The document outlines the pro bono operational research (O.R.) initiative aimed at assisting third sector organizations in enhancing their operations while promoting analytical practices. It details the process for organizations to engage with volunteers, including the various roles volunteers can take and the types of projects they can work on, such as strategic planning and data analysis. Additionally, it highlights the achievements of the initiative, including the completion of 58 projects and the participation of over 450 volunteers.

1. Pro Bono O.R.
OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
FOR THE THIRD SECTOR
Contact
Email: felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com
Phone: 0121 234 7826

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Types of Projects
 Strategic
planning/review
 Process
improvement
 Impact
measurement
 Data analysis
 Business planning
 Efficiency
improvement
 Options appraisal
 Decision making
 Scheduling
 Risk analysis

6. Location of projects
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Region (completed projects)
0
5
10
15
20
25
East
Midlands
London and
South East
Midlands North East North West
and North
Wales
Scotland
Region (active projects)

7. Types of organisations
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Animal welfare
Parent & Families/Children & Young
people
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)

8. Category of project
0 5 10 15 20
Advisory
Business planning
Data analysis
Database design
Impact measurement
Modelling
Process
analysis/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)

9. Achievements
PROJECTS
 90 projects advertised
 58 projects completed
 32 active projects
VOLUNTEERS
 Over 450 volunteers
 230 volunteers applied
for projects
 117 volunteers on
projects

10. Highlights
MAKING THE PRO BONO
O.R. PROMOTIONAL
VIDEOS
For analysts

11. Highlights
REACHING MORE THIRD
SECTOR ORGANISATIONS
WORKING WITH SOME
WELL KNOWN CHARITIES

12. Benefits
Consultanc
y Skills
Build Your
CV
Making a Real
Difference
Work in a Different
Sector
Team
Building
Soft
Skills
Take Part
in the
Whole
Project
Cycle
Seeing how other
organisations work
Positive
Learning
Experienc
e
LearnNew
Skills
Unique
Opportunitie
s
Project
Management
Meeting
New People

13. How to get Involved
 Sign up online
http://www.theorsociety.com/Probono
 Come and chat to me now
 Drop me an email
felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com

14. Further Information
 Webpage:
www.theorsociety.com/Probono
 Blog:
http://probonoOR.blogspot.co.uk/
 Connect with me via:
@FMcLeister Felicity McLeister

15. “It’s a dog’s life”
A Case Study in
Operational
Research

16. 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.

17. Key project stages
 Review the available
data
 Design and build a
model
 Develop
recommendations for
possible uses and
future development of
the model

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

19. Literature Review
• Literature Review of
relevant papers and
reports
• ~50 different sources
• ~100 data points and
times series
• Assessment of data
quality

21. Can we model the UK dog
population?
 Workshop exercise 2
Stock
Inflows
Outflows

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. What factors and
interventions affect
the flows?
Workshop exercise 3

26. 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?

27. 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’s
consultation on
overhauling
existing pet vending
legislation