Introduction to CASA ( C ontacts A nd S elf- A ssessment )

1. Introduction to CASA(ContactsAndSelf-Assessment) ANR Affirmative Action Unit

2. Topics & Outcomes Participants will have an understanding of . . . • What is Affirmative Action? • What is CASA? • CASA Nuts & Bolts  Why do we collect racial data?  What is All Reasonable Effort?  What is parity of participation? 4H/NFCS Programs and CASA What is Program Compliance?

3. Overview of Affirmative Action • First established by the federal government in1965 through an executive order signed by President Lyndon Johnson • Designed to eliminate the present effects of past discrimination, such as the under-representation of minorities and women; and, in addition, to encourage the employment of veterans and persons with disabilities. • Valuing inclusion and diversity to guide educational programming for our clientele. • Implement the ANR Core Values as an expressionof support for the goals of Affirmative Action.

4. What is CASA? Ultimately, CASA is to be documentation that ANR executes its CE mission with equality. . .that the “quantity and quality of benefits and services” is the same for both people of color and whites. The following USDA requirement receives its scope, in part, from Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7: Agriculture, Subtitle A: Office of the Secretary of Agriculture, Part 15A “Each agency that administers programs subject to 7 CFR 15, Subpart A or B, will develop a system for establishing base data that identifies eligible populations and measures delivery of program benefits in order that the quantity and quality of benefits and services delivered to minority individuals can be documented and compared to benefits delivered to nonminority individuals . . .”

5. CASA Nuts & Bolts

6. Why Do We Have to Collect Racial Data? • California courts have held that use of racial data to monitor for non-discrimination does NOT violate Proposition 209 (which doesn’t apply to us anyway). • In order to comply with the USDA requirement that the “. . . quantity and quality of benefits and services delivered to minority individuals can be documented and compared to benefits delivered to nonminority individuals . . .”

7. Why Do We Report Contacts? • Compliance with Federal and State Civil Rights Laws • Promote nondiscrimination and the valuing of differences among clientele • To move toward program compliance What is Program Compliance? Program Compliance or compliance with federal requirements is achievedwhen 1) clientele contacts are in “Parity”; but if parity is not achieved, then 2) through establishing All Reasonable Effort (more on this later).

8. What is Parity? Parity or ‘parity of participation’ is defined by the USDA as when the percentage of each minority group making up your actual contacts comes to within 20% of their percentage in the baseline. For example, if Hispanics make up 10% of your potential or baseline, then Hispanics should make up at least 8% of your actual contacts in order for your program to be in parity for Hispanics. What is All Reasonable Effort? All Reasonable Effort (ARE) is the utilization of specific outreach methods in order to expand access and move toward or maintain parity of participation. (More on this later.)

9. Your AA Responsibilities… Establishing Your Baseline • Learn about the demographics of your county by viewing US Census, Ag Census, Ag Commissioners Report, CBEDS, local data, and local knowledge • Define potential audience for each program • Ask who are those individuals who would be interested in or benefit from your educational program • Work with partners and stakeholders who represent and serve those protected classes • Where they live and work • Their values and beliefs • Their cultures.

10. Your AA Responsibilities • All reasonable efforts to reach individuals who are representative of the cultures and ethnicities, genders and age of your county/area • Move from ARE toward parity in program participation • Partner with groups, agencies and organizations to reach protected audiences you want to reach • Include people from protected or underrepresented groups on program planning committees or groups or survey lists • Keep mailing and e-mail lists • Make personal contacts from protected or underrepresented groups • Conduct meetings/trainings in facilities welcoming and accessible.

11. CASA Nuts & Bolts #1: Creating Your Potential or Baseline Program Area  Comments Type   A potential clientele group that is an Organization type would be, for instance, a governmental, NGO, or professional agency concerned with your program area. By definition, Organizations do NOT have gender or ethnicity; therefore you will not have to find the ethnic makeup of the organization’s members. A clientele group that is an Individual or Family type must have a source of its gender & ethnic makeup and this source is recorded in the Source column. (A “Family” type clientele group has ethnicity but no gender.) If you have strong personal knowledge that the demographic data from your source is not accurate, you may adjust the data; however, you must state in the Comments section that you are adjusting the data and why you are doing so (i.e. “from personal observations”; etc.). Sample table from 2006-2007 FY

12. CASA Nuts & Bolts #2: Assign Yourself Clientele Group(s) CASA Notes & Bolts #1: Creating Your Potential or Baseline Your name  Test_User1 Test_User2 Test_User2 Test_User2 Test_User2 Test_User3 Test_User4 Test_User5

13. CASA Nuts & Bolts #3: Reporting Clientele Contacts Advisor’s Name  One Advisor  In order for an ethnic/racial group to be “in parity” your percentage of actual contacts MUST match or be greater than the TOP line of percentages in the “Parity Range” row (see red arrowed row to the left) for that particular ethnic/racial group. In the example above, we see that Asian’s actual percentage (i.e. the percentage of actual contacts) is 5.42% -- this is higher than the 1.35% (the top percentage in the Parity Range row for Asian) and therefore this clientele group is “in parity” for Asians. The “Parity Range” is based on the “Potential Percentage” row (just above the “Parity Range” and the “Parity Range” represents a range or window which is 20% above the potential (bottom row)and 20% below the potential (the top line of the Parity Range). Any percentage within or above this range is said to be in parity.  Another Advisor

14. CASA Nuts & Bolts #4: Reporting Outreach Methods  Comments!   (More on This Later) In the above example, notice the shaded row “Totals – Test_User”. If is divided into two rows; the top row records the number of times the advisor or program rep used the outreach methods listed in the top row where the two horizontal black arrows are pointing (i.e. Mass Media / Newsletters / Personal Letters, etc.). You will notice that Test_User did NOT use ANY of the first four outreach methods. Because they did NOT use at least 3 of those first four outreach methods (i.e. Mass Media / Newsletters / Personal Letters / Personal Contacts), they did NOT establish All Reasonable Effort (ARE). If your program’s clientele contacts are NOT in parity and your outreach methods do NOT establish ARE, then your program will be found to be in non-compliance. More on this in a later slide.

15. 4-H & NFCS Programs andC A S A • 4-H Advisors are NOT required to enter club or group Youth enrollments as contacts in CASA. • NFCS Advisors in UC CalFresh or EFNEP who have been entering adult and/or youth participants as contacts in CASA (and are comfortable with their baseline data) may continue to enter their contacts into CASA.

16. 4-H & NFCS Programs&CASA(cont.) • NFCS Advisors in UC CalFresh or EFNEP who are not comfortable with their baseline data or a new advisor who has not determined a baseline are NOT required to enter contacts into CASA. The State YFC Office and ANR AA will take your participation data, establish a standardized baseline and determine the compliance status of your program for you. Your county will be notified concerning the compliance status of your program. • The long term goal is to establish consistent baselines between education programs working with families, adults, and youth. This process will take a few webinars discussions and examination of the different baseline sources. • All other NFCS programs DO require their contact numbers to be entered into CASA. • All 4-H Advisors and NFCS Advisors are required to enter their Outreach into CASA.

17. 4-H & NFCS Programs&CASA(cont.) (again) Program Representatives • Program Representatives in CalFresh or EFNEP who do not have a NFCS Advisor supervising the program in their county/area should consult with their County/ Area Director. CE program activity needs to be recorded in CASA. At the discretion of the County/Area Director, the Program Representative can be provided CASA access to enter their programmatic activity into CASA – either that or some other advisor with CASA access will need to enter the programmatic activity into CASA for them. • Whoever enters the CalFresh or EFNEP data into CASA, they are not required to enter the contact data into CASA if . . . The Program Representative responsible for the program is not comfortable with the existing baseline data, or . . . No baseline data has yet been established. • The State YFC Office and ANR AA will take your participation data, establish a standardized baseline and determine the compliance status of your program for you.

18. 4-H & NFCS Programs&CASA(cont.) (again)  Program Representatives • Program Representatives in all other NFCS programs are required to enter their contact numbers into CASA (or have someone else with CASA access enter them for them). • No matter what the program, all Outreach is required to be entered into CASA.

19. IPM Advisors andC A S A All IPM Advisors will report contacts and outreachinto CASA.

20. What is Outreach?Why Do We Do It? • Outreach is the things you do to encourage people to participate in your program. It is not synonymous with program delivery methods. • Outreach can be targeted to reach underserved clientele in order to expand access. • Promote nondiscrimination and the valuing of differences among clientele. • To promote the widest adoption of best practices to the widest possible audience.

21. 4.  3.    2.  1. In this example NONE of the first four methods were used. ARE is NOT established here.   Totals of Individual methods What is All Reasonable Effort? Utilizing 3 of the first 4 outreach methods.

22. Evaluation • County Director/MCP Director annually complete the CASA County/MCP Director report in CASA. • Measurable Goals: establish measurable goals such as moving toward full parity in your program. • AA Unit annually reviews CASA reports and monitors progress toward compliance/parity. Also, supplies compliance status of programs of advisors up for Merit/ Promotion to Executive Director of Academic Personnel. • Advisors should be comfortable defending their choice of clientele group(s) and the source of their baseline data should there be a federal audit.

23. The End Almost.

24. TESTTIME! Were YOU Paying Attention? What is Parity? What is All Reasonable Effort? How is compliance achieved? IPM Advisors will report contacts into CASA. True or False?? What is Outreach?

25. Questions?

26. Linda MantonLMMANTON@ucanr.edu David Whitedewhite@ucanr.edu