Global management consulting firm OC&C Strategy Consultants
has been an Impetus corporate partner since 2004. Since then,
OC&C teams have worked, on a pro bono basis, on over 10
strategic projects for charities and social enterprises in the
Impetus portfolio.
Colin Tyler is a partner at OC&C. He explains why he enjoys
working on Impetus projects, and what he thinks are the benefits to
OC&C.
What types of projects have you been
involved in yourself?
I've worked on strategic projects with several of the charities,
most notably with Keyfund, then Speaking Up, and most recently with
IntoUniversity.
What did you do on Speaking Up?
Speaking Up was one of the first investments Impetus made and has
grown substantially through the period of Impetus involvement, both
in respect of the number of people supported and also in terms of
the capacity building of the organisation. It was one of the first
to approach an exit situation. I got involved to help Craig
[Speaking Up's chief executive] and his team to develop their
fundraising strategies and delivery for life beyond Impetus. They
needed to hone how they were telling their story, in order to
attract subsequent funders during their next phase of development.
In that process I got to know Craig well, and ultimately he was
very successful in fundraising, getting some substantial grants
through this process. Building the story line actually helped a lot
on that.
Do you find this work fulfilling?
It's hugely fulfilling. With Speaking Up, I think we were doing
something slightly different to what we usually do, but from a
personal perspective, it was great fun to get to know Craig and the
organisation.
What's fun about it?
A whole range of things. Without exception, all of the senior
management teams we've worked with through Impetus have been
extremely motivated and dedicated individuals. The projects have
been extremely positive and collaborative, and always make us feel
we have some value to add to those organisations. So there is an
immediate reward. The people we work with are always so
appreciative.
Why has OC&C has chosen to be involved with
Impetus?
There are several strong reasons why we do this. At the very basic
level, we feel the projects are worthwhile and effective and having
some benefit. We certainly wouldn't keep doing them if we didn't
feel that. The fact that the relationship has grown over the years
is testament to the fact that we feel there has been value in the
projects we've done.
Impetus projects also play to our strengths. As a general rule, we
have always been uneasy about deploying our time as a business on
charitable things that we are not necessarily that well equipped to
do. One of my hobbies is woodworking, and I could probably some of
my time to help a charity to build some housing. But on average,
the average OC&Cer is not a great painter or decorator. So in
terms of deploying our time and effort in a pro-bono way, we've
always felt the most effective way to do that is within the
boundaries of what we're actually good at, which is supporting
organisations through developing a better strategy for their
future.
Is it difficult to balance your Impetus projects with
your commercial work?
This is another important point. OC&C's relationship with
Impetus has given us an umbrella relationship under which we can
manage the flow of pro-bono projects. In the years before we
started our relationship with Impetus, we would be approached by
other charities to do projects for them, but in a very piecemeal
manner. There's a big benefit to us having a bit more of a
"pipeline management" of our charitable pro-bono work, where we can
manage the timing of when we are able to do such projects. We need
flexibility to balance the charity's requirements against what we
are able to deliver them and when we have availability to actually
deploy teams. The way we work with Impetus is a "menu-based"
approach, because they are working with several charities at any
one time; this also provides us with some flexibility on who and
how we get involved on any specific pro-bono case.
Additionally, we are able to use these projects as a reward to
staff. Impetus projects have a good reputation amongst staff here.
Project managers and consultants are always very keen to be
assigned to these projects because the work is seen as interesting
and rewarding, providing situations where people can be more
creative about how to approach issues. We are also able to give
junior consultants opportunities that put them in more stretching
situations, taking on a slightly more senior role to what they
would normally be doing, which is a useful part of their
professional development.
Culturally, we are an organisation that always strives to be a
socially conscious place to work. Most employees, when they arrive
here and realise we are doing these projects with a full,
professional team, deployed in exactly in the same way we work with
our commercial clients but entirely unpaid for, are really quite
surprised.
Our work with Impetus' charities reflects the underlying culture of
OC&C and it underlines our commitment as a firm to making that
a reality, because we are actually doing these projects, year after
year.
Working with Impetus' charities is good in itself, and it's a good
statement of intent on how we want to run our own business.
Find out how corporate partner
ISIS worked with Street League, and read about the experiences of individual pro bono
experts.
Read more about our other corporate partners.
Impetus gives me the kind of support I need when I need it. I trust them, and I really value the fact that Impetus delivers what it promises.
Dr Rachel Carr
Chief Executive, IntoUniversity
