On a mission to Manchester
28th June 2011
Manchester plays host to this year's Welfare to Work Convention and we can expect highly charged debates around the Work Programme and Welfare Reform. If you are attending please come and say hello to Alistair Grimes, John Griffiths and Cherri Blissett who will be manning the Rocket Science Stand (18) throughout the two days.
Rocket Science will also be facilitating 2 workshops. The first (32) is focused on drawing lessons from employer coalitions in helping to ensure employment services are tailored to employer need. The second (44) brings together practice from the local authority and Jobcentre Plus perspectives in helping councils maximise their impact in tackling unemployment - this learning could help develop approaches for community budgeting and service co-design.
On day two we will be chairing a session (61) with Avanta and DWP where they will discuss approaches to supporting self-employment as an important strand for delivery in the Work Programme.
Here's some of the important resources we will be showcasing in Manchester:
- Working with Employers
- Maximising Funding and Investment
- Maximising Local Authorities Impact on Employment
- Supply Chain Plus: Building high-performance employment and skills supply chains
Rocket Science launch our free Ready for Change Tool
14th June 2011
Shifts in policy, infrastructure and budgets are creating many challenges for organisations, forcing their boards and management teams to think creatively and differently about future sustainability.
Our experience in developing the capacity of third sector organisations shows that a positive approach and readiness to embrace change is critical to designing and successfully implementing a plan for sustainability.
Ready for Change is a FREE tool developed by Rocket Science to help organisations measure their readiness to adapt and respond to change.
This tool has been designed to understand how skills, systems and behaviours, support or prevent change and pinpoint areas of strengths and weakness. It will help you explore how well your governance, financial management, communication and development activities are working and identify where you may need to focus your energies to ensure that plans for sustainability are realistic and achievable.
Ready for Change is easy to use, quick to complete and produces a helpful analysis and report. Download it for free to your desktop here and follow the instructions.
Rocket Science can also provide a more detailed organisational assessment and support you in developing and implementing change at relatively low cost.
If you would like further information or to get a quote please contact caroline.masundire@rocketsciencelab.co.uk.
Work Programme Prime Contracts: Winners and Losers
1st April 2011
Ingeus has swept the board winning seven CPAs, followed by A4e with five according to unoffical sources.
Announced earlier today, nearly 300 voluntary sector providers had been included in the successful bids, with two winning as Primes, and nearly half of private providers being SME representing a significant Work Programme nod to the Government's Big Society and Growth agendas. There are some surprising omissions as well as disappointments for Primes who wanted to win significantly and new entrants to the market. The implications of the announcements will be assessed throughout the sector over the coming days and for the losers a dusting down of their Plan Bs.
We have conducted an analysis of winners and losers (based on intelligence in the public domain so far) which you can download here.
Rocket Science response to Giving Green Paper
8th March 2011
Our recent consultations with companies suggest that interest in the Giving Green Paper - and the government's desire to increase levels of corporate philanthropy - is rather luke warm. However, a growing number of businesses are increasingly attuned to the opportunities to deploy their corporate giving strategically, using it to gain an edge in the competition for lucrative public service delivery contracts. Read our submission to the Office for Civil Society here
Maximise your local authority's impact on the Work Programme
9th February 2011
Our Employability Impact Audit provides a quick way of pinpointing ways in which you can enhance the impact of your local authority on employability within existing resources. We have now developed this to take full account of the Work Programme. For more information click here.
Free roundtable event on 24th February - Corporate Giving in the Big Society: Learning from Experience
Rocket Science are holding a free roundtable event for corporate community investment professionals. The event will be held on Thursday 24th February from 3pm-5.30pm, followed by drinks.
For more information, and to book your place, click here
Update of Prime Shortlists on the Work Programme Framework
24 January 2011
In November DWP announced the winners of the Employment Related Support Services Framework. Rocket Science completed a quick analysis of the winners and losers for each of the Lots at the time. Now we have updated this to demonstrate the Primes we know to have withdrawn from the shortlists.
Cashflow Assessment Tool Mark 2 (CAT2) - New release
10 January 2011
Rocket Science is pleased to announce the launch of the mark 2 version of the Cashflow Assessment Tool (CAT2) which we have developed as a free tool to help sub-contractors understand the implications of offers that are made to them by Prime Contractors, bidding for the Work Programme.
This version has been adapted to reflect the requirements of the Work Programme Invitation to Tender released just before Christmas. Whilst retaining all of the original functionality this version has been enhanced allowing:
- breakdown of different client groups and variable pricing structures; and
- comparisons of offers between Primes
To download the tool click here.
or further information on the CAT2 and how Rocket Science may be able to help your organisation please contact Cherri Blissett.
Please feel free to circulate the tool to your partners, colleagues and networks.
Analysis of winners and losers on the Work Programme Framework
25 November 2010
DWP announced the winners of the Employment Related Support Services Framework today, nearly a week earlier than expected.
Rocket Science has completed a quick analysis of the winners and losers for each of the Lots click here to find out more - you can find out who has been approved as a preferred supplier to bid for the Work Programme in your area here.
We are still waiting for news on the Contract Package Areas for the Work Programme, and although we know some of these unofficially, they are subject to ministerial approval - Rocket Science will keep you posted.
Lessons for Funders Enabling the Social Enterprise Movement
11 November 2010
The social enterprise support funded by Capacitybuilders is central to the Coalition Government's strategy of enabling the Big Society. Further, this fund was built from the bottom up: allowing local organisations to deliver to local needs in projects designed and delivered on the frontline.
This leads us to ask: "is Capacitybuilders' Social Enterprise Programme ahead of its time?"
Rocket Science is conducting an evaluation of the Social Enterprise Programme and the Interim Report is found at the Capacitybuilders website.
Rocket Science releases new weekly Employability Ebulletin
27 October 2010
With new policy announcements on welfare reform, back to work programmes and the implications of the Comprehensive Spending Review, it has never been more important to keep up to date and informed.
But in this age of online media, networking and news feeds, distilling the most important and relevant news is a challenge.
Following the success of our other bulletin services, Rocket Science is delighted to launch this new e-bulletin focusing on employability and welfare.
To sign up and see our archive please click here
The Work Programme - Rocket Science's Cashflow Assessment Tool
September 2010
Our CAT (Cashflow Assessment Tool) is a free to use tool, designed to help Work Programme sub contractors plan for the future, by assessing different offers from potential prime contractors.
The CAT will help you to assess and compare different performance and payment offers, alongside forecast client volumes. This will enable you to consider monthly expenditure and income, annual profit and loss and cash flow forecasts.
Please find the CAT and more info here.
Learning the lessons from partnerships in tackling unemployment
June 2010
Rocket Science, through its contract running the City Strategy Learning Network for DWP, has just published its report on Lessons Learnt from City Strategy. The report draws together the perspectives and experience of seven of the 15 pathfinder areas in England, Wales and Scotland and presents some conclusions and thinking about how the learning from City Strategy can support current Government policy on the Work Programme and Localism.
This publication is a must read for policy makers and providers responsible for tackling unemployment. Pathfinders have been leading the way in testing new ways of delivering national programmes through a localised and devolved approach.
In this time of policy change and continuing economic challenges, it is important that we build on the lessons and good practice which these areas have developed in tackling unemployment. For further information please contact Caroline Masundire on 020 7253 6289.
New support service for Local Economic Assessments
21 September 2009
Support for Places is a new service established by the consultancy teams that developed the sector-led guidance for the Local Economic Assessment (LEA) on behalf of the Improvement and Development Agency.
Rocket Science UK Ltd and Globe Regeneration Ltd have formalised their working relationship through Support for Places, bringing together their collective skills and experience across urban and rural local economic development. The organisations have worked together closely over the past twelve months working on the IDeA project, as well as for Government offices, regional agencies and local authorities in evaluating and providing capacity building and support around economies.
Commenting on the partnership, Caroline Masundire Associate Director of Rocket Science who has led development said "Our founding principle around Support for Places is to help authorities and their partners build their internal capacity to deliver LEAs. Working so closely on the guidance has really highlighted that the LEA must not be seen as a traditional data and analysis exercise. The importance of the LEA in informing the Sustainable Community Strategy and the Local Area Agreement and being the conduit between Local Development Frameworks, requires a high degree of cross departmental and authority working. We see the LEA as an enabling tool to support the improvement and efficiency agenda internally as well as help bring coherence to strategy and targeted services as part of a single evidence base."
Both the sector-led guidance and pre-consultation draft statutory guidance published by Communities and Local Government are currently out for consultation with the duty to produce the LEA falling to top-tier authorities from April 2010.
Ivan Annibal Managing Director of Globe and Chair of the IED Educational Trust said "This is the first time that economic development has been given a statutory footing - And a great opportunity to cement councils' roles in Place Making, more importantly to bring strategy and services together to improve the economic wellbeing of our communities."
"Support for Places offers traditional consultancy services as well as interim management, capacity building and training activity to help authorities respond and develop their capability and skills. With requirements for an annual refresh and full update every three years, it is in authorities' interests to invest in their people, systems and structures now to integrate new ways of working, it offers far better value for money longer term. In an increasingly tight fiscal environment councils need to drive efficiency and value for money."
Of particular interest to authorities that have limited capacity at present, Support for Places offers specialists to be housed within the authority on an interim basis to help build their internal capacity and expertise. This is backed up by a larger consultancy team if required and uniquely different than traditional research and consultancy offers.
Masundire explains, "The danger with the LEA is that the focus will be purely about data collection and analysis and production of a report. The assessment is an iterative process, requiring high level support and engagement backed up with 'real' evidence and practical application. Support for Places brings together both practitioner and consultancy expertise to help authorities use this as part of broader transformational change to articulate needs and join up services that result in real economic benefits to business, individuals and communities."
Visit the dedicated website at: www.supportforplaces.co.uk
Independence Research Study Findings
22 October 2008
According to the findings of a recent research study undertaken by Rocket Science, the Commission for the Compact has been successful in creating an environment which encourages and supports central government departments in their efforts to observe the independence of third sector organisations and their right to campaign, but there are still challenges ahead.
The research study, entitled The State of Independence (download), involved eight central government departments including the Department of Health (DoH), Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), Communities and Local Government (CLG), Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The information and findings presented in the report were drawn from a number of complementary pieces of research. Data was gathered from one-to-one interviews with a sample of civil servants working in the eight departments in order to assess their understanding and commitment to the Compact. This analysis was also informed by an e-survey.
The report findings are also based on a Literature Review by Rocket Science (download), which looked historically at the importance of independence to the third sector and, since 1998, the role of the Compact in safeguarding that independence.
A brief summary of the findings:
- The third sector and its advocates see independence from government as one of its key values and fear that this will be put at risk if the sector becomes over-dependent on government funding. Receiving government money should not reduce an organisation's ability to campaign on behalf of the communities it serves.
- 84 per cent of survey respondents said that their government department either 'mostly' or 'fully' recognised and supported the sector's right to campaign and to challenge government policy, irrespective of any funding relationship that might exist.
- A high level of awareness of the Compact was reported in government third sector teams and divisions of officers that regularly deal with the third sector; however, awareness has not been developed consistently or reliably across all departments.
- There is no uniform approach to respecting the independence of the third sector in government but there are lots of examples of different good practice approaches.
- Within government departments, understanding of the importance and value of the third sector's independence is patchy beyond those whose job requires involvement with the sector.
- The report argues that in reality no organisation, whatever the sector, is entirely independent in the strictest sense of the word. There is a discussion in the report and the associated literature review about the concept of interdependence between government and the sector rather than independence.
For more information on the study contact John Griffiths on 020 7253 6289 or email john.griffiths@rocketsciencelab.co.uk.
e-HIT
16 September 2008
Rocket Science recently completed work with the e-Health Unit, based at University College London, to develop an e-Health Implementation Toolkit (e-HIT). This online toolkit is designed to support senior managers to plan more effectively for the implementation of any new initiative which uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in a health service context. It helps guide users towards a decision on whether to embark on an e-Health implementation initiative and, if they decide to go ahead, to identify the strengths of the organisation and the intervention along with any potential pitfalls and problems which they may encounter.
You can find out more about the e-HIT and download it by clicking here >>