Practice Areas

There is no “one-size-fits-all” to our approach. We collaborate with partners to craft better processes. We create new tools if they don’t exist. We don’t call this innovative—we call it a genuine, personal and effective engagement approach.

We offer a full suite of services and proprietary tools that can be tailored to each unique project and community, allowing us to create the best process—every time. We creatively solve for project needs, bringing our understanding of context and a commitment to understanding unique communities and how to best engage them. We recognize when to adapt course to better address changing circumstances. Often, this leads to ideas and solutions no one imagined at the start.

Virtual communications have become increasingly essential, and so has reaching those affected by the digital divide.

A focus on engaging diverse communities is more important than ever. We’re coming up with solutions to help clients navigate the new normal, leading the change we want to see.

Custom public engagement, centered on communities

  • Customized engagement strategies and effective decision-making processes that help your project succeed.

    We actively help agencies strategize effective engagement, anticipate and navigate challenges, work together, and uphold commitments to the public.

  • A solid foundation for your project supported by early conversations, research and thematic reports directly related to decision-making.

    This might include stakeholder interviews, small group discussions in multiple languages, online surveys or informal intercept surveys. It always includes insightful and useful summaries.

  • Expert, neutral facilitators craft and lead your meetings so you can focus on the discussion.

    We facilitate advisory committees, blue ribbon panels and policy groups, sounding boards, and other groups to allow various viewpoints to engage in dialogue, discuss trade-offs, and seek common ground on complex public issues. We facilitate and co-facilitate multilingual meetings and public workshops. We design agendas for effective meetings for our clients and the participants. We offer graphic recording and meeting documentation.

  • Piquing interest and inspiring involvement through thoughtful communications programs.

    Our project staff specialize in developing comprehensive communication plans, including key messages, talking points, templates, visual resources and implementation strategies—all rooted in engagement best practices.

  • Dynamic, engaging online venues that allow community members to participate from anywhere.

    This includes custom online open houses, social media campaigns, online surveys, e-newsletters, websites, interactive storytelling, map-based feedback tools, among many others and those yet to be imagined. See some of JLA’s online open houses at openhouse.jla.us.com.

  • The power of video to communicate about challenging and complex topics.

    JLA has been a pioneer in the use of video as a public involvement tool. In-house services include strategy, scripting, filming, interviews, animation, post-production, captioning, and translation. See some of JLA’s videos at vimeo.com/jlainvolve.

  • Bringing stakeholders together with tailored gatherings that inspire and inform.

    We help you hold public open houses, workshops, ribbon-cuttings, groundbreakings, living room meet-ups, community celebrations, and imagine new formats to gather stakeholders. JLA's events range from a few neighbors to hundreds of people, carefully planned to encourage meaningful face-to-face conversations.

  • An essential part of JLA’s work is getting out and talking to community members where they are. This is no less important in the face of a pandemic.

    Considerately planned interpersonal engagement is still essential. We're coming up with new and alternative formats to conduct neighbor and business canvassing, tabling events, area tours, community presentations, and many types of individual engagement. We also still represent agencies as a project's central point of contact, reinforcing your agency’s commitment to public engagement with an understanding of your goals, values and standards.

  • Engaging your stakeholders through clear, compelling print and digital communications.

    Good design is essential to effective communication. Our work incorporates copywriting, graphic design, print production, illustration, infographics, map creation and all elements needed to explain your project to the diverse public.