Pro Bono O.R. (Operational Research) for the Third Sector Webpage: Blog: For more information Phone:

What is O.R? “Using scientific approaches to improve an organisation’s effectiveness” Operational Research gives those who run organisations the power to make more effective decisions and build more productive systems based on: More complete data Consideration of all available options Careful predictions of outcomes and estimates of risk The latest decision tools and techniques

How can O.R. help? Organisations may seek a very wide range of operational improvements: strategy systems processes operations decision-making Whatever the aim, O.R. can offer the flexibility and adaptability to provide objective help.

“Typical O.R.” – Facilities design How many beds does our homeless hostel need, if we never want to turn anyone away? Where should we locate our charity shops, to get the best profits? How should we lay out the storage for the Food Bank, to make best use of space? What mix of services will best meet users’ needs, at least cost

“Typical O.R.” – Operations How many more/fewer people might want to use this service in future – and how will it need to change? What shift pattern is best for a 24-hour helpline? What is the best route for Oxfam pick-up/delivery drivers? Where are the best places to hold inventory for disaster relief? How can we make this process more efficient?

“Typical O.R.” – decisions… Is it better to offer a more specialised service where there are fewer users with greater needs, or the other way round? What are the risks of tendering for a particular contract at a given price, and what are the possible outcomes if these risks materialise?

…especially where decisions are Complex – everything interconnects Messy – things are hard to define, aims are unclear, circumstances change… Multiple stakeholders – with different agendas Multiple objectives – which conflict with each other Uncertainty – about the environment, about other people’s decisions, about stakeholders’ values

…and general problem solving Statistical analysis, analytics: Insight Forecasting Evaluation Strategy development Facilitation IT system development Performance measures, management information All-round help to get problem dealt with.

O.R in the Third Sector Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme operated by The OR Society that places skills-based analysts in short term projects with UK based third sector organisations. For more information about the scheme, to see who we’ve worked with, read example case studies and to request support please visit: I also write a regular blog: and you can connect with me and For more information Phone: