COMMUNITY PROJECT

MBA 2012/2013

Jaime GuzmánLeigh FisherKotaro KawauchiEiichi 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.

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

Project objective

Get more people involved Benchmarking / best practice

TTN

TRANSITION TOTNES

Towns in the area

BERKHAMSTED

national

community

non active members

Core Non Active Members

Core Active members

Learning from other organisations

BERKHAMSTED

Project background

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 Initiative... What is it?

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

Transition Towns…what are they?

2008First meeting - early 2008, date not known, no records Great Unleashing Sunday 9th November2008

2009 Various talks and films, an early programme of events

2010Individual projects emergingJohn 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 TTBCar Free Weekend – 16th-18th September; Ashridge Local Food Workshop – February

2012First community events to raise awareness and promote local & strategic partnershipsAshridge Local Food Workshop – February

TTB story…

Methodology

Secondary sources

Website comparison Academic literature

Primary sourcesQuestionnaire Interviews

Information gatheringPrimary research Secondary research

Methodology …3 steps

TRANSITION INITIATIVE

TTB categories & relationships

COMMUNICATIONORGANISATION

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

Not sufficiently connected with TTN

No formal Energy Descent Action Plan

Only short term strategy displayed

TTB findings.... communication & initiative

TRANSITION INITIATIVE

COMMUNICATION

No clear communication strategy

No statistics of visitors to the website and feedback

No follow up on feedback (quantifiable) from website forum

No email group feedback available

Organisational identity / clearer definition– KPI... falling membership & involvement

Organisational objectives / purpose not clearly linked to BRAND

Organisational structure not clearly defined– Leadership– Management team– Succession

TTB findings....the organisation

Organisational processes not in place– Formal management & membership

meetings– Formal systems for communications,

management vs membership

Organisational sustainability questionable– 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

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

Decentralised organisation structure Decisions by consensus Decision making as simple as possible

Working today on website, Facebook, books, movie, face 2 face, conferences

Working towards on a portfolio of indicators

Construction of action plans

Working on communication strategy including metrics

Best practice....Transition Town Totnes TTT

Website ...most effective communication

Vision +++ ++ ++ +

Mission +++ ++ + ++

Objectives +++ + + +

Strategy +++ + + +

Structure +++ ++ ++ +

Process +++ +++ +++ +

K P I´s - - - -

Finances +++ +++ +++ +

Communication +++ +++ +++ -

Leadership +++ ++ ++ +

Training +++ + + -

Recommendations

Visualisation

Ideas

Financial Stability

Communication(supportive ideas)

PLAN

Achievement

NetworkTTN

CommunityCouncil

Enterprises

Recommendation overview

Roadmap ....integrate actions & strategy

‘Have a common goal (solidarity)’

Valu

e re

latio

nshi

ps (s

ocia

bilit

y)

High

High

Low

Ideas

Solid & Social

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• 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... recommendations & way forward

10 miles

TTB & opportunity with Transition Network

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 MEDIUM to LONG TERM

Organisation

• Facilitate structural re-engineering• Review legal entity to enhance

fundraising opportunities

• Consider hiring full time staff• Consider a physical place to

attend the public• Design KPI´s that are easy to

follow up and measure

Initiative

• 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

• Foster the initative within schools and local organisations through programmes & events

Communication• Create a communication strategy that

involve other TT.• Create a more efficient web based

communication platform

• Create a “mini network” with the Transition Towns in Hertfordshire.

• Raise brand profile & community awareness

• Establish closer relationship with local government

Transition Town BerkhamstedJohn Bell, Bridget Wilkins, Wendy Conian, Bruce Nixon and wider community members

Transition Town Totnes Ben Brangwyn

Ashridge Business School Ilze ZandervoortShadi Kelly

Acknowledgments