which the Community Development Division allocates these resources was authorized; and,
WHEREAS, the Community Development Division, with the approval of the Council, contracted with Forward Community Investments to conduct a Funding Process Study and formulate recommendations to improve the Division's planning and funding processes; and,
WHEREAS, although Forward Community Investments has not yet completed its work, it has advanced recommendations suggesting that system changes be undertaken incrementally, phased in over a period of three to five years; and,
WHEREAS, during the past several months, the four CDD policy committees have been kept apprised of the proposed funding process plan for 2016, which is outlined herein; and,
WHEREAS, in consultation with Forward Community Investments, Community Development Division staff have identified two program areas, Senior Adult Services and Crisis Intervention, around which to begin introducing new approaches to evaluating and allocating City resources, and,
WHEREAS, the Committee on Aging and the Community Services Committee have discussed and provided input on the development of proposed goals and objectives that would guide the request for proposals (RFP) process around Senior Adult Services and Crisis Intervention; and,
WHEREAS, under the approach described above, it is anticipated that the balance of existing POS contracts, which have already been authorized by the Council as part of previously conducted funding processes, would be renewed at currently authorized funding levels, upon review by Community Development Division staff; and,
WHEREAS, opportunities to request new funds will be limited to proposals responding to the goals and objectives laid out in the RFP for senior adults or crisis support services, and in response to any additional targeted initiatives authorized by the Mayor and Common Council. In either case, all proposals would likely be supported with new funds; and,
WHEREAS, as part of CDD's review of existing POS contracts, agencies will be asked to provide baseline information helpful in understanding the demographics of populations that each serves, their staff and governing board compositions, opportunities available to them for collaboration and capacity building needs;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council approves the proposed funding process plan for 2016 as described herein; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Common Council approves the proposed goals, objectives and strategies (attached) to be used by the CDD policy committees in making Senior Adult and Crisis Intervention services funding allocation decisions, to be considered as part of the 2016 budget process; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute and deliver any additional documents necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Resolution.