Best Value and Biodiversity in Scotland: A HANDBOOK OF GOOD PRACTICE FOR PUBLIC BODIES
CHAPTER 8 Recommendations for Delivery
In the Partnership Agreement, 25 the Scottish Executive set out its commitment to the environment, and sustainable development, by placing "environmental concerns at the heart of public policy" and by securing "environmental justice for all of Scotland's communities". The legislative framework now in place for local government and other public bodies, will ensure that the delivery of biodiversity conservation becomes a core function of public service delivery, and that constraints can be overcome.
RAISING AWARENESS
Local authorities have a role in raising awareness of biodiversity, both within and outwith their organisations. By increasing understanding and public support for biodiversity, local authorities can stimulate public interest in biodiversity and environmental issues more generally. Local education authorities also have an opportunity to integrate biodiversity into the formal education system.
Recommendations
Identify, promote and implement specific actions where individual departments, sections, and teams can introduce biodiversity conservation into their own functions, services and activities.
Provide senior management with well-reasoned and cost effective initiatives for biodiversity action, based on statutory requirements, central policy guidance, and local political and community needs and aspirations.
Provide funding and/or other support for the collection and management of biodiversity data, and its utilisation by decision-makers.
Identify appropriate opportunities to implement all relevant statutory duties and powers relating to biodiversity conservation.
Use the LBAP partnership as a means of identifying priorities.
Set up an interdepartmental group on biodiversity.
Monitor and report on progress towards biodiversity objectives and take remedial action where deficiencies are seen.
Biodiversity conservation issues reflected in strategic objectives and highlighted in service plans.
Provide opportunities for teachers to take children out of school so that they can learn about biodiversity in their neighbourhood.
Address resource constraints and provide advice to promote first-hand experiences of biodiversity for schools.
Promote biodiversity education in schools through first-hand experience of nature, especially in the 5-14 curriculum, by providing information on suitable sites to visit, addressing practical constraints, promoting school grounds grants and Eco School participation (see CS18), and by providing advisors.
Identify means of targeting resources to provide 'best value' on corporate delivery of action.
Promote the benefits of biodiversity conservation within the political arena, through the provision of training days for elected members.
Top-level commitment (elected member and officer level) to include biodiversity.
STATUTORY COMPLIANCE
Through the local authority benchmarking process it is possible for local authorities to compare the results of their own biodiversity conservation actions with their own past performance. Local authorities should be aware of any changes to national (and UK) biodiversity conservation policy to ensure ongoing performance is relevant to current legislation and guidance, and avoids the risk of non-compliance.
Recommendations
Provide senior management with well-reasoned and cost effective initiatives for biodiversity action, based on statutory requirements, central policy guidance, and local political and community needs and aspirations.
Identify potential conflicts between other local authority activities and biodiversity conservation and attempt to eliminate or minimise such conflicts.
Identify appropriate opportunities to implement all relevant statutory duties and powers relating to biodiversity conservation.
Top-level commitment (elected member and officer level) to include biodiversity.
Include mechanisms for internal/external scrutiny of the delivery of biodiversity conservation objectives in assessment of performance in relation to best value.
Ensure the local authority knows of changes to Scottish legislation and guidance for biodiversity conservation, through an LBAP Officer 26 who is fully engaged with the Scotland LBAP Network.
PLANNING FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
By promoting it as a core value, local authorities can ensure biodiversity conservation is achieved within the best value framework. Local authorities are encouraged to include delivery of biodiversity conservation into their strategic objectives, and put in place processes to ensure service plans achieve those objectives. This is likely to require the management of conflicting priorities and co-operation, both internally across departments, and with neighbouring authorities where species and habitats are shared.
Recommendations
Identify, promote and implement specific actions where individual departments, sections and teams can introduce biodiversity conservation into their own functions, services and activities (see CS48, p29 for an example).
Identify means of targeting resources to provide 'best value' on corporate delivery of action.
Provide senior management with well-reasoned and cost effective initiatives for biodiversity action, based on statutory requirements, central policy guidance, and local political and community needs and aspirations.
Identify potential conflicts between other local authority activities and biodiversity conservation and attempt to eliminate or minimise such conflicts.
Use the LBAP partnership as a means of identifying priorities.
Set up an interdepartmental group on biodiversity.
When undertaking service reviews, ensure biodiversity conservation issues are taken account of, and assess the impact of policy proposals.
Include mechanisms for internal/external scrutiny of the delivery of biodiversity conservation objectives in assessment of performance in relation to best value.
Provide funding and/or other support for the collection and management of biodiversity data, and its utilisation by decision-makers.
Biodiversity conservation issues reflected in strategic objectives and highlighted in service plans.
Ensure employment policies are in line with commitments to biodiversity and sustainable development.
A training strategy can support biodiversity inclusion across all activities.
Identify means to enable different local authorities to co-ordinate collective action for biodiversity conservation.
Monitor and report on progress towards biodiversity objectives and take remedial action where deficiencies are seen.
| PROJECT NAME: CS48 - A Guide to Incorporating Biodiversity into Local Services CONTACT: Catherine Lloyd LOCAL AUTHORITY: Angus, Dundee City, and Perth & Kinross OTHER PARTNERS: Tayside Biodiversity Partnership PHONE: 01738 476481 PROJECT SUMMARY: This Tayside Biodiversity Partnership publication indicates many opportunities where local authorities can integrate biodiversity into projects that are already underway or consider new ways in which to incorporate the biodiversity process into their everyday work. For instance, the Magdalene Hill Community and Access Project near Perth is taking biodiversity into consideration; and improvements to Perth's Mill Lade may ultimately encourage the once-common water vole back to its old haunts in the centre of the city. |
PEOPLE AND TRAINING
The delivery of quality services depends on a trained and motivated workforce and may require the expertise of suitably qualified professional staff. Local authorities are encouraged to ensure that their employment policies and practice reflects the commitment to biodiversity, and ultimately sustainable development. A training and development strategy promoting biodiversity awareness at all levels may assist with this. Continuous improvement allows staff to be fully involved in the process and have the opportunity to contribute their views.
Recommendations
Set up an interdepartmental group on biodiversity.
Develop a training and development strategy for staff to promote biodiversity conservation, and species and habitat management (see CS49, p31 for an example of training ideas).
Provide funding and/or other support for the collection and management of biodiversity data, and its utilisation by decision-makers.
Secure ready access to locally available ecological expertise (set up a register of local consultants and habitat management experts, providing access to a range of professionals) 27
Establish think tanks for exchange of ideas and experiences. Include a cross section of consultants (ecologists/land agents) who can bring a different perspective, public information, experience, knowledge, or an entrepreneurial approach to the table.
Identify means of targeting resources to provide 'best value' on corporate delivery of action.
Provide senior management with well-reasoned and cost effective initiatives for biodiversity action, based on statutory requirements, central policy guidance, and local political and community needs and aspirations.
Identify appropriate opportunities to implement all relevant statutory duties and powers relating to biodiversity conservation.
Address resource constraints and provide advice to promote first-hand experiences of biodiversity for schools.
Top-level commitment (elected member and officer level) to include biodiversity.
Biodiversity conservation issues reflected in strategic objectives and highlighted in service plans.
| PROJECT NAME: CS49 - Building Better Biodiversity CONTACT: Catherine Lloyd LOCAL AUTHORITY: Angus, Dundee City, Perth & Kinross OTHER PARTNERS: Tayside Biodiversity Partnership PHONE: 01738 476481 PROJECT SUMMARY: To raise awareness of the "Guide to Incorporating Biodiversity into Local Services" a series of lunchtime seminars has been introduced across Tayside encouraging local authority staff to attend short presentations on species or habitat management. Each seminar includes a comprehensive Information Pack that can be taken back to the department for everyone's use. By opening the seminars beyond a local authority audience, Biodiversity Partnership members and guests are also welcome to attend. This encourages everyone with an interest in the subject being discussed, including private architects, developers and planners, to network and find out more. Such is the interest in the subjects being offered that additional practical demonstrations, half-day interactive workshops and site visits are being planned. Past events, 'Hedge Cutting for Contractors' and 'Care and Management of Urban Trees' attracted a variety of appropriate staff from seven local authority areas, as well as farmers and estate workers. |
MONITORING DELIVERY
Local authorities should monitor and evaluate their performance in terms of delivery with the measuring of biodiversity conservation being an important aspect of services. Information collected about local biodiversity resources and needs is a valuable tool for local authorities, which can be used to inform decision-making.
Recommendations
Provide funding and/or other support for the collection and management of biodiversity data, and its utilisation by decision-makers.
Set up an interdepartmental group on biodiversity.
Establish think tanks for exchange of ideas and experiences. Include a cross section of consultants (ecologists/land agents) who can bring a different perspective, public information, experience, knowledge, or an entrepreneurial approach to the table.
Monitor and report on progress towards biodiversity objectives and take remedial action where deficiencies are seen.
Biodiversity conservation performance measures and targets to be taken into account as part of wider performance measurement activity across the local authority.
Support the use of the Biodiversity Action Reporting System (BARS) as a means of monitoring and reporting on biodiversity objectives and targets.
Use the LBAP partnership as a means of identifying priorities.
IMPROVING SERVICES
As service reviews are vital to continuous improvement, it is essential that biodiversity conservation be built into their design and conduct. Improvement plans arising from the review must identify areas of improved performance against biodiversity objectives, and make the case for targeted improvement over an agreed timescale.
Recommendations
Identify means of targeting resources to provide 'best value' on corporate delivery of action.
Provide senior management with well-reasoned and cost effective initiatives for biodiversity action, based on statutory requirements, central policy guidance, and local political and community needs and aspirations.
Identify means to enable different local authorities to co-ordinate collective action for biodiversity conservation.
Monitor and report on progress towards biodiversity objectives and take remedial action where deficiencies are seen.
Support the use of the Biodiversity Action Reporting System (BARS) as a means of monitoring and reporting on biodiversity objectives and targets.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
To achieve good decision-making and best value, communities must be consulted during policy-making. Communities are a diverse mix so positive attention to those individuals and groups often excluded from decision-making, who may not see biodiversity as relevant to them, is encouraged.
Recommendations
Provide funding and/or other support for the collection and management of biodiversity data, and its utilisation by decision-makers.
Identify potential conflicts between other local authority activities and biodiversity conservation and attempt to eliminate or minimise such conflicts.
Identify means to enable different local authorities to co-ordinate collective action for biodiversity conservation.
Consult communities when setting and reviewing service standards and targets.
Refer to the standards for community engagement produced by Communities Scotland and the Scottish Community Development Foundation.
Provide places where people can experience and learn informally about biodiversity (e.g. LNRs, country parks, greenspace, access routes).
Raise awareness through events and publications (raising awareness of the LBAP, local events, campaigns).
Promote opportunities for people to volunteer to become involved in the management and monitoring of biodiversity near their homes.
Include mechanisms for internal/external scrutiny of the delivery of biodiversity conservation objectives in assessment of performance in relation to best value.
SCRUTINY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Local authority performance in delivering for biodiversity conservation should be subject to internal and external scrutiny. Provision for this can be made in the local authority decision-making and scrutiny structures. Biodiversity officers and ecologists have a role in facilitating internal scrutiny. External scrutiny by the public is also important and representatives of the community can input to this through the usual processes.
