NCVO Annual Conference 2012 - Workshops

AM1

Being brave: inspiration from community projects

• Carrie Deacon, Improvement and Innovation Consultant, NCVO
• Alice Casey, Neighbourhood Challenge Programme Manager, NESTA

How can your organisation lead meaningful change in your neighbourhood? In this interactive workshop you will go beyond the theory. Hear practical examples from community organisations that have successfully unlocked potential in their communities to solve their own challenges.

Share which approaches to supporting community led action would work best in your area and how we can make local changes to achieve impact and then build on the existing strengths of our communities. You will come away with simple methods and ideas that will help you innovate in your work.

AM2

A new direction for infrastructure

• Sakthi Suriyaprakasam, Value of Infrastructure team, NCVO
• Rob Macmillan, Research Fellow, Third Sector Research Centre
• Bill Freeman, Director of Services and Business Development, NAVCA

In the current context of funding cuts and the focus on frontline organisations, where do infrastructure or support organisations fit? Join us for a highly interactive workshop that will address key questions for infrastructure groups, including how infrastructure organisations can demonstrate their value effectively, how you work with funders and charities to make the biggest difference and how we can work together differently to shape the future of infrastructure ourselves.

You will have the opportunity to connect with representatives from across the sector to actively discuss and decide how infrastructure can respond to the challenges it is facing.

AM3

**WORKSHOP FULLY BOOKED, THANK YOU

Meaningful strategy

Donald Ritchie, Strategy and Impact Adviser, NCVO

Clear and meaningful strategic direction is vital in challenging times. A strong strategy can ensure that the decisions you make today are in your organisation’s best longterm interests. Meaningful plans can help you to implement change in your organisations, take stakeholders along with that change and build effective cases for support and attracting sustainable funding. This workshop will feature the ‘10 Big Strategy Decisions’, a pioneering approach to charity strategy developed at NCVO, to give you an overview of what a meaningful strategy comprises and an opportunity to grapple with these decisions first hand.

AM4

Get involved in EU funding

• Oliver Henman, Head of the EU and International team, NCVO
• Sandra Turner, ESF Effectiveness Manager, NCVO
• Tamara Flanagan, Director of European & Statutory Funding, CSV

Knowing how and where to secure funding is vital for your organisation’s sustainability. In a time of funding cuts, knowing where to find multiple funding streams is more important than ever.

The merger of NCVO and the Third Sector European Network gives you access to unparalleled expertise in how to influence EU decision-making. This workshop will give you practical knowledge of how to access the European Social Fund and other Brussels-based funding streams alongside local success stories.

AM5

Information exchange through social media

• Madeleine Sugden, Content Manager, KnowHow NonProfit/NCVO
• Paul Webster, Community Connector, MyLearningPool 

Social media is much more than an opportunity for you to share your messages and reach new audiences. It is a gold mine of experts and peers you can learn from in real time. This session will explore how social media channels bring new opportunities for learning and collaboration to your desktop or smart phone. You will hear how to use social media for your own professional development as well as find new ways to work together and share information more effectively.

AM6

Innovative public services in action

• Oliver Reichardt, Head of Public Services and Partnerships, NCVO
• Sam Hopley, Chief Executive, Holy Cross Centre Trust (HCCT) and Timebanking
• Richard Raynes, Director of Operations, Sportinspired
• Jiselle Steele, Regional Team Manager, somewhereto_
• Jennifer Fear, Chief Executive, Step Forward

How do other communities provide public services? See how some organisations are delivering public services differently to build stronger communities and meet local needs. Discuss the challenges of providing public services with people who have innovated successfully. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, learn from other frontline providers and develop solutions to your most fundamental community problems.        

PM1

Navigating the spectrum of partnership working

• Tom Elkins, Manager, Compact Voice
• Oonagh Smyth, Senior Consultant, NCVO
• Philip Kirkpatrick, Partner and joint Head of Charities and Social Enterprise, Bates Wells & Braithwaite

The realities of funding cuts are challenging and often confusing. With less funding available, charities are making tough choices and finding new ways to engage with one another and work together. Engagement can mean a number of different things to different organisations from partnership to collaboration to merger.

This workshop will help you understand the different levels of engagement and what it means to your organisation – from the importance of the Compact in partnership working to the legal implications and technicalities of mergers. Whether or not your organisation is currently engaged in partnership working, having access to the right information and support is essential – sooner rather than later.

PM2

Funding: how to get the big idea

• Laura Smith, Sustainable Funding Manager, NCVO
• Katherine William-Powlett, Innovation Specialist, NCVO
• Beth Courtier, Community Investment Programme Manager, BT MyDonate

A tightening of the belt across the sector calls for an innovative approach to funding. This workshop aims to provide you with the skills necessary to analyse your current income streams, map possible new income sources and understand the relationships with different funders.

You will learn how to identify funding streams and develop fresh ideas for sustainable funding. You will be guided through an innovation process, beginning with the fundamentals of innovation, and finishing with advice on how to build and develop the ideas you need. This workshop will encourage you to think differently about funding and stand out from the crowd.

PM3

**WORKSHOP FULLY BOOKED, THANK YOU

Hot issues in politics and policy

• Karl Wilding, Head of Policy and Research, NCVO
• Nick Wilson Young, Foresight Manager, NCVO
• James Allen, Policy Manager, NCVO

Come and explore a wide range of current political and public policy issues and what they might mean for you and your organisation. This session is for you if you want to gain a greater understanding of your operating environment focusing on the policy context in funding, localism, charity law and regulation or simply have a broad interest in politics, policy and public affairs. Here you will have the opportunity to connect directly with policy and research specialists and ask them the questions that matter to you the most.

PM4

Go Visual!

• Matt Haworth, Digital Media Producer, Reason Digital

Visualisation is a highly effective tool that allows you to convey a lot of dense information over a much shorter period of time. Learn how you can grab your target audience’s attention in an instant and how to break down complex ideas into manageable, highimpact chunks.

In this workshop you will learn how to use print and digital mediums to communicate your organisation’s impact in marketing materials, annual reports and funding bids in new and exciting ways. Regardless of your familiarity with the concept, visualisation is a powerful tool you can add to your storytelling and impact measurement toolbox.

PM5

**WORKSHOP FULLY BOOKED, THANK YOU

Impact: from measurement to leadership

• Richard Piper, Head of Improvement and Innovation, NCVO
• Andrew Barnett, Director, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Impact thinking freshens the lifeblood of your organisation. Done well, it runs right through your organisation bringing shifting attitudes and behaviours, creating innovation, inspiration and dynamism. Done badly, it’s just a bunch of half-useful indicators and rather iffy data that clog up your system. If we start with leadership not measurement, we can end up with stronger and more adaptable organisations.

This interactive session will debunk some myths, explain the five elements of impact and help you make a practical start on Impact Leadership.

PM6

Surviving in the new contracting landscape

Fiona Sheil, Public Service Delivery Officer, NCVO

This expert-led workshop explores the future of contract design, what it means for funding public services and the legal and cultural implications for organisations like yours. Public service contracting is becoming more diverse in both size and structure. With large contracts being broken up and work being passed down supply chains in sub-contracts, you see a number of challenges arising.

If you are involved in contracting , our panel of senior national charity finance directors and civil servants will help you navigate some of the key difficulties, including modelling cash-flows in supply chains and managing the sharing of risk between providers.