Research
Lin Whitfield undertakes research contracts for a range of clients, including funders, voluntary organisations and statutory bodies. For larger contracts, she works with colleagues as part of Reshenia Consulting.
Contracts have included:
- Research for the Community Foundation Network on funding strategies and the funding issues facing small local voluntary and community groups, focussing on Knowle West, Bristol
- Research for Awards for All in the South West on factors which contribute to success in small projects, published as "What Makes a Successful Project"
- Research for Plymouth Change Up Consortium on the support needs of front-line voluntary and community organisations in the city, to inform the rewriting of Plymouth's Third Sector Strategy and the future configuration of infrastructure services
- Research for Crossroads Care South West on the provision of carers' support services across the region, to inform the development of the organisation's business strategy
- Research for the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) on advocating intelligent commissioning: the work that local support and development organisations do across England to influence local commissioning strategies and policies (Reshenia Consulting)
Lin's reports combine creative thinking with practical solutions, with analysis that goes beyond the obvious and beneath the superficial.
"Lin and partners undertook a comprehensive piece of work researching the infrastructure needs of frontline third sector organisations in Plymouth in 2008. The research has been much used and was the bedrock of our Local Strategic Partnership's Third Sector Strategy. Three years on much of it still holds good and is good evidence for funding bids to develop Plymouth's infrastructure"
- George Plenderleith, Chair, Plymouth Change Up Consortium