New Process Improvement project and FREE half day event on 'Applications of Systems Thinking'

Please find details of a project with Form the Future and information on our next Third Sector SIG meeting on ‘Applications of Systems Thinking’.

Form the Future

Project summary:

Project: Process improvement: Reviewing Form the Future’s two main service delivery processes, to help them move to an online system.

Time commitment: approx. 4 days, though this will need to be checked by the volunteer in the light of information gathered at their first meeting

Location: Cambridge, CB4 2HY. Mix of onsite and remote working

Please read project scope  and if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Wednesday 8^th February.

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

To help young people learn about the world of work and prepare them for employment

Main activities of the organisation: 

Link schools and businesses to help young people understand the world of work. We run career and employability skill related events at schools, we undertake Health and Safety Checks for Work experience and run a mentoring programme.

If you would like to volunteer on a project but are not able to commit to the full time requirement please let me know as it may be possible to pair you up with another analyst.  Lastly if you would like to work on a project as part of a pair or with the support of a mentor please indicate on your application and we try to facilitate this. 

THIRD SECTOR SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

The OR Society’s Third Sector Special Interest Group is holding a free half day event on ‘Applications of Systems Thinking’ on Friday 17^th March (2-5pm) at CAN-Mezzanine, London, SE1 4YR

Systems thinking is a powerful way of understanding the world, and accordingly, systems approaches can be powerful ways of addressing real-world problems. This half-day event is an opportunity to hear from people who are using systems approaches to address community and social issues, and to discuss the potential and the challenges of such approaches.

Speakers include Gerald Midgley, Professor of Systems Thinking at Hull University Business School, talking about resolving stakeholder conflict in a range of community settings; Miles Weaver from Edinburgh Napier University on how systems approaches have helped identify better ways for communities and socially responsible businesses to build value; and Penny Lawrence, Deputy Director of Oxfam, on applying systems thinking to Oxfam’s change programme.

The event should be of interest to third sector managers interested in how systems thinking can be applied to their own challenges; to OR professionals interested in learning about different systems methodologies and their applications; and to anybody interested in how systems thinking can help us to drive change.

To book: The event is free to attend but we expect this to be a very popular event and space is limited, so places must be booked in advance, by visiting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/or-society-third-sector-sig-applications-of-systems-thinking-tickets-31120017811

For further information please contact:   felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com

Provisional timetable

2.00-2.05           Introduction/welcome

2.05-2.45           Gerald Midgley

2.45-3.15           Miles Weaver

3.15-3.30           break

3.30-4.00           Penny Lawrence

4.00-4.30           further speaker tbc

4.30-5.00           discussion, informal networking

APPLICATIONS OF SYSTEMS THINKING

THIRD SECTOR SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

APPLICATIONS OF SYSTEMS THINKING

Friday 17^th March 2017, 14.00-17.00

(Arrival/registration/tea and coffee from 13.30)

CAN-Mezzanine 7-14 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4YR

Systems thinking is a powerful way of understanding the world, and accordingly, systems approaches can be powerful ways of addressing real-world problems. This half-day event is an opportunity to hear from people who are using systems approaches to address community and social issues, and to discuss the potential and the challenges of such approaches.

Speakers include Gerald Midgley, Professor of Systems Thinking at Hull University Business School, talking about resolving stakeholder conflict in a range of community settings; Miles Weaver from Edinburgh Napier University on how systems approaches have helped identify better ways for communities and socially responsible businesses to buil value; and Penny Lawrence, Deputy Director of Oxfam, on applying systems thinking to Oxfam’s change programme.

The event should be of interest to third sector managers interested in how systems thinking can be applied to their own challenges; to OR professionals interested in learning about different systems methodologies and their applications; and to anybody interested in how systems thinking can help us to drive change.

To book: The event is free to attend but we expect this to be a very popular event and space is limited, so places must be booked in advance, by visiting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/or-society-third-sector-sig-applications-of-systems-thinking-tickets-31120017811

For further information please contact:   felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com

Provisional timetable

2.00-2.05           Introduction/welcome

2.05-2.45           Gerald Midgley

2.45-3.15            Miles Weaver

3.15-3.30           break

3.30-4.00           Penny Lawrence

4.00-4.30           further speaker tbc

4.30-5.00           discussion, informal networking

Four Pro Bono projects requiring volunteers

Please find details of four projects below with Home-Start (Hampshire), Inclusion North (Leeds/Remote), Fulham Good Neighbours (Fulham), Partnership for Young London (Remote working) 

Please feel free to pass on the anyone who might be interested.  

Home-Start

Project summary:

Project: Mapping the gaps: to explore available data on the needs of parents and children and on service provision.

Time commitment: approx. 5 days. There is almost certainly scope for more if the volunteer wants to do more, so the volunteer should confirm scope, deliverables and time commitment at the initial meeting.

Location: Hampshire RG24 8AG. Mix of onsite and remote working

Please read project scope  and if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Wednesday 18^th January.

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

The Home-Start in Hampshire consortium, in common with all individual Home-Start schemes, believes that children need a happy and secure childhood and that parents play a key role in giving their children the best possible start in life and in helping them to achieve their full potential.

Main activities of the organisation: 

·         Communicating in a variety of ways to individual schemes and to all schemes in Hampshire about external and internal developments

·         Assessing the changing needs of families and children in communities across Hampshire  

·         Fundraising

·         Monitoring

·         Planning and considering strategic options

·         Marketing and promotion

Inclusion North

Project summary:

Project: Support Northern-based learning disability charity to monitor and report progress against business plan objectives.

Time commitment: approx. 3 days, although though this will need to be checked by the volunteer(s) in the light of information gathered at the first meeting

Location:  Remote working would be preferred, but may be beneficial if volunteer can attend annual away day on Thursday 2^nd February 2017 at Wortley Hall near Barnsley.

Please read project scope  and if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Wednesday 18^th January.

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

We promote the inclusion of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers. We want people with learning disabilities to have good lives. We support our Members in helping people to get the lives they want.

Fulham Good Neighbours

Project summary:

Project: Assessing the impact of Fulham Good Neighbours

Time commitment: approx. 5 days, though this will need to be checked by the volunteer(s) in the light of information gathered at their first meeting.

Location: Fulham, SW6 7QT.

Please read project scope and if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Wednesday 18^th January.

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

Our aims are to enable elderly, disabled and vulnerable people to:

-          Live independently and to contribute to society,

-          Help overcome isolation and loneliness,

-          Be at the heart of the local community.

Main activities of the organisation: 

Fulham Good Neighbours support mainly older people, including those with dementia, with practical tasks at home such as basic DIY, gardening, and decorating. We do what any good neighbour would: collect medication, escort to appointments, accompany shopping and take care of pets to name just a few of our free services delivered by over 50 volunteers, many of whom are older people.

Partnership for Young London

Project summary:

Project: Vision for Young Londoners: To develop a brief for a data modeling exercise of the needs and issues of young people across London, looking at both existing and projected trends aiming to influence regional youth policy in the future.

Time commitment: approx. 10-15 days, although though this will need to be checked by the volunteer(s) in the light of information gathered at the first meeting

Location:  This project can be carried out remotely however desk space is available is preferred.

Please read project scope  and if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Wednesday 18^th January.

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

We promote the inclusion of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers. We want people with learning disabilities to have good lives. We support our Members in helping people to get the lives they want.

If you would like to volunteer on a project but are not able to commit to the full time requirement please let me know as it may be possible to pair you up with another analyst.  

Lastly if you would like to work on a project as part of a pair or with the support of a mentor please indicate on your application and we try to facilitate this. 

look forward to hearing from you and once again thank you for your help and support.

For further information about the scheme please visit: http://www.theorsociety.com/Probono  

Some interesting reading

Happy New Year to all my readers.  

To start of the year I thought I'd share with you a couple of interesting articles I've come across.

'The rise of the arm chair volunteer' was published by Nesta.  Being able to offer more flexible volunteering opportunities that can be carried out remotely is something more charities are realising the benefit of.  88% of UK adults have internet access at home and most are likely to have a personal laptop or tablet from which they could carry out voluntary work.  Additionally the number of people working from home is increasing and is a trend that shows no signs of slowing.  Taking all this into account charities can benefit by tapping into this rise of  'arm chair volunteering'.

Here at Pro Bono O.R. we always look to identify if projects or parts of projects can be carried out remotely.  We have found this increases the volunteer pool, as volunteers are able to support charities not in their locality or even in their own country in some cases.

Centre for Aging Better have published a report looking at what the scientific evidence says about the effects of volunteering for those in later life - defined variously as 50+, 55+ or 60+ depending on which research paper is being reviewed.

There are many ways in which you can volunteer your time, 'Other Pro Bono Support' on our website lists a variety of organisations which offer pro bono support and who require volunteers.  Additionally if you have analytical/operation research skills and would like to volunteer your time to Pro Bono O.R., please do get in touch.