BRA to hire outside help to craft a zippier brand identity

The BRA plans to issue an RFP next week for a "strategic advisor" charged with helping the authority "in the development of an organizational identity and brand strategy" based on some reforms the authority has made over the past couple of years.

In many ways, the BRA's brand remains unchanged from its founding in the 1950s as a way for the city to condemn and tear down entire neighborhoods, BRA Director Brian Golden acknowledges.

But with several in-depth planning studies going on in Jamaica Plain, South Boston and Dudley Square, and newly reformed its document and property management policies, the authority now says it really does care about public input into crafting policies that can affect life in the city for decades, so it's time for a fundamental rethink on how it presents itself to the public and hire somebody to help craft "an identity, mission, and values for the organization," Golden and Mayor Walsh say. In a statement, Golden says:

We have taken a holistic approach to fixing troublesome issues by strengthening our policies, making more information available to the public, staffing up in areas that were under resourced, and taking a fresh approach to the way we work with communities. With substantive reforms fully underway, we now have an opportunity to address our brand, which in many ways hasn't been altered since our inception.

The mayor's office offers some specifics on the work ahead:

The project will be informed largely by feedback that has been received from community members and outside organizations about how to enhance the Boston Redevelopment Authority's operations and strengthen public trust around its core mission of planning and economic development. Once a firm is hired for the job, additional community outreach will be conducted to help craft the agency's new identity.

The scope of work for the RFP is being finalized this week, but officials expect it to address a range of issues including what defines the Boston Redevelopment Authority's organizational identity, how those values are communicated through its branding, and how to create opportunities for public feedback during the process. The strategic advisor will also be expected to provide assistance in the development of implementation strategies for any recommendations. The project's cost will be established during the selection process.