Advice NI Strategic Plan April 2021 – March 2024

Advice NI vision is of a society of confident, informed, and active citizens who can access their rights and entitlements.

Advice NI mission is to develop an independent advice sector that provides quality advice to those who need it.

Advice NI Values

Advice NI holds a set of core values that are central to both what we do and how we do it. These values guide us in our work as a membership organisation and as a staff team and influence how we engage with our wider range of stakeholders.

1. Independence
2. Diversity and accessibility
3. Equality and social justice
4. Integrity, transparency and quality in all our work
5. A collaborative working approach 

Advice NI Growth and Sustainability Principles 

• We will always strive to collaborate with, rather than compete with, our members
• We will prioritise working with our members to deliver contracts/services
• We will strive to work with voluntary sector organisations in the delivery of contracts/services
• We will provide leadership that is responsive to a changing environment
• We will endeavour to work with those who respect our values

Focus area 1: Strengthening and Supporting the Network

Supporting the development of membership capacity to respond to client need

Key areas of work

• Training portfolio
• E-learning
• Digital inclusion
• Support for service quality assurance
• Support front line organisations to adapt their service models
• Lead and support the network through agreed change processes

Strategic Outcomes

• Increased awareness and capability of people and communities (Pfg 1)
• Promoted innovation and creativity where people/advisers can fulfil their full potential (pfg 5)
• Increased the skills of the advice sector, including the upskilling of volunteers and contribute to the enhancement of employability and the reduction of economic inactivity (pfg 1, 12)

Enabling effective engagement and communication with & among the membership and the public

Key areas of work

• Engagement strategy
• Communication strategy
• Develop shared strategies
• Support the sustainability of members

Strategic Outcomes

• Promoted creativity, increasing participation across society (pfg 5) 
• Improved awareness of advice and support services and access to self-help information/tools 

Driving member benefit throughout the work of Advice NI

Key areas of work

• Collaboration not competition
• Communicate membership benefits to members
• Monitor and respond to member needs

Strategic Outcomes

• Increased engagement and collaboration across the network 

Encouraging cohesion within the advice sector

Key areas of work

• Use of Advice NI branding 
• Collaboration with Law Centre & other specialists
• Communicate the value of the sector

Strategic Outcomes

• Increased awareness of the value of member services  
• Increased access to and inclusiveness of advice services  

Focus Area 2: Meeting Client Need 

Enabling the provision of holistic advice services that are client focused and needs led 

Key areas of work

• Sector wide identification of client needs 
• Mapping of all existing advice services & identification of gaps 
• Review of Advice NI services to meet need 
• Support local delivery and use of member expertise
• Project delivery 
• Regional helpline delivery 
• Signposting and referrals 
• Triage of specialist services 

Strategic Outcomes

• More people able to access justice  
• Increased support for vulnerable people   
• More people helped to address barriers they face to accessing high quality employment and participating fully in society(Pfg 6)
• Tackled poverty and deprivation, supporting financial health and wellbeing (pfg outcome 8) 
• Build existing and new relationships to support integrated advice service provision

Broadening accessibility to quality assured advice services 

Key areas of work

• Digital access & support 
• Promotion of services 
• Increased reach and effective delivery to the most vulnerable via collaboration 
• Accessing interpreters / multi-lingual advisers 
• Leading innovation across the network 
• Provision of anytime advice information and services  

Strategic Outcomes

• Increased access to information and advice on core issues (Pfg 11)
• Improved user participation (Pfg 10)
• Increased collaboration with partners and other key stakeholders to help to address issues of community disconnection, isolation and social inclusion Increased digital inclusion
• Improved high standard quality service provision
• Increase pro-environmental behaviour amongst our staff and members

Facilitating and representing the sector to influence national and local policy and decision making 

Key areas of work

• Influence/shape/improve/challenge relevant government policy and practice  
• Proactively highlight current or emerging issues impacting on people and communities and provide feedback to policy makers and
• others to seek solutions
• Provide training and policy support in relation to emerging issues for Advisors

Strategic Outcomes 

• Contributed to a more equal and shared society – supporting a more diverse society – ensuring policy and legislation provide the necessary protection to those who need it (Pfg 3) 
• Advocated for policy changes with and on behalf of members and users 
• Increased member and user participation in our policy work 
• Increased advisor awareness of contextual changes impacting on policy and legislation. 

Focus Area 3: Ensuring a Fit for Purpose Organisation 

Ensuring a positive client outcome focus  

Key areas of work

• Support our members and staff to meet client need
• Monitoring and evaluation against strategies and outcomes (impact measurement)
• Use of intelligence data
• Feedback from members
• Feedback from clients

Strategic Outcomes 

• Increased awareness and capability of people and communities to access their rights and entitlements 
• Delivered high quality services in response to client need 
• Increased financial health and well-being across NI (Pfg 11) 

Ensuring the independence of Advice NI 

Key areas of work

• Undertake promotional work to highlight independence of the sector
• Work with government and others in codesigning a New Advice Services Strategy (Anti-poverty Strategy and Mental Health Strategy for NI)

Strategic Outcomes 

• Increased understanding of the role and independence of the Advice Sector by the general public, government and other agencies 
• Increased diversification of funding streams 

Ensuring organisational effectiveness 

Key areas of work

• Continually develop organisational processes, systems and standards 
• Maintain good governance practice and provide training to the Board in this respect
• Support for staff / volunteers & encourage development
• Staff succession planning
• Utilise technology to remain creative, innovative and adaptable
• Ensure effective internal communication structures 
• Investment and funding strategy to attain financial sustainability 

Strategic Outcomes 

• Effective and flexible operations that meet relevant legislative requirements  
• A robust low risk sustainable organisation  
• Maintained IIP gold and other quality standards  
• Created/Maintained a healthy work and wellbeing environment 
• Accessible and secure IT systems
• A skilled, representative Board ensuring sound governance