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EQUITY COMMITTEE

Meeting Date:	02/09/2023
Subject: Outreach and Hiring Process for Co-Executive Director for ORESJ
Submitted For:	EQUITY COMMITTEE
Department:	County Administrator
Referral No.:	2023-01
Referral Name:	Outreach and Hiring Process for Co-Director ORESJ
Presenter:	Supvervisors Glover & Gioia	Contact:	L. DeLaney, (925) 655-2057

Information

Referral History:

This item is the first referral to the Equity Committee. The item is to discuss and provide direction on the outreach and hiring process for the positions of Co-Executive Director of the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice.

The Equity Committee was established as a standing committee by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors at its December 13, 2022 meeting, through the re-naming of the Hiring Outreach Oversight Committee. (C. 108)

The Equity Committee's scope includes that of the former Hiring Outreach Oversight Committee and expands to include the work related to the County's Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice (ORESJ), including oversight of the ORESJ, the work of the Lived Experience Community Advisory Body, and all County departments' equity efforts.

The Equity Committee will be staffed and supported by the County Administrator's Office until such time as a Co-Director of the ORESJ is hired and thereafter provides staff support for the Committee.

Referral Update:

On October 25, 2022, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors received and accepted the community report related to the establishment of the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice (ORESJ) entitled "Recommendations for Contra Costa County Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice." (D.1) The Board also accepted recommendations 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the Board Order with the following changes:

Recommendation 3(a) was modified to add the words "and salary range" after the words "develop the hiring process."
Recommendation 4 was modified to read: The ORESJ shall be established as a separate County department with Co-Directors appointed by the Board of Supervisors that reports to the County Administrator with regular oversight by the Board of Supervisors Equity Committee; the Equity Committee shall ensure that the ORESJ is effectively staffed and operated to achieve the objectives of the Office.

As modified, recommendation 3 (a) states:

In the ORESJ’s first year (Fiscal Year 2022-23), the County will move forward to hire the following positions:

(a) Two Co-Directors: one Director to focus on coordinating and expanding the equity work of County Departments and one Director to focus on working more directly with the community. An Equity Committee of the Board of Supervisors (the existing Hiring Outreach Oversight Committee will be expanded in scope and re-named the Equity Committee) will work with the County Administrator’s Office to develop the hiring process and salary range for the two Co-Directors with meaningful community input. The Co-Directors will lead the efforts to form the ORESJ and hire the remaining staff. Once hired these Co-Directors will be staff support to the Equity Committee.
(b) Language Equity Coordinator to finalize development and implementation of a Countywide Equity Language
Plan to ensure that residents and families have a meaningful and equitable opportunity to apply for, receive,
participate in, and benefit from services offered by County departments.
(c) Reconciliation Coordinator to focus on strategies and actions to address historical harms and inequity.
(d) Data Analyst
(e) Budget and Policy Analyst

The Equity Committee will discuss and provide direction on Recommendation 3 (a) at its first meeting.

As a central and collaborative partner in this process, the County's Human Resources Department has relevant information to share with regard to the process of establishing the job classification and conducting recruitment, and representatives of Human Resources will be present at the meeting. The steps needed to develop and implement a recruitment plan include:

Modify the County Ordinance to create new job class exempt from the merit system. This includes a 30-day waiting period
Develop Job Specifications – determining stakeholders to provide input to Human Resources on the new job class, minimum qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs), and typical tasks
Determine salary
Draft recruitment brochure and post job opening

Attachments:

A. Draft Co-Director Position Description prepared by the Community Core Committee
B. ORESJ Comparative Salaries (with links to more details of those positions)
C. Contra Costa Department Head Salaries

In addition, a link to position descriptions of other Equity Officer positions is as follows:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XilJu0CAwLVcdtkRcQk9w3pWZc-mnlkG

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

DISCUSS and PROVIDE DIRECTION on the outreach and hiring process for Co-Executive Directors for Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice.

Attachments
Attachment A: Draft ORESJ Co-Director Position Description from Community Core Committee
Attachment B: ORESJ Comparative Salaries
Attachment C: Contra Costa County Department Heads Salaries