Sept. 2018

A SUMMER OF IMPACT

For ten weeks, five graduate students joined Civic Consulting Alliance as Summer Associates. They worked on a diverse array of projects across Civic Consulting Alliance's platform areas, with clients including West Side United , the Chicago Police Department , Chicago Public Schools, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation and the Civic Committee . All shared several experiences: deep engagement with clients, opportunities to analyze and address difficult questions, and the chance to make a meaningful impact on the city of Chicago.

ECONOMIC VITALITY

Emily Fletcher MBA/MPP Candidate, University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Jonathan Schellin MBA/MPP Candidate, University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Hannah Wilson, MBA Candidate, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

Three Summer Associates worked on projects under Civic Consulting Alliance's Economic Vitality platform during their time at the Civic Consulting Alliance. Emily Fletcher worked with West Side United; Jonathan Schellin worked with the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; and Hannah Wilson worked with the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. What project work were you involved in during your time at the Civic Consulting Alliance? Emily Fletcher: I worked with the West Side United team to create a high-level Community Health Strategy that will guide future priorities for the collaborative of six hospitals and health systems. To do this, I analyzed quantitative data on social determinants of health on the West Side, interviewed 20 community health leaders, and developed recommendations that the project's steering committee used to coalesce around fifteen evidence-based interventions in five key priority areas: maternal and child health, childhood asthma, behavioral health, hypertension, and healthy eating/active lifestyle.   Jonathan Schellin: I worked on the Pritzker Traubert Foundation Workforce Development Fellowship project. My time was focused on developing an understanding of Chicago’s current workforce development system and how a fellowship might improve our system for the future. Beyond the feasibility of a fellowship, we worked to develop several models of how best to structure a fellowship for workforce development.   Hannah Wilson: My project focused on supporting the Coordinating Committee for the Chicago Tech Leadership Initiative. The initiative, composed of public and private leaders from the established business community and tech firms, aims to improve Chicago's position as a top-tier technology ecosystem and increase the inclusivity of our economy. What will you take away from your time at Civic Consulting?   HW: Developing an inclusive economy of the future is no easy task. It takes a lot of hard work to bring together partners, help them align individual interests that forward the collective, and see the forest through the trees. I have learned how to better orchestrate change in the public sector by engaging stakeholders and keeping marginalized voices front and center.   EF: At Civic Consulting Alliance , I learned how to break down a complex problem and apply decision-making frameworks to develop solutions to the problem at hand. The number of variables to consider sometimes felt overwhelming, but my time at Civic Consulting Alliance provided me with a toolkit to analyze an issue and decide a path forward.

" I have learned how to better orchestrate change in the public sector by engaging stakeholders and keeping marginalized voices front and center. "

How has your time at Civic Consulting helped you develop professionally? JS: The opportunities to develop my communications with the client, and within our working team really helped in furthering my soft skills. The ability to manage sometimes changing directions on a project while navigating a diverse set of ideas and solutions is a rare but extremely helpful skillset that will help me in any line of work.  HW: Civic Consulting Alliance taught me that ideas are more powerful when they come directly from the people that can execute them. One role Civic Consulting Alliance and consulting firms can play is to provide structure and information that help guide clients towards well-informed decisions.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

‌

Laura Lukens MBA Candidate, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

‌

Summer Associate Laura Lukens worked with the Chicago Police Department's Employee Assistance Program during her time at the Civic Consulting Alliance. What project work were you involved in during your time at the Civic Consulting Alliance? I completed a project for the Chicago Police Department’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides free and confidential mental health and substance abuse counseling to CPD officers. As a result of a 2017 Department of Justice investigation into CPD and a pending consent decree between CPD and the state of Illinois, EAP is undergoing changes. The program must expand significantly to best meet officer needs. I developed a current state assessment, future state vision, and detailed roadmap to move from the current state to the future to ensure that EAP complies with the consent decree and more effectively serves officers. What was your most memorable experience during your time at Civic Consulting? I participated in a ride-along with two police officers in the Austin neighborhood. By that point, I had spent weeks working with CPD, but spending a whole shift getting to know the officers was by far the best way to learn what the job is really like. How has your time at Civic Consulting helped you develop professionally? Interning at Civic Consulting has confirmed my interest in working in a field that has a positive social impact. I received great exposure to Chicago’s public sector and opportunities in private-public partnerships, and expanded my network in this space.

EDUCATION

‌

Brian Malkin, MBA Candidate, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

‌

Summer Associate Brian Malkin worked with the Chicago Public Schools during his time at Civic Consulting Alliance. What project work were you involved in during your time at the Civic Consulting Alliance? I spent my time at Civic Consulting Alliance designing a student-centric enrollment and transition process for students entering Options Schools. Options Schools provide alternative options for students who were out of school and are now returning to school. Through interviewing stakeholders, conducting site visits, and collaborating with District leaders, we developed a streamlined process that gave CPS more control and insight over which, when and why students are enrolling in Options Schools.

"Organization and consistency go a long way. Outlining clear objectives, task owners, and next steps in every meeting was appreciated by all the participants."

What will you take away from your time at Civic Consulting? Organization and consistency go a long way. Outlining clear objectives, task owners, and next steps in every meeting was appreciated by all the participants. Especially because the Options Schools pilot required cross-functional collaboration between different groups and offices, it was important to communicate expectations clearly and effectively. What was your most memorable experience during your time at Civic Consulting? My most memorable experience was having the opportunity to present the final pilot proposal to Department Chiefs at CPS. Throughout the summer, I spent time gathering stakeholder input from key players in various departments within the District to ensure the pilot considered all perspectives. It was very rewarding to see excitement from the Department Chiefs during my final presentation.

IN OTHER NEWS... Civic Consulting Alliance released the 2018 Impact Report, outlining the impact of more than $10 million in services our collaboration provided in FY2018. The report can be found here. Thanks to WBEZ for hosting our Civic Cocktails event earlier this month, and to 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler for leading a great conversation about the role of technology and innovation in creating a more equitable and inclusive economy in Chicago Earlier this month, West Side United announced that it will distribute $85K in grants to small business on Chicago's West Side. To learn more, read the RFP.

Questions? Comments? Contact Shoham Geva Civic Consulting Alliance is an affiliate of the Civic Committee of  the Commercial Club of Chicago

‌ ‌