An Assessment of the City of Beaverton’s
Readiness for Cultural Inclusion Initiatives
Holly Thompson
Capstone
EMPA 2011
Dr. Masami Nishishiba ∙ Advisor ∙ Portland State University
Background
• Beaverton is a diverse city
• One in four foreign born
• Nearly 100 languages spoken
• Priority for the City and Mayor
• Leadership focus ethnic minority
outreach – new position
The city has not conducted a
cultural inclusion readiness
assessment before now.
Literature Review
Defining culture – “the totality of ways that shape how individuals see and respond
to the world and community around them,” (Rice 2007)
• Cultural competency is a core skill for
public administrators
• Dimensions of cultural competency
• Assessments are a critical starting
point
Key Research Questions – is the City
ready for cultural inclusion?
1.
Consistent understanding of the term cultural
inclusion?
2.
What are the key challenges to
implementation?
3.
What support or tools does the city need?
4.
What is the relationship between leadership’s
expressed desire to increase cultural inclusion
with external community members and the
state within the organization?
5.
What are the leadership implications?
Research Methods
• Stakeholder Interviews (25 people)
• Employee Survey (43% response rate)
Findings
65% of stakeholders described or rated the
city as not very ready or prepared.
Of stakeholders, 58% defined culture broadly while 42% defined culture as
more focused on ethnicity or nation of origin
• Strong appreciation for cultural inclusion
• No clear definition of terms or city’s goals
• The city workforce is not ready
• People would like a more diverse workforce
• Tools and support needed include language assistance, cultural
awareness training and help with hiring practices
• The organization needs to improve information flow
Significance of Project
Opportunity to apply lessons learned to help the city achieve its
goal …….to be more culturally inclusive
Recommendations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Clarify intent through clear policy statement
Continue assessment efforts
Invest in broad cultural inclusion training
Human Resources should lead – including hiring practices
Clarify role of cultural inclusion coordinator
Create an internal advisory committee
Keep leadership talking
Create a cultural inclusion action plan
Better align the city’s overall public engagement groups
EMPA Lessons Learned
• Lead from where you sit
• We all have a part to play as
part of institutions
• Public servants are
responsible for the greater
good
• Leadership - Model the
way, inspire a shared vision,
challenge the process,
encourage others to act,
and enable the heart
Acknowledgements
• Family
• Faculty
• City of Beaverton
• Friends
• Cohort
PEOPLE by Peter Spier © 1980
“Now, isn’t it wonderful that each and every one of us
is unlike any other?”