WIJO Institutional Audit
Making lasting changes for a better future
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Improving DEI in Your Organization:
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WIJO helps you to achieve goals of growth, quality, profit, value, and overall mission fulfillment by offering sustainable pathways to create a more inclusive atmosphere in your jazz institution.
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How do we conduct the WIJO Institutional Audit?
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Members of our Leadership Team have a vast knowledge of and experience with providing internal and external audits in jazz institutions globally. We are committed to offering objective evaluations, feedback, and pathways forward.
What exactly is the WIJO Institutional Audit?
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Here is our step-by-step Audit process:
- 1. Goal-Setting: We work together to create and document concrete goals for your future. We uncover and define your institutional values (current and aspirational), to help guide the decision-making process with clear and deliberate priorities and attainable goals for the future.
- 2. Assessment: Taking stock of the past & present - WIJO assesses from an outside perspective with no personal stakes, to provide an objective point of view on the current state of affairs regarding DEI in your institution. We work to assess and present found strengths and weaknesses, inherent biases, possible blind spots, and patterns of process.
- Intake: Methods include surveys, observations, interviews, group discussions, meetings, curriculum/programming/material review, hosting & attending events.
- Cultural Intake Process*: getting a feel for the social, academic, professional, etc. climate in your institution. Evaluate satisfaction amongst stakeholders/community.
- Structural Intake Process*: Take an inventory of past & existing structures, programs, and methods.
- *Cultural and Structural Intakes are overlapping, but distinct
- Outcome: We define and formalize the findings from our Intake into clear methods of understanding.
- 3. Consultation: WIJO creates and proposes a plan offering various pathways to a more inclusive environment. We outline concrete steps, with short- and long-term action steps to take. Guidance and support is given on how to actually execute the proposed plan. Options are provided for various approaches or “pathways” to success.
- 4. Action: You execute the plan! We support your institution with possible ways to “improvise” and adapt in the anticipated case of setbacks, challenges, or surprises along your journey. You’re not alone in this work!
FAQ’s:
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- -What is the goal of the WIJO Audit? Setting institutions up to establish and work towards their own well-informed goals regarding inclusivity
- -Who does this apply to? WIJO Audits address all spaces where jazz lives, including your school jazz program, community arts organization, non-profit, charitable foundation, summer camp, record label, media publication/outlet, radio station, merchandise company, collective teaching studio, individual artist practice, and beyond
- -Why should I prioritize improving DEI? We help to define DEI in terms of your “institution”, so you can understand why improving DEI will help you achieve your unique goals
- -How can we actually address DEI in today’s climate? We do our audits within the framework of your unique situation; with sensitivity and attunement to our current political and environmental/cultural landscape
- -Can you give an example of a WIJO Institutional Audit? WIJO helps a jazz pedagogy class to design a “WIJO-approved” curriculum -or reform an existing curriculum- to de-colonize it from the white-hetero-masculine normative systemic approach; offering a less binary and more inclusive lens through which to teach and study jazz.
- -Have you done this before? Yes, members of the WIJO Leadership Team have a vast knowledge of and experience with providing internal and external audits in jazz institutions globally.
- -Who will conduct the WIJO Audit? WIJO audits are provided by members of our Leadership Team, and determined on a case-by-case basis. We work together to decide who will be the best fit for your institution.
- -How long does a WIJO Audit take? The timeline will vary drastically based on your set goals, your institution size, your past experience with DEI, and more. We will work together to determine a goal timeline before we start the audit process for your initial Audit, but this work is ongoing, and can also be entered on an open-ended or cyclical agreement.
- -How much does a WIJO Audit cost? The budget will vary drastically based on your set goals, your institution size, your past experience with DEI, and more. WIJO will provide you with a quote after we conduct a brief consultation and work together to determine a mutually agreeable fee structure before we start the audit process.
NEXT STEPS:
More Questions? Want to find out if a WIJO Audit is a good fit for you?
We are happy to set up a free consultation meeting to discuss your unique situation, and determine if a WIJO Audit might help you to achieve a more inclusive atmosphere in your jazz institution.