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Summary and Next Steps

Sustainable Change Through Community Engagement - January 29, 2009

The Mississippi e-Center at Jackson State University
1230 Raymond Rd, Jackson

Attendees: Over 100 representatives from community groups, policy and research organizations, business and civic organizations, foundations, and state and local government attended the RAND Gulf States policy forum at Jackson State University.

Key findings: While the issues within sessions varied widely, consensus emerged on a number of common, interrelated themes for approaching systemic problems that have plagued Mississippi and the Gulf region.

1. Policy makers can be encouraged to use better information, data, research, and best practices through:
   • Educating individuals, communities, and decision makers on key issues and providing information on a regular basis
   • Providing succinct and concise research and recommendations
   • Inviting legislative and other decision makers to be part of the process prior to legislative and decision making sessions
   • Organizing lobbying efforts that use evidence-based findings for recommending policy changes
2. Sustainable change is possible when:
   • Recommendations (based on better information) are linked to actionable steps
   • Stakeholders including community organizations, researchers, and decision makers collaborate to identify feasible and actionable recommendations
   • Solutions and best practices are disseminated and implemented beyond political or geographic boundaries quickly to increase their impact to address systemic problems
3. Common community and regional priorities identified included:
   • Increasing the capacity of community-based organizations to seek external funding and to partner with other institutions
   • Fostering equitable relationships between community organizations, research institutions, and decision makers through better communication and collaboration
   • Ensuring the effective dissemination of data and recommendations to policymakers
   • Identifying measurable goals and performing regular evaluations of progress
   • Ensuring public accountability at every level with shared responsibility for success
   • Building on successes by effectively communicating and disseminating best practices and achievements with communities and policymaking officials to spur additional implementation

Next steps: Convene small groups of key stakeholders (in person or via phone) to pursue priorities identified in each session, to foster collaboration across organizations, and to connect and transmit findings across the issue areas, e.g., identify synergies between improvements in public safety and reductions in drop-out rates.

Key Issues by Session:

Session 1: Improving Community Engagement in Researching Health Issues

• Identify and remove barriers to healthcare
• Improve the identification and treatment of mental health/depression
• Improve coordination and communication with community and other organizations on efforts, outcomes, and issues

Session 2: Creating New Opportunities to Improve Graduation

• Identify, develop and implement the "right" educational benchmarks and measures that will foster desired outcomes
• Understand the role of teacher education and training on desired performance and other outcomes, including the impact of teacher salaries on retention of best and brightest
• Implement best practices from across the country, including "right-sizing" of school districts, institution effective after-school programs to promote positive learning

Session 3: Improving Economic Security and Financial Literacy

• Improve dissemination of information and research currently available to help individuals improve their economic decision making, including national and statewide resources
• Develop dissemination strategies that provide information that is digestible by all stakeholders and provide a basis for common knowledge
• Educate and encourage employers to provide financial education to employees

Session 4: Public Safety: Strategies for Safer Streets and Neighborhoods

• Identify and engage the stakeholders that need to be included
• Identify, develop and implement the "right" benchmarks and measures that will foster desired outcomes for improving public safety
• Identify and foster synergies between public safety and issues identified in other sessions

Speakers and Agenda