Strategy News [2]
Is this the new direction of [party] membership?
GP Sarah Wollaston was yesterday elected as the Conservative candidate for the Totnes seat currently held by Anthony Steen.
But it was not so much her election as the manner in which it took place that is interesting: Wollaston was elected through a postal ballot open to everyone on the electoral register for the constituency.
<>A back of the envelope (groan) calculation suggests that around 16,500 people voted, in other words just under a quarter of those eligible to do so. Whilst therefore...How do leaders view the future?
Like a ship in troubled waters
<>The 5th Charity Forecast survey results have been released by NCVO. The survey is a ‘confidence/trends’ survey. This survey looks at the opinions of charity leaders - chief executives and trustees - on a variety of topics, particularly looking at finances, staffing, campaigning and other issues in their own organisations and their opinions on wider issues such as the state of the sector and its relationship with government. This particular survey was conducted...
Scenarios for policy making process and the public policy agenda in five years time (2014)
What impact would a re-elected Labour Government or a new Conservative one have on your organisation? What would the effects of this be combined with a short, sharp recession or a long, deep one? How would these possible changes affect the way your organisation develops and influences policy as well as the environment in which you operate?
<>The potential implications of a change of government and a recession are explored in these four scenarios which were developed with members of the <>NCVO...Does good decision making in a recession require a culture change?
We would probably all agree that leading an organisation through the current recession presents significant challenges. But do these challenges require a similar method and culture of decision-making, or is a change required?
This interesting article from the US Nonprofit Quarterly argues that boards do indeed need to rethink their skills and culture in order to steer organisations effectively through financial crisis.
<>The article begins with a case study of an organisation that, although...The latest Foresight seminar: X and Y
In this time of economic uncertainty, it is more vital than ever that you have a committed, effective workforce. Recruiting is a costly business, which no-one wants to have to do too often!
Do you understand what may impact on workforce in the future? What external trends and forces can change the shape of your workforce? This awareness and planning is key to attracting and retaining a workforce that will enable your organisation to realise its full potential.
<>This NCVO Third Sector Foresight...An invitation to help local government prepare for tomorrow today
Local services to the public in the 21st century
The LGA and the Government Horizon Scanning Centre have started a wiki inviting contributions on how local services can meet the needs of the public in the 21st century. Keep an eye on this as it promises to be a rich resource, pulling together knowledge and ideas from those involved in both futures work and local and public services.
<>Their hopes for this website may well look familiar with those of you who use the NCVO Third Sector Foresight...The Future Face of Enterprise
Anyone else ready to jump on the enterprise bandwagon? Dragons Den is trying to make entrepreneurs of everyone, enterprise has now entered the national curriculum, and everywhere I turn, it seems that organisations within the sector are embracing enterprise with a gusto usually reserved for voting on Britain’s got Talent. The capacitybuilders programme has recently announced a £6million investment in social enterprise, and Gordon Brown aims that ‘enterprise is truly open for all’’.
<>Rela...
The future of museums
Museums are not normally something people necessarily think about as being part of the VCS but there are actually 1, 118 independent museums in the UK which are registered charities according to this year’s Civil Society Almanac. That’s why this blog post by Andrew Curry from the Henley Centre Headlight Vision on the future of museums caught my eye. The current model of the museum itself, he points out is:
<><>“…about 150 years old [and] basically consists of a building with some stuff in it,...How do sector leaders feel about the future 3 months on?
Today NCVO has published the second round of its new Charity Forecast report which reveals the confidence levels and plans of sector leaders. As future change is partly based on present intentions, the report provides valuable information to inform strategic plans; revealing trends in collaboration and competition and how VCOs are feeling about the funding environment and the economy.
