Partners in Planning

Partners in Planning will:

• promote and support high quality education, training and continuing professional development to enhance the skills, knowledge and behaviours required in planning
• facilitate discussion, identify required actions and coordinate implementation of relevant learning and skills development activities
• provide a forum for exchanging information and analysis of issues relating to initial planning education, graduate development and lifelong learning
• act as a champion for continuous improvement and excellence through skills and learning development
• identify and share good practice and provide among people, organisations, sectors and disciplines

PIP's work will be taken forward based on the need to:

• support all practitioners involved with the planning system through involving multiple professions, disciplines and sectors
• recognise the differing needs of planners and other practitioners in different roles and at different stages of their career
• build on the strength of the partnership of organisations and sectors involved
• include all sectors in any new initiatives, where appropriate
• support initiatives to improve skills and behaviours to work in a range of contexts and settings
• optimise the skills and knowledge of future planners to become future leaders
• get people into planning as a career

In doing this it aims to achieve the following outcomes:

• identified areas of skills and learning need
• constructive and proactive comment on planning skills
• more joined up approaches to planning skills support
• more joint working and joint skills and learning programmes
• opportunities for sharing experiences and perspectives
• planning promoted widely as a career
• optimised opportunities for young planners to become planning leaders of the future

It is envisaged that PIP will:

• share information and knowledge amongst its members on current and anticipated activity in planning skills and lifelong learning, including horizon-scanning
• provide a forum for discussion about the effectiveness of current and anticipated activity in planning skills and lifelong learning, including identifying potential gaps in future provision
• promote a culture of support for enhancing skills, knowledge and behaviours to improve planning practice

PIP will have a senior representative from each of the following organisations as the core partner membership:

• COSLA
• Heads of Planning Scotland
• Heriot-Watt University
• Homes for Scotland
• Improvement Service
• Key Agencies Group (current chair, Scottish Enterprise)
• Planning Aid Scotland
• RTPI Scotland
• Scottish Government: Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Directorate
• Scottish Planning Consultants Forum
• Scottish Young Planners Network
• University of Dundee
• University of Glasgow
• University of the West of Scotland

The group may invite other organisations to participate in its activities as appropriate.