New Pro Bono O.R. projects requiring volunteer(s)

Pro Bono O.R. – enabling managers to make more effective decisions

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme run by The OR Society that offers free support to third sector organisations in the UK. 

Whilst August may be a quite month for many, it has turned out to be the busiest month to date so far for Pro Bono O.R.!

Please find details of a new project below plus 3 other previously advertised projects that we are seeking volunteers for.

Selby Trust

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

To promote for the benefit of the public resident in the London Borough of Haringey and neighbouring areas without distinction of sex, race, colour or political or religious or other opinions

Main activities of the organisation: The Selby Trust manages The Selby Centre which encompasses the diversity of Haringey and aims to include everyone. It is an inclusive space for local people in an area of high deprivation that brings together a rich mix of individuals and organisations, primarily from BME, refugee and other historically marginalised communities.

The Selby Centre is used by over 500 visitors a day accessing programmes either run by the Selby Trust, its 39 onsite organisations or delivered by the 100+ social enterprises, environmental projects, charities, not-for-profits, sports groups, employability support organisations and faith groups in its network.

Project summary:

Project: Impact measurement: The Trust seeks an analyst who can critique how well they measure impact against their plans to date and work with them to develop an holistic framework of impact measurement along with the identification of any further measures/indicators and further development of their databases to support measuring impact. 

Time commitment: approx. 5 days

Location:  London (mix of remote and onsite working required)

Please read the 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 Monday 14^th September 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

We are still looking for volunteers for the following three projects:

Disability Rights UK

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

·         Mobilise disabled people’s leadership and control – in our own lives, our organisations and society.

·         Achieve independent living in practice.

·         Break the link between disability and poverty.

·         Put disability equality and human rights into practice across society.

Main activities of the organisation: disability rights, policy and campaigning, putting information in the hands of disabled people through advice lines and publications e.g. Disability Rights Handbook and DR UK website

Project summary:

Project: Develop a consistent approach to impact measurement: Review existing approaches to gathering, analysing and reporting impact data in order to recommend a more consistent and “modern” approach.

Time commitment: approx. 6-9 days

Location:  London

Please read the 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 9^th September 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

Hope North East

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: Hope North East exists to inspire, motivate, empower and support all those affected by substance misuse, to sustain long term recovery and lasting positive change.

Main activities of the organisation: We have a variety of funding from grants and a sub-contracting relationship. We provide psychosocial support through individual and groupwork, we have a housing team and provide supported housing and tenancy support. We have a volunteer coordinator with 34 volunteers as part of the organisation. We have 20 staff and 15fte.

Other relevant information: Hope North East started as a CIC and achieved charity status 2 years ago, it has had a rapid growth spurt 18 months ago which has left areas of the organisation in need of development and modernization. There is no strategy in place and I feel we need support to work up the beginnings of a strategy which informs future workstreams.

Project summary:

Project: Facilitating strategy planning: To aid the CEO, trustees and staff to develop a 3-year strategic plan

Time commitment: approx. 2 days

Location:  Middleborough

Please read the 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 Monday 31^st August 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

Charityworks

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: To improve the standard of leadership and management in the UK non-profit sector, with the aim of having a transformative impact on the causes and communities the sector serves.

Main activities of the organisation: Charityworks is first and foremost a graduate programme open to any non-profit organisation regardless of size or activity. It connects organisations with talented graduates capable of making an impact on the causes and communities those organisation’s serve.

Area of benefit: We work to improve the quality of services provided by UK charities, by building their capacity in terms of management and leadership.

Project summary:

Project: Review of Selection & Placement Process: Analyse and improve an open, mass selection and placement campaign for a cross-sector graduate leadership programme with multiple stakeholders/partners.

Time commitment: approx. 10 days

Location:  London (potential for some if not all the project to be carried out remotely).

Please read the 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 2^nd September 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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

Kind regards

Felicity McLeister

O.R. Pro Bono Project Manager

(Mon, Tue & Wed)
Direct Tel +44 (0)121 234 7826, Main Tel +44 (0)121 233 9300

If you are not already a member of The OR Society and are interested in joining please visit https://www.theorsociety.com/ or send an email to carol.smith@theorsociety.com

Additionally you may be interested in becoming a member of our Third Sector Special Interest Group (ORiTS). For more details visit:  https://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/SpecialInterest/ORThirdSector.aspx

Other webpages that may be of interest:

http://probonoor.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/Probono/Probono.aspx
http://www.LearnAboutOR.co.uk
http://www.ScienceofBetter.co.uk

Measuring impact more comprehensively #ProBonoOR

Pro Bono O.R. has recently completed its latest project with Ethical Property Foundation.

This case study and all case studies can be found here.

We had fantastic feedback from the CEO of EPF and I would like to say a huge thank you to the two volunteers who worked on this project.

CEO feedback:

'We were delighted by the speed with which the volunteers understood the challenges we face, and how carefully they evaluated our needs and our current systems. We have upgraded our evidence gathering systems already and how the information is presented will enable us to make far more impactful case to funders and sponsors.'

The volunteers also really benefited from the project:

'People at EPF were really friendly and helpful and prepared to give us a lot of information to work on. They found us clients of EPF and property advisers to speak to and invite to our workshop and most of those invited came along. The Discounted Cash Flow model was extremely well received – the client became quite excited! It was very satisfying to seeing the CEO happy with the outcome.'

To find out more about Pro Bono O.R. please visit the Pro Bono O.R. webpage or email me:felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com

Free tool available: VRP Spreadsheet Solver

Many thanks to Dr Gunes Erogan for making this free resource available.  Please see all the details below:

VRP Spreadsheet Solver is a freely available open-source tool for representing, solving, and visualising the results of Vehicle Routing Problems. VRP Spreadsheet Solver runs on Excel, an interface most businesses use or are at least comfortable with. 

The main challenge of logistics problems, driving distances and durations are acquired through a public Geographical Information System (GIS), facilitating its use. 

Using VRP Spreadsheet Solver, it is possible to:

     

•    Define the location of the home base (depot) of the fleet and the locations of the customers
• 
  
•      Convert the addresses of the depot and the customer locations to coordinates
• 
  
•      Compute the driving times and distances between all locations
• 
  
•      Define multiple types of vehicles with the associated operating costs and capacities
• 
  
•     Manually define your service routes by choosing customer locations from drop-down menus
• 
  
•      Visualise the solution on a map supplied by a GIS
• 
  
•      Use the solver to find low-cost (or high profit) routes.

Upon free registration, VRP Spreadsheet Solver can be downloaded from the web site of the Working Group on Vehicle Routing and Logistics Optimization within EURO, the Association of the European Operational Research Societies (VeRoLog) at http://verolog.deis.unibo.it/vrp-spreadsheet-solver. 

A video tutorial is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enCBp2lBn64. 

The developer of the file (Dr Gunes Erdogan, G.Erdogan@bath.ac.uk) is willing to provide free basic consultancy for its use through e-mail and Skype, in exchange of letters of support and acknowledgement.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VRPSpreadsheetSolver?ref=hl  

#ProBonoOR : New project reviewing impact measurement #volunteers

Pro Bono O.R. – enabling managers to make more effective decisions

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme run by The OR Society that offers free support to third sector organisations in the UK. 

Please find details of a new project below.

Disability Rights UK

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

·         Mobilise disabled people’s leadership and control – in our own lives, our organisations and society.

·         Achieve independent living in practice.

·         Break the link between disability and poverty.

·         Put disability equality and human rights into practice across society.

Main activities of the organisation: disability rights, policy and campaigning, putting information in the hands of disabled people through advice lines and publications e.g. Disability Rights Handbook and DR UK website

Project summary:

Project: Develop a consistent approach to impact measurement: Review existing approaches to gathering, analysing and reporting impact data in order to recommend a more consistent and “modern” approach.

Time commitment: approx. 6-9 days

Location:  London

Please read the 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 9^th September 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

We are still looking for volunteers for the following two projects:

Hope North East

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: Hope North East exists to inspire, motivate, empower and support all those affected by substance misuse, to sustain long term recovery and lasting positive change.

Main activities of the organisation: We have a variety of funding from grants and a sub-contracting relationship. We provide psychosocial support through individual and groupwork, we have a housing team and provide supported housing and tenancy support. We have a volunteer coordinator with 34 volunteers as part of the organisation. We have 20 staff and 15fte.

Other relevant information: Hope North East started as a CIC and achieved charity status 2 years ago, it has had a rapid growth spurt 18 months ago which has left areas of the organisation in need of development and modernization. There is no strategy in place and I feel we need support to work up the beginnings of a strategy which informs future workstreams.

Project summary:

Project: Facilitating strategy planning: To aid the CEO, trustees and staff to develop a 3-year strategic plan

Time commitment: approx. 2 days

Location:  Middleborough

Please read the 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 Monday 31^st August 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

Charityworks

I

nformation about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: To improve the standard of leadership and management in the UK non-profit sector, with the aim of having a transformative impact on the causes and communities the sector serves.

Main activities of the organisation: Charityworks is first and foremost a graduate programme open to any non-profit organisation regardless of size or activity. It connects organisations with talented graduates capable of making an impact on the causes and communities those organisation’s serve.

Area of benefit: We work to improve the quality of services provided by UK charities, by building their capacity in terms of management and leadership.

Project summary:

Project: Review of Selection & Placement Process: Analyse and improve an open, mass selection and placement campaign for a cross-sector graduate leadership programme with multiple stakeholders/partners.

Time commitment: approx. 10 days

Location:  London (potential for some if not all the project to be carried out remotely).

 Please read the 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 2^nd September 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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

Kind regards

Felicity McLeister

O.R. Pro Bono Project Manager

(Mon, Tue & Wed)
Direct Tel +44 (0)121 234 7826, Main Tel +44 (0)121 233 9300

If you are not already a member of The OR Society and are interested in joining please visit https://www.theorsociety.com/ or send an email to carol.smith@theorsociety.com

Additionally you may be interested in becoming a member of our Third Sector Special Interest Group (ORiTS). For more details visit:  https://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/SpecialInterest/ORThirdSector.aspx

Other webpages that may be of interest:

http://probonoor.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/Probono/Probono.aspx
http://www.LearnAboutOR.co.uk
http://www.ScienceofBetter.co.uk

Pro Bono O.R. Case Study: Designing an outcomes framework to measure impact #thisisOR

This is the latest Pro Bono O.R. project that two of our volunteers have complete with Elfrida Rathbone Camden.

This and all other case studies can be found on the Pro Bono O.R. webpage.

We had fantastic feedback from the organisation and I would like to say a huge thank you to the two volunteers who worked on this.

Charity Director's feedback:

'The volunteers were diligent and enthusiastic and clearly jointly had the understanding and skills to engage with the task. They had the creativity to work with me to design a workshop involving a range of our stakeholders. I very much enjoyed working with them and their approach. They were very understanding of the restrictions on time and resources for a small charity and worked with us on this.
This framework they produced is immensely important and we will implement it – I am calling on additional trustee support to help this happen. It will hugely assist our “sell” to funders and make clear what ERC as a whole organisation achieves.'

The volunteers also really enjoyed the project and gave some great feedback:

‘The highlight of the project was running a workshop in which a wide range of stakeholders had the opportunity to reach agreement on the most important outcomes for the charity and suggest how to measure them.’

‘I gained practical experience of workshop facilitation, read up on a new area of OR I had an interest in, but little previous practical experience, and I learned more of the challenges facing the third sector.’

‘I learnt a lot about client facing, research, people/ time management etc. from my peer who was amazing throughout the project.’

To find out more about Pro Bono O.R. please visit the Pro Bono O.R. webpage or email me: felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com

Are you O.R./analytical professional who would like to support a charity? 3 opportunities are currently available #thisisOR #ORblog

Pro Bono O.R. – enabling managers to make more effective decisions

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme run by The OR Society that offers free support to third sector organisations in the UK. 

Please find details of a new project below requiring the help of a skilled volunteer.

Charityworks

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: To improve the standard of leadership and management in the UK non-profit sector, with the aim of having a transformative impact on the causes and communities the sector serves.

Main activities of the organisation: Charityworks is first and foremost a graduate programme open to any non-profit organisation regardless of size or activity. It connects organisations with talented graduates capable of making an impact on the causes and communities those organisation’s serve.

Area of benefit: We work to improve the quality of services provided by UK charities, by building their capacity in terms of management and leadership.

Project summary:

Project: Review of Selection & Placement Process: Analyse and improve an open, mass selection and placement campaign for a cross-sector graduate leadership programme with multiple stakeholders/partners.

Time commitment: approx. 10 days

Location:  London (potential for some if not all the project to be carried out remotely).

Please read the 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 2^nd September 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

We are still looking for volunteers for the following projects:

Hope North East

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: Hope North East exists to inspire, motivate, empower and support all those affected by substance misuse, to sustain long term recovery and lasting positive change.

Main activities of the organisation: We have a variety of funding from grants and a sub-contracting relationship. We provide psychosocial support through individual and groupwork, we have a housing team and provide supported housing and tenancy support. We have a volunteer coordinator with 34 volunteers as part of the organisation. We have 20 staff and 15fte.

Other relevant information: Hope North East started as a CIC and achieved charity status 2 years ago, it has had a rapid growth spurt 18 months ago which has left areas of the organisation in need of development and modernization. There is no strategy in place and I feel we need support to work up the beginnings of a strategy which informs future workstreams.

Project summary:

Project: Facilitating strategy planning: To aid the CEO, trustees and staff to develop a 3-year strategic plan

Time commitment: approx. 2 days

Location:  Middleborough

Please read the 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 Monday 31^st August 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

Big Issue

Information about the organisation:

Main activities of the organisation: Enabling Big Issue vendors to access a wide range of ‘support’ agencies that will help them journey away from homelessness.

Charitable objectives: The relief of poverty with particular reference to the needs of homeless persons.

Other relevant information: Big Issue are seeking to gain further insights into the data that we hold on our supporters which, in turn, we hope leads to further growth again regular committed income (monthly direct debits) and seasonal appeals. The CRM database that we use is ‘Raiser’s Edge’

Project summary:

Project: Gaining insight from a CRM database: To analyse supporter data held on a Raiser’s Edge CRM database to gain insights that will help identify and target opportunities to grow income.

Time commitment: approx. 2 ½ days on site

Location:  London (SW8 2LN)

Please read the 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 Monday 17^th August 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer or pair of analysts.  If you would like to work on a project with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.  Lastly, if you are interested in working on a project but cannot meet the deadline specified please do register your interest in the first instance before the deadline.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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

Kind regards

Felicity McLeister

O.R. Pro Bono Project Manager

(Mon, Tue & Wed)
Direct Tel +44 (0)121 234 7826, Main Tel +44 (0)121 233 9300

If you are not already a member of The OR Society and are interested in joining please visit https://www.theorsociety.com/ or send an email to carol.smith@theorsociety.com

Additionally you may be interested in becoming a member of our Third Sector Special Interest Group (ORiTS). For more details visit:  https://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/SpecialInterest/ORThirdSector.aspx

Other webpages that may be of interest:

http://probonoor.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/Probono/Probono.aspx
http://www.LearnAboutOR.co.uk
http://www.ScienceofBetter.co.uk