A new blueprint for Scotland’s rural economy: Recommendations to Scottish Ministers.

A new blueprint for Scotland’s rural economy: Recommendations to Scottish Ministers (2018) presents a series of recommendations based on five core principles. The Principles are: 1) A vibrant, sustainable and inclusive rural economy is a critical component in achieving Scotland's future ambitions; 2) The value of shaping the future based on current thinking, cumulative learning and historic research, is recognised; 3) Rural economic indicators need to accurately demonstrate social, environmental and economic contribution and impact, to allow robust and targeted investment decisions to be made; 4) Rural economic outcomes are linked to national outcomes to clearly demonstrate value and strategic importance; 5) Recommendations provide clear direction on timescales, accountability and measurements of success.
The National Council of Rural Advisers (NCRA) call on Scottish Government to commit to the following recommendations: 1) Development of rural outcomes, indicators and actions that are embedded in the National Performance Framework and National Economic Strategy; 2) Development of a new approach and model for delivering support to the rural economy, aligned to the achievement of national outcomes; 3) The rural economic policy must be mainstreamed within the national economic agenda; 4) A Rural Economy Framework (REF) is needed to guide activity to complete the transition by 2020; 5) A Rural Economy Action Group should be convened to drive forward progress, supported by a Scottish Government Officer to coordinate REF from within Scottish Government; 6) To ensure the Action Group can begin work immediately, a number of foundational actions are detailed below in the How To Make It Happen section, to inform an initial action plan. These are the things that need to be in place to make progress in delivering the REF.
The REF is an outcomes-based approach aligned to the National Performance Framework. Its aim is to ensure Scotland’s rural economy can continue to contribute to, and maximise Scotland’s economic growth. The REF Outcomes are: 1) To have a rural economy that is embedded in the National Performance Framework and given equal importance in policy-making and investment decisions across government; 2) To have national economic plans and industry-led strategies that are joinedup and demonstrate a supportive, integrated approach; 3) To communicate an ambitious and confident narrative about the rural economy; 4) To have diversity and potential for growth in the rural economy, delivered through targeted support and the development of credible finance models 5) To value our natural assets and the people who work with them; 6) To have highly valued, flexible, adaptive and skilled people; 7) To have a sustainable and profitable primary production and added value sector; 8) To have a supportive enterprise environment for the development and growth of our rural businesses; 9) To have improved and inclusive access to rural housing solutions; 10) To have a robust infrastructure, with improved and inclusive access to services, mobility and connectivity.