Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020: ex-post evaluation - main report

Footnotes

1 There was expenditure realised prior to May 2015 from the 2014-2020 budget due to on-going commitments from the 2007-2013 Programme.

2 The original budget approved was €1,694,840,000 as per the first SRDP 2014-2020 Operational Programme Document Version 1.3.

3 The SG set out its proposals for future agriculture funding in its ‘Stability and Simplicity’ consultation (June 2018) which set out the approach for future rural policy until 2024. The powers of the Agriculture (Retained EU Law and Data) (Scotland) Act 2020 have been used “to enable the continued operation of current CAP schemes and policies” from 1 January 2021. This enabled SG to deliver the proposals set out in its ‘Stability and Simplicity’ consultation to continue the majority of CAP schemes in the transition period to 2024.

4 Only the enhanced AIR 2018 contained exactly the same CEQs that require to addressed as part of this ex-post programme evaluation.

5 The Beef Efficiency Scheme (SRUC has indicated there may be further analysis available on BES in the future) and the Broadband Scheme (no evaluation was undertaken, the scheme was at a very early stage when it closed in December 2019 due to the introduction of the SG R100 Programme).

6 The Forestry Grant Scheme evaluation (the report is in draft form and was shared with the evaluators and is due to be published by the end of the calendar year 2024); and an internal SG evaluation of the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (the internal evaluation report is forthcoming; other review and evaluation reports of aspects of the scheme were made available).

7 Areas of land used by a several crofters and others who hold a right to graze stock on that land.

8 Note 1: The capital grants evaluation notes that data provided by SG on CAGS applications approved was from 2019 onwards and not for the whole delivery period (that is, no data was provided on approved projects for the first few years of the SRDP 2014-2020 CAGS scheme). Data may differ from Programme monitoring data reported in AIR 2023 as a result. Note 2: Approved projects could comprise multiple project types.

9 See p.3 in the European Commission’s Examples of Evaluation Elements.

10 It was not possible to issue the survey to all beneficiaries due to data availability issues. The survey reached 1,295 farmers and crofters and the number of validated responses is 199 (15% response rate). A total of 162 responses relate to crofters who received CAGS funding.

11 Some data are not held electronically so this estimation is based on incomplete figures and is SG best estimate based on readily available data.

12 CAGS - 4,857 approved applications of which around half (2,429) were for unique business. The Crofting Commission reports that there are 20,500 crofts entered on its Register of Crofts of which around 72% are tenanted and the remainder are owned.

13 The low uptake of CAGS support towards the establishment of constituted common grazings committees (cooperation projects) was covered in Chapter 5 (FA 1A) and Chapter 6 (FA 1B).

14 The capital grants evaluation notes that some data provided by SG on NECGS applications approved was for 2018-2019 and not for the whole delivery period (that is, no data was provided on approved projects for the first few years of the SRDP 2014-2020 scheme.

15 Some data are not held electronically so this estimation is based on incomplete figures and is SG best estimate based on readily available data.

16 This represents 12% of all survey responses.

17The capital grants evaluation notes that data provided by SG on SFGS applications approved was from 2019 onwards and not for the whole delivery period (that is, no data was provided on approved projects for the first few years of the SRDP 2014-2020 SFGS scheme). Data may differ from Programme monitoring data reported in AIR 2023 as a result. Note 2: Approved projects could comprise multiple project types.

18 This represents 7% of all survey responses.

19 It is not clear from the report whether jobs are reported in FTEs or not.

20 The Heat Map reports covers contracts arising from the 2015 to 2018 application rounds (that is, the first four years of AECS) with contracts implemented between 2016 and 2023. Reports were run during May-October 2019 and maps reflect the status during that period. The 2019 round was not included as applications were being assessed. The data does not include legacy agreements under Rural Priorities and Land Managers Options; however, these had largely expired by 2019. and many land managers with expiring RP or LMO contracts will have then entered AECS. Contracts have a five-year duration and contracts commence the year after application.

21 Note - figures used in the report reflected the situation of the scheme on the date specified, but they are not static. Changes to contracts happen during the duration of the scheme, so the scheme data is continually changing. Second, funding figures are for committed funding, which reflects the committed funding on the specified date (but funding figures may vary depending on what is finally claimed and paid).

22 Aims set out in figure 27, page 250 of the Scottish Rural Development Programme - domestic: programme 2021.

23 SRDP 2014-2020 Operational Programme Document V10.1.

24 The scheme report sets out finances in Pound Sterling rather than Euros.

25 All figures were reported in Pound Sterling not Euros.

26 Following confirmation of annual IPA budget, a threshold score was set each year (apart from 2015), below which eligible applications were rejected. IPA applications over £250k were considered by the NPAC IPA sub group. Applicants could ask for a review of the decision if their application was rejected or only partially approved. Cases were reviewed by a member of NatureScot staff not involved in the initial assessment or approval process. The original decision was revised if the reviewed score exceeded the threshold, otherwise the original decision was upheld.

27 In 2021 and 2022, contracts were not issued until planning consent had been obtained.

28 These deliverables relate to the period 2015 and 2018 as well as the SG only funded rounds in 2021 and 2022.

29 Note: It is not clear if this is reported as gross or FTE jobs.