From Episodic Training to Systemic Transformation

By Dr. Kathleen Yang-Clayton, Founder and Executive Director, C3E in Local Government

So, where do we go from here?

If you’ve already invested in bias or DEI training, that’s a good first step. But ask yourself: what systems are your employees returning to after the training ends? Are those systems reinforcing what they learned — or eroding it?

REDI offers a roadmap for that next step. Its three pillars — Organizational Learning, Collaborative Solutions, and Systemic Transformation — help agencies institutionalize equity rather than outsource it to a single department or consultant.

• Organizational Learning builds muscle for continuous improvement.
• Collaborative Solutions engage employees and communities in co-designing better systems.
• Systemic Transformation ensures new policies and processes make equity durable, not temporary.

A Preview of What’s Next

Over the coming months, my colleagues and I will be sharing a short series of posts unpacking how the REDI model works in practice. We’ll feature lessons from our municipal partners — from Peoria’s workflow modernization pilots to DuPage County’s equity-driven leadership labs. Each story shows what happens when equity moves from concept to competency, from individual reflection to institutional redesign.

If your organization has been wondering why awareness alone hasn’t solved your internal challenges, stay tuned. The issue isn’t that your people aren’t learning — it’s that your systems aren’t yet learning with them.

And that’s the kind of change C3E helps make possible.