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What are we learning so far from the customer diagnostic process?

Here our BIG Assist Customer Consultant, Julie Ward, shares her thoughts and findings. Its been four months since I joined the BIG Assist team to look after the customer process and I thought you may be interested to hear some of my thoughts about my experiences and what we as a team have been learning from the review calls. The first real point of learning for me was the sheer number and variety of infrastructure organisations that exist. I had expected CVSs/volunteer centres/rural community councils but not the variety of specialist national and regional organisations offering services to their members/beneficiaries. One organisation that really impressed me was Mental Health NE (MHNE) they are a coalition of third sector organisations that provide mental health services in the north east of England. MHNE have over 350 members and offer them a variety of quality services with only 4 paid staff, a team of volunteers and an income of around 100K. BIG Assist has awarded them vouchers to look at their on-going financial sustainability and identify any areas in which they may be able to generate income. They have also been awarded vouchers to enable them to develop a marketing strategy which will help them target their message to different audiences. Like many specialist infrastructure organisations MHNE do deliver some frontline projects (direct to individuals) in the field of mental health but their primary focus is supporting their members and working with them. This leads me nicely onto my next point. To deliver direct or not to deliver direct that is the question? This is probably an issue that infrastructure organisations have always grappled with but as their core funding becomes more and more squeezed or seems about to disappear completely it is becoming an even more pertinent debate. Our conversations are identifying organisations that have come down on both sides of the fence and many that are sitting on it. I have encountered organisations that would rather close than take on noninfrastructure type services that would put them into completion with their members and not allow them to be a representative voice. Others are happy to develop projects delivered directly to individuals where they see there is a gap in provision. (Perhaps because a member has shut down?) Often these are in partnership with a beneficiary or they have the aim to hand the project over once it is established. Others are more pragmatic about the need to fund their core services and see direct provision in an area where they have expertise as potentially the only way to pay for a much needed but un-funder friendly infrastructure service. I am interested to know where do you sit on this? My third point that I want to emphasise is the resilience of infrastructure - many of you have already gone through multiple rounds of change and restructure yet are constantly looking to re-invent yourselves and re-design services. Two CVS type organisations we recently reviewed are, for different reasons, looking to change the focus of their organisation to community based community development activities. In one case this will involve the re-training of existing staff (something that BIG Assist will be helping with) the other will be TUPING over the councils Community Development team and gaining a huge amount of expertise in that area so BIG Assist will be offering support in other areas. What we have identified as a problem though is that some organisations(mainly because of capacity) are not involving their members enough in setting the strategic direction for their organisations and this is another area where BIG Assist can offer external support to enable this to happen.

Impact - most infrastructure organisations believe they are effective and create a positive impact through their work. However many highlighted in conversation the continued challenges to demonstrate and communicate this impact particularly as they move towards or are delivering commissioned services. Impact is an area where I know some of you have real expertise and I think your peers would really benefit from visiting you so if you think you have cracked demonstrating impact or are at least well on the way then please do register to host a visit. As well as a chance to help other IOs there is the added incentive that hosts are paid! The area in which BIG Assist makes most of their awards is Financial Sustainability(although you probably didnt need me to tell you that) Many infrastructure organisations are looking to move to trading and some have innovative ideas but lack of capacity/resources to carry them through again the programme can offer opportunities for external support. We have also found that were trading is more advanced or products/services or projects are growing, marketing is a key area of need especially in market research and communicating with a new market. The final point of learning I would like to share is how many of you are telling me how valuable you find the review process. That it enables you to take time out, to be reflective and you value the input from a fresh pair eyes. Thats generally a service you offer to your members/beneficiaries but not something you all have enough opportunities to do yourselves. In the majority of cases organisations are able to identify their areas of need but the consultant can often help with suggesting solutions, pointing in different directions or where there are a number of areas of need helping with prioritising. So if you are infrastructure and you havent yet engaged with BIG Assist what are you waiting for? What do you have to lose?

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