Pro Bono OR moving elsewhere

Pro Bono OR projects can now be found here: https://www.theorsociety.com/get-involved/pro-bono-or/open-pro-bono-projects/

This blog will no longer be updated but will remain available as an archive.

Comics & Cultural Impact Analysis

   

Project summary

Work with the newly formed 'Comics Cultural Impact Collective' (CCIC - pronounced 'seasick') to understand the available data about the cultural impact of comics vs comics funding. Consider what further data would be useful to assess impact and improve outcomes. 

Project description

CCIC are made up of comics creators who come from a range of arts and science backgrounds and with a keen interest in using data to create positive change in their industry. They have been gathering data, case studies and comics industry information to address the lack of funding for comics vs their cultural impact. They used published data from the Arts Council, YouGov, ONS and beyond. They discovered massive disparities between the levels of audience engagement and funding support. This is particularly notable when compared with other arts disciplines such as opera, ballet, orchestras and poetry. 

They met with Arts Council England (ACE) in July to present their findings. ACE agreed the team had a compelling case. Since then ACE have set up an internal investigation. They are due to meet again in November 2023. 

CCIC have asked ACE to work with them to explore the cultural value of British comics, the resources allocated to it and how this can be improved. 

We are at a stage where we have an incredible opportunity to create positive change, but we need to be data driven and take a robust approach with our interpretations. How you can help:

1) Meet with the team to discuss the way forward

2) Obtain all available data from the team including a recent survey and FoI information obtained from ACE

3) Assist in analysis of all available data in order to assess cultural impact and funding

4) Research into available studies on the impact of comics

5) Meet with team to discuss results and:

• agree what can be said about the cultural impact of comics vs funding

• consider what additional FoI data could be requested from funders (including other funders)

• help to make a strong health and business case for use of comics in schools, libraries and beyond

6) Attend a meeting with ACE planned for November 8 2023.

This project will require close working with the team throughout.

It could be carried out by a single volunteer or the work could be divided between 2 or more volunteers.

How will this project benefit the organisation?

To obtain more recognition of the cultural impact of comics and hence better funding from ACE and other funders. 

To lead to a wider appreciation for and dissemination of comics in libraries, schools etc

The research will help us to set up and fund a charitable infrastructure organisation (The Ministry of Comics) to support the sector. We've already written articles of association and the organisation should be active by early next year. 

Location

Remote 

Commitment

Time commitment to be agreed between volunteer and organisation when completing detailed project proposal.

Please note relevant dates for planning project timings:

November 8 2023: There will be a meeting with ACE for which all the work around Arts Council England data would hopefully have been completed and could be presented by the volunteer.

Jan 2024: There will be a round table meeting with all the major players in the UK comics community to share ideas on how to further come together to raise awareness of the cultural impact of comics in the UK. It would be helpful to have most of the work completed by then. 

Desired project start date

October 2023

Desired project completion date

January 2024

Apply

If you feel you can offer your assistance please complete the application form by Friday 6  October 2023. 

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities.

Information about Pro Bono OR

For further information about the Pro Bono OR scheme, please visit: www.theorsociety.com/Probono  or email ProBonoOR@theorsociety.com

Coping with Cancer (North East) Impact Measurement Improvements

  

Project summary

Improve the measurement of impact for the range of activities and outcomes facilitated and supported by Coping with Cancer (North East), which serves NE England and Cumbria.

Project description

Beginning with a review of the client organisation’s strategic plan and mission, vision and value statements, determine the range of desired outputs and outcomes for Coping with Cancer (NE) and, from the latter, distil a range of qualitative and/or quantitative measures for assessing impact for the range of services provided across the communities being served, for both current and possible future services. Having determined appropriate impact measurement requirements, propose solution options for the facilitation of data capture (based on survey data or other means), data storage and the generation of impact metrics.

The project is likely to require an appropriate soft systems approach (i.e. facilitated structured discussions) within the client organisation to review strategies, mission vision and value statements and distil relevant outcome and impact measures.

How will this project benefit the organisation?

Having robust means of impact measurement will enable Coping with Cancer (NE) to more effectively make the case for resources with potential funders, at a time when demand on the charity’s services is growing rapidly, while there is concurrently increasing pressure on funding providers’ budgets.  Effective impact measurement will also enable Coping with Cancer (NE) to optimise its allocation of resources across the range of services provided, in an environment where demands for these services continue to rise.

Essentially, the successful delivery of this project will enable Coping with Cancer (NE) to maximize reach and effectiveness of the services provided by facilitating achievement of the following:

a. Make the best use of available resources while experiencing rapid growth in demand for services;

b. Build a robust case, where and when appropriate, for increased funding when the level and pattern of demand for services requires this.

Location

Combination of remote and in-person working as required. The project would be particularly suitable for volunteer(s) located in NE England but this is considered to be desirable only, not essential.

Commitment

5-10 days.

The client would like to have proposals for potentially suitable impact measures by 31 December 2023. It is recognized that the implementation of system(s) for capturing and processing impact measurement data, including survey design, may require subsequent specialist input.

Desired project start date

September 2023

Desired project completion date

December 2023

Apply

If you feel you can offer your assistance please complete the application form by Tuesday 19 September 2023. 

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities.

Information about the organisation

For further information about Coping with Cancer North East please visit https://copingwithcancer.org.uk/

Information about Pro Bono OR

For further information about the Pro Bono OR scheme, please visit: www.theorsociety.com/Probono  or email ProBonoOR@theorsociety.com

Maritime accidents: root causes and saving lives

  

Project summary

CHIRP wants to improve its analysis to better understand and communicate maritime risks more clearly. 

Project description

CHIRP has a database of incident reports going back to 2002, but the reporting system was improved last year. So far just over 100 reports are available in the new format. The results from these systems are used by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to communicate the major human contributory factors that result in maritime accidents, incidents and errors.  

These are communicated in terms of the ‘deadly dozen’ factors. These dozen were chosen from a full list of 65 human behaviour factors which affect overall safety performance.  

Both CHIRP’s Maritime Director and the MCA consider that these dozen factors were not selected scientifically, and that reporting could be improved.  

It is hoped that a volunteer would discuss detailed requirements with the Director which are expected to include:  

• Investigating the reporting methods and documentation currently used  
• Analysing the set of incident reports available on the new system and mapping against the full 65 human behaviour factors  
• Facilitating a session with CHIRP and the MCA to discuss the ‘best’ factors to report against  
• Designing a tool for automated reporting including charts and diagrams (possibly using software such as Power BI) that could be used by CHIRP  
• Discussion and agreeing on the best format with stakeholders and CHIRP and provide a user guide if needed  

How will this project benefit the organisation?

The aim is to improve communication of risks and thus reduce accidents at sea which will benefit CHIRP by helping improve delivery of its mission. 

Location

Remote 

Commitment

Flexible 

Desired project start date

When convenient as arranged with client 

Desired project completion date

Flexible 

Apply

If you feel you can offer your assistance please complete the application form by Thursday 24 July 2023. 

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities. 

Information about the organisation

For further information about CHIRP, please visit https://chirp.co.uk/ 

Information about Pro Bono OR

For further information about the Pro Bono OR scheme, please visit: www.theorsociety.com/Probono  or email ProBonoOR@theorsociety.com 

Making the most of Employer Champions

 

Project summary

To ensure the Employer Champion programme is adding value, is cost effective and is the best use of Science Council resources. 

Project description

One of the Science Council’s key roles is to maintain and improve standards and accountability in the science workforce by providing professional registration. Registration is provided in partnership with “Licensed Bodies”: organisations like The OR Society which provide a professional home for scientists. 

Through its “Employer Champions” programme, the Science Council supports large employers to help their scientific staff to navigate the busy landscape of professional membership organisations and the rigorous application process through to professional registration. The Science Council now wants to understand: does its provision meet the needs of employers, how effective is the programme in achieving its aims, and how might it be improved.

The volunteer would be asked to work with the charity to:

- Firm up on what information needs to be collected from the key stakeholders, through interview or survey. Stakeholders include Employer Champions and prospective Employer Champions, Licensed Bodies, and individual ‘Registrant Champions’ (employees who are themselves registered scientists and help others to register)

- Conduct interviews or surveys

- Evaluate the findings and discuss their implications.

The platform used by the Science Council for candidates to apply for registration, the Common Application Process, is itself currently being reviewed as part of a Pro Bono project, and we expect some overlap and liaison between the two projects. 

The volunteer(s) should be experienced in structuring and carrying out interviews/ surveys, and using fairly small amounts of semi-structured data to develop robust, valid conclusions.

How will this project benefit the organisation?

The professional registration programme is one of the most important components of the Science Council charitable objectives and public benefit, and building the number of registrants is a crucial part of its mission. Because of this, the business model of the Science Council is dependent on numbers of registrants, so maintaining registration levels is key to sustainability. The Employer Champion programme is one of the more resource-intensive ways of attracting registrants, so understanding how cost-effective it is and whether this can be improved will be of enormous importance not just in improving efficiencies but also in helping achieve the overall goal. 

Location

Remote

Commitment

This may be a project that will suit two or more volunteers working as a team, though it can also be undertaken by an individual.

Desired project start date

The client would like the work to be run in parallel with the project on the CAP, so that any findings can be coordinated. This means starting as early as possible.

Desired project completion date

June/July 2023

If you are interested but not able to comply with these dates, please get in touch anyway to discuss options.

Apply

If you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return along with your CV to ProBonoOR@theorsociety.com by Monday 1 May 2023.

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities.

Information about the organisation

For further information about the Science Council, please visit https://sciencecouncil.org/

Information about Pro Bono OR

For further information about the Pro Bono OR scheme, please visit: www.theorsociety.com/Probono  or email ProBonoOR@theorsociety.com

Review and improvement of key processes and workloads

Project summary

Saola Foundation is relatively new and needs to identify opportunities to improve its work processes to ensure resources are used effectively.  

Project description

Saola Foundation is a relatively young organization, having been formed in 2020. A strategic development theme for 2023 is “efficiency and wellbeing in the work place”, recognising that, with a small staff team, it is important to ensure best use is made of staff time and to protect against staff burn out. The CEO believes now is a good time to identify and review Saola’s key business processes and to analyse where and how staff spend their time. The aim of this project is to identify opportunities for improvement that would, for example, reduce individuals admin-based works loads (for all technical and development staff) and free-up more time for fundraising activities and reduce the overhead of internal processes. 

Key stages in the project are likely to be as follows (subject to agreement between Saola and the volunteer): 

• Project initiation (background and objectives) 
• Identification of key business processes & prioritisation of those in scope for this project (via 1-1s or workshop) 
• Process analysis, including staff time/resource usage 
• Development of improvement options and recommendations 
• Reporting and presentation to CEO/Board 
• Evaluation of success  

How will this project benefit the organisation?

Discovered by science only in 1992, the Saola was perhaps the most spectacular zoological find of the 20th century. It is now probably the world’s most endangered terrestrial mammal. The race to save Saola is one of the highest priority conservation challenges of our time, requiring an unprecedented level of global support and cooperation. 

The Saola Foundation team is a small, deeply committed group of field conservationists and this project is a real opportunity to help the team “step up a gear” in the way they work together. 

Location

Remote

Commitment

Estimated volunteer commitment: 4-5 days. 

Desired project start date

April/May 2023

Desired project completion date

End of August 2023

Apply

If you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return along with your CV to ProBonoOR@theorsociety.com by Monday 24 April 2023.

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities.

Information about the organisation

For further information about the Saola Foundation, please visit https://www.saolafoundation.org/  

You can also learn more about the Saola here: https://www.saolafoundation.org/saola-status/

Information about Pro Bono OR

For further information about the Pro Bono OR scheme, please visit: www.theorsociety.com/Probono  or email ProBonoOR@theorsociety.com