Community Outreach
We are a leader in crafting innovative, effective community outreach efforts that both inform the public and gather valuable input about community issues, needs, and expectations. Effective communication with community residents and businesses is an essential element for successful projects and programs. We organize and carry out successful planning programs through extensive outreach to and input from a broad cross-section of residents, businesses, community organizations, and other stakeholders. Our outreach program achieve three primary objectives:
- An inclusive process: engage as many members of the community as possible.
- An instructive program: educate citizens and decision-makers on the process, issues, options, and solutions.
- A validating experience: ensure citizens and decision-makers are heard and see their voice is making a difference.
Planning for the future of a community or a neighborhood is often marked with contentious debate and conflict over seemingly irresolvable differences of opinion. With 25 years of experience, we have helped resolve a wide range of contentious and charged issues in communities. We work with local governments, community stakeholders, interest groups, and elected official to resolve conflicts through collaboration. We help a community move through difficult issues with a variety of tools and techniques including: consensus building workshops, mediated forums, and interest-based negotiation.
We specialize in conducting innovative, community outreach programs. We offer a full range of services necessary to carry out a successful meetings and workshops, from presenting information, to conducting interactive exercises, to gathering useful feedback.
Advisory Committees and Focus Groups
We organize and facilitate technical and community advisory groups and form topical focus groups to help guide the planning process.
Workshops, Town Hall Forums, and Charrettes
We plan, structure, and carry our innovative and inclusive community workshops, townhall forums, and charrettes that educate communities, generate useable input, and put community members “fingerprints” on the process. For each workshop or meeting we create and give instructive presentations to educate participants. We design and facilitate validating exercises to gather feedback.
Community Event Information Booths
We develop and staff informational booths for community events to “take the project to the people.” Booths or “traveling roadshows” display project information and exhibits and allow community members to provide input in the process. This method can also take the form of a storefront kiosk, that can be staffed or set-up to allow passing residents to “window shop” the project exhibits.
Community Connectors and Contacts
We work with organizations and individuals who are leaders in their communities to build support for the program and generate additional contacts for and participants in the planning process.
Project Branding
We generate unique branding and publicity approaches to projects to distinguish them under a common, recognizable theme and ensure the effort is in the minds of the community as a household name.
Websites and Social Networking Sites
We design and manage project specific websites that provide key project information, meeting updates, project documents, and interactive input forms. In conjunction with a project website, we create and manage social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Google+) that keep community members informed and involved in the process.
Newsletters and e-Blasts
We design and prepare newsletters and e-Blasts that summarize key project deliverables and project processes, advertise project meetings, and solicit input from community members.
Community Surveys and Polling
We create focused survey instruments to poll and solicit feedback from community members on topical issues and options for the project. Surveys are conducted in person, through newsletters or other materials, or via the project website or other internet-based system.
Meeting and Document Translation
We work with community organizations and private firms to ensure that all segments of a community can participate and understand the project. We work with trained translators in public meeting situations and to translate key project materials.
Recent Projects
