Business Plan 200810

Business Plan 2008/10 Produced by TfL Group Publishing October 2008 This booklet is printed on paper that is made from 55 per cent recycled and 45 per cent sustainable sources. TfL 14481 MAYOR OF LONDON Transport for London WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Contents Introduction WTS vision and aspiration WTS London strategy 2008/10 WTS London’s role in the transport sector Sponsorship and collaborators Outcomes against key performance indicators for 2006/08 WTS London board member roles 4 5 7 8 12 13 18 2 3 WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Introduction WTS vision and aspiration The Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) London is an independent, not for profit, membership organisation. Since establishing WTS in 2005 we have grown our membership and increased support from industry sponsors. We now wish to build on this progress and extend WTS’ influence, particularly among policy makers as well as in the transport industry more generally. Membership of WTS is open to women and men with a professional interest in the transport industry and will be admitted upon payment of the annual membership fee. Companies are invited to contribute financial and in-kind support through sponsorship of WTS. WTS London’s aim is to address the chronic under-representation of women in the transport industry. By influencing the transport agenda, promoting professional development and attracting industry leaders, WTS London hopes to highlight the need to promote diverse workforces and in doing so, develop practical solutions to address this issue. WTS London also aims to provide its members with unique networking opportunities, allowing women and men in the industry to share experience, expertise and best practice. Members will have access to the benefits of the organisation including: a programme of members only events and development seminars and networking opportunities with wider representation from the industry, all mailing and organisation materials, access to the website plus nomination to office and voting privileges. Since establishing WTS in 2005 we have grown our membership and increased support from industry sponsors. 4 5 WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 WTS London strategy 2008/10 Our strategy to date has been to: • Address the under-representation of women in the transport industry – through initiatives such as the WTS Women on Board programme aimed at increasing the number of women on the boards of corporate, public and community bodies • Promote professional development – primarily through a wide ranging programme of events and skills workshops which contribute to Continuous Professional Development (CPD) We will continue this focus over the next 2 years and in addition, we will: • Develop and implement a marketing and PR strategy to increase the reach of WTS London • Target specific sectors within the industry for example, the bus industry and engineering • Encourage the growth of WTS elsewhere in the UK • Increase membership involvement by using social media and establishing a WTS online community • Influence the transport agenda – by engaging in dialogue with other influential bodies in the transport industry and by partnerships with like-minded organisations • Engage schools and colleges – by implementing the WTS Schools Action plan which aims to promote transport opportunities to girls and young and women • Attract industry leaders – by working with sponsors and professional partners to disseminate good practice 6 7 WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Overall Rationale This is the second Business Plan for WTS London. We are now moving from the early stages of establishing the organisation to a phase of consolidating past achievements and moving up a gear in terms of growth in membership and sponsorship and increasing the influence of the organisation. To ensure delivery it is important to have the right people, policies and procedures in place. WTS London is an independent, not for profit membership organisation led by its own Board. Appendix A outlines the roles of the WTS London Board. ensure members realise the value of their membership, even at the non-subsidised rate. Strategic challenges Since its inception, WTS London has received significant financial support from Transport for London, the organisation’s Principal Sponsor. TfL also provides benefits in kind including a Project team, office accommodation and supplies, use of communications facilities and other administrative support. TfL is committed to having a diverse workforce which reflects the demographics of London’s population. It has taken a lead role in supporting the establishment of a WTS Chapter in the UK as part of its commitment to working within the transport industry to address gender equality and increase the representation of women within transport. A different challenge is the ongoing relationship with WTS International. As the only Chapter currently located outside of the Northern American continent, it has at times been difficult for WTS London to reap the benefits of its involvement with WTS on an international basis. A number of procedural and administrative issues have arisen due to the lack of awareness about different processes in the UK and as such, an action plan has been developed to ensure the London Chapter continues to benefit from its involvement with WTS and that WTS London has greater representation within the organisation. Continued liaison with the International Board is crucial to the success of the action plan. WTS London Policies Caption: During 2006/07, WTS London’s Board approved a number of policies, designed to provide a more defined approach to the way in which WTS London can achieve its aims. The Policies provide guidance and consistency for the implementation of WTS London’s overall plans. Achievements As part of its sponsorship arrangement, TfL’s funding has enabled the organisation to offer a fifty per cent discount for all members joining and renewing with WTS. This discount is planned to discontinue from 31 August 2008 and new and renewing members will pay the full fee. This creates a challenge for membership retention. A retention and attraction strategy will need to be adopted to 8 The policies and associated guidelines currently in place include Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity and Sustainability. WTS London regards these as three of the major areas in which WTS London has an impact in its community of members and sponsors. Plans are in place for WTS to develop an ethics policy. Further policies and guidelines will be developed as appropriate by WTS London. WTS London has established a programme of development workshops which contribute to member’s continuous professional development (CPD). This is a key part of the WTS aim of supporting the professional development of women. In parallel to this we also offer a programme of visits and tours of transport projects giving our members access to some of the key infrastructure projects affecting transport in the Capital. Since its inception WTS visits have included: a presentation on transport planning for the London 2012 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and a visit to the London 2012 site in Stratford, a visit to Heathrow Terminal 5, a tour of the Kings Cross and St Pancras Euro Star Terminal redevelopment, and a visit to the White City development construction site. WTS Management training In 2007, 11 WTS London members completed an Introductory Diploma in Management delivered by Kingston College. The programme was offered to members at a heavily discounted rate as part of the Train to Gain and Learning Skills Council funding scheme, designed to encourage women into gaining further qualifications. The course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and covers topics such as Personal Effectiveness, Successful Marketing, Effective Planning and Effective People Management. The course is an important part of WTS London’s career development offering for our members and has been very well received. WTS London will continue to run this programme as an annual development opportunity for members. 9 WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Women on Board The WTS Women on Board programme was launched in 2007 with a high profile event at the House of Lords hosted by Baroness Ros Scott. The programme aimed to encourage more women to take up positions as board members in corporate, public and community organisations. As part of delivering the programme WTS published a Best Practice Guide with a foreword by the then Transport minister Gillian Merron MP. In addition, 18 WTS members were offered the opportunity to shadow experienced Board members as part of our efforts to give members a practical insight into the day to day operations of a board. members and provides a platform on which the organisation can attract potential new members and sponsors. The news page is an information page for members, which provides feedback and notes on events and development opportunities. The events registration page is a convenient tool for both members and administrators of WTS events and has contributed greatly to speeding up the registration process for members for all of WTS London’s events. WTS London website 10 The WTS London website forms an integral part of the Chapter’s communication to its During 2008/10, WTS London is aiming to make its web presence more interactive. A Community forum is being developed and will be launched later in 2008. The forum will provide an online networking and discussion forum for members to interact with other members and sponsor representatives, ask questions and search for job opportunities. WTS London is now supported by ten sponsors including TfL, its Principal sponsor. In addition to financial support and in-kind benefits the involvement of industry sponsors is critical to the ability of WTS to increase its influence in the transport industry. Through our work with employers we have the potential to play a leading role in the dissemination of best practice and in removing the barriers to gender equality in the industry. In recognition of the critical need to take forward our agenda by working in partnership with others WTS has developed collaborative agreements with a number of organisations including: the Institution for Highways and Transportation (IHT), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Women in Science Engineering and Construction (WISE). Sponsorship and Professional Partners Initiatives resulting from these partnerships include the Joint WTS and ICE conference ‘Delivering Diversity in the Construction, Transport and Engineering‘ in June 2008, and WTS members’ contribution to WISE filming of women as role models in the industry. 11 WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Focus for WTS London in 2008/10 Events Programme Schools and Colleges Engagement The WTS Events programme is an essential part of our offering to members and an important benefit to sponsors and potential sponsors. Since its establishment in 2005 WTS has built a comprehensive programme of activities including: • Professional development; skills workshops and seminars • Visits and tours to transport infrastructure projects • Networking events During 2008 WTS organised a joint conference on diversity with the Institution of Civil Engineers, ICE as part of a collaborative agreement to work together on the agenda for gender equality. WTS will deliver more joint events as part of collaborative agreements with the following organisations: • The Institution of Highways and Transportation • The Fawcett Society • Women into Science Engineering and Construction (WISE) These partnership arrangements are in recognition of the need to work jointly with others in order to influence change in the transport industry. In response to Sponsor feedback about the lack of representation of women at the application stage of recruitment, WTS London has developed a Schools and Colleges Engagement Strategy and a supporting Action Plan. The core aim is to make transport a ‘job for the girls’ by encouraging more young women and girls to consider the transport industry as a career of choice. The Strategy and Action Plan has 5 important phases: • Understanding perceptions • Changing perceptions • Informing the market • Understanding the market • Marketing and engaging on the schools and colleges work Schools and Colleges Engagement Strategy key deliverables Implement the Schools and Colleges Engagement Strategy Deliver the Schools Action Plan • Strategy events and workshops The WTS Events calendar is published twice a year, setting out a six monthly programme. Events are also publicised on the website and in regular newsletters to members and sponsors. WTS London will build on this to establish an Awards programme to recognise the contributions of individuals and organisations to diversity in employment and to advancing the transport agenda for women. Communication, PR & Stakeholder Engagement Events key deliverables Deliver a programme of professional development skills workshops, networking events and transport infrastructure tours and site visits Deliver Women on Board II – a follow-up to the 2007 WTS London programme Develop and pilot a mentoring programme for members Develop and pilot action learning sessions for members In order to grow, WTS needs to build its external reputation and raise its profile as an opinion leader in the transport industry and on diversity. WTS will produce an annual PR programme targeting trade publications and other media outlets to reach a wider audience and build the profile of the organisation. WTS will develop a plan for stakeholder engagement, identifying key stakeholders and priorities for these relationships. A plan for member engagement will also be drafted, including communication through the website, an online community and the creation of a membership pack. Communications, PR and Stakeholder Engagement key deliverables Develop a marketing, PR and communications plan to support the WTS business plan objectives, build WTS reputation as a opinion leader and engage with key audiences Develop a WTS online community, promoting involvement and interaction between WTS members, the Board and Sponsors Continue to manage the WTS London website so that it delivers timely and informative articles to members and visitors to the site 12 WTS will use marketing techniques to continue to build the brand and grow membership and sponsorship. Branding will be consistent across all leaflets, brochures and other communications materials. 13 WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Membership Programme Membership is crucial to the ongoing success of WTS London as it is the combined voice of our growing body of members that gives WTS London its influence. A strong membership body helps the organisation to achieve its goals of advancing women in the transport industry, particularly when it is represented by a diverse group of transport professionals – women and men, operational and clerical, those at the top of their careers, and those just starting out. It is important that WTS London ensures the membership body retains its diversity and that across the industry the appeal to become and remain a member is evident. Sponsorship Programme WTS London has the ability to attract transport industry leaders, to influence the transport agenda and most importantly, to advance the success of women in transport. Exposure to a range of transport organisations and individuals within the industry through promotion on WTS London’s website, in publications and at events presents huge benefit to sponsors. Sponsors affiliated with WTS London are recognised as employers committed to gender equality and diversity. With free places at WTS London events available as part of certain sponsorship packages, employees of sponsor companies can also benefit from the huge programme of events and benefits that WTS London has to offer. WTS London will continue to tailor sponsorship packages to reflect the interests of its individual sponsors. WTS London relies on the funding it receives from sponsors to run its programme of events and schools activities but also encourages other forms of support such as in-kind contributions, for example, hosting events and visits. To ensure membership numbers continue to grow, WTS will introduce a member get member scheme, encouraging members to promote WTS to their colleagues. WTS London also plans to investigate the possibility of establishing a Chapter elsewhere in the UK to provide opportunities for people in the industry outside of London whilst building a greater collective voice. Membership key deliverables Research and Monitoring Develop a member retention strategy Develop an attraction strategy targeting key areas including the bus industry and local authorities and a member get member programme WTS will continue its programme of sponsors’ evenings and will continue to work with its sponsors and professional partners to encourage the dissemination of good practice in the transport industry. Sponsorship key deliverables: Develop and foster new and existing sponsor relationships with transport organisations and affiliated companies Develop and implement a plan to establish a WTS chapter elsewhere in the UK starting with the Manchester region To further the aims of WTS London, a series of research projects concerning women in transport will be undertaken. It is important that the results of this research are made available to industry professionals as a way of developing and raising awareness of issues within the industry and involving large crosssections of the transport industry. Being actively involved in research provides WTS London with an opportunity to influence decision making in the transport industry. WTS London will focus on particular issues that are relevant to the industry, including: • transport innovation in developed and developing nations • promoting diversity at work • flexible working for all All programmes – research and otherwise, will need to be monitored to ensure key performance indicators are met and programmes are successfully delivered. Research and Monitoring key deliverables: Develop a research programme in partnership with stakeholders and others, in order to promote the equality agenda in transport Produce guidance on key issues affecting the industry, for example flexible working Develop robust measures of success through the 2008/10 review of performance indicators 15 14 Continue to carry out an annual membership surveys to evaluate the success of a broad range of initiatives and to examine their impact on membership growth and retention. Offer Sponsor Evenings as a means of disseminating best practice and enabling Sponsor organisations to provide input on the strategic direction of the organisation WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Outcomes against KPIs for 2006/08 Performance indicators Recruit 100 individual members to WTS London Elect a membership committee Develop ‘retention’ tactics with the objective of retaining 50 per cent of members through to year three Create an event calendar Results 140 members recruited (as at May 2008) 10 corporate sponsors recruited (as at May 2008) Recruit 10 corporate sponsors to WTS London Membership sub-committee established, sub-committees also established for events and sponsorship, and Board chairs elected Retention has averaged 63 per cent for those who have joined between 2005 and 2007 Six-monthly events calendars produced and distributed to members, sponsors and other key players Implement a mentoring scheme Develop a research programme This will be carried forward into the 2008/10 business plan This will be carried forward into the 2008/10 business plan Outcomes against KPIs for 2006/08 WTS London will measure its outputs as a whole against its objectives. The principle performance indicators for WTS London will include: • Recruit 500 members by 2010 • Retain at least 85 per cent of WTS members • Increase the number of corporate sponsors from 10 to14, retaining at least 60 per cent of the existing corporate sponsors 16 • Implement the WTS Schools & Colleges Engagement Strategy and Action Plan working with others to raise the profile and increase the marketing of career opportunities in transport to girls and young women. • Implement a mentoring programme • Develop a research programme 17 WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Financial Statement 2007/08 WTS London Income and expenditure statement (1 July 2007 – 30 June 2008) Receipts Actual £ Actual £ Variance £ Notes (income and expenditure statement) 1 Variance due to errors with WTS International website payments and related drop in retention 2 Sponsorship payments came in late for the year so there is an expected surplus for 2008/09 3 No fund raising activities were held during the financial year as the Summer Reception took place in July 2008 instead of June 4 In kind payments were not included in the budget in 2007/08 but will be incorporated from now on. The in-kind payments balance with the in-kind receipts. 5 Incorporated into Programme and Events –(not included as separate line in budget for 08/09) Membership payments: Corporate sponsorship payments (2) Fund raising (3) In kind Interest (bank account) Individual subscriptions (1) 30,500.00 1,948.66 0.00 30,500.00 1,948.66 -6,051.34 -6,300.00 -500.00 43.69 28,840.96 61,733.31 443.69 28,840.96 61,733.31 443.69 0.00 28,840.96 16,033.31 Total receipts Payments 0.00 WTS London balance sheet (as at 30 June 2008) 30 June 2007 £ - 30 June 2008 £ - WTS International dues In kind (4) Programme and events costs Hospitality/travel Mentoring (5) Research (5) 18,777.69 28,840.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 60.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,525.55 18,777.69 28,840.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 60.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,525.55 2,654.45 -28,840.96 3,222.31 500.00 Current assets Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Total assets Represented by: 28,783.59 28,783.59 28,783.59 34,691.07 34,691.07 Membership development (5) 1,000.00 1,000.00 3,000.00 2,000.00 4,378.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 -60.50 0 34,691.07 Administration International programme (5) Marketing and advertising Website development Schools and colleges outreach Subtotal 5,621.13 5,621.13 Income and expenditure account Total funds 28,783.59 34,691.07 Contingency Total payments 18 55,825.83 0.00 55,825.83 0.00 -11,145.83 1,020.00 Total net income / (expenditure) 55,825.83 5,907.48 55,825.83 5,907.48 -10,125.83 5,907.48 19 WTS London Business Plan 2008/10 Appendix A: WTS London board member roles President Treasurer Board Member (or Past President) The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, and shall chair all meetings of the membership and the Board. S/he will have the power to appoint chairs of committees and ad hoc committees subject to the approval of the Board. In general, the President shall perform all duties incident to the office of the President and such duties as may be assigned by the Board. Vice President The Treasurer shall be responsible and have charge and custody of all funds and contracts of WTS London; receive and give receipts for money due and payable to the organisation; deposit all such monies in the name of the organisation as approved by the Board; prepare financial reports and an annual report at the end of each financial year; and such other duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Board. This position will provide advice and guidance on all WTS London decisions and may perform any other duties as assigned by the President or by the Board. Sub-Committee Chair The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President, or in the event that the President is unable to or refuses to act. The Vice-President shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Board. Membership Chair Secretary The Membership Chair shall promote relationships with members, affiliate members and corporate sponsors. The Membership Chair will work with the President and Board members to develop a membership strategy and such other duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Board. Sub-Committee Chairs will work with the President and Board members to develop strategies for their particular Sub-Committee, for example events, sponsorship etc. The Sub-Committee Chair will meet with Sub-Committee members on a regular basis to discuss ideas and will undertake any such other duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Board. WTS London currently has the following sub-committees in place: Events, Sponsorship and Membership. The Secretary shall be the custodian of organisation records. The Secretary is responsible for keeping the minutes of all the meetings of the members and the Board; for keeping a current register of the address of each member of the organisation; for all official correspondence and notices of the chapter; and other such duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Board. Communications Chair The Communications Chair (formerly the Programme and Events Chair) shall provide advice and guidance on communication issues surrounding the WTS London programme and activities tailored to the interests and needs of the WTS London membership, and any other duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Board. 20 21