Final Report for the Neighborhood Council Training Motion

Here is the final report for the Neighborhood Council training motion. The only changes we made were to the highlighted areas below in yellow, which updated and clarified the availability of trainings the Neighborhood Council leaders and the Department have or will provide as well as some consequences Neighborhood Councils have used for Board members who do not take trainings.

We will be submitting this report to the City Council, and you can make additional comments next week at the special meeting of the Arts, Parks and Neighborhoods Committee on Wednesday, November 30, 2012 at 3 p.m. at downtown City Hall.

Thank you all again for your comments, suggestions and time on these reports!

REPORT RE:

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SYSTEM TRAINING PROGRAM

The Honorable City Council

  of the City of Los Angeles
Room 395, City Hall
200 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, California 90012

Council File No. 11-1017

Honorable Members:

            As requested by your Honorable Body, this department has prepared and now transmits for your consideration recommendations regarding a Neighborhood Council System Training Program.

Background

Currently, the only mandated training courses for Neighborhood Council Board members are the ethics course for all Board members and funding program administration for Treasurers and funding second signatories.   Ethics training is a mandated state law, but unless a Neighborhood Council’s bylaws has consequences for not taking training, there is currently no way to ensure that Board members take the training.  The ethics training is good for two (2) years after completion. 

In regards to funding training, the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (Department) will not release or will freeze a Neighborhood Council’s funds if the Treasurer and second signatory do not take the training.  Funding training is good for as long as the individuals are Treasurers or second signatories though yearly refresher courses are encouraged due to changing policies and procedures.

For Neighborhood Councils in exhaustive efforts under the Plan for a Citywide System of Neighborhood Councils (Plan), the Department will mandate training if the staff determines that a lack of training in the fundamentals of how to run a Neighborhood Council is a main component for the Neighborhood Council’s struggles.  These trainings can include:

1.  Ethics and Legal Issues

2.  Funding Program

3.  Neighborhood Council and City Government Basics

4.  Parliamentary Procedures

            5.  Community Leadership

Trainings are currently available in the following manner and are conducted by staff or other seasoned Board members recruited by the Department:

1.  Regionally on a monthly basis

2.  Board retreats

3.  One-on-one mentoring

4.  Online videos

Neighborhood Council leaders also utilized the Citywide Congress for Neighborhood Councils this year as a vehicle to provide trainings to the Board members.

            Aside from the funding consequences noted above, there are no other consequences for Board members who do not take trainings, including the state mandated ethics course, unless the Neighborhood Council has changed their bylaws to include consequences such as a loss in voting rights if the training is not completed within a specified amount of time.

The Department tracks the ethics and funding training on an internal database though we are trying to make this information readily available on our website.

Collaboration Process for Feedback

            The Department collaborated with the Neighborhood Council regional alliances across the City to solicit feedback from Board members and stakeholders on this motion.  Starting in September and continuing through the beginning of October, the Department co-sponsored mini town halls with the Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils Coalition, the Harbor Alliance of Neighborhood Councils, the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils, the Northeast Los Angeles Coalition, the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils and the South Los Angeles Alliance of Neighborhood Councils.  Approximately, one hundred and fifty (150) Board members and stakeholders provided their feedback at the town halls.   In addition, the Department created an online survey for feedback on the motion where seventeen (17) Board members and stakeholders provided detailed input.  We invited Board members and stakeholders via our bi-monthly eblast to participate in the town halls, survey, blog and work group meetings.

            In October, the Department held two (2) work group meetings on Training to delve further into the details of a training program.  One (1) of the meetings was cancelled due to poor attendance.  Input was received at the second Training work group meeting as well as a final work group review meeting.  Between five (5) to six (6) Board members participated in each of these meetings.  All of the minutes for the town halls and work groups meetings were uploaded to a blog for further comments though we did not receive any. 

Proposals

            The proposals presented here are a compilation of the feedback we received in the town halls, online survey and work group process.  In addition, South Los Angeles Alliance of Neighborhood Councils provided its own recommendation on the training program, which is attached to this report for your consideration as well.

            The viewpoints were wide ranging regarding mandated trainings in particular with some stating that no training should be mandated because Board members are volunteers to the other end where Board members demanded mandated training in courses beyond ethics and funding.  These trainings included the courses listed above for those Neighborhood Councils in exhaustive efforts.

            The work group focused on two (2) questions:

1.  Should any other courses be mandated?

The work group generally agreed that only sexual harassment and work place violence training should be added to the mandated courses.  Even though other types of classes should be taken by Board members for the betterment of Neighborhood Council, such as leadership, how to run meetings, etc., the work group decided that these classes should be offered in a fun and engaging manner so Board members would want to learn more.  Another suggestion was to have Executive Officers mandated to take additional classes since they have more responsibilities.

2.  What should the consequences be for those who do not take the mandated classes?

There was a range of suggestions, and the work group did not decide on any one (1) answer.  These options included:

• The Plan should be rewritten to allow for the Department to determine consequences.
• The consequences should be determined by the Commission via policy.
• Neighborhood Councils should determine consequences in their bylaws.

Another possible proposal could allow the Commission or Department to determine a menu of different types of consequences with the Neighborhood Councils input.  Neighborhood Councils would then choose from and incorporate a choice into their bylaws.

The types of consequences that Neighborhood Councils have imposed on their Board members to take the mandated ethics training range from withholding business cards to changing the bylaws to suspend Board member voting rights entirely or for matters involving funding and land use.

Training Accessibility and Quality

            The accessibility and quality of the trainings offered by the Department was a common theme in the feedback we received.  Board members stated that the more ways training could be offered to make them convenient for them, the more likely Board members would take the trainings.  Suggestions included increased training videos provided online and in a DVD format and a simple Board member manual.  In addition, the quality of the trainings was commented upon with Board members requesting entertaining and relevant trainings that would help them run more effective Neighborhood Councils. 

          

           Neighborhood Council leaders have recognized the need for Board training, and the Department has worked with experienced Board members with expertise in running meetings or funding to provide direct support and training to struggling Neighborhood Councils the past year.  We have also worked in partnership with Neighborhood Council leaders to develop a peer mentoring program, Councils 4 Councils, to assist with building Board members’ capacities.  The Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils recently launched a voluntary Resource Board to assist Neighborhood Councils in the Valley in a variety of ways, including training and mentoring.  Accessibility and a high quality of trainings were offered at the Congress by the Neighborhood Councils, and this should continue along with the option of adding in a regional Congress, too.

Implementation Costs

            The current staff of the Department maintains a regular training schedule, and trainings are also offered on demand on our website via video.   We are also working in collaboration with the Office of the City Attorney to offer more live ethics training sessions.  The costs of maintaining and increasing these trainings should be factored in as well as the cost of revamping trainings to increase the quality of them.  In addition, the costs of co-hosting citywide and regional Congresses should also be included in the cost assessment for the Department and Neighborhood Councils.

            There are more training videos and manuals that can be developed and distributed for the Board members.  Although these would cost additional funding for the Department to develop itself, there may be resources within the City that could assist in the creation of such training tools.  If there is a possibility to partner with the Personnel Department and/or Information Technology Agency, these materials could be developed for little additional resources.  In addition, the tracking of Board member training requires a build out in the database that these agencies may already have or can develop at a lower cost.

Conclusion

            We expect to develop further details about the training program in partnership with Neighborhood Council leaders in the upcoming months once the Councils 4 Councils program is up and running.

            If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact me at (213) 485-1360.  I will be available when you consider this matter in order to answer any questions you may have.

                                                                        Very truly yours,

                                                                        BONGHWAN “BH” KIM, General Manager