Memorandum of Understanding

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Among

Bethel Public School District 52
City of Eugene
City of Springfield
Eugene Public School District 4J
Eugene Water & Electric Board
Lane Community College
Lane County
Lane Transit District
Springfield Public School District 19
University of Oregon

To Establish the

Diversity and Human Rights Consortium

Introduction

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is intended to establish the Diversity and Human Rights Consortium (DHRC). The DHRC is an information sharing and coordination forum for agencies and jurisdictions that provide governmental and public services in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area. The DHRC includes, but is not limited to: Bethel Public School District 52, City of Eugene, City of Springfield, Eugene Public School District 4J, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Lane Community College, Lane County, Lane Education Service District, Lane Transit District, Springfield Public School District 19, and the University of Oregon (DHRC agencies).

A Metro Area Leaders group was formed initially as the “Task Force on Human Rights and Affirmative Action” by the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the various local public agencies as a way of looking together at affirmative action and human rights issues in the metropolitan area. In 1991 that group signed a pledge promising to work together and with their respective organizations and constituencies “to foster a welcoming, hospitable community.”

Staff from these agencies who provided support to the CEOs in the human rights and diversity arena, and others in the public and private sector whose work assignments or interests included addressing discrimination, harassment, racism, equity, and access concerns at their individual agencies, began meeting monthly to collaborate on planning conferences, workshops, and bringing speakers to the community, and to share information on human rights and diversity concerns of mutual interest.

Following a very successful Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment Conference in Eugene in 1992, energy and interest in continuing a structured Metro Leaders Task Force diminished, as did the commitment of the staff group to continue functioning. However, in the late 1990s, as agencies added staff positions to focus on diversity, the staff group was revived as a way to develop a community-wide expansion of diversity, to coordinate efforts, to share resources, and to assist each other to respond to specific incidents or conflicts.

The establishment of the Diversity and Human Rights Consortium represents a commitment to diversity and inclusion which reflects the challenging needs of the new century. Much appreciation goes to the CEOs for their direction and commitment to this endeavor. The consortium is the first collaborative effort of its kind in the county and state. It raises the level of expectation and accountability by establishing specific goals, action items, and measurable outcomes. In addition, the goals address diversity within the four primary functions of each member agency:

Service Provider - Ensure that all services, programs, and activities are provided to the agency’s diverse communities in ways that are sensitive and responsive to cultural differences, including accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Funder - Strive to ensure that all funded services are provided, and funding decisions are made in a manner that recognizes, addresses, and is reflective of the cultural diversity of the communities served by the agency.
Employer - Commit to workplace diversity through recruitment, hiring practices, retention efforts, and promotions.
Boards and Commissions - Strive to ensure that all boards, commissions, and committees that serve the community are at a minimum reflective of the diversity of the Lane County population.

Goals and Objectives

The main goals of the DHRC are to develop and share information about diversity for the mutual benefit of the participating entities, and to allow each jurisdiction to make informed, independent action-oriented decisions and changes. Specific objectives of the DHRC are to:

Produce a framework and forum for interjurisdictional and interagency coordination and collaboration on diversity, equity, and human rights.
This coordination may occur: (a) among agencies participating in the DHRC; (b) between the DHRC, state, and federal agencies; (c) between the DHRC and other public agencies; (d) between the DHRC and local policy makers; and (e) between the DHRC and jurisdictions outside the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area.
Create environments within public agencies that are more inclusive and in which diversity is a priority.
Develop expertise and knowledge regarding cultural awareness. As appropriate to each agency, take steps to provide professional development and cultural competency with the goal of making culturally competent best practices the standard.
Strive to ensure equitable access to all opportunities within each agency (for example, goods, services, bids, employment).
Provide collaboration and/or funding to support and implement this MOU and associated work plans as a priority for each agency as well as for the DHRC collectively.
Strive to implement agency action plans that include an established time frame, fiscal responsibility, roles and responsibilities, and tools for evaluation and assessment of the progress in fulfilling the agency plans.
Plan for events where interests of the community and clientele would be best served through collaborative action by DHRC agencies.
Respond to incidents and issues where the interests of the community and clientele would be best served through collaborative action by DHRC agencies.
In the spirit of achieving these objectives, the DHRC agencies, represented by the signatories to this document, agree to maintain a cooperative working relationship and to facilitate interjurisdictional and interagency communication and collaboration regarding diversity, equity, and human rights.

This MOU does not create enforceable legal obligations, nor financial commitments, but rather is an expression of intent by the signatories to work with one another as partners to meet the objectives outlined above and in the agency action plans.

Nothing in this agreement is intended, nor shall it act in any way to alter, impede, or interfere with the agencies carrying out their regulatory and law enforcement responsibilities or their individual missions. This agreement does not allow the DHRC to speak on behalf of a particular DHRC agency on a particular issue without the agency’s express consent. Financial impacts are to be considered and addressed individually within each agency.

Areas of Agreement

Purpose

Through the MOU, the members of the DHRC will establish a common agenda to work together in a consistent manner to create an environment that supports equity, human rights, and diversity within each member agency, the DHRC, and our community. Benefits of working together include increasing effectiveness by sharing knowledge and resources, minimizing duplication of effort, and addressing issues and concerns at a regional level.

Changes to the Agreement

Amendments or additional appendices may be developed and implemented by written agreement of all of the signatories at any time without renegotiating the entire MOU. Through an amendment to this MOU, new parties may join the DHRC by agreeing to the provisions in this MOU and by adding the appropriate signatures to this document.

Effective Date of Agreement

This agreement is effective February 27, 2002, and remains in effect indefinitely unless modified or revoked by all parties. Any party may choose to terminate its participation in the agreement with a 30-day written notification to the remaining parties of the DHRC.

Agreements

The signatories agree to coordinate and collaborate on equity, human rights, and diversity as detailed in each agency’s action plan, in particular, to:

Develop and implement strategies that ensure work force diversity beyond simple compliance with basic affirmative action laws. Collaborate on recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion, and affirmative action policies and procedures.
As appropriate for each member agency, make training and professional development for cultural competence an ongoing priority.
Provide opportunities to enhance communication and coordination that will result in enhancement of shared resources, sharing of information, avoidance of duplication of services, building of partnerships, and open communication among agencies.
Address the different language needs of each agency’s clientele.
Cooperate, collaborate, and share information related to agency complaint resolution processes.
The CEO of each participating agency shall appoint staff with content expertise to monitor implementation of the areas of agreement, and to make recommendations to that CEO. The group of staff designees are referred to as the Interagency Diversity and Equity Coalition (IDEC)
IDEC will meet regularly to discuss human rights and diversity in their communities and to support the Memorandum of Understanding.
CEOs and appointed staff members will meet together at least once annually. At that time, IDEC shall provide CEOs a progress report in these areas of agreement.