How do you explain the impact of an organisation across a year, across varied types of activities, succinctly? So often working in outside advisory roles you get the the point of definition but not working through the process of actually putting an impact framework into practice. I just coordinated a group of people doing it. It was hard but a great team effort.
But then… the questions and inferences it raises can be more than the data able to tell us. Now trying to create an additional top line narrative of what can and cannot be said from the data.
Writing a policy and protocol for how to put a social investment strategy into practice.
More transitions: the liminal space in between two organisations and trying to influence at the exact right time before the opportunity is missed.
Managing people again: forgot how nice it is to build relationships in this way. Enjoying how quickly you can build a bond with people.
I feel like I have read everything and nothing. The last few months have been a blur.
27 October 2023
Things I have been working on
The event came (with last minute fire fighting) and went REALLY well. People enjoyed the chance to come together, talk about transport, be inspired by the ideas and practices of others. Next week we need to reflect, work out next steps.
Starting a new role as a temporary manager. Getting stuck into tasks, waiting for people to get back from holiday so other things can happen. Trying to be useful.
Filing my accounts for last year (getting confused, making mistakes, asking for help)
Talking to people about transitions: how to use the work of an organisation that is changing scope and status to inform the policy of the new, larger organisation. How to do that in the interim period when the full mandate is not yet set, but you don’t want to lose momentum for what has been built.
Event prep: supporting speakers to plan their talk, making friends, deepening connections, figuring out who needs to be in the room to enhance each others’ work. Also, responding to mundane questions about exactly how many vegans will attend, how much tea and (tap) water.
Talking to a combined authority about the indicators they want to use to measure their regions progress on making a more inclusive economy. Great conversations with brilliant minds. Intellectual and practical.
Talking to a local authority lead about how we can support their community funding programme. It’s not much money and not much time- how can it lead to deeper change.
Handover call with a manager at a big NGO. They are leaving, I will step in as a temporary member of staff for three months until the recruitment is complete. I did the same for another role in the team last summer. This has a different remit- with all the opportunities and challenges that can bring.
Handover to my colleagues for things next week - I’m taking a week off to spend with family.
Things I have been reading/ listening to
Placemaking is less about definition, more about doing
Hunger, heating and hope- Danny Dorling on the absolute state of the UK
6 October 2023
Things I have been working on
Still more event prep. Making progress, the end is in sight!
Qualitative analysis of data from a project that supports women in the workplace.
Analysis of case studies from frontline community-led organisations.
Finding the source of my incorrect accounts from last year. One wrongly coded entry into the accounting software. Cue hours of trying to work out why things weren’t adding up.
Planning a process for implementing a framework for a wellbeing economy.
