MOBILITY ACTION TEAMS

What organizations should be part of the mobility action team?          
The network is open to teams of local leaders that have existing upward mobility and racial equity efforts or that will form a new effort in response to this solicitation. The mobility action team should include at least one leader from local government (e.g., city, county, tribal, or town) and one leader from a nongovernment organization. Nongovernmental partner organizations and leaders can include community-based organizations, philanthropy, collective-impact groups, academic institutions, private sector, and individual community members. Existing partnerships (e.g., anti-poverty coalitions, workforce development partnerships, anti-racism coalitions, data action groups, collective impact initiatives, etc.) are also welcome as long as they fit these composition criteria.

How many people/ organizations should be on a mobility action team?       
Ideally, a mobility action team will include 4–8 people from 3–5 organizations. The people and organizations on your team will depend on your locality’s capacity and the learn and share track you select. We welcome smaller or larger teams as long as they have a clear vision of how they will advance upward mobility and equity work.

From our last cohort, we found that the strongest teams included both high-level decisionmakers (e.g., department heads or project leads) who can identify, connect, and coordinate work across departments and organizations, as well as mid- and junior-level staff who have the time to work on the day-to-day tasks and activities of the share and learn track. The ideal composition of your team will depend on which learn and share track you plan to join. For example, if you would like to join the “Empowering Community Partners” track, it would be beneficial to have a team member who has experience conducting community engagement activities and has connections to community-based organizations in your community. All members of your team should participate in the track.

Does the mobility action team need to be a preexisting partnership?          
The network is open to both existing partnerships and local stakeholders coming together to form a new partnership for this opportunity, but preference will be given to teams with a track record of collaboration.

Do the organizations and people we name as part of the mobility action team need to be engaged throughout the entirety of the 12-month implementation period?          
The expectation is that core government and community partners will be engaged throughout the implementation period, from November 2023 to November 2024. However, Urban will only have a partnership agreement in place with the named lead organization. The named project coordinator will be the chief point of contact between Urban and the mobility action team. Should any members of the team change during that time, these changes should be communicated to Urban as soon as possible.

We represent a state agency or state nonprofit. Can we apply?      
The network is designed to support organizations working at the local level, and our Mobility Metrics are currently available only at the city and county levels. For state-level organizations to be eligible for this opportunity, they must select a specific locality within their state where they will focus their work, and prove in the application that they have the requisite relationships at the local level to conduct data gathering and analysis, stakeholder engagement, and community engagement to support improving outcomes for residents in that specific locality.

Can a mobility action team work with the same local government partner as another team?   
Different mobility action teams can identify the same local government agency as a partner. However, as we are looking to have a diverse cohort of teams for this opportunity, it is unlikely that several applications from one jurisdiction will be selected.

Is it critical to have elected leaders on the mobility action team?    
It may be valuable to have elected leaders, such as mayors, county commissioners, and city council members, on your team to endorse and sustain upward mobility and equity work, but it is not necessary. If you choose to have elected leaders on your team, we recommend you also have other nonelected government staff in case of electoral turnover. Teams should include members who have the time to advance the activities and steps recommended throughout the implementation period and beyond.

We participated in the previous Upward Mobility Cohort, can we apply with a different team of partners?      
County governments that participated in Urban’s 2021–2022 Upward Mobility Cohort are not eligible to apply as the lead organization. However, they are eligible to participate as a team member if the lead organization is a nongovernment agency.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT

Will Urban provide support solely from a virtual environment?          
The majority of the engagement will be virtual. Urban has significant experience conducting engaging and robust technical assistance and convenings in a virtual environment. On January 24 and 25, 2024, we will have an in-person learning exchange at our office in Washington, DC, and each team is encouraged to send two to three members to participate in the event.

What can mobility action teams expect to achieve by the end of 12 months?          
Throughout the implementation period, network members will receive trainings on the Upward Mobility Framework, advisory support calls, targeted training, tools, and peer-learning as part of a technical assistance learn and share track, as well as the opportunity to attend an all-network learning exchange.

Mobility action teams will leave the network with an increased capacity and understanding of how to surmount common obstacles in mobility action planning processes by using the resources featured in the Planning Guide for Local Action. Network members will also have a deeper understanding of the Mobility Metrics and how to use them alongside local data to understand their mobility challenge.

What is a local mobility challenge?    
To apply for this opportunity, mobility action teams must have a local mobility challenge they would like to solve. The challenge should involve two or more predictors in the Upward Mobility Framework. Following are examples of a local mobility challenge:

• We believe that disparities in college preparation is hindering the ability of young people in our community to increase their future incomes and achieve financial security.
• For our residents, access to health services can be a great barrier to achieving positive health. We believe this challenge is contributing to a lack of upward mobility and financial security, among other things.

How will this technical assistance opportunity align with our local mobility challenge?          
Mobility action teams will work toward applying their learnings to a local mobility challenge within learn and share tracks. Below is a brief overview of the overarching theme and goals of each track with a selection of sample activities.

What are the learn and share tracks and how does my team select one?          
The learn and share tracks are designed to provide skill-specific training and coaching to mobility action teams to support their upward mobility and equity work. Many of the challenges local leaders face cut across policy topics. For instance, in the Using Data for Decisionmaking track, teams will learn how to engage community members in data collection and sharing using participatory methods. To apply for this opportunity, teams must select one learn and share track. We encourage teams to assess the priorities for their local mobility challenge to determine the track with the skills focus that best suit their near- to medium-term needs. The teams also will have opportunities to share and connect with teams participating in the other tracks.

What if there is no learn and share track that aligns with the goals of my mobility action team?          
The four tracks are designed to build skills and capacity for mobility action teams to accelerate change within their community. These are fundamental tracks that have cross-cutting impact and can be tailored to many local mobility efforts.

The resources from the Upward Mobility Framework, such as the Planning Guide for Local Action, can also be used independently outside the technical assistance and peer-learning setting. These resources are available for free online.

Will the Mobility Action Learning Network be a recurring opportunity?  
We currently do not have plans to relaunch the network. However, we will continue to share resources with the public and may have similar opportunities in the future.

BOOSTING UPWARD MOBILITY

What is the Boosting Upward Mobility project, and where can I learn more?          
The Urban Institute’s Boosting Upward Mobility project is an effort to build evidence while providing guidance to select communities as they work to create the conditions that lift residents out of poverty and toward a pathway that advances their economic success, power and autonomy, and sense of being valued in their community.

What is the Upward Mobility Framework, and where can I learn more?          
The Urban Institute’s work to advance upward mobility is rooted in our Upward Mobility Framework. The framework identifies five pillars that support mobility from poverty and their predictors, which reflect performance. These pillars can be influenced by local leaders to help bolster the conditions that boost upward mobility and narrow racial inequities.

You can learn more about the framework on our website.

There are some terms that are new to me in the solicitation. Where can I find the definitions for these terms?          
You can find our working glossary of terms here. If there is a term that is not listed in the glossary, email [email protected].

MOBILITY METRICS

What are the Mobility Metrics, and where can I learn more?          
The Mobility Metrics are evidence-based predictors designed to help local leaders in every county and over 450 cities in the United States measure the status of and progress toward increasing upward mobility and equity. You can find your community’s Mobility Metrics here.

The Mobility Metrics do not exist for my city or community. Can I still participate in the network?          
Localities of any size are welcome to apply. However, our Mobility Metrics data are currently only available for cities with populations over 75,000 residents and counties of any size. Localities with populations under 75,000 should use county-level data coupled with any local data collected. Furthermore, this may be an opportunity to conduct community and stakeholder engagement to gather more information about local conditions.

Do applicants need to be familiar with the Mobility Metrics to apply?          
Not necessarily. The Mobility Metrics allow communities to understand and measure upward mobility over time and can be used in conjunction with other local data and evidence. Applicants may use local data to demonstrate capacity for evidence-based planning and action or to describe ongoing efforts. Doing so may be particularly useful when indicating where the Mobility Metrics data reflects or diverges from existing local data.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA

How will the application be evaluated?          
The selection will be determined based on a demonstration of commitment to upward mobility and racial equity, a track record of collaboration between government and community partners that are named as part of the mobility action team, and an identified local mobility challenge that cuts across various policy areas. In addition to these criteria, Urban seeks to build a diverse network of geography, size, capacity, and racial and ethnic composition.

How will an applicant’s commitment to upward mobility and racial equity be evaluated?          
Commitment will be evaluated based on the presence of existing frameworks, relationships, and infrastructure related to upward mobility and racial equity. This can be demonstrated in many ways, such as by describing existing projects and initiatives that strive to increase upward mobility and racial equity, established and positive impact of such programs, continued engagement with community partners working on these issues, and a clear understanding of how local mobility challenges may be influenced by systemic barriers and/or local history.

Can I start the application and return to where I left off at a later time?          
No. To ensure a smooth application process, please plan to submit all answers in one sitting. We recommend that you first draft responses, then cut and paste them into the Qualtrics form. To prepare answers offline, you can download the questions here. The questions and character limits for each response are listed in the application.

Will someone review a draft of our application before we submit it?          
No, Urban can answer questions as you work on your application but will not be able to review applications in advance of submission. Please feel free to email [email protected] with any questions or sign up via this Calendly link to meet with someone from our team.

Is there a deadline to ask questions regarding the solicitation?          
Questions may be submitted to [email protected] until Tuesday, September 2, 2023.