This month, we shared our recipe for metrics success at the NYCETC Coalition Café and released a new blog post on human-centered design. On top of that, our recent engagement with Center for Youth Employment gave us a chance to dive deep into understanding youth employment opportunities. And lastly, be sure to check-out what we’re reading – here’s a hint: subways, NYC surfing, and census data.

Don’t abandon your go-to facilitation methods – freshen them up.

Human-centered design is a popular facilitation method for its “people-focused” orientation, iterative processes, dynamic activities, and of course – the sticky notes! But did you know that you can yield the same results with your go-to facilitation tactics? In a recent PublicWorksIQ entry, Public Works Analyst Mary Kathryn Fisher outlined 3 simple steps for turning ordinary facilitation and brainstorming methods to drive the same results as design ones. We believe that human-centered design is necessary to ensure our work uniquely fits each client we work with, and this is our way of thoroughly understanding the task at hand and developing a collaborative solution.

Our recipe for metrics success is just like your momma’s cookin’
Public Works CEO Celeste Frye and Manager Doneliza Joaquin talked about performance management strategies for workforce programs at NYC Employment & Training Coalition’s Coalition Café. Joined by Basil Reyes, Director of Evaluation and Research at Cypress Hills LDC, we shared real-life case studies of using metrics for effective service design, best practices to cultivate employer relationships and set clients up for success, and how to tell the story of your organization’s impact to funders. For a more in-depth read on performance management, you can read a previous blog post found here.

What We’re Reading
Celeste: Why New York City Stopped Building Subways
This article weaves through history to explain why NYC stopped building subways after the 1940s. The writer walks us through the rise of the automobile, ongoing internal and external conflicts within governments, and the high costs of a backlogged maintenance list. The writer makes it fairly clear that it will be some time before any completely new subway lines are built.

Doneliza: Mapping the Threat of a Census Disaster in 2020
Already grappling with concerns about funding for the upcoming census count, there is now more anxiety surrounding the proposal to add a question about citizenship. There is fear that this question might deter certain populations from responding and lead to undercounting of populations – which has implications for congressional representation and federal funding.

Moe: When Surfing Rockaway, It’s Watch Out or Wipeout
There has been a boom in the surfing scene at Rockaway Beach. Besides exploring this wave (no pun intended), this article explores how this resulted in more development of the neighborhood but also tensions between surfers and locals.

We’re still open to receiving applications to join our team!
Currently, we are searching for Senior Manager to join our growing team. If you are a good fit or you know a friend who might be – please send us a note! You can find more details on the positions here.

Subway Photo by Martin Ceralde on Unsplash