South Downs National Park Authority Public Affairs Strategy 2018-20 - Appendix 1 Action Plan 2018-20

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia

South Downs National Park Authority’s Public Affairs Strategy 2018–20 sets out how the Authority will influence policy-making and decisions at local, regional, and national levels while protecting the National Park’s special qualities. The strategy establishes coordinated public affairs objectives, guiding principles for handling emerging issues, and identifies priority matters for proactive work over the next two years. It links to key corporate plans and describes stakeholder-focused communication supported by a Stakeholder Management Plan and an action plan review cycle.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages34

Reading Time12 min

AccessFree to download

Executive summary

South Downs National Park Authority public affairs objectives

Three priority issues (2018–20)

Background

Origin in Authority guiding principles

Why now?

Evolving external environment

Customer Relationship Management database

How our communications and public affairs will work together

Guiding Principles for Public Affairs

South Downs National Park Authority Public Affairs Strategy 2018–20 Final Review date July 2019 Responsibility Ruth James, Communications & Engagement Manager Created 20 June 2018 Approved by SDNPA Table of Contents Page 1. Executive summary 2 2. Background 2 3. Why now? 3 4. How our communications and public affairs will work alongside each other 4 5. Guiding Principles for Public Affairs 5 6. Key Stakeholders 5 7. Key Issues 2018–20 8 Future of Farming 8 Water 9 Sustainable Tourism 10 Appendix 1: Action Plan 2018–20 12 Appendix 2: Stakeholder Management Plan 19 1 Executive summary 1.1 The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) must make decisions about when and where we need to act in order to fulfill our statutory purposes and duty, and to protect the special qualities of the National Park. 1.2 This Public Affairs Strategy is designed to enable the Authority to influence policy and decision making on agreed strategic issues affecting the National Park, in a joined up and focused manner. 1.3 This first Public Affairs Strategy for the SDNPA has three key purposes: 􀁸 To set in motion a coordinated approach to our public affairs work 􀁸 To agree guiding principles for how we can effectively and quickly deal with emerging issues 􀁸 To identify the top three issues key issues that we will proactively work on over the next two years. (‘Action Plan’ is designed to be reviewed every 12 months.) 1.4 Three key issues have been identified on which to focus our public affairs work over the coming two years: 􀁸 The Future of Farming 􀁸 Water 􀁸 Sustainable Tourism 1.5 In addition, we will keep a watching brief on a further issue and will respond is and when necessary in a reactive manner: 􀁸 Land sales/acquisitions that meet the guiding principles 1.6 In Section 6, we set out an Action Plan detailing the objectives, key stakeholders and actions that will be undertaken during 2018/20 on the three chosen priority areas 1.7 Stakeholder management is key to our ability to influence policy, practice and opinion. The strategy identifies key stakeholders for each of the issues and how we will communicate with them, and will work alongside a Stakeholder Management Plan that sets out how we will manage our overall stakeholder relationships (see Appendix 2) . 2 Background 2.1 This Public Affairs Strategy stems directly from the guiding principles determined by the Authority to “Influence policy-making and the decisions at local, regional and national levels, acting as a voice for the South Downs National Park and a source of knowledge and expertise”. 2.2 The Public Affairs Strategy is designed to enable the Authority to respond to challenges and be ready to grasp opportunities. 2.3 It is one of the key means by which we can enable the large-scale objectives of the Partnership Management Plan, the Local Plan and the Corporate Plan that sit outside of our direct control. 2.4 This Strategy has clear links to a number of key strategic organisational documents and strategies (see Figure 2 below) . It does not duplicate the objectives set out in any of them and stems, itself, from the priorities identified by members in the Corporate Plan. Figure 2: Context of the Public Affairs Strategy 3 Why Now? 3.1 The last year has shown that the external environment in which we operate is evolving quickly, sometimes with far reaching consequences for the National Park. The fast-evolving external environment in which we operate presents both challenges and opportunities. 3.2 While public affairs work currently takes place, it is delivered on a topic by topic basis which does not allow us to focus on a few key themes developed over a sustained period. It is focused messaging of this kind over a sustained period that is the way to influence senior opinion formers. 3.3 We now have a Customer Relationship Management database which will enable us to better engage with and manage our

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Public Affairs Strategy 2018–20?

It enables the Authority to influence policy and decision making on agreed strategic issues, using a coordinated and focused approach.

Which three priority issues will be proactively worked on during 2018–20?

The priority issues are Future of Farming, Water, and Sustainable Tourism.

How does stakeholder management support the strategy?

Stakeholder management is central to influencing policy, practice, and opinion, and it is supported by a Stakeholder Management Plan and issue-based communication approaches.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia