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

6. Focus Area 1C

Introduction

This chapter answers the evaluation question related to FA 1C.

CEQ 3: To what extent have RDP interventions supported lifelong learning and vocational training in the agriculture and forestry sectors?

Contribution to FA 1C

Public expenditure

Priority 1 was an overarching Priority that all the other five Priorities could contribute towards. It was not possible for the SG to programme any Measures under FA 1C as a result.

One SRDP scheme contributed to FA 1C in some way. The KTIF, which among other things, provided financial support to projects that promote skills development and knowledge transfer in the primary agricultural sector, see Table 6.1.

In addition, some money from the 2014-2020 Programme budget was used for on-going commitments from the 2007-2013 Programme for the RP and LMO schemes, with expenditure incurred up to and including 2018.

Source: Scottish Government, Annual Implementation Report 2023.

The AIR 2023 reports that the total expenditure incurred under Measure 1 (Knowledge transfer and information actions) relating to this CEQ was circa €3.7 million. Points to note include that:

• the KTIF represents almost all of the expenditure reported under Measure 1 (96.6%).
• the remainder of expenditure (3.5%) was due to on-going commitments from the 2007-2013 Programme.

Performance indicators

Under FA 1C there is one target indicator – the total number of participants trained.

The AIR 2023 reports that by the end of the 2014-2020 Programme under FA 1C, Measure 1:

• the original target indicator of 10,617 participants trained was significantly exceeded - 20,294 participants were trained largely through support provided by the KTIF and its predecessor scheme, the Skills Development Scheme (SDS), see Table 6.2.
• the 20,294 participants trained is almost double the original target - 191.15% achieved when compared to the original target and suggests that the original target was set too low.
• the original target of 10,617 participants trained was adjusted upwards a few times as the target was achieved in full early on in the delivery period - the final target set of 20,290 participants trained (approved as part of the eighth modification of the SRDP) means that the revised target indicator was achieved (100.02%) by the end of the Programme.

Source: Scottish Government, Annual Implementation Report.

By way of further context:

• nearly 60% of the total participants trained were supported through funding commitments made under the 2007-2013 Programme - the vast majority of this was delivered by the SDS.
• all of the training delivered from 2017 onwards under FA 1C was supported through the successor scheme to the SDS (that is, the KTIF).

The different delivery mechanisms of the KTIF under the SRDP 2014-2020 when compared to the SDS meant that there was a reduction in the number of participants trained when the first two years of the Programme are compared to later years.

Further, the initial target for participants trained was indeed set too low. This was largely due to:

• the higher than anticipated level of training provided due to the on-going commitments from the 2007-2013 Programme.
• the same individual can be counted multiple times if they participated in different types of vocational training and skills development activity (for example, workshops, training programmes, coaching) – that is, the 20,294 participants trained are not unique beneficiaries.

Wider commentary at a SRDP scheme level

Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund

Documentation provided by SG shows that nine KTIF projects were directly linked to the aim of lifelong learning and vocational training, and several organisations were involved in supporting delivery.

This included the Future Farming Scotland (FFS) project which was delivered by the Soil Association Scotland in partnership with Duchy Future Farming, Quality Meat Scotland, and the Forestry Commission. FFS was a knowledge, skills and innovation programme for farmers, crofters and land managers across Scotland interested in using sustainable management practices for productive and profitable farming and land use. The programme promoted actions which were good for business, the environment and climate and aimed to:

• build knowledge and skills for productive, profitable, and sustainable farming and land use.
• encourage, develop, and support famer-led innovation.
• increase production by maximising the use of internal inputs and ecological processes.
• improve efficiency to make financial savings and minimise GHG emissions arising from on-farm practices.

FFS involved the delivery of knowledge transfer and skills development events – farm-based ‘walk-and-talk’ events and interactive workshops, and related information and dissemination activities. The emphasis was on low-input and low carbon farming practices focusing on soil, nutrient and grassland management, animal health and productivity, woodland creation and management and organic farming techniques.

FFS also delivered field labs – a farmer-led approach to practical research and development – which brought together small groups of farmers with a researcher or facilitator to trial potential solutions for overcoming practical challenges in the field. Examples of field lab subjects included green manures, controlling soft rush, cultivating soil health, and controlling leatherjackets without chlorpyrifos.

Other KTIF projects linked to the aim of lifelong learning and vocational training, included:

• the Scottish Crofting Federation delivered the Crofters Skills Boost Programme – this aimed to increase primary agriculture skills for 1,200 participants (existing and in-coming crofters and smallholders).
• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Dairy: Scottish Dairy Business Impact Groups – aimed to improve efficiency, resilience and global competitiveness in milk production throughout Scotland.
• AHDB Potatoes: Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm for Scotland – aimed to highlight value to the wider potato industry, economically and environmentally, of embracing change through improved crop management practice and adoption of innovation at different stages in production.
• ANM Group: Livestock Development Programme – aimed to combine the best knowledge transfer methods from the Scottish Monitor Farms and Irish “BETTER Farms” programmes to deliver technical information and to challenge producers.
• Soil Association: Farming With Nature – focussed on using organic, agroecological and High Nature Value (HNV) production methods, which have a sound scientific evidence-base for protecting and enhancing the natural environment.
• SAOS Ltd: Skills for farmer co-operatives – aimed to build a strong knowledge and skills base amongst farmers and crofters to underpin the development of farmer co-operation and supply chain collaboration in Scotland.
• Moray Beekeepers Association: The Healthy ‘BEES’ (Bee Education in Scotland) – aimed to improve honeybee husbandry, beekeeping skills and honeybee health to help secure a sustainable and healthy population of Scottish honeybees.

The Soil Association Scotland’s Future Farming Scotland Report states that its activities had a positive impact on lifelong learning. Its survey data revealed participants had changed their attitude most positively towards ‘farming and biodiversity’ and ‘farming and climate change’ – with 68% and 56% of respondents respectively answering that they ‘feel more positive and more inclined to address this topic on my own farm/holding’ following their participation at a Soil Association Scotland event.

EKOS conclusions and recommendations

Over 20,000 participants were trained by the end of the Programme. On this metric alone, the SRDP Programme, mainly through the KTIF scheme, has supported lifelong learning and vocational training in the agriculture and forestry sectors. This figure does not represent unique beneficiaries, and SG has not been able to provide this figure as part of the ex-post programme evaluation. Nor was data available by protected characteristic to assess whether the training reached a sufficiently wide and diverse group of learners across both the agriculture and forestry sectors.

It is, however, fair to say that the training funded did cover a diverse range of businesses from soil to beekeeping. The impact of skills interventions delivered under this Measure is largely self-reported feedback following participation in the training. Whilst this is in the main positive the impact of skills interventions on rural development in Scotland is very limited. The enhanced AIR 2018 recommended that an evaluation of relevant training activity be assessed for its impact on beneficiaries, to quantify any added value to the individual, business, and wider agriculture, and to assess the additionality of the training.