Surrey Hills National Landscape Governance Review
In December 2024, Surrey Hills National Landscape (SHNL) Board recruited Resources for Change, to support the review of the existing Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) constitution and to draft a new version for consideration by the SHNL Board.
The review was prompted by recognition that the current governance model needed amending to ensure it was fit for purpose to better support the new SHNL Management Plan due to be published in autumn 2025.
In conducting this work, good governance practice from other organisations, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was considered, along with thinking from outside the National Landscape family.
Given the importance of good governance, and the scope of national and local changes that are being proposed, this review included looking beyond the constitution of the JAC to consider broader governance arrangements.
The methodology included an online survey, desk research and extensive engagement with a range of national and local partners.
A new approach to governance for the SHNL was recommended, which aimed to address the challenges identified and enable the SHNL to better deliver the statutory purposes and Management Plan in the future. It was shared with the Steering Group and SHNL Board for consideration and execution of their preferred next steps.
Insights included identifying several challenges with the existing governance which led to a lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, insufficient strategic performance management, and a lack of diversity.
To ensure transparency, scrutiny and finance roles needed to be defined, through a dedicated sub-group, incorporated into the wider governance or utilising existing Accountable Body structures. Scrutiny is needed of decision-making, financial control, and other processes.
Findings from this review informed the development of new governance, which was proposed with the new SHNL Management Plan.