Background
Chris has a broad interest in the voluntary and community sector having undertaken freelance research and development work for over 20 years. He has substantial experience of organisational, intra- and inter-sectoral development in diverse service and policy areas including criminal justice, public health, social policy, community development and environmental sustainability. Whilst enjoying responding to the diverse requirements of an emergent market, he has developed particular experience in evaluative strategies.
With colleagues from Durham, Teesside and Southampton Universities, Chris was part of the consortium that won the contract to deliver the region’s Third Sector Trends Study (http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/resources/third-sector-trends-study/) and is a member of the ‘Below the Radar’ reference group for the Third Sector Research Centre http://www.tsrc.ac.uk/Research/BelowtheRadarBtR/tabid/450/Default.aspx
In recent years he has had a focus on the public service delivery agenda (aka ‘commissioning and procurement’) undertaking a wide range of projects within the region and nationally including for the Office of the Third Sector, Cabinet Office.
Following this he was invited to present at an ESRC-funded seminar and subsequently appointed to a part time post at NUBS. Funded through the University’s Business Voucher Scheme, the Valuing Social Values project was co-produced with key third sector agencies. It included an exploration of mutually beneficial opportunities for the region’s third sector and the University, with its need to demonstrate public benefit. Additionally, Chris is a seminar tutor on BUS1001 and has contributed to the MBA programme.
His practice-based work continues. Current contracts (August 2011) include work with Helix Arts, Wallsend People Centre, Churches Regional Commission, Darlington and Durham Councils. Examples of recent contracts include http://www.refugeevoices.org.uk/activities/skilled and http://skimstone.org.uk/work/fish-and-the-yesterday-song
Chris was last in formal education when Newcastle University still had a Philosophy Department (BA, 1988). His additional interests include: http://northernpinetreetrust.co.uk/ and http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/
Key words
value; evaluation; sustainability; commissioning; procurement; third sector; SMEs; public sector
Interests
Not having an established view or approach to abstracting from practice and the particular, combined with a limited grounding in the literature, leads to a regular reformulation/articulation of my interests. The current favourite goes something like:
‘the articulation of values and valuation; their relation to and transmission through organisational forms, and how these relate to resourcing strategies’.
Example 1: EU-compliant procurements require the evidenced delivery of all core relevant features of a contract. With the increased outsourcing of public services the contracted delivery of social capital, and similar, is of increasing importance. Many voluntary and community sector agencies claim that they deliver ‘added value’. Many private sector agencies claim they deliver better ‘value for money’. The often implicit claims that there is an intrinsic value in a particular organisational form therefore requires careful examination.
Example 2: A requirement for the maturation of the social investment market is standardised metrics to enable intermediaries to compare investment opportunities and outcomes. Another requirement is an increase in the supply of investment-ready agencies. Agencies on this road require data/information/knowledge, amongst other things, to evidence delivery and inform organisational development. Consideration of how shared intent is generated through languages premised on sometimes significantly different value bases may illuminate the opportunities and limitations of this resourcing strategy.
Current work
· Development of funding application(s). Suggestions, insights and potential collaborations very much welcome. Please contact me at chris.ford@ncl.ac.uk
· Development and delivery of CPD module on commissioning and procurement. As well as being of intrinsic value this is part of testing the need and opportunity for third-sector focused provision.
· Mobilising Community Capital – Shaping Community Care Markets in the West Midlands. Funded by WM IEP/ADASS Chris and colleagues are part of the supply chain for this programme which is supporting the restructuring of the adult social care market required by the policy of personalisation being implemented within current public spending constraints. http://www.marketshaping.co.uk/
· Local Carbon Framework Pilot Programme. Chris is part of a NUBS team commissioned by Northumberland County Council to evaluate and help maximise learning from this DECC funded programme framed around protected historic and natural environments, and community leadership. http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/saving_energy/what_doing/local_councils/carbon_frames/carbon_frames.aspx
Completed projects
· Accreditation Providers Forum (2011). APF is “a membership group set up to enable organisations to share learning on accrediting quality in the voluntary and community sector”. NUBS were commissioned to benchmark member’s quality standards against ISO 9001. See http://accreditationprovidersforum.org/
· Total Place (2010-11). As part of a ‘Research into Action’ programme led by the Institute of Local Governance, NUBS were commissioned to review the methodologies, tools and techniques used by the national ‘Total Place’ pilots. These pilots informed the current development of place-/neighbourhood-/community-based budgeting.
· Provider Development Innovation Fund (2009-11) Established by the NE IEP, the fund sought to support adult social care providers in developing new tools and approaches as the market is restructured through the personalisation agenda. A team from NUBS and Durham University was commissioned to undertake the evaluation.
· Valuing Social Values Network (2009-11). Co-productive project with Co-Operatives North East, North East Social Enterprise Network (NESEP), Pentagon Partnership, and Voluntary Organisations Network North East (VONNE). Aims included: “to cultivate a regional discussion about the challenge of articulating social value...”, “to increase training and development in various social value approaches...’ and “to encourage peer exchange within and between sectors....”. With Rob Wilson and Jane Gibbon (NUBS).