THE CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY Agenda 6 Item 15th APRIL 2003 PROVISIONAL WORK PROGRAMME FOR SHADOW PERIOD SUMMARY: This paper offers suggestions for briefings, training sessions and discussion sessions over the next 5 months of the"shadow period". It invites Board Members to discuss these and offer comment so that the programme of meetings and visits can be firmed up and arrangements made as required. CONSIDERATION 1. 2. The"shadow period" (from establishment date on 25 March to operational date on 1 September), is intended, as with any newly established public body, to allow Members to prepare for the point at which the organisation becomes fully operational and the board takes on responsibility for delivering the organisation’s remit. 3. 4. This period provides the opportunity for the board to takes its time to consider, without the pressure for immediate action, fundamental issues such as: Its vision for the Park: what sort of Park do we want to see in 1, 5, and 10 years’ time? The objectives for the Park: what do we want to have achieved in 1, 5 and 10 years’ time? The culture and philosophy of the organisation that will underpin its objectives and how it goes about delivering these: how do we want the organisation to be perceived? how will we work with others and to what extent will the organisation be an enabler and deliver through others? How will we really engage with others and ensure that the CNPA is in touch with views of those who live and work in the Park? How do we work with other public agencies to make best use of all the funding streams coming into the Park area? 1. 2. It is also a period during which Members must get to know, understand and trust each other. Diversity of views and experience among the members will be a strength of the Board, but it will be important that those different views can be brought to bear in discussions without undermining the sense of collective responsibility for decisions. 3. 4. It is a period during which the Board will want to scope the issues facing the Park, and there will be many ways of doing that. Of fundamental importance will be getting out and about in the Park area, talking to people and seeing issues being dealt with"on the ground". 5. 6. The legacy of the Cairngorms Partnership is a number of well-established peer groups and fora, each comprising individuals from a range of organisations and with a range of interests. These groups have steered a variety of projects and initiatives, and provide a forum for discussion and sharing of information and ideas. These groups provide a useful starting point for briefing the board on a wide range of issues, as well as enabling the Board to consider whether these groupings will continue to provide a useful means of engaging with those who live and work in the Park. 7. 8. Taking briefings from these groups is suggested as a useful starting point, but meetings with other organisations, agencies and groups will be helpful in addition. It will be particularly important for the Board to form a view on how it engages with other public bodies and agencies, so that substitution and duplication are avoided, and so that best use is made of all the different funding streams coming into the area. This implies a truly joined-up approach, and a shared understanding of common goals. Ultimately this will come together in the National Park Plan. In the shadow period, it may be that a series of meetings with key public agencies (possibly involving Convener and Chair respectively, and one or two other Members) would be the most efficient way of securing this engagement at the highest level. 9. 10. The thinking and discussion by the Board in the shadow period will provide the basis for the decisions on more detailed aspects of the CNPA’s work that will follow. For example, with the exception of some recruitment that is needed urgently in any event (development control officers), decisions on the type of new posts created, the staffing structure, and the skills required of recruited staff, will depend on the conclusions the board reaches about how the organisation will go about its work, whether and how it acts as an enabler, and how it works with and through other organisations. Similarly, whether the Board forms a number of Committees for taking work forward, and what these might be, will evolve from the discussions of the shadow period, as will decisions about how to take forward work on the Corporate Plan and the National Park Plan. Decisions about the CNPA’s likely budget needs will also need to be made prior to discussions with Ministers. 11. 12. The consideration and discussion of fundamental issues such as the nature of the CNPA as an organisation and how it fulfils its remit will not be restricted to the shadow period, and will continue as the organisation develops, and will become part of the process of putting together the corporate plan and the National Park plan. Conclusion An outline work programme is attached. Members are invited to consider whether this is generally acceptable, whether they would like to see items added to removed; any suggestions for visits"out and about". RECOMMENDATION: 1. 2. That the Board uses the time provided by the shadow period to think about and discuss a range of fundamental issues that will set the tone and culture of the organisation for the future, before it starts to addressdecisionsonmoredetailedmattersconcernedwithorganisationandpolicyimplementation. getting out and about (as a Board, or in sub-divisions of the Board) to see the Park area, see work in progress, and talk to people and organisations in those areas; a. considers and discusses fundamental issues such as: the culture of the organisation; its vision and objectives; and how it will operate and achieve its objectives: how will it be an enabling organisation? b. Undertakes training sessions on: media handling being a Non Departmental Public Body, and the implications for Members; development control/planning Signature: Designation: Interim Chief Executive Date: 2nd April 2003 ANNEX A DATE EVENT AGENDA/FORMAT WHERE 15 April FIRST FORMAL Am Duke of MEETING OF Gordon, NPA -Election Convener/Deputy Kingussie -Appt Monitoring officer/proper officer -Delegation functions to ICE -Project approval -work programme/future meeting dates Photocall and press briefing by Convener/dep Pm General Briefing session the organisation; communications strategy planning update/training putting details on the work/visits programme Park opening event End Informal discussion Where we are now April session TBC Facilitated discussion & briefing, centred on inheritance from CPShip Stocktaking papers 10 min briefing from each forum/gp pm: visit out & about Early Informal discussion Where we are now (continued) May session Pm: visit out & about Mid 2nd FORMAL Am May MEETING OF NPA TBC -Members Code of conduct -Staff recruitment -Standing orders -Committees/champions etc -Budget -planning protocol -local plans pm Out & About visit Late Informal discussion Where next? May session TBC Facilitated discussion: -How will the NPA work/what sort of organisation. -Enabling vs frontline delivery -Working and delivering through others: level playing field -Corporate planning process: how to decide vision and objectives. Early 3rd FORMAL Am June MEETING OF NPA TBC Corporate plan process NP Plan (discussion on process) Accommodation Further discussion on committees/champions as a way of working Planningarrangements Planning arrangements pm: visit out & about One NDPB Course (on Am day out being a Member of a of: 23, Non Departmental Course run by CMPS 27, 30 Public Body) June Pm Visit out and about July RECESS Mid Aug 4th FORMAL -Final planning update/training for Members TBC MEETING OR General Discussion -Agree Management Statement/Financial Memorandum session, as required -process for taking forward NP Plan 1 Sep Operational date Formal Opening Event? (or on Saturday?) TBC Sep- Facilitated sessions on developing Corporate plan (whole Dec board), and National Park Plan Meetings of committees, and meetings of Champions with existing groups/fora, including meeting of Board with Advisory Panel Another 1 or 2 formal meetings of full Board. Meeting of Convener &Deputy with Minister re budgets etc