|
FY 2016
YTD totals
|
28
|
|
$4.2M
|
|
Police Accountability Task Force Calls for Sweeping Changes
|
The Police Accountability Task Force in the news:
|
|
The Police Accountability Task Force earlier this month released
a 190-page report outlining their findings and sweeping recommendations for reform of the Chicago Police Department. The report provides a blueprint for fundamentally changing the way in which the public engages with the police, and how CPD can develop effective oversight and auditing and create a transparent and predictable system of accountability.
The Task Force, chaired by Lori E. Lightfoot, was appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in December of last year in the wake of the delayed release of the video that depicted the shooting death of teenager Laquan McDonald.
With support from Civic Consulting Alliance, the Task Force reviewed research; interviewed community members, legal and civil rights organizations, current and former police officers and young people across the city; and analyzed best practices in other police departments.
A robust community engagement process that included four community forums held across the city also informed the
Task Force's findings and recommendations
. Chief among them are the need for citizen oversight, replacing the Independent Police Review Authority, and addressing racism. The Task Force also called for requiring on-going professional development for all officers.
The Task Force's report garnered extensive interest and enthusiasm across the city from organizations and individuals who want to play a role in moving the recommendations forward and, ultimately, work to restore trust between the Chicago Police Department and the communities they serve.
As the report said, "The citizens, elected officials and others in public life in Chicago now must take this report and act on it." Added Lori E. Lightfoot,
"Reform is possible if there is a will and a commitment."
The report was delivered to Mayor Emanuel and the Chicago City Council for review and implementation. After reviewing the report, the City announced it would begin implementing about one-third of the recommendations immediately.
|
Getting an insider's perspective: An externship with Civic Consulting
|
Tom Budescu
Vice President, U.S. Infrastructure Advisory Group
|
|
Tom Budescu joined Civic Consulting Alliance as an extern from
EY. At EY, Tom is a Vice President with its US infrastructure advisory group. Tom's subject matter expertise, coupled with the management consulting capabilities of Civic Consulting, resulted in an ideal pairing.
Tom's primary assignment at Civic Consulting was to work with the Chicago Infrastructure Trust (CIT). Having just undergone a change in leadership, the CIT was well-positioned to refresh its strategic and operating frameworks to better assist government agencies in the delivery and financing of infrastructure projects in the Chicago region.
As part of the engagement, Tom worked to update the CIT's goals and strategic approach and re-drafted its operational framework and value proposition, setting it on a course to accelerate project delivery, reduce project costs, and enhance value to taxpayers in all 50 of Chicago's wards.
As a consultant for clients similar to the CIT, Tom got an insider's view of what the day-to-day work is like on the client's side. "Being able to better understand, and participate in, the day-to-day discussions that influence the decision-making of a public agency will allow me to better serve my public sector clients at EY going forward," said Tom.
The CIT has the potential to affect all Chicagoans, be it with better access to jobs, more convenient transit options, or safer communities. Tom noted, "By working with Civic Consulting, I was provided a unique opportunity to make a difference in the CIT's ability to fulfill its potential."
To learn how your organization can participate in Civic Consulting Alliance's externship program, contact Michele Hallett.
|
|
|
|
Supporting working families
|
Across the nation, cities are in the midst of a conversation about the implications of our evolving economy. In our region, for example, three-quarters of job growth over the past nine years has been in jobs that pay less than $32,000 annually. Many of these jobs also lack stability in terms of schedules or hours, or lack benefits such as paid sick leave.
This month, the Working Families Task Force, with support from Civic Consulting Alliance, released its
report
.
The task force
--- comprised of elected officials, business owners, business association representatives, academics, and representatives of organized labor
--- suggested policy best practices for paid sick leave, scheduling practices, and other ways to provide working families with greater stability. To support the effort, Civic Consulting provided economic analysis and managed the process to ensure the independent task force heard from and took into account input from a wide range of voices, including employers of all types, economists, advocates, workers, and others.
|
|
-
On March 31st, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law honored
DLA Piper attorney and long-time Civic Consulting Alliance partner Larry Wojcik for his extraordinary commitment to pro bono work. On behalf of everyone at Civic Consulting Alliance, we congratulate Larry for this well-deserved honor, and thank him for his indefatigable work on six pro bono projects with Civic Consulting Alliance over the past four years.
- Two years ago, Civic Consulting Alliance worked with Allstate to develop a predictive analytics model to guide the Chicago Department of Public Health's food inspections. The success of this model --- increasing the percentage of critical violations discovered in the first month from 55% to 69% --- is still garnering media attention, most recently in a feature in Government and Technology magazine.
- Our recent Civic Cocktails was a smash success! Held in partnership with Leadership Greater Chicago at the offices of Prescient, our periodic networking event for participants in Chicago's rich civic infrastructure drew more than 200 attendees, who participated in an engaging discussion with Lori E. Lightfoot, Chair of the Police Accountability Task Force.
|
Questions? Comments? Interested in writing a guest article? Please email
Stuart Henige
with any newsletter feedback.
Civic Consulting Alliance is an affiliate of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
|
|
|
