Facing the 2020s

Facing the 2020s

Project outcomes
The basic aim is to provide information, methods and motivation to enable local communities around the UK to improve their quality of life despite pressures which could push the other way, and to identify and bring about national policy changes which would help this. The chosen focus is the UK to make the project manageable: however, the impact of these pressures is likely to be even worse in many other countries, and the knowhow from the project will be made freely available to all.

Project plan and organisation
The project initiator is Alan Heeks who has committed to provide initial funding of up to £60K from the charitable trust he has set up. The brief and work plan have been evolved through consultation with New Economics Foundation and the Transition Movement. There is no intention for Facing the 2020s to become an organisation in its own right: the aim is to take this forward as part of a coalition of larger organisations, or to merge this into a lead organisation which would take it forward. Involvement from other individuals or organisations is very welcome.

Broadly speaking, the project plan has three stages, however the later stages are only indicative, and need to be evolved through further discussion, and building on the outcomes of the initial work.

Phase 1: Identifying the pressures
A quantitative forecast will be created, and scenarios built up on this: the forecast will take account of major global pressures such as oil and other commodity shortages, climate change impacts, global and UK debt issues, and more. The forecast and scenarios will look in detail at the pressures and changes in the UK which could arise from economic and environmental problems, for example in unemployment, crime, and also the growth of local economies and the voluntary and social enterprise sectors. New Economics Foundation are undertaking this work, which is now nearing completion, with a target finish date of July 2012.

Phase 2: Constructive responses
A contract for this Phase has been agreed with Reos Partners UK, part of an international non-profit consultancy who specialize in enabling innovation in complex social systems, working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including private, public sector and community organisations.

The basic aim of their work will be to create a strategy, action plan and resources to deliver the overall project outcomes in the light of the pressures highlighted in Phase 1. The specific work plan includes:

Dialogue interviews with key stakeholders from civil society, private and public sectors, to understand their view of the major pressures and explore potential responses, and their involvement in them.

Two 1-day strategy workshops aiming to create a strategy and action/resource plan to fulfill it, or at least pilot it.

Create a digital atlas of systemic strategies: an open access database of responses to the key pressures identified.

Recognising that the cost of implementing or even piloting a strategy for Phase 3 will be substantial, create a Funders Map of potential resources.
Produce a Strategy and Action Plan document which sums up the work on this Phase, and provides a framework for the next Phase.
Review investment in communications material at this stage: such as a prospectus, website, film, etc.

The aim is to complete this work in November 2012.

Phase 3: Propagation, motivation, inspiration
There is no detailed brief for this Phase as yet: much of this should emerge from the Phase 2 research. Possibilities to be explored for Phase 3 include:

How this material could be owned, used and propagated by relevant existing organisations with local networks, such as the Transition Movement and others.

Using a range of media channels, such as TV, DVD, and social networking.
Finding ways to engage a wide range of membership organisations in working actively with these resources at local level: such as faith groups, environmental and conservation groups, youth groups, music and the arts.
Consider the creation of a Movement Building programme to link a range of organisations at local level, gain critical mass, raise awareness more widely, and pursue relevant policy changes at national and local level.

Explore large-scale pilot testing/action research of strategies from Phase 2, for example on a city-wide or county scale.

How this material could be owned, used and propagated by relevant existing organisations with local networks, such as the Transition Movement and others.

Using a range of media channels, such as TV, DVD, and social networking.
Finding ways to engage a wide range of membership organisations in working actively with these resources at local level: such as faith groups, environmental and conservation groups, youth groups, music and the arts.
Consider the creation of a Movement Building programme to link a range of organisations at national and local level, in order to gain critical mass, raise awareness more widely, help promote behaviour changes, and pursue relevant policy changes at national and local level.