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Pilot Program Aims to Expand NJTPA’s Public Engagement Efforts 

NJTPA Outreach Liaison Pilot Program logoThe NJTPA has launched a pilot Outreach Liaison Program, which aims to recruit community members to help advance public involvement in the agency’s projects and programs. 

Ideal candidates are members of grassroots networks who are passionate about community involvement in transportation projects and funding decisions. The liaisons would help facilitate communication between the agency and communities, with an emphasis on reaching groups that have been traditionally under-represented in transportation planning. 

Outreach liaisons would help tailor the NJTPA’s public outreach strategies to the specific needs of a project or study area’s ethnic or cultural groups. Liaisons may offer knowledge about cultural nuances, interface with community members on behalf of the agency, facilitate community meetings or events, and provide translation services, if needed. 

This is a two-year pilot program. The first year will focus on recruiting five outreach liaisons, who would receive training on public engagement techniques and background on NJTPA projects and programs. In the spring, liaisons would work alongside NJTPA staff and consultants on public engagement initiatives, such as attending public meetings. In the second year, liaisons will help plan and facilitate their own outreach events, coordinating with local organizations, and reporting residents’ feedback and concerns to the NJTPA. 

Liaisons will be paid a stipend for their time. Only applicants living in the NJTPA’s 13-county region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Warren and Union counties) will be considered for the program. 

The deadline to apply for the program is November 30. Click here to submit an application
 

 

Posted: 10/6/2021 11:29:38 AM by Melissa Hayes | with 0 comments