Project Manager, Stakeholder Engagement (CONTRACT WORK)
- Contract
Company Description
BACKGROUND
Mid Atlantic Arts is one of six Regional Arts Organizations in the United States and celebrated its 45th Anniversary in 2024. Serving the states, jurisdictions, and territories of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia, Mid Atlantic also engages in national and international work focused on performing arts touring.
Mid Atlantic Arts works in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, our member state arts agencies, and a small group of private funders to provide programming that meets the needs of both our constituent artists and organizations, but also communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. The governance of the organization consists of a twenty member board with representatives from each state within the region.
Mid Atlantic Arts realizes its mission, goals, and guiding principles through a series of grantmaking and other arts-related programming. Foremost among these principles is our commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access – we are working to frame all of our work moving forward through this lens.
For more information on Mid Atlantic Arts, please visit www.midatlanticarts.org.
MISSION
Mid Atlantic Arts nurtures and funds the creation and presentation of diverse artistic expression and connects people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond.
VISION
Mid Atlantic Arts envisions a future in which artists and creators are actively engaged with diverse communities to energize the transformative power of the arts.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Artistry and Creative Expression – Mid Atlantic Arts values the pursuit of artistry and the promotion of creative expression. We believe that the arts are an essential part of life, enriching our human experience and contributing to communities’ overall well-being.
Diversity – Mid Atlantic Arts values the abundant and expansive diversity that exists within our region, our nation, and the world. We honor and celebrate the mid-Atlantic’s people, artistic and community resources and, most notably, our many forms of cultural expression, and believe them to be major sources of strength in our region.
Equity and Access – Mid Atlantic Arts acknowledges that long-standing systems and practices within the arts sector have led to significant barriers to equitable access and investment for individuals and across communities. We are committed to the implementation of equitable practices through intentional and sustained focus and accountability.
Curiosity and Listening – Mid Atlantic Arts believes listening to and understanding those we serve leads to relevant and responsive programs and policies. We are committed to ongoing evaluation, analysis, and evolution of our work and practices. We are also committed to the development and support of learning communities, stakeholder convening, and the achievement of best practices to improve our services to the field.
Partnerships and Collaborations – Mid Atlantic Arts values the relationships with our many trusted partners across the region, the United States, and internationally that extend the reach and impact of our programs. We recognize the National Endowment for the Arts, our state and jurisdictional arts agencies, fellow regional arts agencies, donors, funders, service organizations, and other stakeholders as key allies in fulfilling our mission.
PEOPLE SERVED
The mid-Atlantic region is home to 25% of the nation’s artists and arts organizations. From the largest metropolitan area in the country, to small island territories, the region Mid Atlantic Arts serves truly mirrors the diverse populations, geography, and arts forms of the U.S. The constituents and partners include presenting organizations, performing arts touring companies and artists, arts councils, individual artists, and other types of organizations that are interested in bringing arts experiences and performers to their communities. To learn more about our programs, please visit: https://www.midatlanticarts.org/grants-programs/
Job Description
CURRENT CHALLENGES
In 2023, Mid Atlantic Arts hired a new Executive Director as the first step in transforming how the organization works with and within communities. MAA began a strategic planning process the following year and will soon arrive at a critical juncture: Surveying the greater community of stakeholders for broad feedback and input, with a goal of hearing from 1,500 different stakeholders, representing each of the 409 counties in the region, and including voices from the region’s diverse populations, organizations, and arts forms.
Current email lists reliably reach grantees, partners, and funders. However, because the task at hand is largely about the needs and communities that are not being served, current lists and methods of communication are not sufficient.
Overall Strategic Planning Timeline
Timing
Jan-Feb - Co-creation of survey tools
Mar - Development of outreach and engagement plan, including hiring of additional support (local contractors)
Apr - Distribution of survey, ongoing assessment of response demographics
May - Response gathering and analysis
June - Write it
SCOPE OF WORK
Mid Atlantic Arts is looking for a Project Manager, Stakeholder Engagement to lead the development, distribution, response management, and analysis of a survey to gather feedback from broad and specific groups of stakeholders. The survey will be deployed in rural and metropolitan areas throughout the region, and among different racial, socioeconomic, and geographic communities. The survey seeks to include underrepresented communities alongside traditionally well-represented ones, including arts organizations, individual artists, social justice organizations, arts audiences, folk organizations, cultural/heritage groups, justice activists, and the general public. Candidate must be comfortable working with and orchestrating a survey in a wide variety of communities. The project manager will have a budget to engage local partners to assist with outreach and engagement.
Contract deliverables include:
- 1,500 survey responses meeting specific targets from regional stakeholder groups
- Post-survey data analysis and synthesis report
Essential functions:
- Overall project management
- Coordinate co-creation, use, and distribution of survey tools
- Manage internal stakeholders to maintain agreed-upon timeline and deadlines
- Ensure surveys are accessible to all targeted communities (language, technology access, ability, etc)
- Recruit, hire, and supervise members of local communities to act as community engagement specialists
- Data Management
- Process distribution list
- Manage response gathering to ensure consistency and accuracy
- Provide updates and insight about respondents as needed
- Identify communities and constituencies that are underrepresented
- Analyze and present data at specific points in time or as requested
- Community Engagement
- Develop and execute an outreach and recruitment plan to engage each targeted subgroup, including follow-up strategies to ensure key indicators are met
- Connect with communities and community organizations to recruit survey participants
These functions may be supported by additional contractors, especially hired from the local community.
Additional Information
Mid Atlantic Arts is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Accordingly, Mid Atlantic Arts provides employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, national origin or ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibilities, genetic status or information, military or veteran status or any status protected by federal, state, or local law.
Mid Atlantic Arts is committed to building an inclusive working environment that supports a diverse community of staff and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.
To learn more, visit www.midatlanticarts.org