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QUESTION
Council Member Stevens Asks DYCD About Expanding Community Feedback Models
0:25:02
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119 sec
Council Member Althea Stevens inquires about the expansion of community feedback models across all Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) programs, referencing their success in existing initiatives. Mike Bobbitt, Deputy Commissioner, responds by illustrating how the 2016 community needs assessment influenced the agency's approach to food insecurity and led to a reevaluation of program sites to address 'SYEP Deserts.' Bobby emphasizes how the agency utilizes information from assessments broadly, not just for RFPs, and plans to enhance their dissemination efforts.
Speaker 1
0:25:02
And if this is so successful, why are we not, like, trying to incorporate this through all the programs about BYCD and getting more of a voice and input?
0:25:09
And and and and and use this model because, you know, if it's it's happening and and we think it's been working so well and getting input from the community members in this way.
0:25:19
Are we not kind of expanding this through all of the programs through Z YC.
Speaker 3
0:25:23
Well, I actually think in many ways, we are.
0:25:26
So I'll give an example of the is from the prior administration after we did the 2016 Community's assessment when food insecurity was realized to be such a priority area.
0:25:37
It it causes to reflect on the discretionary council funded food pantries in a different way.
0:25:42
So we've always been supporting that work but the opportunity to really amplify and raise further attention to that work became much clearer.
0:25:51
Another thing that I recall from the 2006 in committee needs assessment.
0:25:55
SYMP, which has a wide range of funding and is at a much larger scale than the federal programs we're talking about today through doing this neighborhood focused review in the communities assessment.
0:26:06
He saw that there are neighborhoods that were what we might have termed S YEP Deserts.
0:26:11
And so we had helpful conversations internally between community development and the youth workforce team about looking at program citing.
0:26:18
So the information that comes out of the needs assessment is tapped and is accessed throughout the the agency.
0:26:25
Annex journalally.
0:26:26
Like, we share this information with with other city agencies.
0:26:30
So over the course of the winter, we'll be finalizing report from the 2022 community needs assessment.
0:26:36
Once it's finalized, we'll certainly share it with the council, and we have every interest in sharing the information.
0:26:42
So it's not just attached to a particular RFP.
0:26:45
It's information that's made available generally and broadly.
0:26:48
And we do We have put them on our website, but we want to do more to not just our website.
0:26:53
We to try to market it more broadly.
0:26:54
We've talked with the mayor's office of engagement.
0:26:57
We think there's broader audiences than maybe there was in the past to shut and use the information.