Complex needs & turnkey solutions for a minority of clients
UCS can offer any of the services below in isolation or as required. Indeed we can offer a unique Turnkey Development Programme which can take a project from concept through consultation and fundraising to design and build using our high quality team of associates and consultants.
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Concept & Vision
If you haven't already done this, we work with you, your trustees, staff and stakeholders to develop your concept and vision into an outline proposal. If you have already done this we undertake a brief health-check audit of the proposal.
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Needs Analysis & Community Consultation
If needed, we then use specialist associates to develop a community consultation exercise to consult the relevant community of interest, stakeholders and others to make sure that your dreams are rooted in real needs and a shared vision. Our Needs Analysis will focus on measuring value and outcomes associated with the proposed project and will include hard outputs and outcomes (how many and what's achieved?) with soft outcomes which are often so important (how do you measure feeling happier?).
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Project Development to Final Proposal Stage
We help you develop the project by undertaking a development options appraisal in which we look creatively at how the project can be delivered. Often we find an opportunity or partnership opportunity where organisations can work together to achieve compatible aims. We continue to refine the project until a final proposal is agreed with the client which includes a clear needs analysis, collective buy-in from stakeholders, agreed objectives, measurable outputs, outcomes and impacts. A clear and justified design brief is agreed at this stage so that the development is based on meeting needs and not colour schemes!
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Business Planning & Sustainability Reporting
We work with the client to develop a business plan, if relevant, and design a sustainability programme to enable them to manage the building or development and to create a sustainable organisation. The consultancy is able to offer a full range of business planning and management consultancy services.
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Project Design
Our architect associates will use the design brief to begin working with the client to design the project and take it through planning stage if required. The architect will provide a standard and comprehensive service based on RIBA terms and working closely with the client but is macro-managed by UCS enabling continuity of service. A full set of plans and costings are produced on which to base development and fundraising and are put together in a formal Capital Project Development Plan.
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Fundraising Strategy, Plan & Research
UCS will create a detailed fundraising strategy and fundraising implementation plan. This will be the fundraising workbook which will plan every facet of the campaign and look at all relevant factors from fundraising to governance, public relations, resources and communications. It will cover all areas of fundraising including big gifts, grants, community fundraising, trading and many more techniques and design a programme that will work.
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Fundraising Campaign
UCS can then either manage the fundraising campaign itself or support in-house management of the campaign. It has a full range of fundraising professionals including consultants, fundraisers, researchers and trainers.
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Construction Phase
Once the fundraising is successful and the client can give the go-ahead for building work to start the architect and professional development team will return to project manage the whole build process again based on standard RIBA contracts. When the construction work is complete ... your dream is a reality!
