24 November 2009
'Sustainable volunteering' at Capability Scotland
Photo/interview opportunity: 1.20pm to 2pm on Wednesday, November 25th, at Capability Scotland Head Office, Westerlea, 11 Ellersly Road, Edinburgh. Catriona Macaulay can be contacted on 07921 578677.
Students from across the globe will tomorrow meet with one of Scotland’s biggest disability charities to present the findings of a study exploring how to ensure volunteers continue to play a central role in the organisation.
Students on the University of Dundee’s MSc in Design Ethnography course - the first of its kind in the world – will be at Capability Scotland’s Edinburgh headquarters on Wednesday, November 25th, to present their findings on the concept of 'sustainable volunteering'.
This unique research project was the first time any Scottish charity has engaged with design ethnographers. The students undertook hundreds of hours of field visits and interviewed nearly 100 volunteers and staff.
Four teams of post-graduate students from India, the USA, China and the UK will present the outcomes of their study to representatives of the charity before leading a workshop exploring the implications of their findings.
In addition to providing a wide range of support, education and employment services, Capability campaigns to ensure disabled people achieve the same human and civil rights as the rest of society. Volunteers of all ages, backgrounds and abilities play an essential role in its work by contributing their time to help raise funds for adventure holidays, run charity shops and carry out other roles vital to Capability’s work.
'Understanding what people want or need from a product, service or, in this case, volunteering experience and how to improve it to meet those needs is what design ethnography is all about,' said Dr Catriona Macaulay, programme director of the MSc in Design Ethnography course.
'The students have worked hard to identify the diverse reasons that people have for volunteering, and the factors that keep them volunteering. This event will provide an exciting opportunity for the Capability staff who have been involved in the project to hear and explore with the students their recommendations.'
'We hope it will inspire other voluntary sector organisations to consider how design ethnography can offer unique insights and guidance to this important sector in the Scottish economy.'
Design ethnography is an approach to understanding people based on extensive observation and interviewing in natural settings. Drawing on techniques originally developed in anthropology, it is a practice used widely in the design of products and services by companies across the globe.
Nokia phones, Intel computer chips, software from Microsoft, SAP and Oracle, Marriott hotel lobbies and Boeing jet interiors have all been designed with input from design ethnographers.
Richard Hamer, Director of External Affairs at Capability, said, 'Capability invests significantly in recruiting and supporting volunteers, who in turn invest significant amounts of their own time, skills and experience in helping us support disabled people across Scotland.'
'We’re hopeful that this unique use of design ethnography will help us expand the opportunities we can offer and develop long-term, sustainable relationships which benefit the volunteer, Capability and ultimately, disabled people.'
Notes to editors:
The unique MSc in Design Ethnography at the University of Dundee is a collaboration between the School of Computing and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. It offers postgraduate students from around the world an intensive one year programme in design ethnography - covering design innovation, fieldworking techniques and design thinking methods.
Capability Scotland campaigns with, and provides services to, disabled children and adults across Scotland, supporting them to achieve equality and have choice and control in their lives. It provides services directly to over 1000 disabled people and employs 1200 staff. Its 19 charity shops are located across Scotland.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277 |
