Countryside

AND SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE
www.snh.org.uk

Cover photo: Ben Lomond from the North end of Loch Lomond ©Lorne Gill/SNH

Shonaig Macpherson
Chairman
Andrew Thin
Chairman

CONCORDAT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND
www.nts.org.uk

AND SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE
1 Introduction
The National Trust for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage have a shared interest
in the conservation, enjoyment and understanding of Scotland’s natural heritage. This
shared interest led, in 1999, to the signing of a concordat between the two organisations
with the aim of strengthening the existing good relationship and identifying how the two
organisations would work together to achieve common purposes. In the first six years of
operation many of the original commitments were met, and many other developments in
the shared interests in Scotland’s natural heritage took place. The concordat forged closer
links between the two organisations and has been seen as a model of good practice.
This new Concordat reinforces the basis for this strong and successful relationship and
provides a framework for working together in the coming years. It also makes reference
to how this partnership is managed in operational terms and how experience gained can
inform future actions.
The National Trust for Scotland (the Trust) is a charitable body whose purposes are
set out in the National Trust for Scotland Order Confirmation Acts of 1935 and 1938,
which state that “the National Trust for Scotland shall be established for the purposes of
promoting the permanent preservation for the benefit of the nation of lands and buildings
in Scotland of historic or national interest or natural beauty” and “access to and enjoyment
of such buildings and places by the public”.
In pursuit of this, the Trust owns and manages buildings and land of national importance
for their natural and cultural interest. The Trust owns and manages some 75,000 hectares
of Scotland’s finest landscapes, including 5 National Nature Reserves, a World Heritage
Site and significant elements of Scotland’s first two National Parks. Trust property
management aims to protect key cultural, natural and landscape features of conservation
importance, whilst encouraging public access and enjoyment of them. The Trust is able to
declare land and buildings inalienable.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is a statutory body established under the Natural
Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991, as the Government’s agency for natural heritage
in Scotland, accountable through the Scottish Ministers to the Scottish Parliament.
It promotes the care, improvement, understanding and enjoyment and sustainable use of
Scotland’s natural heritage – its wildlife, habitats, landforms and landscape and its natural
beauty and amenity, recognising the role that people have played in designing, shaping
and managing these features.
SNH works where possible in partnership by co-operation, negotiation and consensus
with all relevant interests, and operates in a devolved, open and accountable manner.
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CONCORDAT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND
2 Aims
It is the mutual aim of the Trust and SNH to:
a. Conserve and, where appropriate, enhance the countryside of Scotland, its landscapes,
biodiversity and greenspaces, recognising the role that people have often played in
designing, shaping and managing it.
b. Enable people to enjoy and have access to the natural heritage, and foster their
understanding of it.
c. Promote high standards of countryside management and ensure it is carried out in a
sustainable manner in order to meet the aims above.
SNH and the Trust will seek to achieve these aims through joint and co-ordinated actions:-
Operational Activities
•
Delivering the outputs from the Trust’s Countryside Management Strategy and
Operational Plan and in particular the agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
•
Jointly developing site-specific management objectives for Trust properties which
reflect the key aims, statutory duties and appropriate international responsibilities, and
promoting best practice in property management and conservation.
•
Sharing information and understanding gained from research and monitoring,
experience and good practice.
Partnership Working
•
Developing closer partnership activity with other statutory and voluntary bodies, such
as Historic Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, the National Parks Authorities
and Scottish Environmental LINK and its member bodies, in relation to areas of mutual
interest.
•
Using and acknowledging the role of volunteers and working, where relevant, within the
spirit of the Scottish Government’s Compact with the Voluntary Sector.
Training and Development
•
Enhancing ability to meet objectives by building on investments in staff, infrastructure
and information technology.
• Sharing good practice in the management and conservation of the natural heritage.
Business Management and Finance
•
Regularly reviewing the joint strategic agenda of the partners and the content,
operation and effectiveness of this concordat and the activities within it. There will be a
full review of this concordat during its sixth year of operation, by February 2011.
•
Developing agreed programmes of works detailed in the Trust’s Countryside
Management Strategy , Operational Plan and associated Ranger work plans and
Property Management Statements.
•
Managing performance by developing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and setting
standards for work, which will bring together the resources of both organisations in the
most effective ways. The KPIs will be expressed in the Framework Agreement Grant.
Within the terms set out in the Framework Agreement Grant, the use of funds from
SNH will be determined by, the Trust providing that this use is directly related to the
agreed priorities, KPIs and standards.
Italics – see Glossary for details of these documents and their purpose.
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AND SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE
3 Delivering the Concordat
In order to facilitate the process of mutual action SNH will assign a member of staff to
act as National Liaison Officer having an overview of joint activity and areas of mutual
interest and being the first point of contact at the national level. In addition the Trust will
have a key contact for communication, negotiation and management of the Concordat
aspirations.
The Trust and SNH will maintain a Joint Liaison Group to manage this Concordat and the
supporting Framework Agreement Grant. Additional liaison will be held as appropriate at
local and national levels. Annex 1 outlines specific joint roles and commitments between
the Trust and SNH.
Agreed Business Framework
Below is an illustration of the Agreed Business Framework showing how the relationship
between SNH and the Trust should be managed. The Concordat Liaison Group is the
main vehicle for overseeing progress on the plans laid out in the Operational Plans,
Property Management Plans and Ranger Work Plans. Local input to progress reporting
comes from Area level within SNH and the technical details of the relationship are
specified in the Grant Framework Agreement.
Scottish
Natural
Heritage
Framework
Agreement
Grant
National
Trust for
Scotland
Concordat and
Concordat
Liaison Group
Trust
Countryside
Management
Strategy and
Operational Plan
2008–2011
Area Progress
Reporting
Trust Property
Management
Statement
Trust North &
South Group
Progress
Reports
NTS Ranger
Work Plan
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CONCORDAT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND
4 Undertakings
National Trust For Scotland
In entering this concordat and in undertaking work the Trust will use its best endeavours
as follows:
Conservation Management
Trust Properties
•
To make use of countryside properties to demonstrate best practice in Countryside
Management. This seeks to conserve and enhance natural and cultural heritage
features in the countryside for the enjoyment and appreciation of visitors. It
includes the delivery of practical management for habitats, species, wild land and
cultural sites, and the provision of visitor facilities and support services, including
environmental education and interpretation.
•
To undertake to manage all land designated for its nature and landscape
conservation interest in consultation with SNH and to seek to ensure that all
SSSI special features are maintained in or, where appropriate, restored to a
favourable condition and that all Natura and Ramsar sites are maintained or, where
appropriate, restored to meet international obligations.
•
To develop, implement and review property statements for all its countryside
properties including, where possible, adjoining marine areas, in consultation with
SNH.
•
To implement and contribute to Scottish Biodiversity Strategy actions, where it has
an identified role, and to identify habitats and species action opportunities which
contribute to the Species Action Framework and other national or international
programmes, or through which public enjoyment and understanding of the natural
heritage is promoted.
•
To promote the role that Trust property within and in close proximity to large
settlements can play to further Greenspace objectives.
•
To develop and undertake systematic recording and monitoring programmes,
integrated with those of SNH in relation to designated sites and to ensure
appropriate information exchange.
Countryside Management Service
•
To make best use of staff within Central Office, Groups and the properties, working
in tandem with volunteers and contractors, to provide an effective countryside
management service, including delivery of environmental education activity.
•
To develop and review property statements in such a way as to provide a strategic
framework for countryside management service activity at the property level.
The Public
•
To provide a welcome to the public visiting countryside properties through well
managed access and informal recreation facilities, and the provision of good
information and interpretation.
•
To promote countryside issues with the Trust membership and seek increased
levels of support and participation from the public.
•
To build countryside issues into interpretation and educational programmes and to
contribute to relevant lifelong learning initiatives.
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AND SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE
• To use its commercial and retail outlets to provide visitors with relevant materials to
enhance their understanding and enjoyment of properties during their visit.
•
Policy
•
To ensure public access to, and facilitate enjoyment of all countryside properties.
This will include working within, and promoting, the access legislation of the Land
Reform Act and following the Unna Principles/Wild Land Policy.
Within any constraints imposed by the terms of acquisition, to promote the
integration of programmes of conservation of the built, cultural and natural heritage,
respecting that any of these may impact on the others.
Partnership Working
Trust Properties
•
To further develop the involvement of local communities and interests in
management of the properties through consultation and active participation, and to
extend this work to the Conservation Agreements.
•
To work jointly with SNH and relevant Local Authorities to manage certain
properties as Country Parks.
•
To work jointly with SNH to ensure the Trust’s NNRs contribute to the new
purposes of the suite of NNRs.
•
To work with the National Park Authorities and Historic Scotland to ensure that
maximum synergy is achieved, and best practice is promoted in managing natural
and cultural heritage interests.
•
To co-ordinate the Countryside Management Service effort, particularly at the
property/ranger service level, whenever possible with other public or private sector
services, access initiatives, environmental education or other relevant projects.
•
To work with SNH and others to develop and adopt policies which contribute to the
care and promotion of the sustainable management of Scotland’s natural heritage,
in particular its landscapes.
• To work with relevant local and national interest groups and communities in
developing specific policies.
•
To develop working practices that take account of wider environmental interests.
Training and Development
•
To ensure all staff within the Countryside Management Service develop competence
in all their work through performance review and personal development targets.
Business Management and Finance
•
To provide a Countryside Management Strategy and Operational Plan. This will be
a summative document, based on sectoral strategies (such as nature conservation,
education, policy) and property statements. Each Plan will be of 3 years duration
and will provide the basis for monitoring and an annual report.
•
To agree with SNH, 3 year National Countryside Management Operational Plans
and associated key performance targets/measures encompassing all planned
activity under a single grant (but with the possibility of additional grant for
unexpected or one-off major events, such as property acquisition or construction
of a new Visitor Centre) and regularly report thereon. These activities will include
ranger services, species and habitat action, conservation of designed, historic and
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CONCORDAT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND
other landscapes, environmental education and interpretation, upland path work and
other property management as agreed.
•
To consult and agree with SNH the basis on which SNH grant may be applied
as match funding towards individual applications for project funding from other
sources.
•
To maintain proper and auditable financial records in relation to all activities
supported financially by SNH and to certify income and expenditure thereon.
•
To operate procurement procedures which should allow fair competition, provide
for best value tendering (unless extreme operational urgency prevents this) and
achieves value for money in terms of quality (fitness for purpose) and delivery
against price.
•
To acknowledge all SNH financial and other support in relevant publications, public
relations, events and permanent structures.
Scottish Natural Heritage
In entering this concordat, and in undertaking work under the headings below, SNH will
use its best endeavours as follows:
Conservation Management
•
To provide advice and support in relation to the mutual aims and, in particular, on
the management of designated areas, landscape and wild land, responsible access
and the provision of environmental education.
•
To make available the results of research and survey undertaken on or relevant to
Trust properties and to provide advice and assistance to the Trust in connection
with its own survey programme.
•
To make available Site Management Statements for all SSSIs on Trust properties
and to assist with the preparation of Trust property statements or other
management plans for these properties.
•
In developing and implementing a programme for the monitoring of condition of
SSSI and associated features in accordance with UK common standards, to consult
and agree with the Trust the setting of conservation objectives, condition targets
and a programme for their monitoring, in relation to sites owned by the Trust or in
which it has an interest.
•
To make available to the Trust the results of monitoring work carried out under this
or any other programme on sites in which the Trust has an interest.
Partnership Working
•
The policy for National Nature Reserves in Scotland sets out the attributes and
purposes required for a site to be awarded the accolade of National Nature
Reserve. Approved Bodies can hold and manage NNRs, and the Trust is the
Approved Body for several properties that SNH have approved as fitting the NNR
policy - St Abbs Head, Staffa, St Kilda, Ben Lawers and Corrieshalloch Gorge.
This concordat confirms the basis on which SNH recognises the Trust as an
Approved Body for named NNRs. SNH and the Trust will agree a Memorandum of
Understanding for each NNR.
• SNH will work with the Trust:
•
•
To ensure that Trust NNRs are managed in accordance with the NNR Policy.
To explore the scope for other Trust properties, or parts of properties, to
become Approved Body NNRs.
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AND SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE
• To raise the profile of the NNR as an accolade by using the NNR brand logo on
appropriate promotional publications, environmental education materials, signs
and web pages.
•
To develop and adopt policies which contribute to and promote sustainable
management of the natural heritage.
• Together with Historic Scotland, to promote better understanding of the
inter-relationships between the historic and natural aspects of the Scottish
Environment, and to recognise this relationship in its management.
Business Management and Finance
•
In recognition of the contribution the Trust makes to SNH’s objectives, SNH will
continue to provide support to deliver the key undertakings in this concordat.
• SNH funding will be administered with the aim of simplification, ensuring
consistency across both organisations and allowing flexibility while retaining
appropriate safeguards and accountability.
• SNH will, as part of its strategic approach to External Funding:
•
Work, where possible, with the Trust to secure support from funders for Trust
projects in line with SNH corporate objectives and priorities given to them in
order to maximise the natural heritage benefit achieved from any SNH financial
support.
• Seek, when appropriate, to advise national funding bodies of Trust views on
funding issues.
•
Seek to avoid displacement of funding available to natural heritage projects
through its own activity.
• Encourage and maintain close liaison between staff in both organisations with
funding responsibilities.
5 Exit Strategy
This concordat may be terminated at any time by either party by giving twelve months
notice in writing, without prejudice to any extant funding agreements at the time of
termination.
Scottish Natural Heritage
October 2008
The National Trust For Scotland
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CONCORDAT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND
Annex 1 – Liaison and roles
National level
Chairmen/Chief Executives plus senior personnel to hold informal meeting annually
Concordat Liaison Group
To meet quarterly to agree targets, monitor progress and agree annual reports in relation
to the undertakings contained herein and any agreed funding thereof.
Locally
SNH Area staff to meet with local Trust staff twice yearly to review the implementation
of Ranger Work Plans and the operation of the Countryside Management services and
facilitate the process of setting, agreeing and monitoring the Key Performance Indicators.
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AND SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE
Annexe 2 – Glossary
Roles and Responsibilities
Lead Director - Director from SNH who authorises claims from the Trust
Lead contacts - the local nominated area contacts from SNH who work together with
the Trust at the local level. They have the role of confirming satisfactory progress against
Ranger Work Plans and Property Management Plans to enable authorisation of grant
claims.
Nominated Officers – One from each organisation to manage the administrative detail
of the framework agreement grant and ensure that systems and procedures are working
effectively. Although most individual case work will be dealt with at the local level by the
lead contacts, nominated officers will become involved to resolve any outstanding issues.
National Liaison Officer – Representative from SNH to be the main contact point for
discussions with the Trust and to oversee the process.
Concordat Liaison Group – Group of representatives from both organisations who
meet regularly throughout the year to discuss the working relationship between the two
organisations and the framework agreement grant and to review progress against KPIs.
Glossary of terms used in the relationship between
Scottish Natural Heritage and the National Trust for Scotland
Countryside Management Strategy - the Trust’s strategy detailing the aspect of their
work which aligns with SNH’s work.
Operational Plan - the details of the work required to achieve the objectives in the
Countryside Management Strategy.
Property Management Plan - contains further details on the property management
objectives from the operational plan.
Ranger Work Plan - contains further details on the objectives for Trust rangers from the
operational plan.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - targets selected from the Trust’s Countryside
Management Strategy and Operational Plan. A proportion of the grant to the Trust is
dependent on the Trust meeting these targets.
Area Quarterly Reporting – Lead contacts advise the nominated officer on progress at
the local level prior to each concordat liaison meeting.
Grant Framework Agreement – the grant offer, conditions and technical detail
connected with it.
Project List – the list of projects which the Trust plan to carry out during the period of
the framework agreement grant and which underpin the objectives of the Countryside
Management Strategy. SNH aims to contribute through the Framework Agreement grant
to all those projects it considers of medium or high priority.
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