The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) and FUSE are working together to help the region’s Council of Governments and Metropolitan Planning Organization keep up with one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. Northwest Arkansas spans several mid-sized cities and 39 local jurisdictions, each with its own leadership and priorities, which makes regional coordination complex. NWARPC’s responsibilities are expanding into transit alternatives, resilience, stormwater coordination, and innovative financing, yet it runs on a small staff and legacy systems built for a smaller scope. With a five-year strategic plan underway, the timing is right to strengthen internal operations and sharpen how the Commission explains its role and funding realities to the public.
In the first 90 days, FUSE Executive Fellow Janae Cox will engage NWARPC staff, leadership, board members, municipal and state partners, and philanthropy, while reviewing strategic planning materials, tracking systems, grant practices, and peer MPOs in similar polycentric regions. Cox will then pursue two linked priorities: improving project management, budget tracking, grant compliance, and reporting, and designing a communication framework with clear messaging, board talking points, and public-facing materials. By October 2027, deliverables will include a systems assessment and modernization plan, a project and financial tracking framework, a regional communication framework, a dashboard prototype, and a Year Two roadmap. By October 2028, the goal is for NWARPC to run on modern, durable systems and communicate regional priorities and tradeoffs in a consistent, credible way.
