Center for Working Families

There will be a report out at this stage.

Round 7: Rapid Prototyping of 3 Business Led Centers

Scenario: Your assignment is to develop 3 different alternative models based on the concept of a "Business-led Center for Working Families."

Using the handout provided, choose a scenario (or develop your own) and build a rough draft business plan assuming your scenario will be implemented in a community with a profile similar to the Pittsburgh/NPUV neighborhoods of Atlanta. Take 30 minutes to develop the model.

Please consider the following questions as you develop your models:

What results (effect) do you want?
What's different about this model from other existing models?
What's the value proposition underlying the existence and operation of the Center?
What are the guiding principles for this 'Center'?
What services do you provide and to whom?
Develop several schematic drawings showing the layout of a Center and what activities take place in each area.
Keep a list of design issues / challenges that should be considered when designing a business led Center.
Create a generic timeline with key milestones and events for implementing a scenario like this.

After you have completed the first model, model another concept in the following 30 minutes, and a third concept in the last 30 minutes.

As you finish up, please prepare a summary chart that highlights the differences between the three concepts, their strengths, and weaknesses.

Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas. You will have 5 minutes to present your models.

Consider the following scenarios as possible starting blocks for a business-led Center for Working Families.

¤ A mall developer is planning to open a mega-mall on the outskirts of a town with an official unemployment rate of 2%. They have promised their retail tenants Ð restaurants, a movie theatre, clothing and specialty stores and the like Ð that they will help them find eligible workers. In order to do so and also to satisfy his altruistic intentions, the mall developer has announced to tenants and the town that it will make space available in the mall for job training, placement and worker support. Although the town has a very high employment rate, in some isolated neighborhoods the actual unemployment rate is quite high. While the Mayor has welcomed the developer to the town and has instructed the city's Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to assist them in opening a workforce center in the mall, the WIB is skeptical that retail jobs, often part-time, can really get anyone on a career track. The school system is willing to consider some collaborative effort for at-risk high school kids and those that have already dropped out. Transportation is a problem for many since the mall is located on the outskirts of town. Bus lines go to the mall but only from downtown making it difficult to access from the low-income neighborhoods.

¤ UPS has recently opened a large distribution facility at the edge of a poor neighborhood. UPS is having difficulty hiring for its mostly part-time jobs but is finding that residents are failing drug tests or are otherwise not qualified. The Center has extra space to accommodate some workforce development services but it is not easy to walk to. UPS has experience in designing job training services. They have a track record in some cities of working with other employers to match their part-time employees with other part-time work. They also have formal and informal relationships with many businesses in town. Some percentage of UPS employees can graduate to full-time, salaried positions with benefits but most will not. This leaves many people without health insurance. The community college has offered to create class schedules that will accommodate the work schedules of part-time employees.

¤ A large commercial bank is planning to shut down several branches and therefore must go through Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) hearings. The residents of one low-income neighborhood have a bank branch in their neighborhood that is not on the list to be closed. However, they intend to use this as an opportunity to negotiate with the bank to increase services. They have organized residents to attend the hearing. In exchange for closing certain branches, they are requesting that the bank branch in their neighborhood offer new services such as free checking, budgeting and management training, computer training, etc. The new CRA officer at the bank is eager to elevate the bank's CRA rating and is eager to find a way to satisfy the community.

¤ At the request of the community, a large supermarket has recently opened in a low-income community. The store is frequented by neighborhood residents; they generally have a lot of good will toward the market as it replaces expensive and inferior shops. The store managers have been inundated with applications for work by youth and adults. Hundreds of residents have put their names on the waiting list for a job interview. While the store managers may not want to spend slim profit margins on employment services, they wish they could do something for the hundreds of people looking for jobs and they realize that the more people are working, the better their business will be. Shoppers are also asking for a check cashing service and ATM to be located at the market. Additional childcare is needed. There is not a lot of extra space in the market itself but there is adjacent, develop-able land.

¤ A business association of light manufacturers is hearing from its members that they are having difficulty finding qualified entry-level workers. They have traditionally hired a mostly white, male labor force recruited through word of mouth between friends and family of current workers. But the current labor force is aging and their children are going to college and not seeking factory work. The factories offer well-paying jobs and the people who live closest would want to work there but they suspect they are discriminated against and many do not have the hard or soft skills that the factories require. Many factory managers are unaccustomed to hiring women with their accompanying childcare problems; they also worry about the tensions that might arise if they have a more diverse workforce including more women, Blacks and Hispanics. This industry association is interested in creating training programs for local residents to become qualified workers in the factories. They can benefit from certain government incentives to do so (e.g., through customized training funds from the WIB).

Round 7: Outside the Box

Assignment: Your group is responsible for developing at least 3 alternative models for the Center for Working Families.

Examples include:



Welcome Page Summary Participant List Video Clip Pre-Event Files	Walk About Introduction Center for Working Families in 2007 Vision & Obstacles Generic Models	Conversation Final Round Closure
Round 6 Assignments
Modeling the Specific Sites Scenario: Throughout the day today the site specific teams will focus on developing their own models. By the end of the day we anticipate that each site will have completed fairly detailed business plans covering topics including guiding principles, development process, identification of customers, a services mix, funding model, organization, strategy, and architectural concepts. To facilitate this work we suggest that the topics which need to be addressed be taken up in the following order: First Set: Underlying Principles and Concepts 90 Minutes What are the 3 key guiding principles and values of your Center? Which are the key aspects of your Center's operation can be designed in advance, and which must emerge through the interaction of the Center and the community? What is the process for assessing the feasibility your Center? What is the process for developing your Center from initial concept through opening the doors? How does the Center evolve? What is the value proposition underlying the existence and operation of the Center? Who are the key players and how are they going to work together? What are the 3 most significant obstacles that must be overcome? There will be a report out at this stage. Second Set: Operations Concepts 120 Minutes Who are your priority customers? What is the Center's service area? What are the 5 to 6 core services that the Center provides? What are the 5 to 6 core services that are provided on a referral basis by partners? What are going to be the most difficult services to get funding for? What are the 3 key outreach strategies tailored to the community? What are the 3 most important outcomes / overarching goals for the Center in years 1, 3, 5, and 10 of its operations? What is the scope of results that brings credibility in the community? What are the 3 most important indicators / results measures for the Center in years 1, 3, 5, and 10 of its operations? What is the Center's method of governance? What are the roles of the first 5 people that you hire? What is their expertise? Please prepare "Sources and Uses of Funds" pie charts. Please prepare architectural concepts. There will be a report out at this stage. Round 7: Rapid Prototyping of 3 Business Led Centers Scenario: Your assignment is to develop 3 different alternative models based on the concept of a "Business-led Center for Working Families." Using the handout provided, choose a scenario (or develop your own) and build a rough draft business plan assuming your scenario will be implemented in a community with a profile similar to the Pittsburgh/NPUV neighborhoods of Atlanta. Take 30 minutes to develop the model. Please consider the following questions as you develop your models: What results (effect) do you want? What's different about this model from other existing models? What's the value proposition underlying the existence and operation of the Center? What are the guiding principles for this 'Center'? What services do you provide and to whom? Develop several schematic drawings showing the layout of a Center and what activities take place in each area. Keep a list of design issues / challenges that should be considered when designing a business led Center. Create a generic timeline with key milestones and events for implementing a scenario like this. After you have completed the first model, model another concept in the following 30 minutes, and a third concept in the last 30 minutes. As you finish up, please prepare a summary chart that highlights the differences between the three concepts, their strengths, and weaknesses. Product: Please be prepared to share your work with the other groups. Use words, images, and diagrams to express your ideas. You will have 5 minutes to present your models. Business-Led Centers for Working Families Consider the following scenarios as possible starting blocks for a business-led Center for Working Families. ¤ A mall developer is planning to open a mega-mall on the outskirts of a town with an official unemployment rate of 2%. They have promised their retail tenants Ð restaurants, a movie theatre, clothing and specialty stores and the like Ð that they will help them find eligible workers. In order to do so and also to satisfy his altruistic intentions, the mall developer has announced to tenants and the town that it will make space available in the mall for job training, placement and worker support. Although the town has a very high employment rate, in some isolated neighborhoods the actual unemployment rate is quite high. While the Mayor has welcomed the developer to the town and has instructed the city's Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to assist them in opening a workforce center in the mall, the WIB is skeptical that retail jobs, often part-time, can really get anyone on a career track. The school system is willing to consider some collaborative effort for at-risk high school kids and those that have already dropped out. Transportation is a problem for many since the mall is located on the outskirts of town. Bus lines go to the mall but only from downtown making it difficult to access from the low-income neighborhoods. ¤ UPS has recently opened a large distribution facility at the edge of a poor neighborhood. UPS is having difficulty hiring for its mostly part-time jobs but is finding that residents are failing drug tests or are otherwise not qualified. The Center has extra space to accommodate some workforce development services but it is not easy to walk to. UPS has experience in designing job training services. They have a track record in some cities of working with other employers to match their part-time employees with other part-time work. They also have formal and informal relationships with many businesses in town. Some percentage of UPS employees can graduate to full-time, salaried positions with benefits but most will not. This leaves many people without health insurance. The community college has offered to create class schedules that will accommodate the work schedules of part-time employees. ¤ A large commercial bank is planning to shut down several branches and therefore must go through Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) hearings. The residents of one low-income neighborhood have a bank branch in their neighborhood that is not on the list to be closed. However, they intend to use this as an opportunity to negotiate with the bank to increase services. They have organized residents to attend the hearing. In exchange for closing certain branches, they are requesting that the bank branch in their neighborhood offer new services such as free checking, budgeting and management training, computer training, etc. The new CRA officer at the bank is eager to elevate the bank's CRA rating and is eager to find a way to satisfy the community. ¤ At the request of the community, a large supermarket has recently opened in a low-income community. The store is frequented by neighborhood residents; they generally have a lot of good will toward the market as it replaces expensive and inferior shops. The store managers have been inundated with applications for work by youth and adults. Hundreds of residents have put their names on the waiting list for a job interview. While the store managers may not want to spend slim profit margins on employment services, they wish they could do something for the hundreds of people looking for jobs and they realize that the more people are working, the better their business will be. Shoppers are also asking for a check cashing service and ATM to be located at the market. Additional childcare is needed. There is not a lot of extra space in the market itself but there is adjacent, develop-able land. ¤ A business association of light manufacturers is hearing from its members that they are having difficulty finding qualified entry-level workers. They have traditionally hired a mostly white, male labor force recruited through word of mouth between friends and family of current workers. But the current labor force is aging and their children are going to college and not seeking factory work. The factories offer well-paying jobs and the people who live closest would want to work there but they suspect they are discriminated against and many do not have the hard or soft skills that the factories require. Many factory managers are unaccustomed to hiring women with their accompanying childcare problems; they also worry about the tensions that might arise if they have a more diverse workforce including more women, Blacks and Hispanics. This industry association is interested in creating training programs for local residents to become qualified workers in the factories. They can benefit from certain government incentives to do so (e.g., through customized training funds from the WIB). Round 7: Outside the Box Assignment: Your group is responsible for developing at least 3 alternative models for the Center for Working Families. Examples include: Franchise Call Center Advocacy Mobile For each of your three alternatives please do a very rough draft of a business plan for each. What results (effect) do you want? What's different about this model from other existing models? What's the value proposition? What are the guiding principles for this 'Center'? How can a "Center" operate on a city-wide basis, while still maintaining intimacy? What services do you provide and to whom? Develop several schematic drawings showing the layout of a Center and what activities take place in each area. Keep a list of design issues / challenges that should be considered when designing a business led Center. Create a generic timeline with key milestones and events for implementing a scenario like this. Take the next 90 minutes to brainstorm with your group and develop your models (approximately 30 minutes per model). Use the white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past year. Product: You will have 5 minutes to present your models.
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