Gaining strategic insight - latest complete #ProBonoOR project

Last year two #ProBono O.R. volunteers who worked for GORS (Government Operational Research Service) started a project with St Michael's Fellowship.

The charity wanted to be able to gain strategic insights from its data.  The two volunteers spent 18 days over a period of 10 months working with St Michael's Fellowship to achieve this outcome.

Below is a case study slide that summarizes the project.

For more information about Pro Bono O.R. visit: www.theorsociety.com/probono 

New #ProBonoOR project: 'Understanding our audience'

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

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme operated by The OR Society that places professional analysts in short term projects with third sector organisations in the UK. 

Projects require skilled professionals who work in operational research, analytics or related professions.  If you have the skills required for a project, we’d love to hear from you.

Please find details of a new project below that we are seeking a volunteer(s) for:

The Theatre Chipping Norton

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

We exist to ‘promote, maintain, improve and advance education and the encouragement of the arts for the public, particularly the inhabitants of Chipping Norton, its surrounding areas and children within these areas.

Main activities of the organisation: 

Presenting theatre, cinema, screens, dance, music, comedy to the public. Our Take Part department includes 2 youth theatre groups every night of the week plus holiday workshops and 13 regular weekly sessions for young people and adults. We also produce an annual pantomime that is renowned in the UK as being the home of traditional panto, along with 2 other ‘HomeGrown’ shows. Recently these shows have undertaken tours of the UK, we have co-produced with other venues, and have transferred a show into London for a 2.5 week run this Summer.

Project summary:

Project: To understand our audience, locate more audience to reach out to, to build our resilience and sustainability into the future.

Time commitment: approx. 3-5 days

Location: The Theatre, OX7 5NL, but we are happy to also communication via phone/email etc.

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 Monday 17^th October.

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 can facilitate this. 

I 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  

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Volunteer(s) required: Market Segmentation and Analysis for Training Course

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme operated by The OR Society that connects professional analysts with short term projects in third sector organisations in the UK. 

Projects require skilled professionals who work in operational research, analytics or related professions. If you have the skills required for a project, we’d love to hear from you.

Please find details of a new project below that we are seeking a volunteer(s) for.

Redbridge CVS

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:
To support the local voluntary sector.

Main activities of the organisation:
Weekly newsletter, website, bi-monthly magazine, training, fundraising advice, Volunteer Centre, development advice, health awareness and fitness projects, representing sector with public sector partners, room hire.

Project summary:

Project: Market Segmentation and Analysis for Training Courses: Analyse training course booking data in order to better understand and segment our potential market.

Time commitment: approx. 3 days


Location: This project can be carried out REMOTELY. Ilford, IG1 1BA

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 Friday 2^nd September (please not the deadline has been extended due to annual leave over the summer holiday).


Please note this project is suitable for an individual or pair of analysts. 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 with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.


I 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  

Follow me on  twitter and LinkedIn 

Volunteer(s) required: Market Segmentation and Analysis for Training Course

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme operated by The OR Society that connects professional analysts with short term projects in third sector organisations in the UK. 

Projects require skilled professionals who work in operational research, analytics or related professions. If you have the skills required for a project, we’d love to hear from you.

Please find details of a new project below that we are seeking a volunteer(s) for.

Redbridge CVS

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:
To support the local voluntary sector.

Main activities of the organisation:
Weekly newsletter, website, bi-monthly magazine, training, fundraising advice, Volunteer Centre, development advice, health awareness and fitness projects, representing sector with public sector partners, room hire.

Project summary:

Project: Market Segmentation and Analysis for Training Courses: Analyse training course booking data in order to better understand and segment our potential market.

Time commitment: approx. 3 days


Location: This project can be carried out REMOTELY. Ilford, IG1 1BA

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 Friday 2^nd September (please not the deadline has been extended due to annual leave over the summer holiday).


Please note this project is suitable for an individual or pair of analysts. 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 with the support of a mentor please do specify in your application and I can try to arrange this.


I 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  

Follow me on  twitter and LinkedIn 

New projects with Pro Bono

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

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme operated by The OR Society that places professional analysts in short term projects with third sector organisations in the UK. 

Projects require skilled professionals who work in operational research, analytics or related professions.  If you have the skills required for a project, we’d love to hear from you.

Please find details of a new project below that we are seeking a volunteer(s) for:

Volunteer Centre Sutton

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: to advance education, protect health, relieve poverty, sickness and distress.

Main activities of the organisation:  See project scope.

Project summary:

Project: Analysing a Prescribed Volunteering Programme: Determining a spreadsheet model to be used for data collection and analysis as part of a project to assess the health benefits of volunteering.

Time commitment: approx. 5 days

Location:  Sutton SM1 1SJ (Mix of onsite and offsite meeting)

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 Thursday 2^nd June.

Islington Play Association (IPA)

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives to advance education of children and young adults in Islington and the surrounding area by offering appropriate play and learning facilities.

Main activities of the organisation: 

·        Campaigning for children’s right and freedom to play

·        Direct delivery of 6 adventure playgrounds and a children's centre in Islington

·        Support play providers in Islington

·        Dissemination of good practice

Project summary:

Project: Evidencing the adventure playgrounds' success: Harnessing the ability to accurately record visitor numbers to the adventure playgrounds, an essential measure of their success.

Time commitment: approx. 2-4 weeks depending on availability

Location:  Various sites across Islington

Note: This project would suit a team of junior analysts or students who could investigate the different playgrounds.

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 Thursday 2^nd June.

I 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/Pages/Probono/Probono.aspx

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Pro Bono and Software

Guest blog from Jon Tecwyn, Department of Energy and Climate Change

I have recently joined the steering committee for the Pro Bono O.R. scheme – a project which partners O.R. analysts with third sector organisations to provide free consultancy for a range of operational improvements and strategic planning projects. Projects generated so far have ranged from dog modelling to simulating shift patterns, measuring impact to supporter donation process mapping.

A variety of analytical and modelling techniques have been used so far, including:

·       discrete event simulation,

·       statistical analysis/data mining,

·       forecasting,

·       process modelling,

·       system dynamics.

My first suggestion as part of the committee was that we should provide O.R. analysts partaking in projects with an evolving list of software / tools which may help to solve different types of problem. These tools could be useful not only for those working on our 3^rd sector projects but OR Society members looking to develop their all-round “O.R. toolkit”.

The list so far includes 14 tools across a range of areas:

·       Statistical analysis (e.g. PSPP, R)

·       Data visualisation (e.g. Vizable)

·       Programming languages (e.g. Python, Ruby)

·       Databases (e.g. PostGres, PostGIS)

·       Simulation (SimPy)

·       Mapping software (e.g. MapsData)

 MapsData: Mapping car crashes in the UK

(Source: http://www.mapsdata.co.uk/wp-content/themes/inquiron/images/accident-heat.jpg)

The list is ever-evolving and we would welcome further contributions or to hear about any tools or software you have successfully used in the past. Ideally the software should be free to use. The list can be accessed here 

Please email any suggestions to felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com.

If you want to find out more about volunteering for a project more information on the scheme is available here: http://www.theorsociety.com/probono