There's a new Sheriff in town and she's taking over Pro Bono OR

Hi all,

Just to let you know, I will be the new face of Pro Bono OR, taking over from Felicity McLeister. I’m aware that I have some big shoes to fill, following in the footsteps of Fliss, but as she moves onto another role within the organisation I will do my best to sustain the progress that Pro Bono continues to make.   

I am joining the team with a new head to OR. My experience includes events and project management within the third sector, here in the UK and internationally. Following the completion of my Masters in International Relations Global Security and Development, I moved to Australia to work for a charity which concentrated on building sustainable communities in Uganda. Upon my return to the UK I worked for a national charity for 2 years, setting up and delivering a government youth programme. I can see that OR can be used in any sector, but OR is both a want and a need within the third sector to those with charitable aims. I am looking forward to seeing Pro Bono OR help make improvements which are both transparent and sustainable.

As business continues as usual, don't forget to get your ticket to the Analytics Summit on 15th June, 9am-5pm, IET, London. Speakers include Charles Kennelly, Claire Thompson and Peter Wells. Go to the website to purchase your ticket and find out more information  http://www.analytics-events.co.uk/ #GetInvolved

JEC Professional Services is offering 5 free days consultancy a to 3rd Sector organisation

John Eary, a pro bono O.R. volunteer, set up JEC Professional Services 5 years ago to provide informed, impartial advice on new ways of working. To celebrate this anniversary, and to encourage the take up of new ways of working, he is offering 5 free days of his consultancy time, excluding travel expenses at cost. This offer is open to registered charities and other not-for-profit organisations.

Click this link Free consultancy for New Ways of Working for more information.

Further information about agile working can be read on John's LinkedIn blog 

Pro Bono O.R. - some important information

I have a few requests as well as some important information to pass on.

Firstly the South West O.R. group (part of The OR Society) has asked if Pro Bono O.R. would give a talk at one of its events in late Feb/early March.  As well as giving an overview of the scheme I am looking for a couple of volunteers who could talk for 15 minutes about why they joined the scheme and about a project they are working on/have worked on (what they have/are doing) and the impact it has.  The event will be in Cardiff at 5:45pm on either a Tuesday or Wednesday.  Please let me know by the end of November if you'd be interested (travel expenses will be covered).  

Additionally The OR Society has other Regional Society Groups across the country as well as Special Interest Groups (SIGS) who would be interested to hear from volunteers, please get in touch if you would be happy to present at one of these groups (pleased note you do not need to be a member of The OR Society).

Secondly I have created a LinkedIn group for volunteers and those interested in Pro Bono O.R. https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=8422271&trk=my_groups-tile-grp Please do sign up, the purpose of the group is to provide a space for updates, discussion, support, advice and to for members to post relevant information.

Thirdly please do share the news about Pro Bono O.R., both to analytical professionals who might want to get involved and to third sector organisations you may have connections with.  We just completed our 40^th project this week and the scheme continues to go from strength to strength.  If you do have connections with a third sector organisation who you think would benefit from Pro Bono O.R. support please do get in touch and I can pass on an information pack.


Lastly, I’d just like to say a big thank you for your continued support of the scheme. The feedback I get from both volunteers and the organisations we work with is overwhelmingly positive – the time you give really does make a huge difference!

Impact measurement news (workshop, blog and tweet chat)

Impact measurement Impact measurement is a big talking point at the moment.  I've come across a workshop and a blog that may be of interest to you.  Additionally Pro Bono O.R. will be taking part in a tweet chat on this topic. Workshop: Methods for Change are holding a workshop on Monday 9th November from 1:45pm -4:45pm which will focus on how to use questionnaires for impact evaluation.  The details can be found here. Blog: The National Institute of Economic and Social Research published a blog: 'Evaluating impact in the social sector: a practical perspective' which may be of interest. Pro Bono O.R. have also been invited to participate in Charity Hour on Wednesday 21st October from 8-9pm.  The topic of the tweet chat will be 'Impact Measurement.' The tweet chat is hosted by @CharityHourUK and you can join the tweet chat by using the hashtag #charityhour.  All input would be appreciated from both Pro Bono O.R. volunteers and charity leaders who have experience in this area. The latest Pro Bono O.R. newsletter will be out shortly.  It's been an incredibly busy and successful year for Pro Bono O.R. so I look forward to sharing the news with you. If you would like to receive Pro Bono support or sign up as a Pro Bono O.R. volunteer please visit the website. Thank you for all your support of the scheme. Felicity McLeister Pro Bono O.R. Project Manager