The IOR story

1. The IOR story Joint enterprise OR Society + Tavistock Institute Launched 50 years ago [1963] on a shoestring Then 22 turbulent but productive years 1960’s: 3 pioneer projects in inter-corporate domains 1970’s: 4 policy programmes with UK government in parallel - 5 successive SSRC [ESRC] grants Dissemination via books, courses, conferences Gradual dispersal of staff in late 70’s & early 80’s Momentum sustained via links within IOR diaspora Global influence via networking, internet, software 21st century sees gradual retirement of pioneers What opportunities now for their successors?

2. Strands of innovation Problem structuring methods [SCA] - OR [soft] continuity in planning – environmental planners inter-corporate processes – public managers policy dynamics – political scientists responsible scheming – consultants? negotiated project engagements – researchers? visually enhanced facilitation policy programme design mutual consulting exercises These strands have become highly intertwined within the story of IOR’s developing practice Innovations in practice & training

3. Design of this project • 7 monthsSeptember 2013 to March 2014 • aim: enhance future policy influence of OR • through engaging early career professionals: sponsors: other professional communities • first engagement event London late 2013 • final promotional event London March 2014 • form three working groups: 1. new Masters programme; 2. research consortium initiative; 3. web-based service enterprise • asuccess indicator: build wide involvement by OR and other professional communities across different career stages, with increasing international orientation and policy support

4. A Masters’ Programme? • focus/branding?OPEN POLICY SCIENCE? • conceptual core? The full range of interwoven strands of innovation pioneered through the IOR school • courseproviders? One or more UK OR/MS schools, with links to public policy schools and academic links in other countries • markets? Government OR/MS, consultancies, • planners, economists, UK, EU & global .…. • learning approach?Interactive/immersive, drawing on innovations pioneered in IOR and other centres • variations?Opportunity todraw selectively on other academic traditions in each providing institution

5. Precedents? • 1968 to 1981 FivesuccessiveSSRC-funded IOR projects to explore cross-boundary processes • Resulting publications, conferences, networks • 2004 EPSRC/ESRC/OR Society review of research status of OR in the UK • 2010 EPSRC grant to LANCS consortium linking OR schools at Cardiff, Lancaster, Nottingham, Southampton • Opportunity now for design of a similar consortium building on record of social science linkages of UK OR [more modest scale?] • Questions to explore? • Linkage to academic, governmental & other influence networks? ESRC as initial target? Links to European/international programmes? A Research Consortium?

6. A Service Enterprise? • Precedents? • Service history of IOR as a non-academic not- for-profit centre of innovation in decision- making dependent on contract income • Service history of Community OR as pioneered through Northern College, Sheffield Hallam, Hull & Lincoln universities • History of Stradspan Limited 1990 to 2011 as a small family-based (social) enterprise aiming to support innovation in decision making through development & marketing of innovative software & services • Questions now? • What sources of seed finance? What sources of initial expertise? What strategy for expansion, partnerships, diversification?

7. A New Science of Policy? • policy vs.strategy: Two power-seeking terms - Strategy: intention of specific influence – IF Policy: intention of generic influence – WHENEVER Origins: military vs. civil governance Strategy design: focus on contingency planning Policy writing: focus on direction + specificity level so challenge arises of Requisite Variety Many instances of mixed policy/strategy positions • plurality in sources of policy: Differences in accountability chains: public/private In government: nested/overlapping policy systems Reconciling competing models of equity • two-way dynamics of policy change Policy development v. erosion: top down/bottom up • conventions for mapping complex policy spaces • adaptations to problem structuring methods

8. POLICIES forged and contested through accountable channels of governance COMMUNITIES with varied, evolving & interwoven patterns of shared & competing interests developing wise decisions together TECHNOLOGIES to guide communication about making tough choices in a strategic way WIP graphic 1 A Strategic Focus politics amidst diverse sources of division and dispute amidst diverse and competing models of equity investment facilitation amidst diverse ambient sources of perplexity and pressure

9. Design for a Service Enterprise Home page online resources for more confident decision making SELESTdecision services*selecting actions and policies in astrategicway Helping people to manage the competing challenges of: CO-ORDINATION FLEXIBILITY URGENCY BREADTH OF VISION SELECTIVITY RESPONSIVENESS RESPONSIBILITY ACCOUNTABILITY Click here to view the thinking behind the diagram “WE NEED DEEPER KNOWLEDGE” INVESTIGATE? “WE NEED CLEARER POLICIES” WHAT ARE WE TO DO NOWabout these tough choices? Actions now? CONSULT? “WE NEED BROADERPERSPECTIVES” A social enterprise offering a range of online & consulting services for decision-makers and planners linked to [University school[s] … * Possible alternative –Amati Services NEGOTIATE? * Future actions? WIP graphic 2

10. [JKF] One veteran’s workshop experiences 1973 Vancouver neighbourhood workshop - Canada 1980 Scottish mental health workshop - Edinburgh 1984 Pernambuco island development workshop - Brazil 1987 Tower Hamlets health workshops – East London 1989 Thurnscoe co-operative housing workshops – South Yorkshire 1989 Housing infrastructure workshop - Botswana 1991 Drumchapel employment workshops - Glasgow 1991 Suderness regional economy workshop - Iceland 1992 Police service restructuring workshop – Wakefield, West Yorkshire 1992 Tokyo ring road workshop - Japan 1992 Hokkaido airport location workshop – Japan 1994 Metropolitan food supply workshop – St. Petersburg, Russia 1995 Education in the outback workshop – Perth, W. Australia 1995 Brazilian oil refinery location workshop – Rio de Janeiro 1998 Siyabuswa community education workshop – South Africa 2000 Vargas disaster response workshops - Venezuela 2002 OR in international development workshop - Edinburgh 2005 Barlovento investment projects workshop - Venezuela 2006 Policy making in Africa workshop – London 2009 Canterbury water management workshop – Christchurch, NZ

11. [JKF] [starting with networks currently most active] OR Society project network investment IOR diaspora network investment STRAD software user network investment Tavistock community network investment SCA global champions network investment UK/EURO PSM/soft OR network investment Routledge publication network investment [Bracken Hall Countryside Centre network investment] Venezuelan government network investment Academic urban & regional planning network investment Japan civil engineers network investment Multi-actor policy analysis US/European network investment UK academic policy schools network investment Developing countries OR network investment Community OR network investment – including South Yorks, Lincoln, Hull LinkedIn network investment One veteran’s network investments

12. 20TH CENTURY CONSTRAINTS • primitive communication technologies • primitive conceptual models • primitive facilitation skill base Then & now >> future • EARLY 21TH CENTURY PROGRESS • rapid advances in communication technologies • patchy advances in conceptual models • patchy advances in facilitation skills • PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING DECADES • soundly-based conceptual models & skills to address full complexity of emergent policy challenges • requisite organisational forms for [open] policy development