Transcript presented - Transition Town Berkhamsted

COMMUNITY PROJECT
MBA 2012/2013
Jaime Guzmán
Leigh Fisher
Kotaro Kawauchi
Eiichi Kiyokawa
Project scope
Client brief
 The ultimate aim of the Transition Town initiative is to build resilience into our
community so that when fossil fuels are no longer available or are prohibitively
expensive we already have some practical local alternatives in place. We believe
that building this resilience will also help us combat the adverse effects of climate
change.
 The next part of our mission is to get more people in Berkhamsted involved. We
want as many people as possible to join our action groups and to come up with
ideas on how to use less energy. From small ideas like making our town ‘plastic
bag free’ and trying to grow increasing amounts of our own food locally to large
ideas like providing some sort of local sustainable energy supply.
 This will not be an easy process, but it offers us a unique opportunity to help
shape our local community and work together on local initiatives that may one
day be key to maintaining our standard of living in the face of Peak Oil and
Climate Change.
Project objective
 Review TTB strategy
 Assess similar successful initiatives
 Identify opportunities for TTB to build on its achievements to date
 Make practical and feasible recommendations for moving forward
Learning from other organisations
Get more people involved
Benchmarking / best practice
BERKHAMSTED
Project background
Transition Initiative... What is it?
 Local responses to build resilience in response to the global challenges of climate
change, economic hardship and shrinking supplies of cheap energy
 Community-led process for stronger and happier villages/towns/cities/neighbourhoods
 Over 1000 highly diverse communities across the world - urban, rural, developed,
emerging . Most are registered on the international website…Tring
 Projects in areas of food, transport, energy, education, housing, waste, arts etc.
 Rob Hopkins, author of the Transition Handbook, co-founder of Transition Network and
Transition Town Totnes is available to TTB
Transition Towns…what are they?
 Transition Towns is a BRAND founded (in part) upon permaculture principles
 2-fold purpose to disseminate transition concept and support communities around the
world through adopting the transition model
 1988 Permaculture, a Designers Manual by Bill Mollison 1988
 2003 Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability, David Holmgren
 2003 EDAP generated as a student study at Kinsale Further Education College, Ireland
presented to Kinsale Town Council and adopted. Rob Hopkins, permaculture teacher
 2004 Transition Town coined by students Louise Rooney and Catherine Dunne
 2005-2006 Rob Hopkins and Naresh Giangrande developed concept in Totnes, Devon
 2007 UK-based charity Transition Network founded
TTB story…
 2008
First meeting - early 2008, date not
known, no records
Great
Unleashing
Sunday
9th
November2008
 2009
Various talks and films,
programme of events
an
early
 2010
Individual projects emerging
John Negus – Home Grown talk;
Sunnyside Grow Your Own event – 23rd
May.
Mini orchard Normandy Drive; Car Free
day 22nd June;
 2011
Increasing community support and profiling
TTB
Car Free Weekend – 16th-18th September;
Ashridge Local Food Workshop – February
 2012
First community events to raise awareness
and promote local & strategic partnerships
Ashridge Local Food Workshop – February
Methodology
Methodology …3 steps
Information gathering
Primary research
Secondary research
Primary sources
Questionnaire
Interviews
Secondary sources
Website comparison
Academic literature
TTB categories & relationships
TRANSITION
INITIATIVE
Review “basics” to build solid
foundations for the Transition
Initiative
Best practice analysis based
on Transition Town Totnes
Review communications strategy
based on comparable
organisations websites
ORGANISATION
COMMUNICATION
TTB findings.... communication & initiative
 Not sufficiently connected with TTN
 No clear communication
strategy
 No formal Energy Descent Action Plan
 Only short term strategy displayed
 No statistics of visitors to the
website and feedback
 No follow up on feedback
(quantifiable) from website
forum
TRANSITION
INITIATIVE
 No email group feedback
available
COMMUNICATION
TTB findings....the organisation
 Organisational identity / clearer definition
–
KPI... falling membership & involvement
 Organisational objectives / purpose not
clearly linked to BRAND
 Organisational structure not clearly
defined
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Leadership
Management team
Succession
 Organisational processes not in place
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Formal management & membership
meetings
Formal systems for communications,
management vs membership
 Organisational sustainability
questionable
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KPI...Administrative support stretched;
Volunteer involvement; Financial base
Legal entity & protocols
 Organisational integrity...investment
in on-going training and
dissemination
 Organisational culture is not clear
enough to be attractive
ORGANISATION
Best practice....Transition Town Totnes TTT
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Vision, strategy and objectives aligned
Objectives are process focused
Clear timeline 20 years
Connected to Transition Network and
other organisations
 Company structure: limited by
guarantee; registered with Companies’
House and a registered charity
 Working towards on a portfolio
of indicators
 Construction of action plans
 Decentralised organisation structure
 Decisions by consensus
 Decision making as simple as possible
 Working on communication
strategy including metrics
 Working today on website, Facebook,
books, movie, face 2 face, conferences
Website ...most effective communication
Vision
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Mission
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Objectives
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Strategy
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Structure
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Process
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Finances
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Communication
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Leadership
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Training
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K P I´s
Recommendations
Recommendation overview
Achievement
PLAN
Financial Stability
Visualisation
Communication
(supportive ideas)
Ideas
Network
TTN
Community
Council
Enterprises
Roadmap ....integrate actions & strategy
Value relationships (sociability)
High
Low
Solid & Social
Ideas
‘Have a common goal (solidarity)’
High
TTB... recommendations & way forward
 Invite Transition Network support and follow their advice
 Seek other Transition Town contacts to hear their stories and be encouraged
 Seek external TTB facilitation for re-visualisation & re-engineering of TTB
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Mission, vision & strategy…short, medium & long term
Purpose & objectives…policy, procedures & activities
Structure & systems
Leadership & decision making
Financial model, legal & administrative steps
 Formulate Berkhamsted Energy Descent Action Plan with timeline
 Seek political, regional and community support for funding, staffing and office
‘TTB... back to basics & rebuild foundations’
TTB & opportunity with Transition Network
10 miles
In Hertfordshire, 5 similar
initiatives within a 10 mile
radius. Promoting a “mini”
network among them could
enhance organisations; achieve
economies of scale and
influence local government
more.
Project group recommendations...
SHORT TERM
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Organisation
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Communication
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Initiative
Facilitate structural re-engineering
Review legal entity to enhance
fundraising opportunities
MEDIUM to LONG TERM
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Re-launch with Programme of Events
Build short, medium and long term
strategic plans
Conduct a survey among the network
to get direction
Train core members with TTN
Create a communication strategy that
involve other TT.
Create a more efficient web based
communication platform
Consider hiring full time staff
Consider a physical place to
attend the public
Design KPI´s that are easy to
follow up and measure
•
Foster the initative within
schools and local organisations
through programmes & events
•
Create a “mini network” with
the Transition Towns in
Hertfordshire.
Raise brand profile &
community awareness
Establish closer relationship
with local government
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Acknowledgments
Transition Town Berkhamsted
John Bell, Bridget Wilkins, Wendy Conian, Bruce Nixon and wider
community members
Transition Town Totnes
Ben Brangwyn
Ashridge Business School
Ilze Zandervoort
Shadi Kelly