Our Reality (Context, Enablers & Barriers)

What were enablers and barriers to the Taking the Lead approach? What context do we operate in?

Enablers

Risk taking, innovation, interest from participants
Project was new and exciting
Personal gain and development for participants
Group development opportunities, chance to learn to work better together
Great networking opportunity, realising that we are part of a bigger network
Signing up to the whole 'package' created commitment in participants
Making new friends, sharing skills and visiting each other
Time-limited project made it easier to commit and engage
Supportive manager, with Taking the Lead seen as a priority and with permission given to work nationally
Supportive colleagues, local team buying in
Need to work remotely and in a smart way
Funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund
A worthwhile project priority (understanding the importance and outcomes of Taking the Lead)
NAAONB buy-in to the programme
NAAONB supporting and buying into TWG work and outputs
NAAONB coordination
AONB teams willing to contribute time & energy
Taking the Lead hit a critical mass - we are part of something 'BIG'!
Regular meetings ensured good momentum

Not all team members are open to behaviour change / psychometric profiling (sometimes previous negative experience), this could create tensions in local teams and requires a neutral and external facilitator
Funding coming to an end - how do we cover costs (venues, time, coordination, etc.) going forward?
Lack of a formal structure to carry on might make us lose momentum
Lack of ownership from participants themselves?
We must be brought together and challenged in order to take things forward - do we depend on an 'outside agency' to carry this on?
Lack of clarity over how Glover Review will be taken forward => what do we do next?
TIME and capacity (local and national) - what can local AONBs and NAAONB commit to next?
Differences between core and project staff and between full time and part time staff - how can everyone engage in such activities going forward?
How do we engage AONBs not involved in Taking the Lead so far?
Lack of associated budget options for TWGs ; Lack of clarity on NAAONB support
Geography: national meetings can be onerous and difficult to organise, some teams quite remote
Lack of access to the NAAONB - this must be a 2-way process
NAAONB comms: no staff / no access to national comms