Changes

echo – a tool for public agencies

echo is a tool for public agencies to use to consider how open they are to community influence, in relation to their potential to respond to that influence. We have been talking to different agencies about it and it seems to make sense to them, so we are currently in the process of testing it out.

For a brief lowdown – download the 2-page summary and, if you want more information, you can download a copy of the original research report.

We recently ran a ‘rapid briefing’ session in the East Midlands where officers identified a variety of uses for echo:

• It is an easy toolkit, could be useful across the County to help consistency and to talk to the non-converted
• It could help with the Community Engagement Strategy development thought process
• It could provide us with a baseline of where we are – and an action plan
• It made me think differently – more deeply into what outcomes could be
• It turns the intangible into the tangible
• I can see how we could usefully apply this to help the organisation move forward in terms of equality and diversity
• There has to be recognition of good practice in the organisation, echo can help us to locate this and learn from it
• Within an LSP context it is important – funding reductions will make it hard for the LA to respond so we are going to have to work more in partnership

changes offers short (3 hour) sessions to introduce echo and facilitate discussion about how it might be useful to agencies and partnerships: contact us for fees and availability

Voice (formerly the Axis of Influence)

We have changed the name! The axis for community networks – once called ‘axis of influence’ – is now called ‘voice’. The reason for the change is that we have developed a second axis – for public sector agencies – called ‘echo’. Voice and echo are BOTH axes of influence so we wanted to give them each their own unique name.

‘Voice’ is a tool which helps community groups and networks to assess and improve the influence they have on agencies and partnerships. The ‘axis’ in ‘voice’ plots existing capacity to influence against how influential the group feels. It can be used to: assess and monitor community influence, prompt discussion and debate within groups and help plan how to become more influential.

“If this was America you’d be paying a fortune for the information and know-how that’s contained here. This model is indispensable for any organisation serious about making an impact” – comment from recent ‘Voice’ facilitator training

changes has developed a Resource Pack to help people to make the best use of voice.

• Part 1 – handy guide is available to download here
• For information about the other sections of the Resource Pack, click to check out the ‘introduction and overview’

voice in print

In its former guise as ‘the axis of influence’, articles about voice have been published in the Community Development Journal and NCVO newsletter.

Contact us to talk to us about commissioning a course for people in your area who work with community groups and networks to learn more about ‘voice’ and how to use it.

echo – how open to influence are public agencies?

changes recently undertook a piece of research to explore and develop a framework for public agencies to use to consider how open they are to community influence. We have called the framework ‘echo’ to reflect its relationship to our other Axis of Influence: Voice.

echo recognises the restrictions that may be in place for these agencies and so includes an aspect which considers their ‘potential to respond’. Our experience suggests there is huge interest in this and you can download a copy of the research report here.

We recently ran a ‘rapid briefing’ session in the East Midlands where officers identified a variety of uses for echo:

• It is an easy toolkit, could be useful across the County to help consistency and to talk to the non-converted
• It could help with the Community Engagement Strategy development thought process
• It could provide us with a baseline of where we are – and an action plan
• It made me think differently – more deeply into what outcomes could be
• It turns the intangible into the tangible
• I can see how we could usefully apply this to help the organisation move forward in terms of equality and diversity
• There has to be recognition of good practice in the organisation, echo can help us to locate this and learn from it
• Within an LSP context it is important – funding reductions will make it hard for the LA to respond so we are going to have to work more in partnership

changes offers short (3 hour) sessions to introduce echo and facilitate discussion about how it might be useful to agencies and partnerships: contact us for fees and availability