Local liaison
JTA understands the importance of local know-how and maintains an extensive network of local resources: this ensures consultation programs are relevant, appropriate and effective.

Customised projects
JTA tailors programs to the needs of each client: it draws on the latest research in community consultation principles and strategies and the successful experience of its consultants in the field.

Stakeholder identification
JTA compiles comprehensive stakeholder databases for each consultation project: it utilises its own extensive networks of community groups and government agencies as well as existing data resources.

Stakeholder management
JTA manages the interface between key stakeholders and client: it provides strategic guidance in negotiating and managing realistic expectations and the delivery of consistent key messages.

Conflict management
JTA provides conflict management expertise: managinconflict management is about managing anger and frustration by dealing promptly with emerging problems, both perceived and real. Successful conflict management, employing mediation, facilitation and negotiation techniques, benefits project efficiency.

Risk management
JTA is skilled and experienced in anticipating issues and managing risk: risk can emerge from day-to-day activities and needs to be continually assessed and managed. Anticipating and planning for risk management is a better option than crisis management.

Government interface
JTA enjoys excellent relationships with all levels of government: timely access to government at a political and bureaucratic level is critical to the success of any business, and contentious projects require immediate access to the highest level. Close liaison with elected representatives and their staff has allowed JTA to successfully manage numerous challenging and politically sensitive projects.

Community interface
JTA generates active participation in consultation programs. For JTA, the key to success is ‘getting back to basics’:

• treating stakeholders and the community with integrity and respect
• recognising cultural diversity
• establishing clear codes of conduct with participants
• encouraging informed discussion and debate
• facilitating the sharing of ideas and views
• developing and managing relationships
• managing expectations and
• good communication, feedback and evaluation.

Community engagement
JTA has effective engagement strategies: community involvement is a critical factor in successful consultation programs, and JTA connects with the silent majority, those people who prefer to stay on the sidelines. Standard community engagement measures - direct mail, editorial coverage, paid advertising, etc – are enhanced with a creative mix of complementary strategies:

• open house displays with technical experts and consultants
• special interest meetings and focus groups
• tours of specific sites
• virtual community forums
• personal visits to stakeholders as appropriate
• public venue events involving community groups eg sausage sizzles and
• other creative approaches.

Public awareness and education
JTA develops and implements public awareness campaigns guaranteed to inform: effective community participation requires information. Awareness and education campaigns are tailored to cultural needs and conducted in appropriate languages.

Analysis and interpretation
JTA uses state of the art software to collate and manage data: integrated database systems are employed to aid the analysis of complex issues and intervention strategies, minimise database administration and expedite feedback.

Preparation of reports and issues papers
JTA reports and issues papers are written in clear, concise prose with the client’s needs in mind: stakeholder views are presented in plain English and reader-friendly format. To increase community ownership of outcomes and recommendations, distribution is considered carefully, and feedback encouraged.

Communication strategy, advice and training
JTA expertly supports clients facing contentious issues: its expertise in communication strategies for complex consultation programs has been fine-tuned by long experience in the media and public affairs. Services include:

• communication strategies
• issues identification and management
• media liaison
• media awareness training and
• communication audits.

Facilitation
JTA can manage contentious public meetings and workshops: its facilitators are credible, expert and independent, and are perceived in that light by the public.

Capacity building
JTA has expertise in capacity building: in consultation on complex issues, capacity building brings an added dimension and an improved outcome for the community.

Skills transfer
JTA provides training and communication expertise: some organisations now require external consultants to ensure skills transfer for in-house staff during major community consultation exercises. JTA understands the need for this and can ensure internal staff has the opportunity to develop appropriate skills during the life of a project.

Evaluation
JTA performs evaluation throughout a project: this ensures that procedural and other changes are implemented during the consultation period and outputs and outcomes are known and appropriate. Audits, assessments and evaluations are built around client-approved success factors, key performance indicators and outcomes. Evaluation assists with risk management by delivering robust outcomes that can withstand political and media scrutiny.

Reviews
JTA undertakes independent expert evaluations and reviews: some organisations conduct community consultation in-house; in these circumstances it can be useful to have an independent expert evaluate the strategies and processes. Government agencies can also require an independent external audit of existing processes and policies to ensure they meet the needs of all stakeholders.

Freecall facility
JTA offers a free call facility: all calls to the client organisation can be answered by JTA, using a detailed reporting and action mechanism.

Media awareness training
JTA runs short tailored workshops on media management: government agencies increasingly need to be media smart. While direct interface with the media is the role of Ministers and their advisers, bureaucrats need to understand how the media functions and ensure they do not inadvertently become a player in a media story.