All Posts by Chris

Churches in the Third Sector

Last Monday I broke down third sector organisations into three sub-sectors.  Today is the first of a series of posts where I consider some organisation types in more detail.

My interest is in the contribution churches make to the local economy, as a part of the community sub-sector.  Many churches contribute to their neighbourhood, similar to the role played by community groups.  They are usually exclusive because they restrict decision-making to their members.  (I use the word “members” loosely, not all churches have membership as understood by community groups.  I could write a post on this topic alone but for now let it rest.)  Churches can be responsive to local needs. Many tthat have been around for a very long time, know their neighbourhood better than other organisations.

Church members are often active in local groups and so churches have an impact beyond the projects they start themselves.

Typology of Churches

If you are not involved with churches it may not be obvious they are a range of organisations. They manage their affairs in a variety of ways.  These various ecclesiologies can make a real differences.  The main ones are

  • denominational – here the differences are about the ways in which churches organise decision-making.  Congregationalist churches have almost complete autonomy based on one member one vote.  Connexional churches make decisions through elected committees and pass some of their decision-making to higher levels.  Episcopal churches devolve power from Bishops to parishes.  These are generalisations. All churches have a degree of local autonomy, especially about the contribution they make to their neighbourhoods.
  • geographical – the Church of England for example is organised into parishes.  This means they draw their membership, from a defined geographical area.  In practice this is not always true. Usually churches’ community work is confined to the parish, entering neighbouring parishes by agreement only.  Other churches do not have a defined parish but may still work in the immediate neighbourhood of their church building.
  • theologically – what a church believes can be more important than how it makes decisions.  Motivations for community work can vary.  Some churches are evangelical and so their work is about communication of the gospel; others by social justice.  In practice the difference that matters is the willingness of a church to work in partnership, some theological stances are exclusive, the church relies on its members to do the work, whilst other churches will happily work alongside other groups.

I write to manage expectations, the work of an exclusive church may be valuable; providing food banks, street pastors and similar work effectively from a substantial committed membership.  Others involved in similar work may be more collaborative.  Which is most effective?  It’s impossible to generalise.

How do churches contribute to the local economy?

  • churches start new projects.  I’ve already mentioned food banks and street pastors.  The work they do with the elderly, children and young people is so common it can be taken for granted.  Until recent years, churches employed community development workers (probably the biggest employers outside of local authorities) and initiated a range of experimental projects in community and the local economy.  Sadly development work is out of fashion although new projects are still happening.
  • provide support for people in work through various forms of chaplaincy.  Industrial chaplaincy was in its early days in the large manufacturing industries and there have been many retail chaplains over the years.
  • asking the awkward questions about the local economy, through campaigning and relationships with key people in the private and statutory sectors.  A recent example is Listen Up, a churches project to research the impact of Universal Credit on the lives of people living on benefit.
  • provision of support for people at key points in their lives, especially bereavement.  Perhaps we underestimate the value of having people around who have experience supporting people through difficult times.

It is valuable having people in the local economy who actively question the motivations of the powerful and support those who  struggle to make a living.  But the assumption volunteering and grants are somehow morally superior to trade is an issue many churches need to discuss, if only because their scepticism alienates small business people seeking an honest living.

But maybe churches will eventually challenge these assumptions and open up new possibilities.  Can you think of faith projects that have challenged assumptions about the local economy?

How to Review a Website

Last Friday I asked why review websites?  Today I shall show you how to review websites.  It depends what you are looking for.  My question is does the site do its job?  This implies it is possible to work out what its job is supposed to be!

If the site is not doing its job, it is useless, however brilliant its graphics may be.  Spectacular graphics and splendid design can mask a failure to deliver the site’s purpose.

There are two things to look for.

  • Sometimes the site is broken.  It does not function properly.  The remedy is a redesign because it is not capable of delivering anything in its current state.  A redesign may be a few simple adjustments or a major change to the site.
  • A more common problem is inappropriate content.  The site is OK but something is wrong with its management.

So, here are the things I shall be looking for, starting with functional problems.

  • Appearance – does the site work; does it have integrity?  Is it immediately clear what the site is about, who has produced it and how the visitor is expected to respond?  The visitor has a purpose and wants to know whether they have landed on a page that meets that purpose and if so, what to do next.
  • Navigation – is it easy to move around the site, work out where things are, find stuff?
  • Clutter – the rule is each page should be about one thing only – does the site have clarity of purpose?

And here are the content related issues:

  • Market – is it easy to see who the site is for?  If it meets the needs of a variety of people in different ways, can a visitor tell whether they are on the right page?
  • Purpose – is it possible for the visitor to tell what the current page is about?
  • Call to Action – is it clear what the visitor can do next?
  • Neglect – is the site up-to-date?

There you are.  Nice and simple.  Next week I’ll take a look at a site using these seven criteria.  Would you add anything else?  Or take any away?

 

Designer or Consultant?

In this new sequence, I’ll show you how to manage your relationship with a website designer or consultant.

When you set up your web presence you have three options:

  1. Do it yourself.  If you understand the basics, eg html and css, it isn’t difficult to do it yourself, with packages such as WordPress.  If you have time and patience, the big advantage is you are not paying someone.  However, no-one knows everything and you will inevitably find you need help with something!
  2. If you know what your site will do for you but want to save time, then hire a designer.  You need to manage this relationship.  Some designers have a lot of experience and can deliver to a clear remit with minimal oversight.  Third sector, designers can lack experience, working for next to nothing; they understand how things work but not necessarily how to design a web presence that does the job.  Someone with limited experience may be able to help but will need supervision.  To supervise effectively you need to understand what’s involved.
  3. If you are not sure what you need or what your web presence can do for your organisation, you need a consultant.

The many online guides for people who set up their own websites cover option 1.  This sequence is going to equip you with the basic technical knowledge you need for options 2 and 3.  Third sector organisations may find with professional help they can do a lot of the work in-house. So, this information may help with option 1 as well!

Which do You Need?

If you employ an experienced designer or consultant they guide you through the steps. It is helpful to have some  understanding of their role.  If a website designer has technical knowledge only, the initiative is with you to guide creation of your web presence.

My sequence about consultancy will help you understand more about the role of the consultant and consultor.  These new Thursday posts will introduce you to the technical knowledge you need to guide an inexperienced designer or work more productively with an experienced designer or consultant.

Design is a species of consultancy.  Not all designers necessarily see it that way.  In conversation you will find your ideas change and develop but you may find you need to steer the design process to do what you need.  Equally not all consultants are necessarily brilliant at all aspects of technique.  They can help you work out what is and is not possible online and help with design details.

The Difference

It is not always clear-cut but consultants help you solve problems – this is what I want to do in real life, how can my web presence help? – whereas designers find the best solution to an agreed plan.  So a consultant might help you work out what you need from a WordPress theme, a designer will find the best theme and adapt it to meet your needs.  Sometimes the same person does both.

You need to understand your designer or consultant’s offer, their strengths and weaknesses and manage your relationship accordingly.

So, for this sequence I shall assume you know what you want.  There may be some choices to make and you will change your mind as your web presence develops but you are crystal clear about your requirements.  This is probably never true in real life but the assumption will enable me to focus on the technical issues.  I’ll deal with other issues elsewhere.

What have you found to be most problematic about your relationships with web designers or consultants?  What are the marks of a good relationship?

Four Models of Consultancy: Projects

Last Wednesday, I described a typical three-step approach to assessing an organisation’s or individual’s situation.  It is important for design work to understand the consultor’s operating environment.  This time here are three tools to help design projects.  You may need to use them over several meetings.  They are not a sequence, use them and return to them as you need them.

I shall assume the consultor has requested help with the design of a web-based project.  If they have an assessment (from last time), it will help.  You may need to discuss whether you need an assessment before you go ahead with the Project.

The three tools are:

  1. Purpose and Objectives
  2. A Systemic Approach
  3. Diagrams and Models

Purpose and Objectives

These evolve as you work on the Project.  Typically, aims and objectives are fairly general at the start.  As you go deeper you they become more concrete as understanding deepens.

I find tasks and issues helpful.  Tasks are things you need to do to meet your objectives.  Issues are the things that tend to resist the work on the tasks.  Sometimes issues need to be addressed before the tasks can be started.

Typically, as you start work, objections accumulate.  Once it becomes clear where the opposing interests lie, you can ask what can be done to tackle them.

The original list of tasks may grow as you address your issues and you may need to prioritise them.

A Systemic Approach

If you think you’re designing a website, you are very much mistaken.  The website is a sub-system of several other systems, some online and some in real life.  The latter are the most important.

There is always the possibility complexity will get out of hand.  Many websites are fairly small fry and if they are a short-term event, eg a community festival site, they need to pay less attention to complex systems than a major project consuming significant resources.  However all projects are part of various interlocking systems and it is the consultants’ responsibility to make sure everything is considered.

Bear in mind all the likely interests: parent organisations, partner organisations, competitors may all bring their own sub-systems.  Perhaps the most important sub-system is the website’s market.  Whether you are selling a product, a service or a cause; you must understand your market.

Once you have a systemic analysis, make a start and develop your website and other online media.  Then you can see how it operates and the impact it has on other sub-systems.

Diagrams and Models

Use them!  They help you move from situation to project or to analyse your project.

A model or framework is used to interrogate a situation or project.  If your model has three dimensions, it will help you to look at the situation in all three dimensions.  A model is never prescriptive.  It is descriptive, deepening your insight into the situation and the likely impact your project will have on it.

Diagrams are very useful.  I haven’t found a satisfactory way of doing them online.  In real life I work around a sheet of flipchart paper (A1) and equip everyone with pens.  This allows for lots of crossings out and things squeezed in at the edges but a good copy can be made later.

If the consultant begins a diagram, based upon the consultor’s description of the project, the consultor can check the consultant has understood the project or may see something new in the diagram they have not seen before.  If they work on it together, they both deepen their understanding.

For an online conversation, you need to improvise using drawing tools, email, holding sketches up to the camera, etc.  I would like to hear of tools you use to do this.

Notice how project design differs from web design.  The website design is framed by project development.  If websites are to be effective, they need to be planned as part of the consultor’s overall purpose.

Do you agree?  How did you plan your website?

Find out What your Followers Want

This is the second of a series of five posts about promoting your website.  It may seem obvious and  few organisations do it.   Find out what your followers want.  We easily convince ourselves that we know what our followers want and it happens to be what we can provide!

Use your email list to invite comments or suggestions, eg to suggest products and services.   If you do this, be sure you sign people up to your list with their consent; if you collect email addresses for some other purpose and then sign them up, they have every reason to be upset.  When you ask for their email address, be clear about what you will do with it.

Finding Followers’ Views in Real Life

In a real-life business, followers can respond either online or in real life.  If they respond in real life, eg through a questionnaire, ask them to leave their email address to join your email list.

So, if you are a baker you might find out which types of loaf are popular, whether they would like recipes or how they would like you to extend your business, eg by adding a coffee shop.

You can ask people to discuss issues outside your business.  So, perhaps a community group wants to canvass opinions in the area.  The baker’s might offer to ask their followers for their views.  In return, the community group might have a list they can contact on the baker’s behalf?

The ground rules are:

  • At the very least acknowledge all serious contributions.  (A questionnaire in the shop may result in a brief report on a leaflet or poster; this could summarise both online and real life responses.)
  • If you pick up an idea, discuss it with the people who suggest it; acknowledge them in some way.
  • Use your list to help other organisations in your area, in return for their support promoting yours.  There is every reason for a local business to be supportive of local activities.

Charging for services is not always necessary; when it is, you can use your email list.  Don’t be afraid of people falling out with you if you make them an offer.  It isn’t compulsory to buy from you and whilst many on your list might not respond, if you build on the trust you’ve already generated, then it might work for you.   Those who are really upset can unsubscribe.

We need to be much more inventive about using online media locally.  The private sector is often distanced from community activities.  Do you have examples of how small businesses have participated in community activities?

Anatomy of the Third Sector

Last Monday I wrote about finding terms that describe the third sector.  It’s tempting to describe the sector by what it is not; it is not private or public.   This is not very satisfactory but this is the way we categorise public life in this country.

People define the Third Sector by comparison with the Public (or Statutory) sector, funded through taxes (mainly) and governed through elected political leaders who employ officers to do the work, and the private sector, funded through trade (mainly) and governed through ownership.  There are complications but this will do for now.

So, the Third Sector represents various alternatives that fall between the other two sectors.  I suggest three sub-sectors.  What they have in common is they welcome voluntary work.  So, if taxes define the public sector and trade defines the private, perhaps volunteering defines the third sector.

Professional Voluntary Sector

Large organisations, often with a national profile.   They usually have a steady income stream (from donations) and employ paid staff.  Organisations like this include:

  1. Trusts who make donations but don’t employ staff.
  2. Large organisations who provide expertise through their staff.  Many ask volunteers to deliver services, supervised by paid staff.
  3. Churches and other religious bodies, can resemble large voluntary sector organisations in their national or regional offices.
  4. Various loose federations of local groups, providing training and support.

Community Sector

Informal organisations who champion a particular neighbourhood or issue.

  1. Community groups, neighbourhood groups and forums.  These usually start out as a group of residents who meet around some local issue.  If they raise funds, usually grants from the statutory or professional voluntary sector, they employ staff.  This is usually small-scale and temporary.  Sustainability is a major issue for these groups.
  2. Action or interest groups form around issues and often have a city-wide and not a neighbourhood perspective.  They might form around an issue or a group of people disadvantaged because of who they are.  Funding can be difficult when they are seen as political.  They can be effective raising awareness and gaining political support.

Not-for-profit sector

These fall between the third and private sectors.  They earn income through trade although many are grant aided.

  1. Community organisations that trade.  Sometimes they are micro-trading, ie subsidised by grants or loans.  Sometimes their main income is from at least one large contract.
  2. Mutuals, sometimes called co-operatives, can be an alternative business model for trading organisations.  They include organisations that provide financial services, eg credit unions or (not so much in the UK) micro-credit.  Retail co-ops are often counted as third sector because their members share ownership.
  3. Alternative currencies, eg Local Economic Trading Systems (LETS).  There are examples online as well as real life schemes.  The real life schemes operate locally.  Online schemes have a global reach and some can be converted to established currencies.  I know very little about online schemes and so cannot recommend them.

If we’re to understand our neighbourhoods and their economics, we need to understand the organisations that operate in them.  In future posts I shall share more details about each type of organisation.

I’m sure I’ve missed some types of organisation.  Be the first to point out my errors.  What have I missed?

Why Review Websites?

I’m planning to review some of the community development websites I posted about 2 weeks ago and last week.  Before I do that I shall explain why it’s helpful to review websites and next Friday I’ll post about how to do it.

There is always a possibility in reviewing a site in public, the site owners will feel their site is being ridiculed.  This may be difficult to avoid.  The truth is many sites can be easily improved without any technical knowledge.  If a review helps a website become more functional, then it is worth doing.  If a little humour acts as a spur to change, that is all to the good!

So, why review websites?  Let’s start with the benefits for the owners of the website.

  • Once a problem is highlighted, it can be remedied easily.  It costs nothing but a little time to address most issues, especially where they are content related.  Sometimes sites need bigger changes which may cost but so long as the benefits outweigh the costs change is worth considering.
  • An unattended website is still a public face for the organisation behind it.  I was looking at a website today which has had no news on it since July 2011!  It looks as if the organisation has ceased to exist, except I’m fairly sure it’s still going.  How can it be anything other than a liability for its owners?  Chances are they get very few visitors.  If so, take it down!
  • Many organisations understand websites evolve; the days of the static site are long gone.  A review can be a welcome insight for the people responsible for developing a site.
  • Poorly designed sites are a missed opportunity for engaging the public with your organisation.  Sometimes small changes make a big difference.  For bigger changes, perhaps there is a need to review the organisation’s marketing strategy.

I can appreciate organisations might not wish to have their websites reviewed publicly.  I can understand that but the website itself is a public statement, inviting attention.  Also the public can benefit from reading site reviews (which should highlight good as well as poor points).

  • We all need to understand what works and what does not work.
  • By providing a screenshot of the site as it is when the review takes place with a link to the current site, the reader can over time see how the website has developed.
  • We need to understand that a lot can be done without the need for expensive (time and money) re-designs.  Very often content is the problem and not design.
  • If criticism is constructive, readers can learn a great deal about what works and how to put things right.

So, let’s not be precious about our sites.  Changes can be made very quickly.  We all struggle to keep our sites topical and engaging and we need to learn from each others experience.  My hope is we all welcome comments, public or private because that way everything we do shall improve.

What is the most helpful feedback you’ve received about your site?

If you would like me to review your site (in private or public) please complete the form on my website.  Follow the link and croll to the foot of the page.

WordPress or Flat HTML / CSS?

The last two Thursdays, I’ve looked at the pros and cons of using WordPress.  Today: is it right to always use WordPress (or another CMS) or is flat HTML/CSS better in some cases?  (HTML and CSS are the mark-up and formatting languages used on all websites.)

Many designers build sites from scratch; this is not always a good idea.  If you are working with a designer, especially someone who is a volunteer designer, you need to decide between WordPress (or some other CMS) or flat html /css.  It is important you make this decision independently of your designers experience.  Do not make the wrong decision because your designer can’t do the right one!  You don’t need to understand everything, just enough to make the right decision.

A temporary site or a brochure site (where the client simply wants to duplicate their printed brochure online so people can see what they offer) might be designed using html/css.  If you decide later you want something more complex, it is not usually a problem; setting up a WordPress site is very easy.  However, if you find you have a lot of traffic to a brochure site, you transfer to a WordPress site.  If you’re expecting significant traffic it’s always best to start as you mean to go on!

Checklist

So, run through this checklist.  If the site does not meet any of these criteria, choose html/css.  Once you’ve decided, you need a designer who can deliver your decision.  Use WordPress if

  1. the site will be more than a few pages and expected to do some complex things
  2. you know the site will need to be regularly updated
  3. you are going to make the changes to the site, not the designer.
  4. your site will have a lot going on in the background
  5. you need WordPress plug-in functionality or might add new functionality in the future.

If you have an HTML/CSS site and it’s working for you, please comment about it and leave a link.  Do you keep it up-to-date yourself or do you pay someone to do it for you?  How does this work?

Four Models of Consultancy: Situation

Last Wednesday, I introduced four models of non-directive consultancy and here are details of the first, Situation.

Sometimes an organisation says they need a web presence or an improved web presence but they have no clear idea what it can do for them; they need help clarifying their online objectives.

To analyse a situation, use these three steps:

  1. a written presentation
  2. exploration and analysis to establish the main focus of the work
  3. design and plan an assessment the consultor commits to and is able to carry out (possibly with help)

So, let’s take each in turn:

Written Presentation

The consultor prepares a written presentation.  The aim is to help them put their situation on the table.  The consultant might offer guidance in the form of a questionnaire, for example, that encourages the consultor to think through their situation in detail.

It may include assembling existing documents, for example a business plan, strategies, policies and procedures.  The consultant needs to encourage the consultor to think deeply about their paperwork.  It isn’t enough to dump documents in the consultant’s lap.  Existing paperwork backs up the consultor’s written account of their specific aims for their business and web presence.

The presentation must cover more than the organisation’s online presence.  It is essential the consultant understands the consultor’s market, aims, issues, etc before even beginning to think about their online presence.

Exploration and Analysis

This needs to happen at a meeting or using something like Skype or a Google hangout.  Face to face is always better but not always practical.

For a face to face meeting, you can sit around a flipchart sheet (A1) of paper and map out the situation between you.  Consultant and consultor both hold pens and can annotate one another’s ideas.  This provides a common focal point which is harder when you meet online.

The goal is to agree a focal point: what are the main tasks and issues and how are you to tackle them?  Whilst with web consultancy, the expectation will be some sort of online presence, the consultant’s role is to find all relevant tasks and issues.  Remember your online presence won’t work, if you do not address relevant issues within the business.

  • A task is something you need to do.  You can agree later who does a given task; the consultant, the consultor or a third-party but the main thing is have a prioritised list.
  • An issue acts as a barrier to development an online presence.  Sometimes, if issues are not resolved, it is not possible to develop a functional online presence.  The consultant’s role is to help the consultor name their issues and work out how to tackle them.

Design and Assessment

The consultant will write an assessment based upon the design and planning that has taken place between the consultor and consultant.  The assessment is an action plan for the consultor and it is their responsibility to carry it out.  So, the consultor must commit to the assessment and be enthusiastic about carrying the work forward.

The assessment will show them not only what they need in terms of their online presence but also the steps they need to make sure it happens.  The consultant can show where the consultor lacks capacity and needs to engage external support.  Most sites these days need ongoing maintenance and usually third sector organisations do it in-house.

Third sector organisations are often short of cash and should not feel they have signed up to more than they can handle.  So, discuss finance for further consultancy in the assessment.

Furthermore, once the organisation has a plan, it implies changes to its web presence as it develops.  So, if an organisation is developing a capital asset for community use, it may in the early months be seeking to build support and finance development work.  Later, if the new facility is open to the public, the organisation will need to contact potential customers. The plan may be to build a list during the development phase and market activities once the facility is open to the public.  Thought needs to be given to the second stage because the first stage lays the groundwork for the second.

A situation does not have to be at the start of a web project.  A review of an existing web presence may be essential if the site is not supporting the work adequately.

Can you think of projects that need an assessment?  How would they benefit from analysis of their tasks and issues?  What methods or tools would you use to help them think them through?

If you would like to have a go, see my assessment offer.

Promoting Your Website Locally

You have a website and you want to promote it.  Simply putting good content up is little use if no-one sees it.

If you are a local group or business, you have a several advantages.  Organisations with a national or global reach are solely dependent upon online techniques to promote their site.

Locally you have a geographically constrained market and so should be able to reach a high proportion of it.

If you serve 20 000 people, your appeal should be to those people.  An email list of 2 000 people should be possible, with focused effort.  If the quality of what you’re offering is high, word of mouth should help you build your list further, that is people will forward information online and talk about it locally.  Even a smaller list might have significant penetration into your community depending on your offer and willingness of your followers to pass on your communications.

Here are some ways to invite people to visit your site.  At every opportunity:

  • Publish your url.  Business cards are always helpful and if you have a base or shop window, use posters and flyers.  These can be left in public places and promoted by partner organisations.
  • Ask for email addresses.  If you hold meetings ask people to leave their email addresses.  You must explain the addresses will be added to an email list.  This is a very effective way of ensuring people hear about your activities.
  • Ask subscribers to forward your emails or pass on your url.  If they like what you’re doing they may still need to be prompted to pass on information.  Often people who can’t support you by taking up your main offer, eg they can’t afford it, are happy to help in some other way.
  • Give stuff away online.  It should be informative and entertaining.  The aim is to build a relationship with your subscribers so they are likely to respond to your requests for support or offers of products and services.  Tie your online offer into your business, eg recipes with a special offer on the ingredients.  The recipe could also be given away in your shop, so people can buy a pack with the ingredients at a special rate.
  • Consider giving real life stuff away.  Invite people to sign up and receive special offers from your business.  For example, if you run a café, offer a free cup of tea with a sandwich.  This will need careful planning.  Be clear exactly what your offer is and how people will qualify to claim it.  You can of course use your list to tell subscribers about offers open to the public.
  • Promote someone else’s business.  If there is another local business and think they have a good offer, consider promoting them on your email list.  So, if you are a hairdresser, you might offer a 10% discount to your list for the local café.  The café would cover the cost of the discount.  You need to be clear whether the discount is for people on your list or your active customers.  Your customers will be grateful for the discount and the café might promote your service to their list in return (if they have one!)

If you are not a business, it may be interesting to find out whether local businesses would be willing to promote your cause.  Would your members support a café that publicised your cause to their customers?  Has anyone tried this?

So, there’s a few ideas.  Have you tried or thought of trying other approaches?  Has anyone got a list that’s large and very local?  How did you do it?

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