OR58 Conference: Pro bono OR and a case study

Pro Bono O.R.OPERATIONAL RESEARCH

FOR THE THIRD SECTOR

ContactEmail: [email protected]

Phone: 0121 234 7826

Pro Bono O.R.: An Overview

What is Pro Bono O.R. and how did it come about?

What are its aims? To help Third Sector organisations to do a

better job

To promote O.R. in the Third Sector

To promote effective use of O.R.

To give O.R. analysts an opportunity to practise in a wider arena and widen their skills

How it Works: Organisations Expression of interest

Registration form

Scoping conversation

Project scope sent to volunteers

Organisation selects volunteer

Pre project survey

Project proposal drawn up

Project commences

Feedback sought

Post project survey

How it Works: Volunteers

THE ROLE OF A VOLUNTEER

Work with organisation to specify project

Undertake project, either individually or in teams

Write up and/or present their work wherever appropriate

Mentor junior volunteers

WHO ARE THE VOLUNTEERS?

O.R. / analytical professionals

Retired

Consultants

Government employees

Employed professionals

Academics

Types of Projects

Strategic planning/review

Process improvement

Impact measurement

Data analysis

Business planning

Efficiency improvement

Options appraisal

Decision making

Scheduling

Risk analysis

Location of projects

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Region (completed projects)

0

5

10

15

20

25

EastMidlands

London andSouth East

Midlands North East North Westand North

Wales

Scotland

Region (active projects)

Types of organisations

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Animal welfare

Parent & Families/Children & Youngpeople

Community

Disadvantaged groups

Education

Elderly

Health

Mental health

People with disabilities

Type of organisation (completed projects)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Community

Disadvantaged groups

Education

Elderly people

Heath

Mental health

People with disabilities

Type of organisation (active projects)

Category of project

0 5 10 15 20

Advisory

Business planning

Data analysis

Database design

Impact measurement

Modelling

Processanalysis/improvement

Resource planning

Scheduling

Strategic review/planning

Systems mapping

Category (completed projects)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Advisory

Business planning

Data analysis

Database design

Impact measurement

Modelling

Process analysis/improvement

Resource planning

Scheduling

Strategic review/planning

Systems mapping

Category (active projects)

Achievements

PROJECTS

90 projects advertised

58 projects completed

32 active projects

VOLUNTEERS

Over 450 volunteers

230 volunteers applied for projects

117 volunteers on projects

HighlightsMAKING THE PRO BONO O.R. PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS

For analysts

HighlightsREACHING MORE THIRD SECTOR ORGANISATIONS

WORKING WITH SOME WELL KNOWN CHARITIES

Benefits

Consultanc

y Skills

Build Your

CV

Making a Real Difference

Work in a Different

Sector

Team

Bu

ild

ing

Soft

Skills

Take Part

in the

Whole

Project

Cycle

Seeing how other

organisations work

Positive Learning Experienc

e

Le

arn

N

ew

Sk

ills

Unique Opportunitie

s

Project

Management

Meeting New People

How to get Involved

Sign up online http://www.theorsociety.com/Probono

Come and chat to me now

Drop me an email [email protected]

Further Information

Webpage:

www.theorsociety.com/Probono

Blog:

http://probonoOR.blogspot.co.uk/

Connect with me via:

@FMcLeister Felicity McLeister

“It’s a dog’s life”

A Case Study in

Operational

Research

Can we answer the following questions?

• How many dogs there are “in the system” in the UK and how do they move between different parts of the system?

• How many dogs are relinquished and why? Which type of dog?

• Can we forecast the likely impact of different interventions ?

The RSPCA is the UK’s leading animal welfare charity.

Key project stages

Review the available data

Design and build a model

Develop recommendations for possible uses and future development of the model

What data would you want to collect and where would you find it?Workshop exercise 1

Literature Review

• Literature Review of relevant papers and reports

• ~50 different sources

• ~100 data points and times series

• Assessment of data quality

Can we model the UK dog population?

Workshop exercise 2

Stock

Inflows

Outflows

A Stocks and Flows Model of UK dogs

A Stocks and Flows Model helps us to understand the “system” in which dogs exist; where they are and how they move between different parts of the system

Task 2a: decide what are the four “stocks” of dogs that you would want to include in a model, based on the overall population data from the literature review

Stock 1

Stock 4

Stock 2

Stock 3

A Stocks and Flows Model of UK dogs

Here is a model answer that defines four main stocks of dogs

Task 2b: what do you think are the inflows and outflows that lead to increases and reductions in each of the stocks? N.B. there may be more

than one inflow and/or outflow for each stock

Companion

dogs

Working

dogs

In Rescue

Strays

A Stocks and Flows Model of UK dogs

Companion

dogs

(99.8%)

Working

dogs

In Rescue

Strays

• Births

• Imports

• Deaths

• Exports

• Births

• Imports

• Deaths

• Deaths• Deaths • Births • Births

• Imports

What factors and interventions affect the flows?Workshop exercise 3

Factors affecting the flows

Canine birth & death rates

Political

Economic

Social

Technology

Legal

Environment

If you were the RSPCA, what interventions would you want to make to improve the system?

How the RSPCA has been able to use the results

Helping to scope the direction of their campaign to tackle the illegal trade in puppies

Using the data to inform their response to DEFRA’sconsultation on overhaulingexisting pet vending legislation