Sponsor: County Manager's Office
Title
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Participation in Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Cohort
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Recommendation
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1. Ratify the submittal of a grant proposal to the Urban Institute.
2. Accept a grant award of $125,000 and approve a grant agreement with the Urban Institute for the period of grant execution through May 31, 2022.
3. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the grant agreement.
4. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and amendments to agreements, in accordance with the County’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the grant funding.
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Background and Rationale
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Ramsey County has been offered the opportunity to participate in the Washington, DC-based Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Cohort, an 18-month long project to adopt and apply a set of mobility metrics that will help to better understand and advance upward mobility. “Upward mobility” is usually defined as the ability to access economic opportunities and to move up and out of poverty.
The Urban Institute has developed a more holistic definition of upward mobility from poverty that includes not only economic success, but also power, autonomy, and a sense of belonging in one’s community. One primary focus of this project is on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in upward mobility.
The Urban Institute has selected Ramsey County as one of a set of communities to participate in an Upward Mobility Cohort. Each cohort member will receive funding of $125,000 and tailored technical assistance from the Urban Institute. This grant will largely fund community engagement events and administrative costs. Funds will be used to partner with community organizations on engagement planning and facilitation, compensate the broader community for participation in community engagement events, and pay for associated administrative costs. Technical assistance from Urban Institute will include data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and policy and programmatic advising where needed. Additionally, the cohort will benefit from peer-learning opportunities where county leaders can attend convenings, workshops, and trainings to share knowledge about strategies to promote upward mobility and help develop best practices. As part of this technical assistance, the Urban Institute will:
• Work with county staff and cross-sector leaders to examine how each county’s mobility metrics compare to other jurisdictions;
• Analyze county mobility metrics and publicly available administrative data to better understand any racial and ethnic disparities and help target strategies to places and people;
• Support each county in developing a “Mobility Action Plan” that identifies key challenges across policy areas and devise strategies (including policies, programs, and investments) to improve local conditions for mobility and outcomes for residents;
• Work with each county’s “mobility coalition” of local leaders and experts, who will guide the development of the Mobility Action Plan; and
• Bring together county cohort members for regular peer-learning opportunities where counties can share strategies to promote upward mobility and help develop best practices.
The Urban Institute’s “Mobility Metrics” are public indicators that will be used to advise counties in their work to narrow inequities and increase upward mobility. These metrics include measures of income, affordable housing, access to healthcare, political participation, economic inclusion, access to transportation, environmental quality, access to education, and access to good jobs. These metrics will be used to create a “Mobility Action Plan” that will take a comprehensive approach towards boosting opportunities for local mobility as informed by data and community voices.
As an Upward Mobility cohort member, Ramsey County will work closely with community partners and the general public in analyzing and selecting the metrics and developing the Mobility Action Plan. This plan will be informed by aggregated data that is already publicly available. Personal and sensitive data will not be shared outside the County nor requested from any other entity.
Although the grant period for this project technically began in January 2021, county staff only recently finalized the terms of the grant agreement with the Urban Institute. Over the last four months, Ramsey County has received technical assistance on preliminary data analysis from the Urban Institute, participated in cohort peer-learning activities, and convened initial meetings with our community partners, in preparation for the launch of this project.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Minnesota’s racial inequities in education, wealth, health, and other outcomes are well-documented.
Ramsey County is the most diverse county in the seven-county metro area and the one with the lowest median household income. The COVID-19 crisis has only exacerbated the stagnating rates of economic mobility and structural barriers faced by people of color, highlighting the need for local leaders to promote inclusive recovery and equitable access to opportunity. This project will help Ramsey County and its community partners, in partnership with community, select a set of Mobility Metrics and develop a Mobility Action Plan that will directly address these racial disparities. This plan would help the county establish priorities, set targets, catalyze action, change policies and practices, and monitor its progress in improving racial equity in economic mobility over time.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The success of this project will depend on close collaboration with community partners and the broader community at large. Ramsey County will work closely with community to analyze the Mobility Metrics and how the County can most effectively and beneficially influence them. The Mobility Action Plan will be the product of intense collective engagement and collaboration. As part of the proposal for this grant, Urban Institute asked Ramsey County to identify and submit letters of support from several partners with expertise in specific areas of upward mobility. Those community partners were the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties, Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative, East Metro Community Centers, and the Equity Action Circle.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☒ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
No matching funds are required. Ramsey County will receive $125,000 from the Urban Institute over a grant period starting in January 2021 and ending in June 2022.
County Manager Comments
County Board approval is required for grant applications and acceptance of grants over $100,000.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
1. Urban Institute Upward Mobility Cohort Grant Agreement
2. Turner, et al., “Boosting Upward Mobility Metrics to Inform Local Action” (Report)