The City of New Orleans VISTA program is implemented by the Office of Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the Office of Economic Development. The City is seeking passionate individuals to build capacity to break the cycle of poverty and empower our community. The mission of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development is to attract, retain, and grow business in New Orleans. We envision an inclusive economy where all New Orleanians have access to quality amenities in their neighborhoods and a good-paying job.
The goal of our project is to provide free and accessible navigation for entrepreneurs and businesses on doing business in New Orleans. Specifically, we want to digitize our Guide to Doing Business. The VISTA member will have the opportunity to learn more about how government and small business interact, to participate in community engagement activities, to network in the business community, and to find creative digital solutions to overcome barriers for businesses and entrepreneurs. The VISTA member will create a tool that will be used by hundreds of citizens for years to come.
The project will better support New Orleans businesses—particularly those that have been historically underserved—to create new opportunities and build wealth, thereby helping break the cycle of poverty. The guide and other online resources developed by the VISTA member will build the Office of Economic Development’s capacity to better serve and provide additional resources to businesses.
Service Activities
Throughout one year of service, the VISTA member will work with the Office of Economic Development to:
Familiarize themselves with business procedures in New Orleans and conduct research on best practices in peer cities.
Conduct interviews with relevant stakeholders to understand needs.
Receive training from City staff on how to create and modify web pages and web tools.
Work with City staff and stakeholders to create content and design tools for a digital guide to doing business.
Solicit and respond to feedback on content and web resources.
Finalize and publish an online guide to doing business.
Develop marketing and education materials for users of the digital guide.
Engage with the public, especially in the business community to raise awareness about the resource guide.
Community Need Addressed
The CNO VISTA Program supports City Hall by implementing sustainable capacity building projects to increase the effectiveness of each department.
Position Outcomes
Our VISTA members help the City strengthen existing services and provide more services for underserved and disproportionately impacted communities.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Student loan forbearance
Education Benefits
College Degree
N/A
Skills you will gain
Professional Development
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization