Front End Analysis

Front End Analysis Client: NoRoFo Hamilton, a community organization Problem statement: Too few local residents are participating in the letter writing campaign, resulting in a weak message of opposition being sent to the BMZA. Performance Gap Analysis Actual State Desired State Delta 51% of surveyed residents consider themselves wellinformed about the proposed development.

Root Cause Analysis Structure and Processes

At least 80% of surveyed residents should feel wellinformed about the proposed development.

Informational Resources

There is a core cohort of residents who are active in the community. Many of the informational efforts take place at community events with the same base of people; as a result there is a bit of “preaching to the choir,� because those in attendance are already supportive.

In reviewing NoRoFo’s informational documents, it is clear that there is a bit of information overload. Too much text is included, resulting in residents ignoring flyers and other informational documents which give instructions for the letter writing campaign.

Motives

Physical Setting

Through interview and the survey, it appears that there is a degree of exhaustion among both leaders and residents. This campaign began eight years ago and has gone back and forth for so long that people are losing stamina for keeping up pressure on officials.

While the proposed development will have widereaching effects on the atmosphere of the community, many residents are apathetic because they do not live adjacent to the site; the further away they live, the less invested they tend to be.

33% of surveyed residents

Findings and Recommendations Structure and Process 1. Findings: a. NoRoFo Hamilton’s message needs to get out to a greater range of people who are not necessarily active in the community.

2. Recommendations: a. Efforts should focus more on community canvassing in the area surrounding the proposed construction site. b. Training active members on canvassing techniques will increase effectiveness of messaging efforts.

Informational Resources 1. Findings: a. Documents should be succinct and contain only a statement of the problem and instructions on writing letters to officials.

2. Recommendation: a. Redesign documents to contain only necessary information in an easy-to-read format.

Motives 1. Findings: a. Messaging efforts should focus on key dates only in order to reduce the effort put forth by active members and local residents.

2. Recommendation: a. Include one or two key dates in documents and focus on concentrating letter writing campaigns around those dates.

Physical Setting 1. Findings: a. People tend to care more about the proposed development, the closer they live to the site.

2. Recommendations: a. Focus canvassing efforts on the blocks surrounding the site. b. For residents who live further than three blocks away, focus on negative effects on traffic on Harford Road, which is already highly congested.