Breakdown of trust as leadership and governance of crofting commission ‘fall below standards’, finds Audit Scotland
An organisation responsible for overseeing Scotland’s 20,000 crofts has come under fire for the way it is being run, a report has found.
The Crofting Commission has seen a breakdown of trust between its board members andseniormanagementteam, according to Audit Scotland.
Auditors found the board have a lack of confidence in the commission’s chief executive and concerns about the leadership of the former convener, who resigned in June.
The report also said the board had “excessive” involvement in operational decisionmaking and little say in setting the commission’s budget.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Crofting is an integral part of life in the Highlands and Islands.
“But the leadership and governance of the Crofting Commission is currently falling below the standards expected of a public body.
“It is vitally important that all parties, including the Scottish Government’s sponsor division, work closely together to develop better relationships so that the Commission can provide effective oversight of the services provided to crofting communities.”
The commission’s role is to regulate crofting and promote the interests of croft communities. It is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) that operates independently of the government, but for which Scottish ministers are ultimately responsible.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gouge on, said :“we are working closely with the Crofting Commissionand its board to address the issues in the report. we will, of course, consider carefully and address any matters relatingto scottish government and its sponsorship of the Crofting Commission.
“The commission will publish an improvement plan shortly and we will continue to work closely with it on implementation of the plan and in delivering core activities.”
Issues concerning the commission’s governance were previously highlighted in 2016. At that time, the Scottish Government appointed consultants to carry out an external review of the commission’s governance arrangements.
Almost an entirely new board took office in 2017 but, this year, auditors found a breakdown in trust within the organisation.