Introduction
Sustainable Development
1. The Scottish Executive is committed to:
- growing Scotland's economy;
- delivering excellent public services;
- supporting stronger, safer communities; and
- developing a confident, democratic Scotland.
2. The work of the Scottish Executive, and of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department, is shaped by the Partnership Agreement. The Partnership Agreement places an emphasis on delivering sustainable development, putting environmental concerns at the heart of public policy and securing environmental justice for all of Scotland's communities. The Executive's commitment to the environment is demonstrated in every section of the Partnership Agreement, and certain commitments are labelled with a "tree" symbol: 
meaning "green thread" commitments.
3. These goals apply in rural and urban areas and, because they respect environmental limits too, amount to sustainable development. Sustainable development presents us with a framework for thinking about the future: the kind of world we want to live in and the legacy we want to leave behind for future generations. Sustainable development is at the heart of the Executive's work, and the principles of sustainable development should guide its policy and delivery decisions. This can be summed up as:
- living within our environmental limits;
- ensuring a strong, healthy and just society;
- achieving a sustainable economy;
- promoting good governance; and
- using sound science responsibly.
4. Our Department acts as champion for sustainable development within the Scottish Executive. We coordinated the latest Sustainable Development Strategy for Scotland (published in December 2005) and will set out an implementation plan and indicators by which progress can be measured in summer 2006.
ERAD's aims and outcomes
5. Our Department and the Forestry Commission (Scotland) are responsible for delivering 48 specific commitments within the Partnership Agreement, which are listed in Annex B. In the Partnership Agreement and other policy documents, Ministers provide clear goals that will benefit Scotland and its people.
6. Within ERAD, we have grouped our work in delivering Ministers' goals under a set of core outcomes (see overleaf) describing the ultimate difference or impact our part of the Executive seeks to achieve through our activities, and through those we influence. These outcomes act as a useful internal management tool.
All in Scotland acting for sustainable development, with
1. Clean air
2. Safe, affordable drinking water
3. Communities protected from flooding, climate change and other environmental hazards
4. Waste minimised, recycled where possible and otherwise disposed of properly
5. Rivers, lochs and beaches free of unacceptable pollution
6. Well maintained landscapes and biodiversity benefiting people and business
7. Sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries, competitive in markets and contributing to local economies
8. Well treated and healthy domestic and farm animals
9. Rural development benefiting communities
10. Access to public services for people in rural areas; and
Science fully reflected in planning the future of Scotland's environment, marine and rural affairs
7. Each of these outcomes has a lead delivery group or division, and is to be delivered by the best combination of three main levers:
- public spending or fiscal incentives;
- making regulations and enforcing them; and
- informing and helping people, business and other bodies so that they can take their own action.
The ERAD Family
8. The Minister for Environment and Rural Development and the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development are responsible for ERAD policy.
9. The Department is structured around 5 groups, with a central Secretariat and Strategy, Communication and Business Planning team, and the "On the Ground" programme creating closer working between the Department, its agencies and NDPBs. The 5 groups are:
- Environment Group: addressing the environment, including biodiversity, urban greenspace, waste and pollution reduction, air quality, flood risk management, climate change, and water services and promoting sustainable development throughout the Executive.
- Marine Group: promoting sustainable, profitable and well managed sea fisheries within the framework of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, which support strong communities and are an integral part of the marine environment; freshwater fisheries and aquaculture and the translation of policy into strategies to enable the two sectors to co-exist effectively; and marine management, including marine nature conservation.
- Rural Group: promoting sustainable rural development including agriculture, crofting and food within the framework of the EU Common Agriculture Policy, addressing landscape, habitats, national parks animal health and welfare.
- Science and Analysis Group: responsible for facilitating access by policy groups to relevant, robust and timely evidence for development, implementation and monitoring of the Department's policies. The Group has in-house expertise and has a budget for commissioning external research expertise on behalf of the Department.
- Operations Group: responsible for implementation and delivery of grants, subsidies and other government policies to the agricultural industry as well as the development and support of the Information Technology Systems to enable the delivery of the schemes; provision of professional agricultural advice and information, and advice on IT systems to agricultural and fisheries interests within the Department.
10. The five group heads are the main Executive Directors on the Departmental Management Board, chaired by the Head of Department. For full details see Annex C.
11. ERAD works closely with Forestry Commission Scotland and has three Executive Agencies and is responsible for a number of non-departmental public bodies ( NDPBs) all of which are accountable to Scottish Ministers. This " ERAD Family" produces separate business plans, which can generally be found on the relevant websites.
Associated Government Departments
The Forestry Commission Scotland ( FCS) (www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland ) serves as the forestry department for the Scottish Executive, developing forestry policies which meet international standards of sustainable forest management and delivering those policies through regulation, support and grant aid to the forestry sector and by managing the national forest estate through its Agency, Forest Enterprise Scotland ( FES). The aim of FCS is to increase the economic, environmental and social outputs from Scotland's woods and forests.
Executive Agencies
The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency's ( www.sfpa.gov.uk ) principal role is the enforcement of fisheries legislation and regulations in the seas around Scotland and in Scottish ports.
Fisheries Research Services ( www.marlab.ac.uk ) provides expert scientific and technical advice to Government on marine and freshwater fisheries, aquaculture and the protection of the aquatic environment.
The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency ( www.sasa.gov.uk ) provides advice and information on the implementation and enforcement of legislation and regulations in the areas of crops and environmental protection
Other Agencies
The State Veterinary Service ( www.svs.gov.uk ) is the Government's delivery agent responsible for animal health and welfare in England, Scotland and Wales, and delivers government policies to farmers and keepers of livestock to help ensure that kept animals are healthy, disease free and well looked after. The SVS Board is accountable to Scottish and other GB Ministers.
Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies
Scottish Natural Heritage's ( www.snh.gov.uk ) purpose is to conserve and improve Scotland's natural heritage, promote understanding of it, and make it easier for people to enjoy, and help make sure that its use and management is sustainable.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( www.sepa.org.uk ) is responsible for the protection of the environment in Scotland, and aims to achieve outcomes including minimised, recovered and well-managed waste, good water environments, good air and land quality; economic wellbeing and communities which are protected, informed and engaged
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh ( www.rbge.org.uk ) is a scientific institution dedicated to discovering and describing plants and their relationships, evolution, conservation and biology, and the research is underpinned by internationally important collections of living and preserved plants.
The Deer Commission for Scotland ( www.dcs.gov.uk ) is responsible for furthering the conservation, control and sustainable management of all species of wild deer in Scotland, and keeping under review all matters relating to wild deer, including welfare.
The Crofters Commission ( www.crofterscommission.org.uk ) is responsible for reorganising, developing and regulating crofting in the crofting counties.
The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority ( www.lochlomond-trossachs.org ) and the Cairngorms National Park Authority ( www.cairngorms.co.uk ) conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the two areas, promote sustainable use of resources, promote understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the areas and to promote sustainable economic and social development of the areas' communities.
The Water Industry Commission for Scotland ( www.watercommission.co.uk ) is responsible for regulating all aspects of Scottish Water's economic and customer service performance.
The Scottish Agricultural Wages Board sets the terms and conditions of service for agricultural workers in Scotland.
Advisory NDPBs
The Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest advises Scottish Natural Heritage in cases where there are sustained scientific objections to the notification of Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
The Fisheries (Electricity) Committee advises on the effect of generation of hydro-electric power on fisheries and stocks of fish.
Public Corporations
Scottish Water ( www.scottishwater.co.uk ) is a publicly owned business accountable to Scottish Ministers. It is the 16th largest company in Scotland and the 4th largest provider of water services in the UK, and provides essential water and wastewater services to businesses and over 2.2 million homes.
UKNDPBs
12. We work closely with the Sustainable Development Commission Scotland ( www.sd-commission.org.uk ) which is the Scottish Executive's independent advisory body on sustainable development. The Commission reports to the First Minister on key policy areas and helps government departments, local authorities and businesses put sustainable development at the heart of what they do.
13. The Sea Fish Industry Authority ( Seafish - www.seafish.org ) works across all sectors of the UK seafood industry to promote good quality, sustainable seafood. Seafish's research and projects are aimed at raising standards, improving efficiency and ensuring that the industry develops in a viable way. Seafish is sponsored by the four UK government fisheries departments and funded by a levy on seafood.
14. The following diagram sets out ERAD Groups and Divisions, and the wider ERAD family of organisations. The colour coding is used throughout the rest of the document.
ERAD and the Big Picture
15. Our vision for the Scottish Executive is of an organisation which stands at the centre of civic life in Scotland, widely trusted, by earning a reputation for openness, helpfulness, expertise and effectiveness. In September 2005, the Permanent Secretary set out the "Big Picture" - key themes that reflect what matters to us as an organisation, and what we all must focus on if we are to be successful. These themes are:
- Delivering successful outcomes;
- Putting the people of Scotland first;
- Developing our people; and
- Building the best business practices.
16. This Business Plan for ERAD is structured around the Big Picture, and the ERAD Departmental Management Board has signed up to a development plan for 2006-07, which is also structured around the Big Picture themes. This development plan includes action to respond to feedback from the 2005 Employee survey, as well as action to support the delivery of business across the Department.
17. For each Big Picture theme, one or more members of the DMB will lead a stream of work, and staff from across the Department will have the opportunity to get involved. This builds on the existing "Developing our People" sub-committee of the DMB.
- Andy Robb and Maggie Gill will lead work on delivering successful outcomes;
- David Middleton's successor will lead work on putting the people of Scotland first;
- David Wilson will continue to lead work on developing our people; and
- John Mason will lead work on building the best business practices.
18. The DMB Development Plan is attached at Annex E.