Newspaper
Development plan launched
The Landscape Institute is embarking on a major consultation of the whole membership and key stakeholders to develop new plans for the future. In this edition of Vista you will find a reply paid questionnaire to lodge your views about the draft Development Plan for 2007–12. You can also find the plan online at wwwlandscapeinstitute.org/about/ policies/, and reply by email to Clairel@landscapeinstitute.org. The consultation closes on 11 September. Council will consider the final shape of a new development plan at its meeting in October.
Nigel Thorne, the new LI president, said: “Next year sees the tenth anniversary of our Royal Charter. The Charter propelled the Institute to a greater level of engagement with the public agenda and we have seen significant developments. Membership has grown to over 5,000, student numbers are at an all-time high and the Institute is in its strongest financial position to date with a turnover of almost £2m. We now have the best Secretariat we have ever had, staff numbers are growing and there is increasing confidence and purpose in all we do.”
“But standing still is not an option. Changes all around us demand that we keep assessing whether our focus is right, whether we are really heading in the right direction and have the resources to make the difference our Charter demands,” added Thorne.
The LI’s Development Plan 2003–8 set out a strategy for upholding the Royal Charter and has recently been reviewed. “A new plan will help everyone involved with the Institute to identify the essentials and work effectively together as a team to build a stronger and more responsive LI,” said director general Marion Bowman. “We are still a small organisation compared to many but focus and efficiency will ensure we keep growing, improving our services and spreading the word about landscape architecture to decision-makers – whether that’s clients, the Government or schoolchildren wondering about the world and their career choices.”
The draft Development Plan 2007–12 followed a consultation with Council, committees and branches on the 2003–08 document, reviewing progress to date and priorities for the future.
Bowman warned: “It is important to set realistic tasks so we are not overstretched. We have identified 22 priorities for 2007/8, many of which are already under way or due to start later in the year. Three major new tasks have been added: policy development, new technical and professional guidance production and overhauling CPD. There is so much to be won – landscape architecture is the environment and design profession for the 21st century and our country needs you!”
The review also assessed future risks as well as opportunities. “It’s clear that we need to be a high-performance organisation, however small we are,” added Bowman. “That means a professional secretariat, making sure that volunteers – who put so much into creating a vibrant future for the profession – feel their efforts are worthwhile, and ensuring that we have a governance framework that enables strong decision-making and leadership from the trustees and honorary officers.”
In addition to the Development Plan review, Council and the honorary officers having been looking at the governance structure to ensure the Landscape Institute can implement it. There will be further consultation on this later in the year. Discuss this article
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