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Audit Committee hears scope and methods for city CIB study; consultant aims to report in February 2025
Summary
A consultant presenting to the Saint Paul Audit Committee outlined a CIB study focused on process, community engagement and equity, saying she will conduct interviews, mapping and data review and aims to deliver findings in February 2025, contingent on completing outreach and data requests.
The Saint Paul Audit Committee heard a consultant’s final scope of work for a Community Investment Board (CIB) study that will examine how the city’s capital-improvement application process operates and whether it serves community goals equitably.
Dr. Britt, the consultant leading the study, told the committee the work will probe three broad areas: the mechanics of the current CIB process (who is involved, application characteristics and the distribution of spending), community engagement (who sets goals and how accountability is shared among departments, district councils and other partners) and equity (how process design could focus funding more equitably and reduce perceptions of an insider-driven system). "We think about key informants as a broad set of voices," Dr. Britt said, describing interviews with former and current mayoral staff, city council members, Office of Financial Services (OFS) staff and applicants.
Methods will be largely qualitative: group conversations and one-on-one interviews with OFS staff (Dr. Britt named John McCarthy and his OFS teammates), interviews with past and current CIB committee members, discussions with applicants who did and did not receive funding, mapping and demographic analysis with Minnesota Compass staff, and a review of data from recent rounds of the process. Dr. Britt said the team has had early conversations and has scheduled interviews and mapping work; she added the consultants aim to return findings to the committee in February 2025 "conditioned on being able to move all of those pieces and parts forward."
Committee members asked for clarity about whom the team will interview. Miss Dilworth asked what was meant by "key informant," and Dr. Britt answered that the list includes former mayoral staff, council members, the named OFS contacts and a mix of experienced and newer CIB committee members. Dr. Britt also said OFS staff will help reach applicants for interviews.
Members asked that district councils be explicitly included. Chair Naker noted the West Seventh/Fort Road Federation had offered to provide input; Dr. Britt said she expected some district council participation but will ask OFS staff to ensure district councils are invited if they do not appear in the applicant pool.
The committee requested a midterm update on progress. Dr. Britt and staff agreed to follow up and to return to the committee with a status report; the consultant reiterated the February target for a deliverable, subject to completing interviews and receiving requested data.
The committee’s next meeting agenda will include Dr. Britt’s update on the CIB study in January, and staff said they will coordinate any midterm briefings needed before the final February submission.
