My practice is 'value-driven'. Since being established in 1984 I have sought to maximise the opportunities for people living in disadvantaged communities to improve social and economic conditions for themselves and their communities through both individual and collective action and by maximising the benefits of major investments in and around their neighbourhoods.
To do this I have utilised my training and early career as a management accountant in industry, and academic study of the sociology of work and organisations, regional and urban development and public policy making.
Core Skills
Policy analysis and drafting
Research through interviews and analysis of documents
Understanding organisational dynamics
Financial and business planning
Project management
Writing: presenting complex information in an accessible way.
Core areas of work
Welfare to work: policy development, feasibility studies, evaluations and analysis of good practice.
Enabling and supporting local organisations to utilise public funding programmes to maximise entry to training and employment, and evaluating the outcomes from different approaches.
Clients include NCVO, Business in the Community, local authorities and many community organisations.
Key publication: The Intermediate Labour Market (with Bob Marshall), Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2000.
Area regeneration: maximising the economic benefits of local investment for local communities, especially through the use of public procurement and Planning Obligations.
Identifying and developing the policy basis for public bodies to use their leverage to maximise job, training and supply-chain opportunities for local people and businesses arising from area-based regeneration programmes and from associated private sector investments e.g. in housing and commercial property. Developing methodologies, organisations and funding streams for projects to help deliver these local benefits. Evaluating outcomes and providing good practice information.
Clients include Scottish Government, Chartered Institute of Housing in Wales, many local authorities and housing associations and The Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Key publications: Local Jobs from Local Development. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2000. Using local labour in construction. Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 2000. Achieving Community Benefits through Contracts (with Mark Cook), The Policy Press, 2002. Community Benefits in Public Procurement. The Scottish Government.2008. The CAN DO Toolkit (with Mark Cook) Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru. 2009
Social enterprise and cooperative development: policy development, feasibility studies and business planning, organisational development and evaluations of good practice.
Policy analysis and development on the role of social enterprises and cooperatives in local development. The preparation of business plans for new enterprises including Groundwork projects, development trusts and a range of one-off enterprises.
Clients include Business in the Community, The Priority Estates Programme, the Irish Government, local authorities, housing associations, local community projects.
Key publications: Getting Ready for Contracts (with Sandy Adirondack) Directory of Social Change. 1990. Developing Community Partnerships in Europe (with Jean-Louis Laville). Directory of Social Change. 1992. Community Involvement in City Challenge NCVO Publications. 1993.
Community finance initiatives: feasibility studies for local initiatives.
Work undertaken with Community Finance Solutions at the University of Salford includes feasibility studies for initiatives in London, Hertfordshire and Cumbria.
Arts administration: voluntary activity for social enterprises
As voluntary business manager tasks have included financial planning and management, and obtaining and managing both public sector and private sector sponsorship for poetry and theatre events, art exhibitions and publications.
Qualifications
MSc. in Public Policy Studies. University of Bristol School of Advanced Urban Studies. 1984. Specialism - Employment Policy.
BA (with Upper Second Class Honours). The Open University. 1978. Specialising in Social Sciences including Sociology of Work and Organisations, Regional Analysis and Urban Development.
HND Business Studies. Sheffield Polytechnic. 1969. Specialism – Management Accounting.
Richard Macfarlane
Research and Project Development Ltd.
Richard Macfarlane
149 Chamberlayne Road
London NW10 3NT
Tel & Fax: +44 [0]20-8964-2416
Mobile: 077688 93731
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