Blueprint Louisiana

Connecting Leaders to Create the State We Deserve

Challenge
Blueprint Louisiana is a citizen-driven effort to identify and implement essential changes to fundamentally improve life and economic opportunities in Louisiana for generations. Led and supported by community and business leaders from across the state, this nonpartisan effort aims to better position Louisiana for success. SSA designed the Blueprint Louisiana organizational and operational models in 2006 and currently serves as the project management organization.

Approach
SSA facilitates periodic meetings in nine, designated regions to gather input from business and community leaders. Since spring 2007, SSA has hosted 36 regional meetings, attracting more than 2,000 participants. The project team also conducts formal briefings for legislators and executive agencies on all of Blueprint’s reform platforms, including ethics, education, workforce development, health care, transportation infrastructure, crime, public retirement, and coastal restoration and hurricane protection. Additionally, SSA manages the organization’s daily operations, including maintaining Blueprint Louisiana’s financials and 3,000-plus membership database; directing subcontractors; coordinating board meetings; and facilitating engagements among key stakeholders. Among its many outreach efforts, SSA developed a speakers’ bureau that has supplied presenters, including project staff and board members, to discuss the Blueprint agenda at nearly 50 meetings and conferences.

Impact
During the 2007 election, Blueprint Louisiana secured a super-majority of support in Louisiana Legislature. Major Blueprint-backed legislation passed during special and regular legislative sessions resulted in stronger ethic laws, higher investments in early childhood education, a redesign of state workforce development efforts, higher education reform, and the implementation of a performance-based funding formula at the campus level. Moreover, Blueprint’s communication efforts produced more than 200 articles, editorials and letters to the editor published by print media across the state.

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