Dane County LTE Intern

We are hiring for three (3) LTE Intern positions focused on three (3) different areas:

1. LTE Innovation Intern – Social Media Inclusive Engagement in Local Government Project
2. LTE Innovation Intern – SMART Fund Sustainability Project
3. The LTE Innovation Intern – Oral History Project

NOTE: These three (3) internships will begin October 2019 and conclude by the end of December 2019.

DEFINITION
The Office of the Dane County Board of Supervisors is providing internship opportunities to higher education students or recent graduates interested in public policy research and development. The Dane County Board of Supervisors is the 37-member elected legislative body for the County of Dane. Its officers, elected by the Board for two-year terms, include a Chair, two vice-chairs, and two sergeants-at-arms. The County Board Chair has overall responsibility for coordinating the activities of the Board. Day-to-day management of the Board’s activities is carried out through the Office of the County Board.

These positions will assist the Office of the County Board in the research and development of innovative policy initiatives on a specific topic. Activities include: best practice research, interviews with key stakeholders and local experts, development of a white paper and a power point presentation of the paper to the Executive Committee of the County Board in early December. Additionally, interns will develop an issue brief for County Board members to use. A template of the final white paper will be provided and will guide the project.

Expectations include meeting approximately weekly with key County Board Office staff and a County Board member designated to help oversee the work. An initial meeting will be used to create a week-by-week work plan.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
LTE Innovation Intern – Social Media Inclusive Engagement in Local Government Project: Purpose is to research and develop recommendations and a draft plan for the use of social media for inclusive engagement in local government, with a focus on the legislative body of local governments – such as county boards or city, village, or town councils. The intern will identify best practices, examples of communities who effectively use social media, as well as costs and staffing requirements. The intern’s main duties will be: (1) Review the Engage Dane materials for context. (2) Interview UW-Extension staff regarding best practices; review literature to identify leading communities and interview staff in those communities. (3) Organize and analyze the information from research. (4) In consultation with County Board Office staff, develop a draft plan for inclusive engagement using social media for the County Board Office. (5) Create a draft and final product(s) presenting the information.

LTE Innovation Intern – SMART Fund Sustainability Project: This project is intended to gather information and report on the 2012-2019 actual outcomes for the 84 Sustainable Management and Renewable Technologies (SMART) Fund capital projects awarded to Dane County departments. The Sustainability Sub-committee of the Public Works and Transportation Committee (a standing committee of the Dane County Board of Supervisors) is responsible for distributing grants to county departments from a SMART Fund in the county’s capital budget. This fund helps advance Dane County government’s sustainability goals. The intern’s main duties will be: (1) Review the list of SMART Fund projects awarded to departments between 2012 and 2019 and the project proposal descriptions and any projected outcomes for context. (2) Develop a questionnaire to gather information from departments on outcomes relevant to the individual projects. (3) In consultation with County Board Office staff, develop a plan for efficient and coordinated communication with the departments involved (e.g., consolidate information requests for the complete group of projects awarded to any particular department). (4) Schedule interview times with department contacts. (5) Organize and analyze the information from the questionnaire. (6) Create a draft and final product(s) presenting the information. (7) In addition to the SMART fund projects, the county has also made considerable investment in other sustainable operations projects. In order to place the SMART Fund projects in context, the intern will review initiatives included in the 2012-2019 annual operating and capital budgets and gather expense data on overall energy usage over that time period.

The LTE Innovation Intern – Oral History Project: Individuals who have first served on the Dane County Board of Supervisors go on to serve in the Wisconsin Legislature, as Wisconsin cabinet secretaries, in Congress and in the Senate. The leadership skills and familiarity with policy developed on the local level has been a launching pad for higher office.  Additionally, members of the County Board who have served as County Board Chair hold important perspectives on how to move policy and programs forward. The purpose of this project is to complete an oral history project with the individuals who have served as Dane County Board Chair, as well as with those who have been elected to higher office or have gone on to serve as secretaries of state agencies. The goal is to capture the history of the County Board, particularly as an incubator of future leaders. The intern’s main duties will be: (1) Compile a list of all living County Board members who have served a County Board Chair or have gone on to higher office. (2) Interview the individuals on the list, using an interview protocol developed as part of the project team, with attention to major issues before the County Board during their service. (3) Complete a literature review of key oral history attributes, and of the impact of local government service as it relates to future higher office to include as context. (4) Organize and analyze the information from research. (5) Collect current and past photos and possibly headlines to augment the report. (6) Create a draft and final product(s) presenting the information.

Special Requirements:
The internships will begin the first week of October 2019 and be completed by mid-December 2019.

Background Check Statement: Some positions may require a criminal background check which can include fingerprinting due to the nature of the job’s responsibilities. Wisconsin’s Fair Employment Law, s. 111.31 – 111.395, Wis. Stats., prohibits discrimination because of an arrest or conviction record. However, Dane County may disqualify an applicant if the position’s responsibilities are substantially related to the applicant’s criminal history (e.g., the nature of the crime and its relationship to the position, whether hiring, transferring or promoting an applicant would pose an unreasonable risk to the business, its employees, customers and vendors, etc.) Management reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Physical and Environmental Work Requirements:
Part-time work that is mostly sedentary. Occasionally have to lift items weighing between 10-25 lbs.