AYME contacted Pro Bono O.R. after hearing about a successful project with another charity. This case study outlines how the volunteer helped them do a strategic review

1. Facilitating the revision of AYME’s strategy
The client:
AYME is a charity which supports young people with Myalgic
Encephalopathy (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
The client’s problem:
AYME needed to revise its 3-5 year strategy in the light of
changing circumstances and several new trustees. An external
facilitator for a half day strategic planning workshop was required.
The solution:
• Feedback was obtained from trustees and managers about
what the key areas for improvement are and ideas for making
these improvements.
• A list of actions prioritised by trustees and CEO, together with
a causal map identifying key priorities, was used as the basis
for the revised strategic plan.
The approach:
Sue Merchant worked with AYME’s Chair and Vice Chair of trustees to agree an
approach for the workshop. A questionnaire was then distributed to an agreed list of
trustees and managers to establish their views on what services (client facing and
internal) most needed improvement. The suggested actions obtained from the
questionnaire, sorted into key improvement areas, provided the basis for the workshop.
Using a set of simple symbols trustees quickly sorted ideas for action into quick wins,
things requiring more thought, things which were currently unaffordable, and things
which were impractical. They then prioritised the actions from the first three of these
lists. The agreed priorities were incorporated in a draft strategy paper prepared by the
client and taken forward to a trustees meeting for agreement. Following the trustees
meeting Sue advised the client on how to turn the strategy into a practical action plan,
showing responsibilities and timescales for completion.
The benefits:
• Trustees gained a good up to date understanding of the needs of AYME and its clients
and of the enthusiasm of its employees and volunteers
• Trustees gained a shared understanding of the most important priorities of the charity
and will be implementing the revised strategy to the benefit of clients, volunteers and
staff.
• The volunteer gained additional experience in using these techniques and was able to
share these at The OR Society conference.
Thank you for a very helpful and enlightening session
which was exactly the kind of help we needed to help
us focus on the future.
Symbols used in sorting ideas for Improvement
Easy/quick win
Needs thought
Needs much time/resource £
Impractical X