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City of San Leandro City Council Meeting Date: November 21, 2022 Agenda Number: 13.b. Agenda Section: ACTION ITEMS File Number: 22-601 File Type: Staff Report Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Vice Genderless Widget Software (Q) in an amount not to exceed $135,125 COUNCIL PRIORITY ·Public Safety ·Race and Equity Initiatives SUMMARY Staff seeks Council authorization to enter into an agreement with Vice to use their genderless widget software (Q) in the recorded audio response portion of the sergeant promotional process to remove implicit bias. Q is a combination of male and female voices where the listener cannot discern the gender of the speaker. Research indicates an applicant’s name, appearance, and voice can unconsciously influence how a rater scores them. Q will convert each applicant’s answer into a genderless recording to be graded by raters who will never see the applicants. RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the City Council approve an agreement with Virtue for $135,125 to leverage Q in the audio response portion of the Department’s sergeant promotional process. Using Q, in addition to deliberate steps to increase fairness, will enable the Department to facilitate a more objectively fair promotional process by removing potential rater bias . Staff also recommends City Council make a sole source finding under Cal. Public Contract Code section 3400(c)(1) and San Leandro Municipal Code section 1-6-315 in order that a field test be made to determine suitability for future use and to match other products in use. BACKGROUND One of the City’s and SLPD’s top priorities is increasing the number of women in the Police Department to 30% by 2030. Additionally, staff wants women leaders represented at all leadership levels in the Department. In its history, internal promotions have yielded two women sergeants. A myriad of factors could have contributed such as; motivation, experience, qualifications, performance in the process, etc., but staff cannot ignore gender as a possibility. It is the Department’s goal to take thoughtful action to reduce or eliminate potential bias in its approaches. Staff began exploring ways to mitigate or remove potential bias in the promotional process. The Page 1 City of San Leandro Printed on 11/17/2022