[Update 8/12/2024]

Since the last update on May 3, 2024, Village staff has taken the following action.  Much of the activity was based on feedback from the Village’s DEI report, provided by inQUEST Consulting.

• The Police Department conducted a new recruit test on May 18, 2024. Before the test, the department engaged in several recruitment activities to advertise and elicit interest in the department. They developed and executed a streamlined video campaign. This was accomplished with the collaboration of the Mount Prospect Communications Department. The ads were posted on YouTube and with The National Minority Update, an online quarterly publication and online recruitment resource. The Recruitment Team presented at multiple career fairs, including Harper College, Western Illinois University, the 24th Annual Diversity Employment Day in Chicago, and the Law Enforcement Career Fair in Elmhurst. Additionally, the department advertised on virtual online job-boards, including Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois University and Harper College.
  
  66 applicants participated in the testing process. The applicant pool was 80% male and 20% female, which is consistent with prior recruitment tests. The racial/ethnic background of applicants was 48% Caucasian, 33% Hispanic, 5% identified as 2 or more races, 10% Asian and 3% African American. This reflects a continued increase in diversification of applicants. The applicant percentage who identified as non-Caucasian in 2024 was 52%, versus 37% in 2022 and 25% in 2019. Theblueline.com and the Village website continue to be the top two sources for applicants.
• Human Resources received applications for non-public safety positions from 77 candidates and 22 different sources. The top 2 sources for applicants were the Village website and Indeed.
•  Reporting of Village employee demographic data as of June 30, 2024 is shown here. April, 2024 data is included for comparison purposes.

As of 6/30/2024 
All FT & PT Employees*

 *FT & PT employee count does not include paid on-call Firefighters or seasonal workers

• There were 4 team building events sponsored by the Employee Participation Committee (EPC) from 04/01/2024-06/30/2024. This included Jenga, Bowling, and Corn Hole (Bags). Public Works hosted a Village Employee Hot Dog Social.
• Community Development continued outreach to new diverse businesses joining the community through pre-submittal and development meetings. They participated in community outreach for residents with construction and community related questions during Coffee with Council and a monthly Coffee Talk & Construction series. They engaged new residents at to answer questions on accessibility codes and ways to increase barrier-free in construction projects. They engaged senior residents at meetings who are interested in aging in their current housing so they can stay in Mount Prospect.

 Staff efforts will continue with updates provided on a quarterly basis.

[Update 5/2/2024] 

Since the last update on January 23, 2024, Village staff has taken the following action.  Much of the activity was based on feedback from the Village’s DEI report, provided by in QUEST Consulting.

• The Village Clerk continues working with the community to honor cultural recognitions through Village proclamations and is committed to inviting diverse community organizations to participate at the meetings. The Village Board issued the following proclamations during Q1: (January) Martin Luther King Day, (February)Women’s History Month and Black History Month.An educational display was put out in the Board Room for the reading of the Black History Month proclamation.
• The Employee Participation Committee (EPC) met to plan interdepartmental activities for kickoff in April. At least two (2) events are scheduled for Q2: Jenga and Bowling.
• Human Resources implemented the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).  We received applications from 468 candidates and 29 different sources.  The top 2 sources for applicants were Indeed and the Village website. As traffic through the system increases, we will leverage reporting tools and gauge where we should focus our recruiting efforts to increase candidate diversity.  
• Reporting of employee/new hire demographic data. Data as of April 18, 2024 is shown here and will be added to transparency portal on the Village’s website. January 2024 data is included for comparison purposes.

As of 4/18/2024 
All FT & PT Employees*

 *FT & PT employee count does not include paid on-call Firefighters or seasonal workers

• Public Works posts information internally to celebrate heritage months. For February, they recognized African American History; for March, they recognized Women’s Month.
• Public Works crews also supported food and toy drives by picking, packing and delivering the materials and goods.
• Human Services Aging in Community work groups (Transportation, Housing, Information and Communication, Social Engagement and Health and Wellness) worked on implementation of Aging in Community Action plan goals.  The transportation work group held a transportation event at Centennial/Ardyce apartments which provides housing for low-income seniors.  Representatives from various transportation programs presented on their programs and were available afterwards to sign people up for programs and answer questions.  There were 44 seniors in attendance.
• A Mental Health Summit, facilitated by mental health attorney, Joe Monahan, was held at Village Hall.  Team members from Human Services, MPPD, MPFD and VMO attended along with representatives from Northwest Community Hospital.

Staff efforts will continue with updates provided on a quarterly basis.

[Update 1/23/2024]

Since the last update on October 13, 2023, Village staff has taken the following actions.

•  Continued Employee Participation Committee (EPC) and interdepartmental activities The EPC hosted 3 All-Stars tournaments.  The Village hosted an annual holiday party for Village employees.
• Continued communication of DEI related initiatives through the Village’s website (i.e. DEI Portal under Transparency heading) and social media channels.
• Human Resources secured an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).  Implementation will begin in Q1 2024 and will enhance job advertising, and data analysis of  anonymous candidate demographic and sourcing information.
• Reporting of employee/new hire demographic data. Data as of January 11, 2024 is shown here. October data is included within the October 13, 2023 update for comparison purposes.

As of 1/11/2024
All FT & PT Employees*

 *FT & PT employee count does not include paid on-call Firefighters or seasonal workers

• The Police Department has engaged with female Officers in an effort to understand what improvements could be made in providing support and assistance to Officers in  navigating career advancement.  An internal Women of the MPPD group has also been established internally.
• Police held 4 Beat meetings in the 4th quarter. They also held a Citizens Police Academy class, participated in Fist Bump Friday at schools every Friday in October and November, and Shop with the Cops in December.
• On October 13, the Human Services Department collaborated with North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic to host a Free Powers of Attorney Clinic for Low-Income and Limited Speaking English residents of Mount Prospect.  The clinic was held at the Community Connections Center (CCC).
• Human Services also launched a monthly Spanish speaking Women’s Group at the CCC in October.  This group discusses and provided education on family related topics such as stress management, self-care and parenting.
• The Fire Department held a Toy, Food and Coat drive in the fall.  The distribution was held in December, in partnership with Human Services.
• The Village concluded the second Citizens Civics Academy on October 25, 2023. Civics Academy participants learned about the many responsibilities and functions of the Village, the relationships between Village Departments and the community, and how services are provided. The Academy's goal is to educate the public and increase awareness about what their local government does for them, provide an inside look into government operations, and develop a better understanding of their role in city government.
•  In addition to the Village’s annual holiday tree lighting ceremony, the Village hosted a Chanukah Candle Lighting Program in December.
• The tri-annual Community Survey was revised to include DEI related questions, as suggested by inQUEST and with input from our survey partner, ETC.  The survey was distributed by ETC and results will be forthcoming in 2024.
• The Village’s wellness team collected donations from employees and distributed holiday baskets to the Mount Prospect Senior Living Facility. 

 Staff efforts will continue with updates provided on a quarterly basis.

[Update 10/13/2023]

 Since the last update on July 13, 2023, Village staff has taken the following actions.

• Continued Employee Participation Committee (EPC) and interdepartmental activities like All Stars (Feedback from inQUESTS’s report indicated a need for more employee teambuilding opportunities).  The EPC  organized 3 events since the last update in July.
  
  
• Communicated DEI initiatives through the Village’s website (i.e. DEI Portal under Transparency heading) and social media channels. 
  
  
• Continued Police Beat meetings to reach different areas of the community - The Police Department held two (2) beat meetings in the third quarter.
  
  
• The Police Department held six (6) sessions of Kickin’ It With the Cops (youth soccer program) on the North and South Sides of Mount Prospect. This program connects Mount Prospect youth with Police Officers in a fun and active setting.
  
  
• In September, the Clerk’s Office launched a community job board on the Village’s website to broadly advertise local business job opportunities.
  
  
• On August 26, 2023, the Human Services Department collaborated with multiple stakeholders and other Village departments to host the 5th annual Celebration of Cultures event.  There was live entertainment, food, and cultural booths representing over a dozen different countries.
  
  
• The Village initiated the second Citizens Civics Academy on September 6, 2023. Civics Academy participants learn about the many responsibilities and functions of the Village, the relationships between Village Departments and the community, and how services are provided. The Academy's goal is to educate the public and increase awareness about what their local government does for them, provide an inside look into government operations, and develop a better understanding of their role in city government.
  
  
• In celebration of the histories and contributions of historically marginalized identities, Public Works has started promoting heritage months and identity acknowledgements through their departmental digital marquee system.  Hispanic Heritage Month was recognized in the third quarter.  They have also ensured diversification of interviewers during the hiring process.
  
  
• Updated employee/new hire demographic data for the third quarter in 2023.  Data as of October 12, 2023 is shown here and will be added to transparency portal on the Village’s website.

As of 10/12/2023
All FT & PT Employees*

*FT & PT employee count does not include paid on-call Firefighters or seasonal workers

 Staff efforts will continue with updates provided on a quarterly basis

[Update 7/13/2023]

Since the last update on May 17, 2023, Village staff has taken the following action.

• Continued Employee Participation Committee (EPC) and interdepartmental activities like All Stars– Feedback from inQUESTS’s report indicated a need for more employee teambuilding opportunities.  The EPC  organized 3 events since the last update in May.
  
  
• Communicated DEI initiatives through the Village’s website (i.e. DEI Portal under Transparency heading) and social media channels. Staff updated the Village’s transparency portal for easier access to view information related to DEI efforts.  Staff also created a DEI page on the employee intranet.
  
  
• Updated employee/new hire demographic data for the second quarter in 2023.  Data as of 04/20/2023 and 07/10/2023 is shown below. 

As of 07/10/2023
All FT & PT Employees*

*FT & PT employee count does not include paid on-call Firefighters or seasonal workers

• Continued COWs on the road and Police Beat meetings to reach different areas of the community - Village staff coordinated and attended a COW at the Lions Park Recreation Center on June 13, 2023.  The Police Department held six (6) beat meetings between April 24-June 5, 2023.
• In May, the Human Services Department collaborated with several social service agencies to host Mental Health Matters; a free resource fair.  In June, they sponsored a Fair Housing Webinar.  The Hope Fair Housing Center provided free webinars on Fair Housing Laws and the Rights and Responsibilities for tenants and landlords. The Celebration of Cultures is scheduled for August 26, 2023.

Staff efforts will continue with updates provided on a quarterly basis.

[Update 5/17/2023]

Using recommendations in the report provided by inQUEST consulting on December 13, 2022, the Village has taken the following action:

• included DEI goals in leadership evaluations;
• initiated work on triannual Community Survey to include DEI related questions;
• re-engaged the employee participation committee to support internal team building;
• reviewed employee/new hire demographic data as of April 20, 2023 (continue to report approximately every 3 months) *note that temporary/seasonal/volunteers are not included and unchanged data points will have differing percentages due to an overall increase in the employee population;
• continued COWs on the road (January 24, 2023) and Police Beat meetings into 2023 to reach different areas of the community;
• hosted a Sergeant promotion testing orientation for Police Officers on February 14, 2023;
• scheduled annual Celebration of Cultures event for August 26, 2023  in partnership with Special Events Commission, open house held April 13, 2023;
• increased communication of DEI initiatives through the Village’s website and social media channels.
   

As of 04/20/2023
All FT & PT Employees*

As of 02/23/2022
All FT & PT Employees*

  [Update 5/08/2023]

At the December 13, 2022 Committee of the Whole meeting, Tricia Dupilka and Kate Webster from inQUEST presented their findings that identify opportunities for improvement in the Village's current internal practices/policies. inQUEST will also provided recommendations for the Village to make progress on its diversity, equity and inclusion journey including a community survey. View inQUEST's Report to the board.  View inQUEST's presentation to the board.

Throughout 2022, the Village partnered with Tricia Dupilka and Kate Webster from inQUEST to review the work the Village has accomplished, identify opportunities for improvement and provide recommendations for actions. The timeline in reporting was extended in order to ensure representation from a diverse participant group. The process had strong overall participation from Village employees (28%) and the Mayor and Board (100%) that provided valuable insight.

Staff and inQUEST agreed to prioritize the internal organizational focus in order to provide us with an understanding of how the Village is positioned to support diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, while providing equitable and inclusive services to the community. The goal was to establish a baseline internal report before conducting a community survey.

Staff recommended inQUEST Consulting, LLC for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Services at the January 18, 2022 Village Board meeting,  View the full report to the board. 

[Update 9/30/2021]

At the September 28, 2021 Committee of the Whole meeting, staff presented to the board recent accomplishments related to this Action item. View the full report to the board. 

The Village defined: 

Diversity means to respect, value and accept the range of similarities and differences of each individual.

Equity means to identify and implement strategies to ensure individuals have access to opportunities and resources to reach their full potential.

Inclusion means valuing individuals in a way that shares involvement and sustains a sense of belonging.

Staff believes the Village could benefit from the services of a professional consultant with expertise in implementation of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals. Staff has distributed a Request for Qualifications to conduct a review of Village policies, processes and initiatives we have already implemented, in order to provide staff with an understanding of how we are positioned to support diversity, equity and inclusion both in the workplace and in the community. 

View the request for qualifications for a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant. 

The Village has collected a list of over 30 potential consultants as collected from the public, Village Board, staff, and professional organizations such as the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. After initial vetting, the RFQ was sent to 20 professionals, encouraging each to respond. The deadline for submittals is October 1, 2021.