The Highland LEADER programme has 11 distinct local area partnerships, which are all now approving projects. Nicole Wallace explains how LEADER works in the Highlands in this special report for the Scotland National Rural Network website.

The Highland LEADER programme officially launched in December 2008. It is one of the biggest programmes in Scotland and has a LEADER allocation of £6.76 million and a Convergence allocation of £7. 5 million. Both funds have been combined to run a single Highland programme with a total allocation of £14.26 million. As of January 2009, 72 projects have been approved accounting for £1.3 million of commitment.

The programme has adopted an innovative approach to its structure and delivery, which takes account of the scale of the Highland area, a dispersed and rural population and the need to devolve decision making to the local level.

The Highland LEADER programme consists of a strategic LAG and 11 distinct local area partnerships. The Highland Strategic LAG is the ultimate decision making body for the programme and is responsible for overall governance, finance and administration as well as securing strategic integration with other funds. The Highland Strategic LAG is responsible for managing a separate budget for strategic and pan Highland projects.

The Highland LEADER programme recognises the importance of local involvement in the delivery of LEADER and has engaged with existing partnerships or established new area partnerships to give complete ‘Leader’ geographic coverage for the area.   All eleven Local Action Partnerships (LAPs) are now operating across Highland with devolved decision making powers and LEADER financial allocations.
These are:

• Caithness Partnership
• Sutherland Partnership
• Cromarty Firth Partnership
• Tain and East Ross
• Dingwall and Seaforth
• Black Isle Partnership
• Wester Ross Alliance
• Skye Partnership
• Lochaber Partnership
• Rural Inverness Partnership
• Nairn Partnership

Each of these local Partnerships is responsible for managing a locally allocated budget and approving local LEADER projects. These Partnerships also promote and develop the Programme and network with other areas. To secure the local budget each partnership had to produce a local Leader/Community plan which highlighted priorities for development in their area. The last of these plans was completed in May 2009 and all local groups are now approving projects that arise in their local area.

Further information and contact details for the Highland leader programme can be found at http://www.highlandleader.com/.

This article originally appeared on the Scotland National Rural Network web site.