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| Rural Policy Research Programme 1999-2000 | |||
| ISBN 0 7480 7204 5 | Publisher The Scottish Office | ||
| The Rural Policy Research Programme of The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department (SOAEFD) is specifically targeted at rural development and reflects the Government's priorities for rural Scotland as set out in the Framework document 'Towards A Development Strategy for Rural Scotland'. |
| The programme which is funded mainly by the SOAEFD's Agricultural Policy Co-ordination and Rural Development Research Committee with additional support from the Department's Flexible Fund, is drawn up in consultation with other Scottish Office research programmes and the research programmes of other organisations such as Scottish Homes and the Countryside Agency. Research output from the programme is made available to research users through publications, seminars and conferences. |
| This report on the 1999-2000 programme aims to provide information to those with an interest in rural policy research including practitioners and contractors. It includes an outline of new research projects which it is intended to commission during 1999-2000, information on ongoing research projects, and details of publications and research contacts. |
| Contractors interested in undertaking any of the new projects outlined are invited to complete the enclosed 'Expression of Interest' form and return this by 1 April 1999 to the address shown. Potential contractors are advised to read the notes of guidance on page 2 which provide information on the Committee's procedures in commissioning research. |
| From the beginning of 1999 onwards published reports and research findings produced on projects in the research programme will also be available on The Scottish Office Website. To facilitate effective internet dissemination it has been necessary to standardise the format of reports and guidance on this will be provided to contractors at the commissioning stage of a project. |
| Contacts |
| Enquiries about the rural policy research programme should be addressed to Juliet Harvey, Head of Rural Research, The Scottish Office Central Research Unit, Room 005, Pentland House, 47 Robb's Loan, Edinburgh EH14 1TY. Email: juliet.harvey@scotland.gov.uk Telephone: 0131 244 6631. |
| Enquiries about aspects of rural policy should be addressed to Jim Stephen, Head of Rural Policy, The Scottish Office, Room 252, Pentland House, 47 Robb's Loan, Edinburgh EH14 1TY. Email: jim.stephen@scotland.gov.uk. Telephone 0131 244 6161. |
| Guidance for Potential Contractors |
| INTRODUCTION |
| Much of the Department's research is commissioned by way of selective competitive tender. Most often this occurs through the issue of invitations to a selected number of contractors to bid for a contract on the basis of a specification setting out the particular requirement for the work. |
| EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST |
| Contractors who wish to be considered for inclusion on tender lists for any of the new projects outlined in this report are invited to complete the attached "Expression of Interest" form for each project. (The form should be copied if required.) |
| Expressions of interest submitted by 1 April 1999 on the attached form will be considered in the process of drawing up a short list, usually of between 3 and 6 names depending on the nature of the project and the extent of expertise amongst potential contractors. |
| As the number of expressions of interest may exceed the number of contractors who will be invited to tender, an expression of interest should not be taken as a guarantee of inclusion in the list. The Department will not inform the contractors who are not invited to tender for a specific project. |
| INVITATIONS TO TENDER |
| An invitation to tender will be accompanied by a specification of the proposed research. The specification will usually set out the background to the requirement, the aims, what contractors are expected to provide in the tender and a date for receipt of tenders. The standard conditions governing the contract are also provided. |
| ASSESSMENT OF TENDERS |
Tenders will be assessed by research managers
and customers. Overall assessment will be concerned with value for money taking account of
the quality and cost of contractor's proposals. In particular assessment will focus on:
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| AWARDING OF CONTRACTS |
| The assessment of tenders normally results in the selection of a preferred tender, although the Department is not bound to accept any tender. On occasion, some researchers are invited to make a presentation on their proposals to the Department to assist in the assessment. The successful tenderer then finalises a formal contract with the Department. All tenderers are informed of the outcome in writing. |
| Some contracts are jointly funded with other Scottish Office Departmental Research Programmes or other organisations such as Scottish Homes. |
| TIMETABLE |
| New projects listed in this report are planned for commissioning during the financial year 1999-2000 but the exact content and timing will depend on the requirements of the policy customer. |
| PUBLICATION |
| While final decisions on publication remain with the Department, there is a presumption that research commissioned from the research programme will be published. |
| 1999-2000 Research Programme |
| NEW PROJECTS (£60K) |
| Social Exclusion in Rural Areas (Phase II) |
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| ONGOING RESEARCH (£120K) |
| Rural Policy Research |
| Social Exclusion in Rural Areas: Phase I: thinkpiece |
| Contractor - Prof. Mark Shucksmith, Arkleton Centre, University of Aberdeen |
| - a review of current understanding of social exclusion in rural areas. (Completion Summer 1999.) |
| Agricultural Downstream Linkages |
| Contractor being appointed. |
| This study will investigate the immediate post farm destination of Scottish agricultural commodities. |
| Sectoral Policies: Developmental Phase |
| Contractor - Prof. Terry Marsden, University of Cardiff, and Dr. John Farrington, University of Aberdeen |
| - testing a methodology developed to aid the integration of policy across different sectors by applying it to an analysis of linkages between transport and environmental policy. (Completion 2000) |
| EU Nordic Collaborative Project |
| Contractor - Prof. Mark Shucksmith, Arkleton Centre |
| - different local action in the four countries, including initiatives such as LEADER and partnership arrangements, in order to promote exchange of best practice. (Completion end 2001) |
| Developing a Rural Deprivation Index |
| - drawing on the findings of the research on Social Exclusion in Rural Areas (Phase I and II), a review of potential indicators and the production of an index to measure deprivation in rural Scotland will be commissioned. |
| Guidance in Rural Development |
| - it is likely that research developing further guidance on topical rural issues will be commissioned to assist the Scottish National Rural Partnership with the task of promoting rural development. |
| Research to Support the Work of the Scottish National Rural Partnership |
| New Ideas Guidance: innovative ways of providing services |
| Contractor - CRU and Jane Atterton, Aberdeen University |
| - guidance to highlight different ways of providing services in rural areas and describing a range of local initiatives. (Completion late Spring 1999.) |
| Evaluation of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund |
| Contractor - CRU |
| - an evaluation of the Rural Challenge Fund and the Local Capital Grants (Village Halls) Scheme. (Completion Summer 1999.) |
| Advice and Support to Rural Shops |
| Contractor - Brian Burns Associates |
| - a review of the advice and financial support available to retailers in rural areas and the examination of alternative models of support. (Completion Summer 1999.) |
| The Location of Rural Shops |
| Contractor - Telesis/Scottish Homes |
| - using GIS to map access to grocery shops in rural areas. (Completion Summer 1999.) |
| Dissemination from the Reasearch Programme in 1998-99 |
| Recently Published |
| New Ideas in Rural Development No 6:
Becoming an Entrepreneur in Rural Scotland Aimed at people living in rural areas who are thinking about starting up their own business. The Robert Owen Foundation. Skyline Printing 1998 £2.50 ISBN: 0 7480 7070 2 |
| Good Practice in Rural Development No 4:
Structures for Local Rural Partnerships Advice for local rural partnerships to help them select appropriate organisational and administrative structures for their activities. Rural Forum. Skyline Printing 1998 £2.50 ISBN: 0 7480 7067 2 |
| Good Practice in Rural Development No 5:
Consensus Building The use of consensus building by local rural partnerships in their rural development work. Roger Sidaway and Rural Forum. Skyline Printing 1998 £2.50 ISBN: 0 7480 7068 0 |
| Good Practice in Rural Development No 6:
Developing Projects and Securing Funding Advice on initiating rural development projects and securing funding. Halcrow Fox Consultants. Skyline Printing 1998 £2.50 ISBN: 0 7480 7069 9 |
| Good Practice in Rural Development No. 7:
Environment and Heritage in Rural Development Highlights the principles of good environmental and heritage practice and show how these can be integrated with rural development initiatives. ERM and CRU. Skyline Printing 1998 £2.50 ISBN: 0 7480 7625 5 |
| Publications Forthcoming: |
| New Ideas in Rural Development No. 7:
Community Development Agents in Rural Scotland Guidance on community development agents. Lynn Watkins, CRU and Alison Brown, SCEC |
| New Ideas in Rural Development No. 8:
Tackling Crime in Rural Scotland Initiatives to tackle rural crime. Mary-Ann Smyth, RSK-ERA |
| The Quality of Services in Rural Scotland An examination of local service provision showing strengths, weaknesses and overlaps. System Three |
| Crime and The Farming Community: The
Scottish Farm Crime Survey 1998 The first national survey of crime affecting farms in Scotland. George Street Research |
| Migration in Rural Scotland Identifies patterns of migration and explores its impact on sample communities. Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen |
| Research Reports can be purchased from The
Stationery Office Bookshop, 71 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9AZ (Tel: 0131-228 4181, or Fax: 0131-622 7017). |
| This report can be ordered online from: www.thestationeryoffice.co.uk |
| Additional copies of this report can be obtained from Lorraine Curran, The Scottish Office, Central Research Unit, 2J, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ (Tel: 0131-244 7560). A copy can also be obtained from the publications section of The Scottish Office Website: www.scotland.gov.uk |
| The information contained
on this WWW site is Crown Copyright but may be reproduced without formal permission or
charge for personal or in-house use. © 1999 |
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