Service Lines

Sova Equity Impact

DEI&B Strategy Design Series

Purpose And Approach

Sova Equity Impact will enter a project by leveraging existing data. There will be consideration for the current efforts. Based on preliminary conversations, our approach will be to scaffold this modular work through three distinct phases. A phased approach will allow for information gathering and a curation of detailed knowledge that will inform a series of whiteboarding exercises tied to the development of a vision and mission. These actions will be followed by engaging strategic planning sessions and the co-creation of a detailed action plan with key performance indicators (KPIs).

 

The DEI&B Strategy Design Series focuses on Descriptive Analytics (what is happening), Diagnostic Analytics (why did it happen), Predictive Analytics (what will happen) and Prescriptive Analytics (how can we make it happen).  Sova’s Equity Impact DEI&B Strategy Design Series draws on multiple methods as a way to collect and analyze organizational and or institutional data tied to a set of indices.

Why Consider The Strategy Design Service Line

Sova’s Equity Impact DEI&B Strategy Design Series will:

  • focus on a set of phased engagements that are scaffolded to build out an aligned Vision-Mission-Objectives-Strategy that connects with a clear throughput to a series of prioritized equity focused Actions—with a workbreak structure that includes KPIs and schedule for monitoring.
  • help leaders explore, identify, and understand  the root causes and degree of systemic inequities (perceived or realized) —with a focus on the “what” and “why”
  • provide critical analysis of quantitative and qualitative data (collected through various methods);
  • support leaders to craft, implement, and or iterate on equitable solutions and outputs for systems change;
  • partner with leaders to identify and leverage multiple data points for DEI&B casemaking and rationale (ROI) to the organization, institution or business; to facilitate the movement from good intentions and the desire to change to a strategic and aligned set of measurable actions that will facilitate change within and across an organizations’ culture/climate.

Equity Audit

Purpose And Approach

SEI utilizes an asset-based equity audit. SEI’s approach is a departure from the traditional use of an audit. Historically, audits were based on compliance, enforcement, and accountability for the purpose of  compiling a list of items that organizations and institutions were “lacking” or “deficient” in. Through a series of exploratory methods, SEI seeks to identify and understand systemic (systems focus) inequities that exist within an organization’s or institution’s culture and climate, with attention to policies, practices, procedures, trends, and behaviors, as well as the opportunity to remedy the inequities—as a means to create a more just set of conditions. An SEI Equity Audit provides critical analysis of quantitative and qualitative data (collected through various methods) that supports leaders to craft, strategize, implement, and/or iterate on equitable solutions and outputs for organizational change.

Why Consider An Equity Audit?

An SEI Equity Audit will: 

  • help leaders explore, identify, and understand  the root causes and degree of systemic inequities (perceived or realized) —with a focus on the “what” and “why”;
  • provide critical analysis of quantitative and qualitative data (collected through various methods);
  • support leaders to craft, implement, and or iterate on equitable solutions and outputs for systems change;
  • partner with leaders to identify and leverage multiple data points for DEI&B casemaking and rationale (ROI) to the organization, institution or business
  • to facilitate the movement from good intentions and the desire to change to a strategic and aligned set of measurable actions that will facilitate change within and across an organizations’ culture/climate.

DEI&B Research, Evaluation and Assessment: A Phased Approach

The DEI&B  Research and Evaluation Service Line focuses on a mixed methods approach that provides a robust understanding of current climate and culture—specific to DEI&B.

Purpose and Approach

The purpose of the DEI&B Research,  Evaluation and Assessment line is to support a) leaders and teams with a holistic and transparent understanding of current climate and cultural conditions, and b) utilize evidence to inform strategic decisions moving forward.   This service line focuses on Descriptive Analytics (what is happening), Diagnostic Analytics (why did it happen), Predictive Analytics (what will happen) and Prescriptive Analytics (how can we make it happen).  The DEI&B Research service line draws on multiple methods as a way to collect and analyze organizational and or institutional data tied to a set of indices.

Building Trust and Inclusion

  • We ground our personal stories (when appropriate) with the audience we seek to engage.
  • We go to and work with the communities we seek to engage.
  • We honor and thank communities for their time, space, and openness (through verbal, through acknowledgements, incentives, and other culturally appropriate actions).
  • We adhere to culturally appropriate protocols (where appropriate).
  • We responsibly collect and store participant data.
  • We recognize communities are not montholiths (e.g. BIPOC) and we disaggregate when possible to provide a more accurate and nuanced understanding of data results.
  • We conduct a bias assessment of ourselves as researchers at the onset of each engagement.

Participatory Research

  • We engage those closest to the work throughout the design, outreach, and implementation of methods (where appropriate).
  • We incorporate feedback from those most impacted by our research.

Establishing Transparency

  • We are open about the purpose behind our research.
  • We are open about how the results of our research will be used by and form the community.
  • We center our research IN and WITH Community (this includes culturally appropriate settings).

Promoting Accessibility

  • We offer multiple platforms/modalities to gather information.
  • We offer services in multiple languages where appropriate.
  • We acknowledge the gift of peoples’ time and compensate them.
  • We consider transportation and technological challenges and design outreach plans that support participation.

Sample Data Collection Methods

  • Focus Groups and In-depth or Semi-Structured  Interviews
  • Policy Review
  • Observations
  • Document Analysis
  • Landscape Analysis
  • Survey Design and Deployment
  • Inferential Statistics and Analysis
  • Literature and Policy Review

Our Mission

Sova focuses on improving the quality and accelerating the pace of complex problem solving in the areas of higher education and workforce development.

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Our Services

Uniquely skilled in working side-by-side with higher education leaders to develop student success strategies, build will for change, engage critical stakeholders in collective problem-solving

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