Mapping and Tracing: Directories and Databases of the Voluntary and Community Sector Is it worth it

1
Mapping and Tracing Directories and Databases
of the Voluntary and Community Sector Is it
worth it?

• Andri Soteri and Greg Smith
• Centre for Institutional Studies
• University of East London

2
Introduction Why try to map?
X here be treasure
3
Introduction Why try to map?

• Growth of significance of the sector
• Policy makers love statistical overviews
• Exploring Terra Incognita (Here be dragons!)
• Need to navigate through the jungle of agencies
• Potential of Information Technology

4
What do we mean by mapping?
5
What do we mean by mapping?

• An aerial snapshot?
• A tool for navigation?
• An inventory of land and buildings in the
  territory?
• A distortion of the globe onto flat paper?
• A representation of spatial relationships?

6
Our map making experience?
7
Our map making experience?

• Mainly London
• Newham Directory of Religious Groups (3
  editions)
• Youth Services in Newham (1996)
• London Faith Communities (2002)
• Womens organisations in London (and nationally)
• Basildon CVS

8
Other Peoples Attempts (some examples)

• Southwark (see http//www.bedehouse.co.uk/direct
  ory/dirhome.html
• Faith Directories of Hackney and Tower Hamlets (
  Barnardos Candl Project Telephone [phone])
• Preston Community Network Directory
• Hillingdon CVS see http//hillingdoncharities.com
  /links.htm
• Valuing the Voluntary Sector in N.Yorks /
  Waltham Forest and other boroughs.

9
What use are such maps?
10
What use are such maps?

• Academic to find out what is out there, its
  value
• Practical as information resource for advice
  agencies and public
• Networking within and into the sector
• Sampling Frame for future research
• Visibility.. to turn policy makers attention to
  resources and gaps in services, unmet needs etc.

11
Challenges - Theoretical
12
Challenges - Theoretical

• Accuracy/representativness impossible with
  unknown population
• Categories / Scope what is a voluntary /
  religious / womens organisation?
• Scale every local group or the significant
  national organisations?
• Marginal hidden groups may be more interesting
  than well known mainstream..but harder to find
• Catalogues dont map relationships and networks

13
Challenges - Methodological
Greg chases a minibus bearing the phone number of
a church not yet entered in the database!!
14
Challenges - Methodological

• Detail.. What do we really need to know about
  each organisation? Long questionnaires reduce
  response rate
• Postal Surveys .. Only expect 10-20 response,
  though this can be raised by phoning up and
  reminder letters
• Start with lists if they exist extend by
  snowballing and ethnography / leg work.
• Levels / units of analysis Our community centre
  is used by 45 groups!
• Timing leg work and phoning are 7/24 work
• Creating a relational database.. (We hate MS
  Access!)

15
Challenges -Practical
16
Challenges -Practical

• Cost of Labour Intensive work
• The joys of partnership and mixed agendas
• Updating (3 year half life for directories?)
• Confidentiality.. Data protection and sensitive
  information
• But we all have web sites now!
• Marketing
• why should I buy your directory when all the
  numbers are in the phone book?
• Thats interesting, why didnt I know about this
  directory before?
• We have just started collecting information for
  our own database!

17
Overview Is it worth it?
18
Overview Is it worth it?

• For the researcher?
• For the voluntary sector?
• For the public / service users?
• For policy makers?

19
(No Transcript)