Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs - board ready training: survey report

4. Recommendations and Next Steps

Summary

• This section sets out a number of recommendations for the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) staff to take forward.
• Providing training will allow SAYFC board members to make the most of their time on the board, learn and develop their skills.
• A tailored training programme should be developed for all board members with a focus on helping those who may feel less confident in different areas. SAYFC staff should also develop a monitoring and evaluation framework that will allow them to ensure the training programme is having a positive outcome.
• SAYFC staff should engage more with board members to create better working relationships.

Based on the survey findings presented in this report, the following recommendations can be made:

1. To ensure that SAYFC board members are able to fully contribute and make the most effective use of their time on the board, providing training on the topics mentioned above (for example, leadership) would be helpful.

2. SAYFC staff should target specific training at building confidence, to help those who are less confident on the board. Training and mentoring will help with this, but also creating a supportive and encouraging environment where people feel they can raise concerns and voice their opinions. Some respondents felt they had ‘natural confidence’. Asking those members to provide in-house training or peer support may help others to develop their confidence.

3. Future SAYFC board members would benefit from early engagement, in terms of information on what the role will involve, the time commitment of taking on a board position and the type of work it requires. The opportunity to meet with current board members so they can have a clearer understanding of the role would also help future board members to feel more prepared.

4. Having a clear mentoring programme for new members of the SAYFC board will allow members to develop their skills and set their own personal goals in terms of what they want to achieve during their time in the role. The SAYFC board could set up a peer mentoring programme, or a buddy system for new starts.

5. The SAYFC should review any training provided and develop a monitoring and evaluation plan. This will ensure that any revised training plan is suitable, useful and has positive outcomes.

6. Permanent SAYFC staff should aim to develop good working relationships with volunteer board members to establish a productive and effective working environment.