Scottish Forestry - corporate plan: consultation analysis

Questions: Performance

It will be important for us to be able to demonstrate performance against our Strategic Objectives, and we asked respondents to provide suggestion of where they thought reporting would be helpful.

We received very positive responses to this question, however, many respondents acknowledged that KPI need to be based, at least in the short term, on information which is already available. A whole range of indicators were suggested.

Suggested Indicators:

Wider Environment/Biodiversity/Land Use:

• Woodland creation, re-stocking and compensatory planting rates achieved
• Total tree planting figures are captured, including species data - Native Woodlands, Mixed Farm or Policy woodland, Softwood forest, Energy forest, shelter belts, riparian woodland and hedgerow trees
• Number felled trees per annum after initial 5 year implementation
• Increasing the natural capital value of Scotland woodlands
• Impact of felling and regrowth
• Integration of forestry with other land uses
• Ecological connectivity and development of woodland networks using Habitat Map of Scotland (HabMoS)
• Ancient woodland inventory
• Protection and expansion of ancient semi-natural woodland
• Montane scrub Habitat Action Plan targets
• How forestry in Scotland is contributing to the nation’s overall sustainability
• Impact of sheep farming and cattle farming on the areas
• Impact of contractor deer culls on local businesses
• Impact of the reduction of deer numbers on tourism and local business
• Reduction in the use of fencing, as a result of better deer management
• Rates of wildlife
• More refined flood alleviation grants
• Wider natural capital payment mechanisms
• Cases of UKFS being applied ‘beyond compliance’ level
• Land use as a carbon sink
• Disease management
• Mitigation of identified impacts on Historic Environment

Economic:

• Tourism and local economy
• Increase in rural employment

Customer Service:

• Timescales for progressing woodland creation or woodland improvement grant applications
• Timelines for payment of FGS grants, capital and annual recurrent grant payment claims
• Submitted V submitted not yet approved applications
• Claimed options
• Answered questions within 3 days or less
• Customer perceptions of service delivery performance (through surveys and/or creation of service users group)
• Customer charter/turnaround metrics
• Planting grant and felling licence approvals
• Number of complaints
• Amount of timber still left lying on site 6 weeks after harvesting
• Harvesting/planting contract completed to an agreed standard

Engagement:

• General public opinion of forestry
• Local opinions of communities affected by forestry development
• Responsiveness/performance of statutory consultees
• Level of outreach to inform members of the public where and how to report concerns about possible breaches of compliance.
• Level of outreach to members of the public to help them engage with the Public Consultation system
• Level of outreach to members of the public offering opportunities to learn about forestry

Social Forestry:

• Numbers of people who complete Branching Out
• Numbers of people discharged from services after graduating Branching Out
• Branching Out participants complete a John Muir Award
• Testimony from participants, healthcare staff on Branching Out programme
• Reductions in drug use of those in Branching Out programme

Organisational:

• Net zero countdown
• Carbon reduction targets
• Life cycle approach for procurement and disposal of waste / goods.
• Employee satisfaction/happiness
• Retention of personnel over 2 years
• Levels of staff output
• Staff continuous professional development
• Compliance management
• Measures of illness
• Absenteeism
• Staff diversity and equalities
• Levels of innovation adopted
• Legal compliance
• Flexible working amongst staff
• Promotion of female staff
• Staff survey
• Safety
• Governance
• Transparency
• Openness
• Value for money
• Assessment of performance within budget