New Pro Bono OR Project: Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA)

iDEA Project

Mastering runaway success

Project:

Enabling those left behind by the educational system to catch up, by helping iDEA to estimate the resource needed to support the phenomenal success of its exponentially-expanding digital learning scheme.

Project description:

The Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA) has been a runaway success. Word of mouth has lead to exponential growth in the number of ‘partners’ promoting it to potential learners (including groups as varied as Barnardo’s, refugee camps, Asda, Wigan County Council), the number of learners, and the number of awards ultimately earnt by learners. It is imperative that a sustainable funding model is put in place to safeguard the future of the programme, and thoughtful insights will be able to help inform the team’s decision making and approach.

The immediate need is for:

• a model of growth in the different user groups,  that can be used to estimate possible future demand over the next 3-5 years, with alternative scenarios
• analysis of iDEA’s data, to calibrate the model and forecast the future demand

to enable the chief executive to estimate resources and costs needed to meet the demand.

If time allows, the model should be developed to estimate costs directly, and to support ‘what-if’ modelling, to enable the chief executive to  assess the consequences of alternatives to the current model of growth and provision.

This project can be undertaken by an individual, but would also suit a team. Skills required:

• familiarity with methods for ‘epidemic’ style modelling, whether system dynamics, agent-based modeling, or other mathematical techniques; as well as with costs modelling
• data-handling skills, and experience of dealing with real-world data and systems
• consultancy skills, to ensure that the issues underlying growth and limiting resource capacity are fullly understood and reflected in the modelling, and to help iDEA use the model for identifying and considering alternatives.

Time commitment:  up to 10 days

Ideally the volunteer would spend: 

• 3 days getting to understand the issue and data, agreeing the ‘project proposal’, and producing a rough, temporary model to support initial thinking
• Up to 7 days building on this to get a fairly-well calibrated model that can support discussion of costs. The quality and detail of the modelling should be limited by the time available, both in terms of the volunteer capacity, and the urgency of the client need – to be agreed between volunteer and client.

Developing the model, as indicated in the project description, could either be undertaken by the volunteer(s) as a continuation, or offered as a separate project.

We are happy to hear from volunteers who can offer less time than this, or who only have some of the skills required, who are willing to work as part of a team.

Location: Most of the project can be carried out remotely. Physical meetings would take place ideally at the start of the project, and at each output stage, for half a day each; but telephone contact is acceptable if necessary. 

If you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return along with your CV to amy.hughes@theorsociety.com by 10^th July.

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities. As such, we welcome applications from the partially sighted or blind, or those with disabilities.

Information about the organisation: 

iDEA is a programme that helps you develop digital, enterprise and employability skills for free. Through our series of online challenges and events, you can win career and life enhancing badges, unlock new opportunities and, ultimately, gain industry recognised awards that help you stand out from the crowd. iDEA is about lifelong learning, for anyone who wants to develop their skills. Our learners include school pupils, apprentices, business leaders, pensioners, students and community groups.

For further information about iDEA please visit https://idea.org.uk/ or email kerensa.jennings@royal.uk

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

New Pro Bono OR Project: Healthcare Greenwich

Healthwatch Greenwich Project

Develop an Impact Measurement Approach

Project:

Healthcare Greenwich (HG) has no impact measurement system and needs a way to demonstrate value to funders and key stakeholders.

Project description:

HG is a small organization that provides advocacy for local communities to ensure health and social care services meet needs. They currently have no formal approaches for measuring impact, either from a community point of view, or from a Commissioning perspective.

They also plan to implement a CRM system (CiviCRM) but need to clarify what data they should be gathering and what they can report in terms of impact, before deciding how to roll-out the CRM.

HG is also part of a network of similar organisations, so there is the potential to share learning from Greenwich with others in London and elsewhere.

The aims of the project would be to:
• Identify what should be measured in order to assess impacts
• Develop some example impact reports (which are likely to include both quantitative and qualitative data)
• Recommend how these could be implemented and sustained (in an organisation of just 4 staff)

Skills required: understanding of impact measurement models/options,interviewing/qualitative data collection, development of KPIs

Time commitment:  4-5 days
• Meet to agree objectives and collect background information, strategy documents and current reports
• Identify key stakeholders to speak with (e.g. by phone or email)
• Agree a Theory of Change (or similar impact model) and identify key measurements/indicators
• Develop sample reports and test these with stakeholders
• Produce final report (including lessons learnt) and recommendations for implementation and     sustainability

Ideally, some example reports would be available to coincide with the Annual Report which is due at the end of June 2019.

Location: Most of the work can be carried out remotely but an initial face-to-face meeting in London would be preferable. 

If you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return along with your CV to amy.hughes@theorsociety.com by 7^th June.

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities. As such, we welcome applications from the partially sighted or blind, or those with disabilities.

Information about the organisation: 

Healthwatch gives people a powerful voice both locally and nationally. At a local level, Healthwatch Greenwich works to help people get the best from their health and social care services, whether it’s improving them today, or helping to shape them for tomorrow. 
Healthwatch Greenwich has five main roles:
·        Collect local residents’ opinions and experiences of health and social care services;
·        Feedback these opinions and experiences to local service providers and commissioners;
·        Feedback these opinions and experiences to national health and social care bodies;
·        Provide local residents with information about a health or care service (to support informed choice);
·        Signpost local residents to organisations that can help raising a concern or making a complaint about a health or social care service. 

For further information about Healthwatch Greenwich please visit https://healthwatchgreenwich.co.uk/ or email joy@healthwatchgreenwich.co.uk

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

New Pro Bono OR Project: Against All Odds Still Standing (AOS) UK

Against All Odds Still Standing (AOS) UK Project

Planning for the future

Project:

Helping AOS UK consider their future strategy

Project description:

AOS UK currently operates on a very small scale, and would like to scale up. Doing so requires consideration of a number of features, including: the quality of the overall management, and what sort of basic organisational design and skills are required, for both management and service delivery; how AOS UK complements or competes with similar local services; how to manage the scaling up of inputs and outputs so that they stay in step with each other; and how to establish data collection for both operational management and evaluation purposes.

This project is to provide a day or so of facilitation support to AOS UK to help them identify what features need to be included in a strategy, and what the next steps may be. There may be follow-on work required, but it may be that the scope and scale of future work goes beyond the remit of Pro Bono OR.

The volunteer should have a broad understanding of organisational design and strategy development, especially in the charity arena, and have facilitation skills. They should also make themselves aware of the special features of domestic violence services

Time commitment:  3 days 

Location: Most of the work can be carried out remotely. The volunteer would need one day on site at their office in South East London.

If you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return along with your CV to amy.hughes@theorsociety.com by 8 August.

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities. As such, we welcome applications from the partially sighted or blind, or those with disabilities.

Information about the organisation: 

Against All Odds Still Standing (AOS) has been working to support safeguarding and protection of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women and children in recent years. AOS actively seeks to end abuse and violence against women and children. The organisation’s objectives are to support and provide relief for victims, survivors and people who are vulnerable to domestic violence, abuse and discrimination in UK communities and abroad. Many survivors are orphans and widows, as evident in AOS’s outreach work in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Sri Lanka and in other developing countries.

For further information about AOS UK please visit https://aosuk.org or email wcolin@aosuk.org

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

New Pro Bono OR Project: Blue Cross

Blue Cross Project

Develop research to support the implementation of Blue Cross’s new Diversity, Inclusion and Equality policy

Project:

Blue cross, an animal charity, is seeking to develop research to support implementation of their Diversity, Inclusion and Equality policy.

Project description:

Blue Cross is a charity that has been helping sick, injured, abandoned and homeless pets since 1897. They help thousands of pets in need every month, providing veterinary care, expert behaviour help and find them loving happy homes, as well as advice and education for current or future pet owners and pet bereavement support. The charity develops lifelong relationships with pets and owners, providing quality care that is accessible and non-judgmental.


Blue cross is seeking to develop research to support the implementation their new Diversity, Inclusion and Equality policy

There are three strands to the research, each of which can be undertaken by a different individual volunteer or a pair of volunteers working together:

1. A review of the charity’s current practices, procedures and marketing on recruitment with consideration to diversity, inclusion and equality.  This may involve desk research, focus groups, data analysis (if data is available), or other suitable research methods.

2. A review to understand how diverse the charity’s paid and volunteer teams currently are, by developing and administering an equal opportunity monitoring form/survey for the charity’s staff and volunteers and comparing to diversity within the charity’s local communities.

3. Development of an Inclusion Action Plan by analysing the findings of the reviews in parts 1 and 2, benchmarking against the sector, and engaging with groups that lead on protected characteristics e.g. disability or gender rights groups.

Time commitment: 
• Review of current practices and marketing materials used in recruitment: 3-4 days
• Review of staff and volunteer diversity through a survey and local community analysis: 2 days
• Developing Inclusion Action Plan: 7-8 days

Location: 1-2 visits to the Burford office may be required, but these are limited (to potentially a few hours).  There will be a monthly senior managers’ meeting to attend over Skype. The organisation is willing to work flexibly (e.g. via teleconference or video conference).  All other work can be done remotely.

If you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return along with your CV to amy.hughes@theorsociety.com by 8^th August.

The OR Society fully supports equal opportunities. As such, we welcome applications from the partially sighted or blind, or those with disabilities.

Information about the organisation: 

Blue Cross is a registered animal welfare charity that provides support for pet owners who cannot afford private veterinary treatment, helps to find homes for unwanted animals, and educates the public in the responsibilities of animal ownership

For further information about Blue Cross please visit https://www.bluecross.org.uk/or email Karen Janes karen.janes@bluecross.org.uk

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