LEADER Strategic Board
Membership
The Scottish Government Managing Authority and LAG chairs form the LEADER Strategic Board.
The Chair is David Thomson, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities Division, Scottish Government.
Each Local Action Group may send one Board representative, normally the chair, authorised to convey LAG board members' views and empowered to take decisions in respect of their LAGs on strategic matters at meetings.
Attendance of additional technical/operational support by LAG staff is by prior agreement with the Board Chair.
Secretariat is provided by The Scottish Government.
Remit
The purpose of the Board is:
- to monitor and discuss progress including financial progress within LEADER across the whole of Scotland.
- to share best practice, particularly highlighting any successes that have been achieved in a LEADER area and contribute to the achievement of LEADER aims to increase the capacity of local rural community and business networks to build knowledge and skills, and encourage innovation and co-operation in order to tackle local development objectives.
- to share learning on the effectiveness of allocating the funds from a LAG perspective towards achieving local and regional rural development objectives. Strategic issues relating to co-ordinators and their role can be discussed, but is agreed that the remit for operational issues relating to the running of LEADER should be raised directly with LAG co-ordinators and the Scottish Government.
- to consider future proposals of a strategic nature in parallel with discussions with lead partners and co-ordinators where proposals impact on the implementation and delivery of the SLA and LEADER programme.
- to consider issues relating to lead authority and Service Level Agreements (SLA) although it is acknowledged that the SLAs are between the Scottish Government and the Lead Partners.
- to represent LAG Members views on the SRDP Programme Monitoring Committee.
Frequency
The Board shall meet as requested by members but the expected frequency is every 6 months with correspondence as necessary between meetings.