STRENGTHENING THE NfP LAND OWNING SECTOR

The Next Stage [1999 to 2003]

A suggested framework for the next stage of NFP development is outlined below. It has four main components.

Partnership Co-ordination and Development
Sharing Good Practice
Measuring Impact
Research and Dissemination of Information

These components build upon the activities and achievements of the first NfP project (June 1997 to August 1999). The details of each of the components have been revised at the Eigg workshop in September 1998 and the Inverness workshop in December 1998.

Partnership Co-ordination and Development

Promote membership of the NfP Group amongst organisations who own, lease, manage or aspire to own land for economic, social, environmental and cultural purposes

Undertake management committee and secretariat functions

[Listen to members, provide direction, undertake mailings and document reproduction, maintain a current address and membership list]

Explore the feasibility of developing 3 Regional Groups

[The Highlands; Grampian and Tayside; Southern Scotland]

Undertake the management, administrative and reporting tasks on the NfP project

[NFP Management Committee, Working Group, Part-time Co-ordinator, Workshop Organisers and Reporter, Project Adviser]

Sharing Good Practice

Whole Estate Plans: plan-making, implementation and monitoring

[Prepare a Workbook on Whole Estates Plans and devise a programme of training activities based upon it]

Strengthening organisational capacity through examining good governance issues in the field of social land ownership

[Organisational governance, Community involvement, Technical skills and knowledge through commissioning 4 research and guidance papers]

Undertake a skills audit of the active members of NfP organisations who are willing to share their skills and knowledge.

[Compile the information into a skills register with a view to enabling new social land initiatives to draw upon these resources]

Organise Residential Training Workshops

[March and September: Field visits, skills training session, and open topic session]

Measuring Impact

Adapt Social (and Environmental) Auditing and community-based indicators training materials to the needs of social and conservation landowner’s requirements.

[Examine the possibilities of encouraging an accredited training provider to undertake a training programme for the social land sector.]

Research and Dissemination of Information

Extend the Social land ownership Case Study Scheme

[Commission and publish new cases]

Prepare Organisational Profiles of NfP organisations

[Update and publish as required]

Devise a small partnership research programme

[Add value to the sector by jointly commissioning research with other interested bodies]

Undertake advocacy work on community and social land ownership issues as a contribution to the current Land Reform debate.

NfP Landowners Project Group

January 1999