Opportunity Closing Soon! Facilitator and Evaluator for MHAA’s Racial Equity Working Group
Deadline to apply is Monday, April 5. If you find that a link does not open, contact the Administrator, Jen Ruffner, at [email protected].
About the position
The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) is reopening its search for an individual or firm to provide services as a qualified facilitator and evaluator to assist the Racial Equity Working Group of the MHAA, in examining racial equity as it relates to the Maryland Heritage Areas Program.
With the guidance of the Consultant, MHAA will engage in a process of authentic self-reflection and assessment of MHAA’s policies, processes, practices and legal requirements, including the statute and regulations of the state MHAA program; bylaws; policies and procedures, both formal and informal; grant guidelines, grantee manual, and a template/model grant agreement; and other materials as the consultant determines necessary to identify issues of equity and justice, and develop a shared vocabulary relating to racial equity.
Offerors who meet the professional requirements and experience and are interested in submitting a proposal to provide such services must submit a proposal to be received no later than 5:00 pm on Monday, April 5, 2021.
About the Racial Equity Working Group
MHAA has formed a Racial Equity Working Group made up of representatives and staff from MHAA, the Coalition of Heritage Areas, representatives from the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC), and representatives from other Governor-appointed ethnic and cultural commissions (including the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, the Governor’s Commission on African Affairs, the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, and the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs) and their designees.
Currently 19 individuals receive communications for the Group, of whom 12 have regularly participated in Group meetings to date; some members are volunteers and some are staff members of the various organizations. The Group will examine racial equity in MHAA decision-making, demographic data collection, and program structure; barriers to funding access, including Program requirements, review criteria, and reporting; whether the boundaries of the existing Heritage Areas include a diversity of resources that adequately reflect Maryland’s diverse communities; and equity of organizational access to financing opportunities, technical assistance and community capacity-building.
The Group will also create a plan for measuring racial equity and access to MHAA loans and grant-funding, with an understanding that the proposed racial equity work will need to continue and evolve after the Group makes its initial recommendations.It is anticipated that the offeror will primarily work with the Group but may choose to meet with members of the MHAA, as well as representatives from the 13 Certified Heritage Areas, depending on the recommended plan of work.
Learn more by reading the MHAA Facilitator and Evaluator – Racial Equity Working Group Request for Proposal.