Putting adaptability to work in supporting police accountability - June 2017 Civic Consulting Alliance Newsletter

June 2017

PUTTING ADAPTABILITY TO WORK IN SUPPORTING POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY


"My time at Civic Consulting was very fulfilling. I know so much more about the on-the-ground complexities of improving public safety for all Chicagoans and the importance of trust between our communities and law enforcement." *Melissa Maggart* Consultant, EY

I have always been interested in social impact work, and when I joined EY, I was interested in opportunities to apply what I learned through consulting to the civic sector. When I heard about Civic Consulting Alliance, I immediately looked into whether it would be possible to set up a fellowship program. I could not believe my luck when EY invited applications for an externship with CCA earlier this year and I jumped at the chance!

Having grown up in an international ex-patriate environment, I have developed an ability to adapt to new situations quickly. I needed that adaptability during my fellowship, during which I had a chance to support work on multiple sides of Chicago's police accountability reform efforts --- both at the soon-to-be-launched Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) and the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

I first joined the team working to help stand up COPA, the new police oversight agency that will replace the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) in September. Our team helped this new oversight body build its initial policies, procedures, and rules.

Next, I moved onto a team working with CPD on its "Next Steps for Reform," a public reform commitment with more than 30 initiatives. Our role was to convert the initiatives laid out in this document (largely derived of recommendations from the Department of Justice investigation into CPD's practices) into concrete projects CPD could complete in 2017.

Both of these projects improved my relationship and consensus-building skills and my ability to tackle ambiguity. Moreover, working with senior decision-makers as well as direct, hands-on public safety officials gave me a unique insight into police accountability and the great number of stakeholders involved in making our city safe and peaceful for all residents. I know this perspective will be valuable as I return to EY.

For more information on fellowships at Civic Consulting Alliance and how you or your firm can participate, click here or contact Haley Sonenthal.

ACTUALIZING REFORM AT THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT


"Given the complexity and importance of this work, we couldn't have completed this first phase without the help of Civic Consulting. We are grateful to be able leverage the expertise and excellence of the private sector as we seek to evolve the Department." Eddie Johnson Superintendent, Chicago Police Department

Several high-profile incidents, including the videotaped shooting death of Laquan McDonald, have increased public scrutiny of the Chicago Police Department's use of force, highlighted CPD's relationship with the communities it serves, and led to investigations by the Police Accountability Task Force and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Responding to the recommendations that came out of these investigations, CPD released its " Next Steps for Reform" in March of this year. This public commitment includes more than 30 initiatives across five focus areas: Community Policing, Training, Supervision, Use of Force, and Accountability.

To help implement the steps outlined in its commitment, CPD reached out to Civic Consulting Alliance. "CPD has a lot of experience in law enforcement, but very little in project management," said Superintendent Eddie Johnson. "We knew we needed Civic Consulting's help."

Given the magnitude of the request, CCA turned to several partners to support this work.

Accenture responded with project planning and management help. "This is what we do every day for our clients in our Health and Public Service practice, so it made sense for us to contribute," said Accenture Managing Director Chris Bradley.

West Monroe Partners (WMP) volunteered to handle the change management workstream. "For changes of this magnitude, it is important that leadership be aligned and understand their role in helping make it happen," said Michael Hughes, senior director at WMP. "We were excited to help CPD implement reforms in a positive way."

A.T. Kearney helped to design a more frequent in-service training program for CPD, one of the major recommendations in the DOJ report. "Creating a strong, well-resourced, and effective training program is critical to the CPD's ability to continue to effectively serve the community," said A.T. Kearney partner Kish Khemani.

In just 12 weeks, the multi-partner team built out a Project Management Office at CPD, planned and organized 32 individual projects, delivered a change management strategy, and formulated an in-service training program recommendation.

CPD faces a long road ahead. But as a result of the work of some of Chicago's most committed corporate citizens and the spirit of public-private collaboration that makes what CCA does possible, CPD has taken a big step down that road.

For more information on this project, contact Eric Patton.

IN OTHER NEWS...

Rush University Medical Center, University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, Cook County Health and Hospitals System, and Presence Health have launched the West Side Total Health Collaborative, an effort that seeks to connect multi-sector partners across Chicago's West Side to improve community health and wellness for an area of more than 420,000 residents. Over the last two months, Rush and its partners hosted 21 Community Conversations across the West Side. More than 300 people participated in these conversations, gaining valuable feedback for the West Side Total Health Collaborative.

Earlier this month, Civic Consulting Alliance and Rush University Medical Center presented Rush's anchor mission strategy at a webinar hosted by The Democracy Collaborative, a national research institute dedicated to developing strategies for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable community development. During the webinar, Rush presented the Anchor Mission Playbook, which summarizes recommendations developed by Bain & Company and CCA on how to develop and launch an anchor mission, including implementation tools such as organizational, accountability, and project management structures. The webinar drew audience members from across the country.

Civic Consulting Alliance recently completed a project to improve the performance management process in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (SAO). With the help of pro bono partners Deloitte and Baker McKenzie, CCA leveraged national best practices to increase the consistency, objectivity, and transparency in attorney evaluations. The new processes promise not only to improve staff morale, but also to help the SAO achieve its vision of improved case outcomes and safer communities.

Questions? Comments? Contact Leslie Glotzer.

Civic Consulting Alliance is an affiliate of the Civic Committee of the

Commercial Club of Chicago.