Kathryn Cook
Foresight Development Officer (as from March 2010). Previously Foresight and marketing assistant, Third Sector Foresight team
NCVO
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk
Megan 
Natalie
Kathryn says...
I'm interested in changes in the future in technological and environmental areas. Also, shifts in the way people carry out their day to day lives (society as a whole, if you will!). My role as assistant with NCVO Third Sector Foresight was my first one in a 'future' field so I'm looking forward to developing my expertise!
You’d have thought that with the near-frenzy over Copenhagen, climate change has shouldered its way into mainstream alongside issues such as national debt or health provision. But the recent flurry of public mudslinging between ‘climate believers’ and ‘climate deniers’ (Glaciergate and Datagate, to name just two) has shown that it is still a divisive issue. This doesn’t bode well for prospects of decisive, effective action to reduce the impact of climate change, or to prepare society for...
At NCVO's annual conference, Foresight ran a session looking at the Future of Wellbeing.
Great session, stimulating and engaging topic, interactive session with a good balance between academic input and practitioner experience.
Speaker 1
Professor Allister McGregor (from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex) kicked off with his thoughts on 'Does Wellbeing have a future?'
Speaker 2
Nic Marks, founder of the centre for wellbeing at NEF. Download his presentation on the...
We want the support we're offering infrastructure organisations to be as widespread as possible so we're working with a range of partners in various ways.
Training partners
These are infrastructure organisations that we work with to deliver our tailored training for those who work for infrastructure - the training for leaders 'Making sense of your environment' and the training for devleopment workers and those who support the frontline 'Understanding the external environment'.
Who are we...
Apparently a phrase that has currency at the moment is "theory of change". According to Beth Kanter, this term refers to a fairly new way of evaluating the effectiveness of projects by drawing out the underlying assumptions about how they lead to social change. She explains it as:
"The way you do it is to start with the intervention - in this case - social media - and trace it backwards to your proposed social outcome, behavior change, or action as a result of communication. "Useful?...
Interested in this? Have a look at the Future of Wellbeing seminar taking place on 23 February
Katherine, this is a really interesting piece. You mention NEF's 'value of work' focus, but for me Wallis' viewpoint really resonates with NEF's triple crunch work. In this they evaluate what they call the triple crunch of interlinked credit, energy and climate crises. I like the concept of their work: that with our current systems having been found wanting (in quite spectacular fashion), what are the alternatives for what they see as the tripartite base of credit, energy and climate? Andrew ...
It’s the turn of the decade and predictions abound. The Evening Standard recently produced its version: what impact will technology be having on our lives in 2020 ? You’ll be able to control the TV with your mind, play games telepathically, and even have your fridge make your shopping list for you. Sounds like this will all make for a great weekend, but how is it also relevant for your working week?
The Power of your mind
How can using the power of your mind to control machines help you...
There is an interesting discussion taking place on the blog for the upcoming NCVO Campaigns Conference around social media and its role in how people organise themselves. Specifically the people talking on this site are looking at it through the lens of politics and how social media can facilitate engagement with government; but I thought it was relevant to the discussion here around self-organising and how social media facilitates that.
As someone with a long interest in language and how it is used, I am often fascinated by how changes of terminology take place. Suddenly people are using a new term, sometimes to refer to a new concept or approach, but sometimes the new term simply replaces an old one. Well-being is not a new term or even a new concept, but it is certainly being used much more these days, and in different ways too.
I am a great believer in the idea of ‘confluence theory’, the notion that significant changes...
From debates on wellbeing as a political goal, to positive psychology 'wellbeing' is being used more and more. But what does this term mean? And more importantly, perhaps, what does it mean to civil society organisations?
Many charities have wellbeing at the heart of what they do, even if they don't realise it. The sector can play a vital role in this directing this issue to shape society into a good society.
Join us on 23 February for the Future of Wellbeing seminar (PM4) at NCVO's annual...
"Not all content is created equal"
Picking up on Barney's point about advertising, I have been reading a precis of some recent Nielsen surveying around how much people will pay for online content. I will talk about that in a sec, but an interesting side point is that a high percent would be willing to put up with more adverts in order to still get their content for free. Intriguingly, the 'western world' is the least willing to put up with this, no doubt due to our already high level of...
December 2009 saw the release of the latest results from the Charity Forecast survey. One of the key points is that, not surprisingly the main confidence index has mirrored the worsening global economic situation and the confidence of the business sector and general public. The eighth survey, written by Jenny Wilton and Jenny Clark, is out now - it's free for NCVO members and can be found on the NCVO research pages.
The ageing population was a key driver mentioned several times at Intelligence Squared's event The World in 2050. Picked up by both Professor Sarah Harper and Dr Ian Goldin.
Threat of climate change highlighted by Director of Oxford University's James Martin 21st Century School
At an Intelligence Squared event recently, (which yours truly was prevented from attending by the winter lurgy) one of the key speakers, Director Ian Goldin, stated his belief
risks will continue to come from nature... The biggest threat is climate change
Find out more about the event 'The World in 2050'.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt
The Dawn of a New Age?
According to recent research from TrendsSpotting when we emerge, blinking, from the recession we will have become a whole new type of consumer. Their findings evidence the consumer behaviour you might expect in a downturn. What I find particularly interesting is their thesis that this behaviour will become embedded and we will continue to act like that, even if and when the economy recovers. The sceptic in me suspects it actually won't be long before the lessons...
Just a quick note that our next lot of training on strategic analysis is now open for booking! Making sense of the environment: training for leaders and Understanding the external environment: supporting the frontline are being run with Voice 4 Change England, with a BME focus.
When are they? Starting in November, so book your place soon! Read more about it here and book a place here and have a look at our pages about it as well
If you want to grill Guy in person on these and other trends in the technology arena, then book a place on our seminar on 8 December. An afternoon of interaction and thinking, Changing ICT:what will it mean for your organisation?, will be a valuable chance to get to grips with this ever-changing topic.
Read more about the seminar here: (free for Foresight network members!)
What are the other implications of changing information and communications technology, of changing IT for the sector? We think it's vital that organisations put some time aside to think this through so we're holding our next (free) seminar to do just that.
Changing ICT and what it might mean for your organisation is an interactive session where you'll get be able to share ideas and experiences, and come away with some concrete thoughts to feed into your organisational plans.Read more about
The latest findings from the Legacy Foresight’s Legacy Monitor service have been released. This survey benchmarks 38 of the UK’s leading charities, who together account for 44% of the legacies market. Their quarterly benchmarking helps set the scene around legacies and how they are being affected by, for example the recession.
Megan reported on the last quarter, ending that Legacy Foresight expected to see legacy incomes decline by up to 10%.
Well we're not quite at that trough yet! Compared...
Earlier this week we ran a session at the NAVCA annual conference and AGM on 'the future of the relationship between the third sector and local government'. The delegates, from all sorts of CVS and other local infrastructure, did a PEST analysis of their operating environment. Have a look at their thoughts here. These were captured from post-it notes so aren't written out in full but you should be able to get the gist.They also had a bit of fun doing a predictions wall a bit like the
Just the other day the FTSE 100 index hit 5,000 for the first time in nearly a year. As mentioned in our driver, stock market levels are mainly driven by confidence. So does this recent bounce mean we are seeing confidence in the UK stockmarket growing? Breaking the 5000 points barrier led to a fair number of news articles proclaiming the start of the end of the recession. An equal amount of media space has been dedicated to the Kraft takeover bid for Cadburys. Some see take overs (mergers...
One of the key elements of this climate camp was the way they removed any hierarchical structure. Decisions and actions were all made together, with everyone being volunteers. This approach to mass responsibility and communal action reminded me of Roman Krznaric's thoughts on the relationship between climate change and community feeling. I came across his work over 6 months ago when Foresight were holding their climate change seminar and I was thinking and blogging about it. Climate camp...
Research released yesterday positions the older demographic (in the context of our seminar, the X generation) as an attractive element in any workforce. 15,000 workers were surveyed by Talent Q reveals elements such as 'greater social confidence ' in over 50s, and being more autonomous. The report overall paints a positive picture of the older workforce, and suggests that they will be easier to manage and a stabilising influence on a workplace.
If you're interested in this topic, it's worth having a look at http://www.mobilevoter.org/ which
seeks to facilitate the process of civic participation via web and mobile technologies.
You can also hear what he's got to say in a podcast on Netsquared (Sun 27 July)
Sarah's post talks about rising prices; this visualisation shows the way in which what people eat has changed over the years. It's an absorbing insight into how eating habits have changed over time: lard has become less popular, ready-made salads only appeared on the scene recently...Dig a bit deeper and I think the graphic carries messages - the increase in chicken for example could also reflect the growing obsession with fattier foods; the large decline in the popularity of liver - does...
Do you want to help frontline organisations be more sustainable but find yourself short for time?
Then sign up for our Future Focus special offer! Get free bulk copies of these guides to send on to, or use with, the frontline organisations you and your organisation support.
To sign up for this, email futurefocus@ncvo-vol.org.uk Only a few left of Future Focus 1!
Simple but effective
Our Future Focus guides help organisations to be more sustainable and more effective.
NCVO Third Sector Foresight...
Interested in knowing more about how this driver could affect your organisation? Have a look at the latest in our Future Focus series: What will the UK population be like in 5 years' time?
We want you to be able to read and use our website as easily as possible. With this in mind, we are continually improving the accessibility and usability of the website.
How do we define and measure accessibility?
We refer to the guidelines drafted by a working group at the Web Accessibility Initiative part of the international body that runs the web, the W3C.
Colours
Our website is currently working towards the guidelines for colour which say that the contrast ratio between "normal" foreground...
Coming together
There’s been a lot in the news recently about shares and markets, but what about the price of a different type of share? The Eden Project’s recent Big Lunch initiative puts a high value on community sharing. A slightly hamfisted connection there, or one with some credence? Billed as an event ‘to put a smile on Britain's face’, the support for the Big Lunch may have been because of its timing. Several of those commenting (see for example Steve Bridger’s piece) have drawn the...
Hear from your peers who've done strategic analysis
Find out what they thought were the benefits and challenges. Get a feel for how you could do it yourself.
Richard Boyd from Disability Essex talks about the benefits of undertaking strategic analysis for his organisation. Listen here (password: foresight)
Watch the video:
Benefits of Strategic Analysis from Kathryn Cook on Vimeo.
Robert Boyd of Disability Essex, a Foresight network member, talks about how his organisation has benefited from...
Interested in this topic? Have a look at our Future Focus publication What will our volunteers be like in five years' time? How might the changing faces of volunteering, and approaches to volunteering affect your workforce? The voluntary and community sector is heavily dependent on volunteers; what might any shifts in this pool of people mean?
Future Focus 6 on what the UK population will look like in 5 years' time also has some really relevant thoughts. Among other trends, this booklet looks ...
Why bother?
It's a question which pops into all our heads at some point, in relation to a range of things! The answers above hopefully whet your appetite for strategic analysis. If you're wondering how to start, then the cunningly named 'how to' or 'start' sections of this website are useful, but if you like to get your hands on something tangible then have a look at our newly relaunched publication: Looking Out: A practical guide to planning for a changing environment
The focus of Looking...
These are all great suggestions - thanks Rachael and Dominic. You may be aware that our 6th Future Focus has been released into the wider world. Have a look at it here. It's on demographics and developments in population. Let us know your thoughts!
Looking Out has been revised and reprinted, to make it even more approachable and practical for you. Have a look at the new edition here Looking Out contains such nuggets as the 'network wheel', the 'calendar of decision-making' and insight from your peers like 'All charities are bounced along like a cork on a wave...'
Very interesting: http://www.matthewtaylorsblog.com/socialbrain/nudge-nudge-think-think/
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...
Helping leaders in the front line to respond to the challenges of the recession
New resource for infrastructure organisations
A recession is an acid test of leadership ability. As NCVO's Ben Kernighan says, ' ... leaders have to be realists and optimists. A recession is a great test of ability to balance these skills'.
You can now have a free pack for running a workshop designed to help you support frontline organisations to respond most effectively to the recession.
Email us at:
Is new technology undermining the authorial voice and its position of authority? Is media becoming truly democratised? Let’s look at this in the light of a project which exemplifies the latest developments in technology and how works are created.
Jules Peck and Robert Phillips are working on what they call their online Wiki book: *Citizen Renaissance*. A great example of many of the features talked about in this driver: collaborative working, online information as well as the role of the...
There is debate raging over the ‘eco-town’ concept. Matthew Taylor’s article on St Austell’s eco-town on this page is a positive view of a specific eco-town proposal. To my eyes it’s refreshing to read about what an eco-town can bring to a community.
What could they mean for the VCS? It would differ for each town but there are wide ranging opportunities for how the sector could get involved.
For example, with St Austell Matthew talks about ‘Literally replacing pits and waste mountains with...
I’m excited to announce that we’ve been revising Looking Out. Making sure it’s as relevant as ever, we’ve also been looking at the design and layout to make it easier to use.
Have you got a copy? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the old one and then, when it’s been released, the new one!
If you want to get a copy of this new edition on the day it’s released, you can enter a prize draw to win a copy if you book a place at our conference: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/exchange2009
Scenarios are one aspect of ‘future-proofing’ your organisation. We’ve got a key expert in this at our annual conference – Richard Walsh comes from SAMI Consulting, whose lifeblood is helping organisations understand the barriers to developing future thinking and exploring how to overcome these.
Book a place at our conference for a chance to speak to Richard (among many other experts!): www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/exchange2009
One of the proposals brought out in this paper is “Radical innovation for old-age support”. I think this links into the new driver we’ve created exploring the role of telecare.
Would you class this as radical and innovative? Or is it only really a step in the right direction?
What innovation would you like to see in how our older population is cared for?
Strong words Carolyn! Do you think this means that we may see people coming back to work who thought they’d retired? Or working for longer before they retire?
On another topic… I read with interest about The Spirit Level, published last month. In it, the authors argue that it’s not just the poor that suffer from inequality but also the rich. They analyse data to demonstrate that inequality negatively affects rich and poor alike – it is an issue that cuts across income to affect all.
I think we ...
In my experience, caring for someone with dementia is a full time job. I think however flexible an employer is, it is hard for an individual to carry out any level of care for someone with dementia and have a job.
Perhaps an effective way of dealing with this is sabbaticals?
Interested in seeing one of their videos – to decide for yourself? See it on youtube
If you look past some of the more reactionary and inflammatory comments (that you nearly always find in online comments!), there is an interesting dichotomy of viewpoints presented by Leo Hickman (a Guardian journalist/editor) and Peter Melchett (policy director of the Soil Association) on whether or not society is getting engaged with the environmental agenda and what can be done going forward.
(keep an eye out for yours truly on there as well!)
This article is quite long, and focussed on US brands, but raises some interesting points about how companies are using twitter, the benefits and the challenges as well!
External environment training
Infrastructure resource bank
This is a one-stop-shop for you to access documents and tools that support the training we are running. You can download the documents and use them with the organisations that you support, to better develop their understanding of the external environment.
Making sense of your environment: training for leaders
- Course materials for this training (PDF) part 1 and part 2
- Blanks of the templates and tools (Word) as documents so that you can...
Counter-terrorism and civil society
Book now to reserve your place!
Date: 6 March 2009, 12.00 to 2.15 (lunch will be available from 12.00 to 12.30)
Venue: NCVO, London
What are the implications of the 'War on Terror' for civil society? The counter-terrorism measures introduced in many countries can be seen to skate close to civil liberty infringement. How might these pan out in the future?
Join us for this lunchtime seminar to explore the impact of these measures on civil society in countries...
Getting involved
“Museums only fully develop their potential for action when they are actually involved in the major problems of contemporary society”.
Words written by Czech museologist Jan Jelink in 1975, but that still hold true today. As brought out by Natalie in her comment here and her news post, there is growing dialogue around the role of museums in the society of the future.
Here I want to bring to your attention one embodiment of these institutions that I have not seen elsewhere: the ...
The changing economic landscape
14 March 2005
This seminar looked at the impact of economic trends on citizens, consumers and VCOs and discussed the outlook for the public finances after the 2005 election
Changing regulation and perceptions of risk
29 September 2005
This seminar looked at how the avoidance of blame shapes regulation and risk management and VCS attitudes and experiences of regulation.
Strategy renewal during periods of growth
17 October 2005 - with the Performance Hub
This strategy seminar discussed strategy renewal or the evolution of an organisation during periods or growth.
The implications of local government reform for the VCS
6 September 2006
This seminar explored the implications of local government reform for the voluntary sector.
Compete or collaborate? A strategic choice
16 October 2006 - with the Performance Hub
This seminar explored how VCOs make strategic decisions about their relationships. It also looked at the ethics and perceptions of competition and collaboration in the VCS.
Picture this: Foresight and scenario planning in practice
23 January 2007 - with the Performance Hub
This seminar explored the challenges and benefits of scenario planning and other future visioning exercises in practice.
From scanning to planning
21 February 2007 - at the NCVO Annual conference
This session explored the skills and processes involved in scanning the external environment, analysing the impact of external trends and constructing future scenarios.
Futures for civil society: ideas, implications and action
17 July 2007 - Third Sector Foresight annual conference
This event discussed possible futures for civil society and identified actions we can take to diminish possible future threats and take advantage of emerging opportunities.
The impact of new technologies on the VCS
15 November 2007
This seminar featured a series of short presentations from a panel of ‘experts’ followed by delegate discussion on the implications of new technologies in key areas for VCOs such as: fundraising; membership; campaigning; and public service delivery.
The future of citizenship
17 January 2008
The seminar explored how notions and definitions of citizenship might change in the future. A presentation by the Henley Centre Headlight Vision based on a report produced for the DCA on the future of citizenship in 2026 provided the background to the seminar. The report also contains four potential scenarios for how notions of citizenship in the UK might change in 2026; these were the subject of our discussion.
The impact of an economic slowdown on the VCS
22 July 2008
With the credit crunch the topic on the edge of everyone’s lips, we decided that the next in our series of Foresight seminars would look at the impact of an economic slowdown on the VCS. The seminar aimed to help VCOs explore some of the challenges that this would present for their organisation, as well as the opportunities (yes there are some!). The emphasis of the seminar was on preparing for changes ahead through better, more...
To drift or set anchor? Long term strategies to steer you through the funding environment
6 July 2006 - with the Performance Hub
This seminar explored how voluntary and community organisations can be strategic in spite of a challenging funding environment.
The implications of the Pensions Commission report for the voluntary and community sector
27 January 2006
This event looked at the demographic challenge facing the UK, the recommendations of the Pensions Commission and the implications of pensions' reform for VCOs.
Blended value and social investment - new approaches to VCS funding
3 April 2006
This event explored the blended value proposition – the idea that all organisations produce a blend of economic, social and environmental value, in relation to VCOs and social investment.
Whose strategy is it anyway? The costs and benefits of involving stakeholders
15 May 2006 - with the Performance Hub
This seminar debated the value, benefits, costs and risks of involving stakeholders in developing strategy.
What's the future for the VCS with the cloud of climate change looming? Are there opportunities as well as threats?
On 5 March 2009, Stephen Hale, Director of Green Alliance 
and Dr Nicholas Watts from London Metropolitan University 
led an interesting debate on what climate change means and how this may impact on the voluntary and community sector (VCS).
There were delegates from an interesting mixture of organisations, not just environmental organisations, from London Funders to Bassac. If...
Alive and Kicking: creating successful strategies
11 December 2008
I hadn't been to one of these conferences before but will definitely come again.
If you're responsible for stategic decisions within your organisation, this event was for you! An inspiring, hands-on day, it gave the range of delegates the opportunity to get their organisations fit for the future, arm themselves with tips and planning tools and discover new ideas to revitalise their strategy.
A special Foresight member benefit was ...
Climate change is a complex issue which can seem overwhelming and possibly irrelevant to voluntary and community sector organisations. However it does have implications that could affect your organisation.
Have you thought about how it may impact on your organisation or those who use your services?
- Climate change will shift global population movements. Increasing numbers of ‘environmental refugees’ could change the demographics in communities as well as lead to greater demand on services....
We’ll be putting some follow up from this event in our events section shortly but in the meantime I thought this was a good quote to contemplate:
“The millennials, along with everything else happening around them, represent a seismic shift in values and behaviour that is less about a narrowly defined demographic and more to do with abolishing the notion of the traditional consumer. They are creating a new kind of economic force.” I like this idea of an ‘economic force’: something positive to ...
That we have entered a UK recession is a certainty, but that doesn’t make it easy to plan for because there remains a great deal of uncertainty about the shape that the downturn will take, as explored in this article in the McKinsey Quarterly (free registration required).
Uncertainty surrounds not only the downturn’s depth and duration—though these are decidedly big unknowns—but also the very future of a global economic order until recently characterized by free-flowing capital and trade and...
The Pre-Budget report published by the Treasury last Monday outlines a number of changes to try and kick-start the economy, and provide a buffer from further misfortune. You can read various reations to the pre-budget report here:
How small businesses have benefitted
What the Pre-Budget means for your region
And a bit of a green tint on it: policy think tank Green Alliance’s response has some interesting comments on the...
Each month for our bulletin we ask a member for their insight into challenges and opportunities facing the VCS (voluntary and community sector).
As a Christmas treat, we thought we'd turn the tables a bit this month and give you insights into us!
Unless you've come on training or events we've organised, chances are you won't have met any of the Foresight team. For the last month or so we've had a member of another organisation sitting with us as part of our work with subsectoral organisations. ...
Here’s a tip about some more support for you…
If you’ve been on our training that we’ve been running in Yorkshire and the Humber then you will already know about this site. And you’ll know that if you do come on the training we offer, you get access to your own special section of the website for even more tailored and interactive support!
Richard, we’ve started putting our thoughts together on this in our driver on the ‘Changing nature of community leadership’ – have you had a look at that? You can add your comments or findings on this to the driver.
Two points struck me reading this.
One is that Rhoda’s comment brings up that age-old debate over whether centralisation of services is a good thing. In any sphere, pooling resources and knowledge can strengthen the services provided and widen the reach and efficacy of the both the services and the providers. But, it reduces competition, and it reduces choice. In a worst-case scenario this has the obvious and undesirable effect of reducing the quality of service provided.
It places the power ...
The Pre-Budget report published by the Treasury yesterday outlines a number of changes to try and kick-start the economy, and provide a buffer from further misfortune. To find out more about these and how they might impact on the economy and on your organisation, have a look at the following links:
How small businesses have benefitted
What the Pre-Budget means for your region
And a bit of a green tint on it: policy think tank
Individual freewill and autonomy have become important social values. Notions around self-reliance and personal responsibility are growing, linked in with a more complex definition of personal identity – how we define ourselves in relation to others. Faced with diverse and contradictory opinions, ideologies, faiths, sub-cultures and communities, people are less willing to conform to narrowly defined identities and to express more fluid personalised needs and preferences.
What are the...
Economic concerns are slipping into everything these days. At a marketing conference I went on recently, the credit crunch was one of the first things talked about in a session on how charities can get themselves noticed. Not the most obvious linkup? For me, it underlined how vital it is to be aware of changes in the external environment such as economic shifts and to think through their implications for your organisation. I’m not sure I would have immediately considered the recession when...
NCVO / Carnegie UK Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society
‘Bridging’ Social Capital Free Seminar Series
Intergenerational connections
Date: 20 October 2008
Time: 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Venue: NCVO, London
The next seminar in the ‘Bridging Social Capital’ series will be looking at how connections can be made across generations and the value of this for society. What is intergeneration practice? What are the opportunities and benefits from fostering better understanding across generations? Key speakers...
Strategic planning tips competition
This website is all about sharing ideas and knowledge – adding your comments and thoughts on all elements of strategic analysis. Now you’ve got the chance to do this and win a prize!
Do you have a top tip for strategic analysis? Share it with us and win a free second place at the Alive and Kicking conference!
Book your own place before Friday 10 October and email foresight@ncvo-vol.org.uk your top strategic planning tip along with your booking form or a copy...
See what charity leaders think about the economic climate (among other issues). NCVO’s third Charity Forecast report will be launched on 6th October. It is based on a survey of over 200 charity leaders – Chief Executives and Trustees – and shows their plans and confidence for the next 12 months.
(The report costs £100 (£25 for NCVO members) and you can also buy a subscription to four issues of the report for £200, or £50 for NCVO members).
Date: Tuesday 18 November 2008
Time: 2:00 – 5:00pm
Venue: Room 1, NCVO, Regent’s Wharf, 8 All Saint’s Street, London, N1 9RL
NCVO’s Conference Suite is fully wheelchair accessible. Teas and coffees on arrival
What is ‘Generation Y’? How are they different to ‘Generation X’? You may have heard these terms being used; now come and talk about their implications for the VCS. Come and discuss different generations in the paid workforce and hear some thought-provoking presentations from experts in...
Date: 29 September 2008
Time: 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Venue: NCVO, London
Véronique has added details of the third seminar in the 'Bridging Social Capital' series to our driver on multiculturalism and social cohesion policies. To get a feel for this series and the engaging discussions that have taken place at the events, have a look at the report for the first seminar on building bridges.
Run by NCVO and the Carnegie UK Trust Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society in the UK & Ireland, the free seminar...
Date: 9 October 2008
Time: 12:00 - 2:15pm
Venue: NCVO, London
Véronique has added details to our driver on public participation in decision making about a forthcoming event on this issue. The lunchtime seminar is the second in a series organised by NCVO and the ESRC NGPA programme to stimulate discussion and debate, drawing together knowledge and promote learning on civil society.
This seminar is looking at shifts in governance and how voluntary and community organisations and other civil...
Want your organisation to stay ahead of the game?
Need help to work out what you want to do?
Come to our conference!
Alive and Kicking: Creating successful strategies
Date: 11 December 2008, 10:00 - 17:00
This conference will help you lead your organisation confidently into the future, more on-mission and proactive.
If you’re responsible for strategic decisions within your organisation, sign up for our conference to spend an inspiring, hands-on day. You’ll have the opportunity to get fit for the...
Our NCVO Third Sector Foresight seminar on 18 November will be looking at one aspect of this – the workforce. Speakers including Jo Causon (director of marketing and corporate affairs at the Chartered Management Institute) and Richard Worsley (co-director of the Tomorrow Project) will be putting forward their thoughts about elements of age and workforce, the implications of different generations and what they bring to the world of work.
The interaction between technology and work is another...
Attitudes of different generations to each other are shifting. Younger people face increasing demonisation resulting from negative media coverage and a perception of threat; there is a decreasing tolerance of anti-social behaviour and the UK population is ageing. In addition, people supporting both their children and parents face increasing financial pressures, and the rising stress on the welfare state, due to increasing needs for care and pensions, puts increasing burdens on workers. ...
Second part of two training sessions for chief executive officers and chairs of infrastructure organisations. Run by NCVO Third Sector Foresight as part of Capacitybuilders Improving Support programme with partners the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Cass Business School and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Forum.
Date: 30 October 2008
Time: 5.30pm - 7.30pm
Venue: Danum Hotel,Doncaster High Street
Bogged down in day to day problems with no time to look ahead?
Need help working out what's...
First part of two training sessions for chief executive officers and chairs of infrastructure organisations.
Run by NCVO Third Sector Foresight as part of Capacitybuilders Improving Support programme with partners the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Cass Business School and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Forum.
Date: Wednesday 8 October 2008
Time: 8.00am-10.00am
Venue: Danum Hotel,Doncaster High Street
Bogged down in day to day problems with no time to look ahead?
Need help working out...
You may have seen some of the media surrounding the Policy Exchange’s recent report Cities Unlimited. The authors Tim Leunig and James Swaffield have had outraged reactions to what people have seen as their recommended 'abandonment' of northern cities. Delve a little deeper into their report however and it contains food for thought. The authors look at the past development of cities, the government’s regeneration plans and whether these will create the future cities the government wants....
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...
CES National performance programme strategic planning courses
6/7 October Birmingham
6/7 November York
25/26 November Cambridge
For an organisation an important element of analysing and being fit for the future is strategic planning. It is the 'now what' step of responding to environmental change. The Charities Evaluation Service are running courses on strategic planning, for development workers in infrastructure organisations. Read the thoughts of one of our Foresight Officers, Caroline, who...
Achieving together
Date: 22 October 2008, 10:00 - 16:00
Venue: Hamilton House, London
This conference looks at the strengths of collaborative working as well as what this means in reality. How can your organisation work effectively with others? Speakers such as Dr Siv Vangen, Senior Lecturer in Management from the Open University could shed light on this issue for you. Of particular interest for Foresight network members may be the session on Web 2.0 technologies as tools to build...
An independent and thriving voluntary and community sector
Date: 7 November 2008, 10:15 - 18:30
Venue: Midland Hotel, Manchester
This is the first national NCVO/GMCVO Autumn Conference and it will be a celebration of the strengths and roles of the Voluntary and Community Sector in society. It offers a wide range of interesting workshops where you will be able to contribute your views, hear from others and network as well as the chance to hear sector experts speak.
A taster of the workshops:
- On ...
Date: Monday 6 October 2008
Time: 09.30 to 17.00
Venue:The Brewery London
If you sit on or work with voluntary sector boards being aware of future trends which might impact on your organisation is essential. However, there are many other aspects of such a role. The NCVO and OnBoard Trustee Conference will be exploring a variety of approaches to improving board effectiveness. It will provide delegates with a broad overview of the key issues affecting boards, and look at fresh strategies and...
Date: 9-10 September 2008
Venue: University of Warwick
This conference runs over two-days providing academics, researchers and practitioners within voluntary and community organisations with a unique opportunity to share and discuss ideas. The conference will include thought-provoking plenary lectures and a wide-ranging set of parallel sessions to allow maximum opportunity for debate and learning.
This year’s conference will be exploring a wide range of topics such as:
- the voluntary sector’s...
"Congratulations on your excellent publication ‘Future Focus 1’, which communicated a potentially complex subject with impressive clarity."
Future Focus is a series of introductory pocket guides to help organisations understand important trends that may impact on them in the future.
They are aimed at small and medium sized VCOs, but should provide a useful analysis for all VCOs interested in their external environment.
There are eight guides within this series:
NCVO Third Sector Foresight produces a range of free and paid for resources which analyse the drivers (trends and forces) shaping the future of the VCS and help VCOs to develop effective strategies in response.
Latest publications
Voluntary Sector Strategic Analysis 09/10For all resources around specific themes visit:
"It's good to see technology foresight starting from social benefits rather than latest tools"
How can your organisation take advantage of the strategic opportunities that ICT presents? How will it face the challenges? Our ICT Foresight reports help you answer these questions.
Come to our seminar on changing ICT and what it means for the sector and get the chance to hear some experts speak, share your thoughts, and ask questions!
Public Services
Published: April 2008.
This report looks at...
Britain has long been culturally and ethnically diverse, although this varies across the country. As global population movements become more frequent, the UK is likely to become more diverse in future. British society is increasingly tolerant of diversity and multiculturalism. In 2005, 62% of the population said they believed multiculturalism makes Britain a better place to live [1]. In attempts to value difference, the Government has introduced policies that emphasise multiculturalism and...
ICT generates, aggregates and stores data. For example, an online search or email automatically leaves a data trail, unlike a phone or face-to-face conversation, the results of which would take additional effort to record. Therefore, the amount of personal information that others hold on us is growing, and many are concerned about what they see as a dangerous lack of awareness or concern about this amongst the general public. ICT is increasingly being used to develop in-depth profiles of...
