“It wasn’t easy, but it has been worth it”
Miranda Geelhoed
Over the last three months, some of my colleagues and I have had the pleasure of speaking to people across Scotland who are working with others to make decisions about land. Whilst conversations covered the technical details of governance structures, they have also given us a much better understanding of what motivates people to work together in the face of many barriers and challenges. The efforts of the people involved in these case studies have been significant. They have led, for example, to neglected areas being brought back into use, to assets being saved, to decision-making being brought closer to the communities most affected by land-use change, and to the sharing of benefits.
These conversations are at the heart of a new online guide that showcases the opportunities that exist for diverse and collaborative governance.
Governance: bridging gaps between ownership and use
The Scottish Land Commission’s work on governance seeks to bridge questions of landownership versus land use. By applying a governance lens, we can investigate who has the power to make and enforce decisions about land (and who is lacking power), and how decisions are made and enforced (what are the processes, structures and rules).
When answering these questions, we can then consider how governance can be made more inclusive and collaborative. Put simply, we can identify opportunities for more people to get involved in decisions on land. Our new guide provides inspiration for the development of collaborations, by showcasing innovative examples from across Scotland and abroad.
A guide to making diverse and collaborative governance happen
The governance guide highlights more than 15 examples of collaborations across different sectors such as agriculture, forestry, energy, and housing.
The case studies are a testament to the efforts that are already ongoing in urban and rural Scotland, from the Highlands and Islands to Dumfries and Galloway.
They provide insights into:
- Reasons for collaborations – what are the types of challenges that working together can help address.
- Governance options – how can structures be used, combined and optimised.
- Application of principles of inclusive governance – drawing upon our recent research from the Centre of Local Economic Strategies.
- Public and community value – how do structures deliver and retain benefits, e.g., job creation, public access, wellbeing and environmental benefits.
Governance Guide case studies map
The many benefits of diverse and collaborative governance
A key message throughout our conversations with those who are pioneering inclusive and collaborative governance has been: “it wasn’t easy, but it has been worth it”.
Making decisions on your own is often more straightforward than with others. Yet, making decision-making inclusive has many important benefits. It can lead to more resilient and adaptable organisations, to the sharing of knowledge, skills, resources and ideas, and to opportunities for diversifying and improving access to finance.
From our perspective, we see inclusive and collaborative governance as a key element in a Scotland where more people are able to participate in and influence decisions about how land is used, where power and control is shared more widely, and where the values and benefits of land are used fairly to create economic prosperity and wellbeing.
Our new guide is a flexible online resource, which includes a map of case studies that can – and will – be updated and expanded. We, therefore, welcome other organisations to get in touch to bring other initiatives to our attention.
