Geneva 2020Governance / Accountability Structure

Work Group Meeting

March 30, 201510 a.m-11:30 a.m.

Board Room, Geneva Community Center

Today’s Agenda• Welcome and introductions

– General Geneva 2020 Updates (Hiring of a Program Coordinator, Steering Committee Meeting, April 9 Convening)

– Three Geneva 2020 Workgroups – Deliverable: Draft a Geneva 2020 Accountability Structure

• What is an Accountability Structure & why is it important? – Overview: Description of various roles and tables – Review: Examples from Albany, Yonkers, Cincinnati, Milwaukee

• Preparing for April 9th – Discussion Questions– Which of these resonate with this work group?– Are there existing structures/tables within Geneva 2020 that can be leveraged

as part of our Accountability Structure?– What kind of visual representation(s) will we propose to the broader

partnership?– How will we build our leadership table?

Our Deliverable …

Draft an accountability structure for Geneva 2020 that will be presented to the broader partnership

on April 9, 2015 for their review and approval.

Three Geneva 2020 Workgroups

• Communications: – Craft vision and mission statements for Geneva 2020.– Plan how to communicate that vision and mission to the public.

• Governance:– Chart the accountability structure for Geneva 2020 that will function as the

organizational framework, depicting the different tables within the partnership and including an outline of the roles and responsibilities of each table.

• Outcomes:– Understand the points along the cradle to career education continuum that are

proven to be key levers that need to be moved in order to achieve Geneva 2020’s vision and mission.

– Select Community Level Outcomes from across the cradle to career continuum and ensure accountability to the community.

– Determine the indicators for these outcomes, which are specific measures that will be used to track progress on moving the community level outcomes.

Goals

Community Level

Outcomes

Children enter Kindergarten

ready to succeed.

Core Indicators

(Measures)

Students are proficient in

core academic subjects

Students successfully

transition from middle to high

school

Graduates attain employment or a post-secondary

credential

% of students enrolling in post-

secondary 6 months after HS

graduation

% of students assessed as ready for school upon

entering kindergarten

% of students proficient in 3rd

grade ELA + % of students proficient in 4th grade Math

TBD

% of providers receiving high-

quality professional development

% of pre-k sites using a research based curriculum and assessment

tool

% of after school providers aligned to the in-school

curriculum% of providers

implementing PBIS behavioral

intervention

TBD

% of students completing FAFSA

% of students applying to 1-3

colleges% of students

taking the PSAT/SAT

Students graduate from

high school

TBD

TBD

Mission

Vision Albany will thrive when all of our children have an equal opportunity to succeed from cradle to career.

Inspired by a shared vision for improved educational outcomes, we use collaborative action and evidence-based decision making to accelerate success for students.

The Albany Promise

Pillar 2: Evidence

Based Decision Making

Pillar 3: Collaborative

Action

Pillar 4: Investment & Sustainability

Pillar 1: Shared Community

Vision

A cross-sector Partnership with a defined geographic scope organizes around a cradle to career vision.

A cross-sector leadership table is convened with a documented accountability structure.

The Partnership selects community level outcomes to be held accountable for improving.

The Partnership selects core indicators for the community level outcomes.

The Partnership commits to using continuous improvement to guide the work.

An anchor entity is established and capacity to support the daily management of the partnership is in place.The Partnership engages funders to support the operations and collaborative work of partners to improve outcomes.

Exploring GatewayThe Partnership formalizes a set of messages that are aligned and effectively communicated across partners and the community.

The Accountability Structure is the organizational framework that depicts the different tables within the partnership AND includes an outline of the roles and responsibilities of each table.

It describes the processes, people and supports necessary to function effectively. 

What is an Accountability Structure?

Accountability structures provide:

- Clarity• Around roles & responsibilities• Around decision making and authority

- Organization• Organizes the work to improve

effectiveness and efficiency•Outlines an organized work-flow

- Communication• Visual of what a cradle to career

partnership looks like 

Why is an Accountability Structure important?

Examples from NY and beyond.

Anchor Entity: Is a neutral partner, well-founded in the community. Their primary responsibilities include bringing key leaders together to build strong relationships within the partnership. The Anchor Entity is responsible for all external communication, maintains a data-driven focus, and has the capacity for the Backbone staff who manage the everyday operations of the partnership.

Backbone Staff:Is a group of individuals who manage the day-to-day operations of the partnership.

Leadership Council: Is a group of cross-sector, executive-level leaders from education, non-profit, philanthropic, business, civic, faith- based, and community organizations that participate in the direction-setting of the partnership. Their primary responsibilities include removing barriers (ex. political, operational or financial barriers), strategic decision-making, and helping to convene partners.

*Meets quarterly and operates on consensus basis.  

Roles and Table Descriptions.

Steering Committee: Is a smaller subset of the leadership council. This group acts as an advisory group to the leadership council by providing guidance on key issues of the partnership.

*Meets more frequently than the leadership council.

Operations Council:Is responsible for coordinating the needs of the collaborative action networks with support to each group, and provides a communication link to the leadership council regarding the work of collaborative action networks. They have an essential role in the internal communications of the partnership.

*Meets monthly.

Collaborative Action Networks (CANs):Is a group of cross-sector practitioners and individuals who organize around a single community-level outcome. This group is often formed around selected indicators. They develop a charter and action plan with strategies to improve an outcome.

*Meets biweekly  

Roles and Table Descriptions.

These roles and responsibilities should be incorporated into the various tables within the partnership’s accountability structure.

Change practice on ground - implement data-driven improvements identified in the action plan

Convene Partners - bring together the necessary community partners to support the work

Data analysis - Analyze data according to the partnership’s needs

Development/fundraising - Secure funding and resources necessary to advance the partnership’s work

House backbone staff - Provide office space, technology needs and meeting space for partnership’s staff

Implement strategies to impact outcomes - implement data-driven strategies identified in the action plan to impact an outcome and continuously monitor and improve those strategies

Remove barriers - work to eliminate identified barriers that inhibit the advancement of the work

Strategic decision making - make decisions on the strategic direction and mission of the partnership

Roles & Responsibilities Defined.

Detailing the decision-making roles for specific types of decisions helps clarify the role and authority within that role for each table, as well as start to outline the work-flow within the partnership.

Decide: determine the action to be take or the decision to be made

Approve: final authority on a decision or action, support/agreement is needed from this group to take action

Input: consultation is needed from this group before decisions are made

Execute: carries out the action once decision is made and approved

Decision-Making Roles Defined.

PROs

•Clear visual of accountability and authority

•Clear organization of work-flow

•Commonly used design, familiarity

 

Hierarchical Designs

CONs

•Can be perceived as ‘top-down’

•Could be considered bureaucratic

•Rigid-not organic

 

PROs

•Perceived to be more inclusive and less top-down

•Eliminates the concept of an individual or group being above or below another

 

Concentric Designs

CONs

•Decision making and work-flow is less clear

•Reporting structure is less clear

 

C2C Partn

er-ship

Anchor Entity

Backbone

Leadership

Council

Steering Committee

Operations

Council

Collaborative

Action Network

s

Other

The Alban

y Promise

Supports the partner

ship throug

h staffing

, convening and sustain

ing

Executive

Director

Action Team

Facilitator

Data Analys

t

Stakeholder

Council: Provides

executive-level

strategic guidance

Commits organizati

onal resources

Removes barriers

Executive Committee:

Coordinating

Council: Provides

recommendations for process,

scope and strategy

Engages and

supports action teams

Communicates

progress to broader

staff

Action Teams:

Implement strategies to

impact outcomes

Early Childhood Success

Action Team

Third & Fourth Grade

Success Action Team

College & Career

Success Action Team

Plenary: Broader

community

Champions vision, affirm s

direction, promotes

and reports data

results

Co-Convenor

s

Various Task Force

Committees (as

needed)

Yonkers

Thrives

Provides key

backbone staff,

data and fundraisi

ng supports

Communication,

Works across sectors

Executive

Director

Data Team

Stakeholder Table: Executive-

level leaders

Uses authority to align and

broker resources to implement strategies

Promotes and report

data to Yonkers Strive

partnership and public

Leadership Council:

Core cross-sector leaders from within the

Stakeholder Table

Provides strategic guidance

Possesses the authority to

leverage significant

financial and/or social capital to

advance the goals and outcomes

Key public champions

Existing/emerging

groups and coalitions

who identify

contributing indicators

and commit to integrating

these indicators

Communicate

progress to Stakeholde

r Table

C2C Partn

er-ship

Anchor Entity

Backbone

Leadership Council

Steering

Committee

Operations

Council

Collaborative Action Networks

Other

The Roadmap Proje

ct(Seattle)

Provides

staffing,

communic-ation and data

support to progress

Community Network

and Advocates

Caucus:Provides strategic input and leadership

on powerful advocacy community and parent engagemen

t policies and

practices that

advance equity

Project Sponsors

:Overall project

strategic direction, progress monitorin

g, and implement

ation support

Workgroups:

Improve outcomes,

identify strategies that will improve

education outcomes,

review results to

inform changes in practices

Data Advisors Group: Provides technical advice on

the projects complex

data issues

Education Results

Network:provides input and building

connections

Aligned Funders:invest for greater system impact

Commit!(Dallas)

Provides key

staff/data support

Works across

sectors to help

eliminate silos

Has convening

power

Executive level

Drives strategy and

regional collaborative

action

Uses authority to align/broker

resources

Promotes/reports data to partnership and general

public

Subset of leaders within

the Leadersh

ip Council.

Develops agenda for the

Leadership

Council

Support Council:

Chairs sit in on the

Leadership Council

Collective thought-partners

assist backbone to identify and

support impactful strategies

Practitioner Networks:Groups of

practitioners operating

collaboratively within each spectrum of

C2C continuum.

Operates in the field with at

least one educational

provider, collectively

working together on

key strategies to improve

priority outcomes.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:(10 members; meets monthly)

Implement what leadership team develops

LEADERSHIP TEAM:(20-30 members; meets quarterly)

Guiding Principles: tolerant of mistakes; respectful, no ideology, visionary, forward-thinking

• Champion vision• Affirm direction• Advocate for what works• Promote and report

data / results

BACKBONE ORGANIZATION:The Community Foundation

North Louisiana Accountability Structure - DRAFT

OPERATIONS TEAM:(Ongoing)

• Provide recommendations for process and strategy• Drive the implementation, oversight and support of the network and support teams

NETWORKS: Learning Communities Along the Cradle to Career Pipeline

EarlyChildhood

K8 HighSchool

Post-Secondary

Economic Civic Service

SUPPORT TEAMS: Provide advice, support and sustainability to each Network. Chairs serve on the Operations Team.

DataParent

AdvisoryYouth

Advisory CommunicationsCommunity

Outreach FundingPolicy /

Advocacy

• Is there a national or NYS example that resonates?

• What kind of visual representation(s) do we want to propose to our broader partnership?

• Are there existing structures/tables that can be leveraged as part of the Geneva 2020’s Accountability Structure?

• What should our Accountability Structure look like?

Work Group Discussion:

Thank YouWe hope to see everyone on April 9, noon-4 p.m. at the

Geneva 2020 Community Convening Hobart and William Smith Colleges