So many organisations in the Third and Public Sectors are considering restructuring, closure, or amalgamation.  Some forced by changes in funding, others by increasing beneficiary need: whatever the reason, they need to consider how to use limited resources to deliver the most value for beneficiaries.

What is missed all too often is the value of services, rights, and other forms of what can broadly be classed as intellectual property.  Often disregarded as assets to be dropped or services to be passed to third parties in the hope that they will continue them, they can often be realised for value, or used differently to generate a much-needed additional income stream.

These forms of intellectual property: publications, quality standards, methodologies and manuals, for example - have commercial value, but are often given away as incidental to a socially-beneficial service.  This is not a problem, provided in a ‘do it or drop it’ decision, the value, and the underlying capacity to generate income, are recognised.

Valuing these items, and developing plans for their exploitation, requires a view of their potential beyond the organisation’s field of operation.  Valuers with specialist Third and Public Sector experience may be able to help, and will have access to information about the tried and tested models for retaining and developing that value.