Diabetes UK

The challenge

Diabetes UK aims to support and campaign for people affected by diabetes, prevent Type 2 diabetes, and fund research that will one day lead to a cure. The charity approached NPC to help them to understand how to improve their impact practice and become more of a learning organisation. With a new strategy being developed, and an appetite throughout the organisation for a more strategic approach to understanding and measuring impact, this was an opportune time for reflection.

Diabetes UK recognises that becoming more of a learning organisation will help them to improve outcomes for people affected by and at risk of diabetes more effectively, understand what works, allocate resources, and tell their story to supporters, partners and funders.

The approach

NPC worked closely with Diabetes UK to understand their current approach to impact practice, getting to know the organisation at all levels. We reviewed key documents and carried out interviews and focus groups with staff from across the organisation. From our findings we developed recommendations of how to take things forward on both practical and cultural levels.

The result

Since working with Diabetes UK, they have begun implementing our recommendations. This has included refreshing their strategic outcomes, ensuring they cover the range of ambitions of people affected by and at risk of diabetes. They are now developing their approach to impact practice to underpin delivery of these outcomes and support ongoing learning and improvement. NPC is continuing to support them through this implementation period as a critical friend to their senior team—reviewing their progress and challenging assumptions. Alongside this, we’re supporting teams to think about how to embed good impact practice, addressing the cultural as well as the practical elements.