LESSONS FROM THE LAND+ WORK

This unconventional methodology takes time, and is therefore expensive, but when done well it can deliver genuine and lasting results through the new connections and collaborations that are created.

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Some essential factors for success:

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• Time, patience, persistence and energy are required to deal with multi-faceted, complex reality.

• It is beneficial to work directly with people who are of / from the community, who have energy, enthusiasm, ‘bandwidth’, tenacity and investment in the future of the place, and people who are respected within the community.

• Diversity within the team - intergenerational and cross-sectoral – is important.

• Remunerate these people for their time, wherever possible, is important - to avoid volunteer fatigue and elite capture.

• Ensure the children and young people are involved: they are the future.

• Foster genuine, mutual trust and respect within and beyond the project team.

• Ensure people know they are listened to, have a voice and agency, and are connected: this engenders a sense of empowerment, which can catalyse change.  

• Being present in the community – able to attend meetings of the Community Council and other bodies – fosters connections more organically. 

• This ‘soft presence’ helps build trusting relationships, reaching beyond the ‘usual suspects’ to lesser heard voices, and building a holistic picture of the community’s views and concerns.

• Personal connections help people to share knowledge: often this knowledge is all that is needed to stimulate and enable change to happen.

• Technical vocabulary does not enthuse people: it is important to use accessible language and focus on clear, practical concepts.

• External ‘experts’ must communicate clearly and be careful to involve people meaningfully and respectfully.

• These external advisors / experts must learn from working within a community.

• Abstract concepts - climate and nature crises, and natural capital - do not resonate with people, especially when they have more urgent, tangible challenges in their daily life.

• Therefore - encourage people to be involved via relatable ‘hooks’ that are relevant to their life and immediate concerns.

• This groundwork builds resilience and connections to equip the community of place for future challenges.

• There is no ‘quick win’ when it comes to Natural Capital projects, but an RLUP can help make concepts more accessible and support communities of place to understand the opportunities, and potential trade-offs.

• For all partners to have the confidence to commit to a long-term project requires certainty and stability in many variables: both external factors (including agricultural subsidies), and all relationships pertaining to the land.

• We continue participate in wider knowledge sharing initiatives within Scotland.

 

This work requires a willingness to embark on a journey without a predetermined destination. We hope that people are galvanised by the vision of inspiring and catalysing regenerative change in their own place.

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Going forward, our NW2045 working will be based on these Principles and Learnings. The Principles and Learnings do not stipulate what should be done or what issues should be focused on; rather they shows how people can collaborate on land use issues in this area.

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What’s next? The NW2045 RLUP commitment

Nationally the RLUPs have moved beyond Pilot status to a formal initiative. The NW2045 RLUP is committed to continuing and extending our work across the NW2045 area, and championing the importance of our community-embedded approach at all levels. 

 Specifically:

1. Working across the communities of place to nurture connections that develop their sense of agency, stimulate collaboration and create the conditions for change.

2. Working with landowners, crofters and other ‘land decision-makers’ to support and encourage meaningful involvement of the wider community of place in discussions and decisions about how land is used.

3. Continuing to explore and support opportunities for communities to be proactively involved in natural capital projects.

4. Working with ScotGov to develop and define the scope of the RLUP, and how it will be delivered both within the NW2045, across the existing network, and elsewhere.

5. Holding to account ScotGov, Highland Council - and others in positions of power – to achieve the transformative change our land and people need to thrive.