Manage the successful establishment, promotion, running and delivery of the Cotswolds LEADER programme

Transcription

1 Cotswolds Conservation Board Cotswolds LEADER Programme Team Job Description Position: Programme Manager Grade: SO2 ( 29,041-30,071) Term: Fixed term until 2020/21 Hours: Full time, 37 hours a week Responsible to: Responsible for: Director Programme Assistant May also include temporary staff, student interns and consultants Contacts within the Conservation Board: Board and its Members Director, Staff and Voluntary Wardens nternal Auditor Contacts across LEADER programme: LEADER project development team Local Action Group (LAG) LAG Executive LEADER Advisory Network Wide range of public, private and voluntary sector and local community contacts Private sector businesses Farming and forestry businesses Tourism and heritage sector Micro businesses Local Authority Officers and Members Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) Defra and Rural Payments Agency (RPA) Consultants Other LEADER programmes Other AONB and National Park Authority staff Main purposes of post: Manage the successful establishment, promotion, running and delivery of the Cotswolds LEADER programme Ensure that the grants programme has compliant and robust financial systems Ensure that the programme is effectively monitored, with outcomes and achievements fully recorded and promoted

2 Overview: The Cotswolds Conservation Board and its partners have been successful in securing million from the latest national LEADER programme managed by Defra and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The programme will operate over 5 years, from June The Conservation Board is the Accountable Body for the programme and is employing the programme staff. The 6 LEADER priorities of generating jobs and growth in their relative order of priority for the Cotswolds are as follows: Micro-enterprises and farm diversification, Rural Tourism, Culture and Heritage, Rural Services, ncreasing Farm Productivity, ncreasing Forestry Productivity. A map of the programme area is provided in Annex 1. The organisational structure of the Cotswolds LEADER programme and the Local Action Group (LAG) is provided in Annex 2. The LAG will invite, consider and determine grant applications and issue grant awards, supported by the programme team. The programme team will monitor the grant awards and assess grant claims. The grant payments will be made by the RPA, Rural Payments Agency. Fuller details of the programme and its Local Development Strategy (LDS), the grant spend profile and the estimated investments, outputs and outcomes across the theme priorities are provided in the LEADER page of Cotswolds Conservation Board website; Main activities: Delivery of the LDS devise, implement and oversee an effective, inclusive and transparent programme to achieve the LDS aims and objectives, a programme which is responsive to the needs of the area; establish and keep under review a 3 year rolling delivery plan for the programme, ensuring that the plan addresses any gaps in delivery against targets; promote awareness of the LDS and the associated grants programme, engaging with funding applicants to advise them on any grant applications; influence rural development through policy meetings, conferences, workshops, and links with wider programmes and funds. Establishment and operation of LAG Establish and support the day to day operation of the: o Cotswolds LAG o LAG Executive o LAG Advisory Network; Provide the secretariat for the LAG and LAG Executive;

3 Maintain an overview of LAG, LAG Executive and Advisory Network membership, ensuring that the LEADER programme has the appropriate interests and skills represented across the LAG; Establish working relationships with other LAGs, in particular adjoining LAGs and identify opportunities for collaboration or joint initiatves. Operation of Grants Programme establish, monitor, review and develop a successful and easy to use grant application, evaluation and awards process; establish financial and compliance management systems to ensure the robust delivery of the grants programme, with projects delivering agreed outcomes to agreed budgets and timescales; develop and strengthen relationships with Defra, RPA, EU and LEP partners, including liaising with the RDPE Network. Communications establish and operate an effective communications strategy for use with local rural communities, businesses and partner organisations to ensure high levels of awareness and promotion of the LEADER programme and its associated grants; create a strong partnership of private, public and voluntary sector players by creating communication channels and opportunities for networking; create knowledge exchange opportunities; establish awards ceremonies, workshops and exhibitions; develop a Cotswolds LEADER website, linked to social media. Monitoring and evaluation devise, implement and oversee a robust programme for the recording and monitoring of LEADER outcomes and achievements, together with their evaluation to meet RPA, Defra and EU audit requirements. Conditions of service: The Conditions of Service of the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. The Local Conditions of Service are contained in a Staff Handbook. This post is subject to three months notice on either side. The normal working week is 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Flexible out of hours working in evenings and at weekends is required on occasions, for which there is time off in lieu. The postholder will be required to comply with the Board s Health and Safety policy. The operational base will be the Board s offices at Northleach, Gloucestershire. An essential car allowance is payable

4 ANNEX 1 Programme Area Map

5 ANNEX 2 Cotswolds LEADER Local Action Group Structure The Cotswolds Local Action Group (LAG) will comprise members from the public, private and voluntary/community sector. Membership will be drawn from the Cotswolds Conservation Board along with a number of other key interested parties who have been identified through the development of this LDS. The structure for the LAG and its associated groups is set out below: Local Action Group All appropriate stakeholders and groups eligible for membership in practical terms likely to be around 40 people Cotswolds Conservation Board & Partner Organisations (Meeting twice a year) Local Action Group Executive 12 LAG members, 6 of whom also sit on the Cotswolds Conservation Board but act in this capacity as individuals Representing the 6 themes of the LEADER Programme (and with a private sector majority in terms of backgrounds) Tourism, Micro business, Culture & Heritage, Forestry, Farm Productivity, Rural Services (Meeting every second month with facility for urgent grant decision making via and teleconference) LEADER Advisory Network A network of officers and advisers from across the wider Cotswolds who will work with the Programme Team to promote the LEADER programme and help assess the feasibility and business case for individual grant applications LEADER Programme Team 1 Programme Manager (f/t) 1 Programme Assistant (p/t) Officer support from Cotswolds Conservation Board and Stroud, Cotswold and West Oxfordshire District Councils Accountable Body: Cotswolds Conservation Board