GFA Leadership Competencies: Equity

At Govern For America, we believe that people are policy. We believe that when the people who work in government are proximate to the communities most impacted by their decisions and approach problems with a core set of skills we can achieve better, more equitable policy outcomes.

GFA defines these skills as a series of nine core competencies that effective public sector leaders consistently demonstrate. We look for these competencies as part of the GFA Fellowship selection process and support Fellows to develop them over the course of their Fellowship. GFA believes that utilizing and developing these competencies are critically important for public sector leaders who are working to dismantle systemic inequities, build more inclusive public systems, and create a more effective government — at every stage of their career. Our team is excited to share the GFA leadership competencies with you, beginning with equity.

GFA Public Sector Leadership Competency: Equity

Definition: Public sector leaders work to dismantle individual, institutional, and systemic causes of oppression with the goal of increasing opportunities and improving outcomes for vulnerable or marginalized populations.

Equity in Action:

“This is going to be a long process and a difficult one. There is a lot of mistrust and there is a lot of work to be done to build that trust back up. But that is a priority we are working on.”

— Yasmin Yacoby, Energy Justice Program Manager, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources

Last month the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources released a report laying out actions to achieve the state’s goal of meeting 100% of Rhode Island’s electricity demand with renewable energy by 2030. Throughout this process GFA Fellow Yasmin Yacoby led efforts to make the policymaking process more accessible, participatory and inclusive. Some of the recommendations outlined in the report as a result of these efforts include: partnering with and listen to frontline communities about their needs and goals in the clean energy transition; reducing financial burdens and providing support for low and moderate-income households and frontline communities beyond installing technology; including structures for aiding with upkeep and services; and targeting community-based training efforts to support in-demand clean energy jobs.

5 Ways to Center Equity in Your Career:

1. Educate yourself on individual, institutional, and systemic levels of oppression and how these levels show up in society.

2. Engage others on issues of inequity you have observed and look for ways to begin addressing the issues.

3. Evaluate your department’s policies, programs and activities for public benefit and seek ways to ensure BIPOC and members of other marginalized communities feel welcomed and included.

4. Facilitate productive conversations with supervisors and other stakeholders about implementing solutions that promote greater equity in your department and in the community at large.

5. Partner with people who have social identities, perspectives, and experiences that differ from yours.

We want to hear from you! Who in your community demonstrates the Equity competency through their actions? How have you seen equity show up in your work? Get in touch at hello@govforamerica.org