What is PACE?
PACE is an acronym for Policy and Advocacy and Community Engagement. It signifies the intentional connection we are fostering between Policy and Advocacy, and Community Engagement. We seek to achieve this within our cross-cutting workgroups and our overall approach to operationalizing advocacy.
Policy
Our policy recommendations must contribute to the dissolution of the system as it currently stands, addressing spaces of inequity and amplifying what is just.
Advocacy
Our policy agenda supports the work of those in our network who contribute to managing, solving, and dissolving some of our community’s most complex problems and deepest inequities.
Community
Community is defined by those in our network closest to the impact and those impacted by systemic inequities/the system.
Engagement
Our decisions are informed from the ground up, and we hold intentional space for listening and honoring voices/perspectives/lived experiences.
Why PACE?
KConnect is focusing its efforts on PACE for several reasons:
Systems Change
PACE allows organizations, such as KConnect, to address the root causes of social issues by advocating for systematic change in collaboration with those most impacted by systemic injustices.
Dissolution
While organizations that manage and solve problems are crucial, they often only address the symptoms of a problem. PACE creates systemic change as it dissolves inequities affecting entire communities and populations, leading to sustainable solutions with a broader reach and long-term impact.
Amplifying Voices
PACE empowers individuals and communities to have a voice in decision-making processes that affect them directly. This involvement fosters ownership, builds trust, and ensures that solutions are responsive to community needs.
Collective Action
KConnect, as a Collective Impact organization, relies on collaboration among diverse populations to reach a common goal. PACE allows collaboration between government, nonprofits, businesses, and community members to leverage available resources and expertise for greater impact.
Why a Shared Policy Agenda?
Creating a shared policy agenda was important for several reasons:
Goal Alignment
A shared policy agenda ensures that all participants in the KConnect network are aligned in their goals and priorities. It helps to clarify the collective vision for systemic change and ensures that everyone is working toward dissolving inequitable systems.
Leveraging Collective Power
The network can leverage its collective power and influence to advocate for change more effectively by creating a shared policy agenda.
Broader Perspective
Collaboratively developing, affirming, and operationalizing a shared policy agenda ensures that diverse perspectives and expertise are considered, leading to more comprehensive and effective policy solutions.
Community Engagement
Involving those with lived experience in creating the shared policy agenda ensures that their voices and priorities are represented in advocacy efforts.
Developing the Policy Agenda
The inspiration behind developing the shared policy agenda stemmed from KConnect’s theme of being Curious, Creative, and Courageous.
In pursuit of curiosity, the leadership team took a deep dive into the network’s priorities through a two-part advocacy training hosted by the Michigan League for Public Policy. Nearly seventy items were recorded as potential policy focuses for the inaugural agenda, with education being an issue that resonated across sectors. The leadership team then received survey responses from the Core Workgroups, insights from the Align and Design Teams, and listening sessions with educators, leaders, and analysts to refine the focus further. The 12-month journey was marked by equity in decision-making, accountability to our diverse network, listening, and objectivity.
Creativity was sparked as the leadership team crafted tools and processes to elevate KConnect’s Policy and Advocacy work. One such tool, the Emergent Advocacy Tool, was created and implemented when the KConnect Backbone was asked to sign on to an Earned Income Tax Credit advocacy effort. From there, the team crafted an Emergent Advocacy Tool to help the Backbone and Workgroups make decisions around advocacy opportunities year-round. The Policy Formulation Tool helped the team remain objective as they selected policy priorities, which professionals and subject matter experts vetted during listening sessions.
Another aspect of creativity within the work is our intentional focus on involving those central to the work in decision-making, distinguishing KConnect from traditional approaches. PACE embodies the commitment to connecting Policy Work and Community, values we aspire to achieve at a deepened level. Moving forward, we seek to facilitate community-centered, equity-driven, innovative, and game-changing strategies.
One of the most courageous aspects of the work is that the team designs with dissolution in mind, which echos KConnect’s ultimate goal of dissolving inequitable systems. There are politics to policy, especially in Kent County, where advancement and opportunity are often the results of access to resources, social capital, and privilege. KConnect seeks to navigate the political spaces with a courageous commitment to dismantling barriers and fostering a community where people thrive.
The Shared Policy Agenda
The PACE Convening was held in January 2024 to gather feedback from the Network and ultimately affirm the Shared Policy Agenda. The following is a list of the focus areas that were included.
Access to Affordable and Quality Childcare
Success Measure: Kindergarten Readiness
KConnect is committed to advancing accessible and quality childcare solutions by advocating for affordability, quality, and children’s and providers’ well-being. We believe that all families in Kent County have access to affordable and quality childcare, and childcare providers have the support and opportunities to thrive
Access to Paid Family and Medical Leave
Success Measure: Thriving Family Income
KConnect prioritizes family well-being by advocating for equitable policies and recognizing the importance of supporting individuals during life transitions. We believe all employees must have access to paid family and medical leave, and all employers, whether small or large businesses, can offer paid leave without adverse impact.
Equity in K-12 Educational Funding
Workplan Success Measures: Kindergarten Readiness, Third Grade Reading, High School Graduation
KConnect is dedicated to promoting educational equity by advocating for fair and adequate funding for vulnerable schools and districts, ensuring every student has access to a quality education regardless of socioeconomic status.
Equity in Teacher Compensation
Success Measure: Post-secondary Preparation
KConnect champions fair and increased teacher pay as a vital component of educational equity, recognizing the essential role educators play in shaping the future. Our approach includes addressing racial and geographical disparities in teacher wages.
Access to Comprehensive School-Based Supports
Success Measure: Career Readiness
KConnect is committed to fostering the well-being of students by advocating for comprehensive mental health support in PK-12 education, ensuring every child has access to the resources they need to thrive.
Increased Access to Postsecondary Opportunities
Success Measure: Postsecondary Success
KConnect advocates for universal access to financial aid for all high school seniors, ensuring equitable opportunities for post-secondary education and empowering students to pursue their academic aspirations without financial barriers.
Access to Wraparound Supports in Postsecondary
Success Measures: Postsecondary Success
KConnect strives to ensure every student’s success by championing increased college graduation rates through a collaborative community effort and statewide initiatives.
Next Steps
Now that the Network has affirmed the KConnect Shared Policy Agenda, the Michigan League for Public Policy will host a series of workshops to develop the next steps and strategic goals as the Network moves forward on operationalizing advocacy.
You can learn more about the Shared Policy Agenda and next steps by visiting www.k-connect.org/PACE