What Next ?
As we review progress of the Plan so far it is clear that many of the outcomes developed in 2018 remain valid but we are now operating in an environment that has seen fundamental change. The most significant of these changes are the ones posed by the climate and nature emergencies. There is now greater urgency to our work across the Plan but specifically within areas related to these crises.
We are at a pivotal moment to respond to these changes and, as a protected landscape delivering for Scotland, the National Park should be at the forefront of this work. We need to be bold in our ambitions to meet these challenges and this will require continued co-ordination and collective effort from everyone who has a role to deliver for the National Park.
The progress outlined in this Review shows both what can be achieved when we work together in partnership and also highlights the systemic constraints we are faced with. We are already working to address these issues through programmes such as our emerging Future Nature approach, and this will be a key theme as we approach development of the next National Park Partnership Plan and other strategic plans in 2022/23.
In the meantime, as we continue delivery of the current Plan it is important that we maintain our clarity of purpose, vision and ambition.
All delivery partners also continue to work in an evolving operating environment, seeing the declaration of the climate emergency and nature crisis in spring 2019.
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The National Park Authority hopes others will be as motivated as we are to see what has been accomplished in this first year of the 2018-23 National Park Partnership Plan, as there is no doubt that the Plan is ambitious.
Calls to Action
Progress against the Indicators of Success shows both what can be achieved and where organisations across the National Park may need to focus efforts next. Based on the findings of 2018-19 there are challenges remaining, particularly in woodland creation, designated site features, water body condition and public and active travel, and collective effort is required across each of these calls to action to realise our common vision.
Next steps
The National Park Authority is convening delivery partners on Tuesday 12th November 2019 to address these. Together delivery partners will reflect on the first year, what has been learned and how to make the most of successes so far and, most importantly, we will identify what we will do to overcome our collective challenges.
A big thank you to everyone who has delivered for the Plan right across 2018-19, and all those who contributed to the first Review of the Indicators of Success. It is interesting to note that the Review highlights the importance of how progress is made, not just what is progressed. The single biggest enabler of work to date is perhaps the skills, experience and dedication of the people involved, including many who volunteer their time. The collaborative approach and commitment to finding new solutions is critical to making our collective vision a reality.