WCVA has been going through an ambitious change programme to re-design and develop the organisation. Here we provide an update on the progress so far including the new organisation structure.
WCVA has now completed phase one of a two phased change programme which aims to re-design and develop the organisation to ensure we’re in the best possible position to support the sector in the future.
The change programme came about for three main reasons:
- The launch of our new strategic plan for 2022-27
- The end of EU funding in Wales
- Changes in the way we work with the introduction of hybrid and flexible working
You can read more about the reasons behind the change programme here.
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Since beginning this journey in June 2022, we have undertaken a huge amount of consultation with staff and external stakeholders to help us come up with a new structure that supports our 2022-27 strategy.
Our new structure is now in place as of April 2023. Due to the end of EU funding in Wales and many of our EU funded projects such as the Active Inclusion Fund coming to a close, our staff team is now much smaller.
The new structure has been designed to deliver our strategy and be a more agile. The structure includes six groups which will focus on the following areas:
- Leadership– This team will provide inspirational and empathetic leadership empowering our people and the voluntary sector in Wales to lead positive change. Focus areas for this team include strategic partnerships, finance, company governance, and strategy and planning.
- Support- This team will deliver practical tools and shared learning to enable voluntary organisations in Wales to become more diverse, resilient, and impactful. Focus areas for this team include developing skills and knowledge, programmes, and volunteering.
- Voice- This team will be putting our members at the centre to create evidence-based policy and promote the sector’s value and impact. Focus areas for this team include membership, insights, communications, events and learning, Welsh language, and policy.
- Invest- This team will be the leading multi format funder in Wales, innovating to support the sector while making the best use of our funding relationships to further our impact and delivery. Focus areas for this team include grants, income generation, sustainable resources, and repayable finances.
- Systems- This team will be leading a step change in how we develop and operate our processes, data, and digital systems. Focus areas for this team include IT, data, design, and digital products.
- People- This team will build a way of working that puts our people and their development and wellbeing at the centre of WCVA. Focus areas for this team include people management, people development, equality diversity and inclusion (EDI), and wellbeing.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Now that our new strategy and structure are in place, we will be entering phase two of our change programme. This next step will involve embedding our strategy with an operational plan, implementation of our new data and reporting strategy, and reviewing our systems and processes.
There will be a transition period into the new structure as staff get used to changes in roles and as we bring EU funded projects to a close. We hope that this transition period will be complete by Autumn 2023, and in the meantime please bear with us as we look to finalise this process of change.
Throughout this journey, our purpose remains the same- to enable voluntary organisations in Wales to make a bigger difference together. The changes we’re making will enable us to adapt and respond to support the sector with challenges and opportunities. We look forward to working with our members and partners during this next phase to ensure that we’re building on our strong foundations and developing our services to support the sector most effectively.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the future of WCVA, please get in touch by emailing help@wcva.cymru.