Penfold Associates

Penfold Associates already helps a number of North West housing providers with environmental scanning services.

One way we help is in carrying out formal environmental scanning exercises as input to clients’ corporate planning.  See the earlier article on this website – “Environmental scanning: an essential tool for housing organizations” – for a summary of our approach.

We also provide regular update reports on changes in the working environment.  The reports – which may be quarterly or timed to fit in with a client’s meetings cycle – are designed to meet the needs of non-executive board members, directors and senior managers.  The aim is to bring together in one document a briefing on key trends, policy initiatives, proposed legislation, and opportunities at national, regional, sub-regional, and local levels that are likely to have implications for the organization.  The reports do not make specific recommendations but do draw attention to issues that require some action.

The reports are based upon internet research using official websites, newspapers and trade magazines.  By presenting a “snapshot” each report has the advantage of bringing things together into a relatively complete picture.  This gives more opportunity for absorption and reflection than is possible from simply scanning the journals every week.

The reports cover economic factors, social issues (eg major reports from government or academic sources), housing market performance, major government announcements such as the Queen’s Speech and Budget, policy and other initiatives from relevant government departments and non-departmental public bodies, campaigns and other initiatives by the main trade bodies, regional and sub-regional policy and development proposals, and policy announcements and relevant initiatives in the client’s key partner local authorities.

Clients say these reports provide useful briefings for senior staff and also use them in management team discussions and in sessions with non-executive board members.  They find them cost-effective in that senior internal resources would otherwise be needed to produce something similar.

For more information e-mail kim.penfold@ntlworld.com and we will send you a sample report and costings based on the number of local authority areas you would like covered.