Oakland Food Policy Council

What is the expected time committment for council members?

Council members are expected to attend four to six (4-6) meetings during a full OFPC year, with each meeting lasting approximately two (2) hours. In addition, council members are expected to join a smaller workgroup, which will meet an average of once per month, as arranged by the workgroup. Workgroup meetings will likely last two (2) hours, and council members are expected to attend 80% of their chosen workgroup's meetings. Finally, council members will commit to some independent work in between meetings.

How will the OFPC and allied groups achieve the outcomes called for in the OFPC's mission and goals?

Policy work is just one aspect of the task of transforming the Oakland food system. The OFPC has a mandate to work exclusively on policy, but policy can not get far without implementation. Given this, the OFPC will need to be aware of which agencies, businesses, organizations and individuals need to be involved in passing, and then implementing, policy. During the policy advocacy stage, we will need a strong, and vocal movement backing us up. Once policy is passed, we will work with the participating groups to develop a feasible and funded implementation plan, while holding them accountable if the policy is not implemented.

Where will the Council meet?

Meeting locations will probably vary, though we will always try to select centrally located sites near public transit. We will work with our partners such as the City of Oakland, Kaiser Permanente (who graciously provided space for this recruitment meeting free of charge), and the Alameda County Public Health Department to see if space is available in any of their facilities. Once the council is seated, we will ask OFPC members who might have access to conference rooms through their own organizations to explore possible meeting locations for the council.

What voting and decision-making processes will the OFPC use?

This will be left to the council to decide once seated. The Coordinator will research and make information about different decision-making processes available, but selection of a particular process must be made by the council itself. Early meetings of the council will likely be facilitated by an outside professional with experience guiding "multi-stakeholder processes," especially those that involve ensuring an equal balance of power between all participants. Some OFPC members will likely come from backgrounds that make them feel comfortable speaking their minds, while others may need to build their confidence to feel they have an equal voice.

Who will choose the 21 people to be seated on the council?

The 21 person council will be selected by a Development Committee. The Development Committee is comprised of representatives from each of the "working communities" that will be represented on the council: the business community; the labor community; community organizations and private citizens; rural and regional businesses and organizations; health and education organizations; and local government. Some members of the Development Committee are long time advisors to the OFPC, and have been involved with the council's formation from its inception. Others bring needed expertise that helps fill holes in our ongoing conversation about what a food policy council in Oakland might look like.

Are there still openings on the Development Committee, and if so, how does one get selected?

The Development Committee is now full.

Are there other avenues for involvement and input other than council membership?

Yes! The OFPC plans to solicit input from the community on an ongoing basis (see below). Many OFPC meetings will be open to the public, and once the OFPC is seated, we will need everyone's support - all community members, businesses, and organizations - to build the momentum needed to transform policy recommendations into enacted (and implemented) policy. "Support" could include speaking at city council meetings, visiting elected officials, writing letters, educating other Oaklanders, and much more. We hope to develop an extensive "Friends of the OFPC" network.

What are the existing ideas for community outreach and incorporating community input?

Once the newly seated council has the opportunity to review all research compiled to date, we plan to hold a series of listening sessions throughout Oakland to gather more input from the community about the direction the OFPC should take. In addition, the OFPC website will be expanded to include a comment form enabling community members to send their thoughts, ideas, needs, questions, and priorities to the OFPC at any time. We will likely issue web-based surveys with content similar to the in-person listening sessions. Finally, the OFPC Coordinator will be available by telephone and email for any additional input.

Will council members be compensated for their work?

Members will serve on a volunteer basis. We are currently exploring funding possibilities for modest stipends for members who could not otherwise afford to participate. More information will be available in the future if this possibility works out.