Breadcrumbs
Relationship between NCAF and LAF's
ask the Countryside Agency to explore with the Local Government Association setting up a network for LAFs to exchange information and best practice;
invite the network, in due course, to nominate a LAF member to sit on NCAF.
Introduction
NCAF considered the relationship between LAFs and NCAF when it discussed paper 16/4 on the future of NCAF. Members wanted to see links with LAFs improved, while noting that there was a real limit to the ability of any one person to represent the very wide range of circumstances that LAFs encounter.
Agency staff have subsequently explored the extent to which LAFs are able to share information at present, and what actions might facilitate LAFs learning from each other and identifying common issues which should be drawn to the attention of NCAF.
Creating a LAF network
AONBs have a Learning Network, which allows those working on AONB matters to share information electronically simply and quickly, and ask questions of colleagues on the network. The Government Agencies with an interest in countryside recreation are all members of the Countryside Recreation Network (CRN), and fund a small team based in a university to share information and run seminars which allow staff in local authorities, voluntary bodies and Government Agencies to come together to share best practice or explore new issues.
We believe the work of LAFs could benefit from a combination of these two approaches. Given the very recent creation of LAFs, funding a facilitator would be a cost effective way of getting a network up and running, and exploring with individual LAFs what sort of information exchange would be most useful. Questions to be explored include: should it be primarily regional in operation, should it rely on electronic exchange of information, should it organise events to help exchange best practice, and so on.
The Agency would be willing to help fund a facilitator for a number of years to get a network started, but we would need to find an organisation acceptable to LAFs willing and able to act as a host for the network. NCAF members may have suggestions for organisations well placed to play such a role, clearly the LGA would have a role to play.
Representing LAFs on NCAF
Our expectation is that NCAF and its members would have access to such a network. This in itself will allow NCAF to identify common issues of concern to LAFs. However, once the network was functioning, it would allow LAFs to identify members willing to help represent LAFs as a whole on NCAF, perhaps on a rotating basis for a year at a time, or some other defined period.
Jeremy Worth
Countryside Agency