JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Community Participation Officer, Harris Landscape Partnership

Responsible For:Encouraging/enabling strong community and public involvement in heritage projects to be delivered as part of the Harris Landscape Partnership.

Working as part of a team to create interpretation and education resources.

Qualifications:Degree in a subject of relevance to the role, and/or relevant knowledge and skills through experience in previous employment.

Employer: Harris Development Limited (HDL)

Location:The Old Hostel, Tarbert, Isle of Harris

Line Manager:Landscape Partnership Manager

Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment - Two Years

Position Type: Full time

Salary:£23,000 per annum

Job Purpose

The post holder will be responsible for encouraging and facilitating strong community involvement and public interest in a suite of projects to be delivered in Harris through the Landscape Partnership Scheme. The Harris Landscape Partnership is funded principally by the Heritage Lottery Fund with match funding from a range of other funding bodies including Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Scottish Natural Heritage, Historic Scotland and Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

The projects involved aim to promote knowledge and appreciation of the culture, history, archaeology and natural heritage of Harris, and to encourage involvement in related activities. The projects will help to safeguard aspects of the local heritage which are currently in danger of being lost and will help to spread knowledge and appreciation of the special qualities of Harris to a much wider audience.

Strong community involvement and direction of the projects are primary aims in the delivery of the Harris Landscape Partnership. There is also an emphasis on creating highly engaging interpretive and educational resources to encourage and enable many more people to learn about and get involved in heritage related activities.

Volunteers from the community will play key roles in steering and delivering several of the projects, making the most of local knowledge, developing new skills and creating interpretive and educational resources which are highly valued by the local community, as well as by visitors. Strong community involvement is also essential in building capacity within the local area to sustain interest and involvement in heritage activities beyond the three year life span of the Landscape Partnership Scheme.

The postholder will be responsible for promoting and encouraging community involvement and public interest in all the following projects, and will work as part of a team in the creation of the interpretation and educational resources:

  • Harris Heritage Trail Guide – the production of a guide book and map detailing the locations and happenings of cultural, historical, archaeological and natural heritage significance. The guide will also be made available in its entirety online with additional audio visual content.
  • Wild Harris - online education/interpretation resource and fieldwork with schools on the wildlife and habitats of the area.
  • Isle of Harris Website - the creation of a sophisticated, dynamic and user friendly website incorporating the Heritage Trail Guide, Wild Harris online, the local newspaper De Tha Dol, and a community forum .
  • Orain agus Bardachd na Hearadh - will produce a book of poetry of the selected works of Harris bards and a CD of Harris Gaelic songs accompanied by a music tuition book.
  • Seanachas na Hearadh - will produce a book on the oral history of Harris in Gaelic and English and create two exhibitions per year on selected aspects of the Harris way of life to be displayed online on the new website.
  • Providing accredited training for new Harris Tweed weavers on both the Hattersley and Bonas-Griffith looms.
  • A touring exhibition on Harris Tweed – in partnership with Harris Tweed Authority, touring to a number of UK venues.
  • Archaeological fieldwork and excavation at Rubh’ an Teampaill, Northton, and related interpretation and education
  • Consolidation of the chapel at Rubh’ an Teampaill
  • Creation of a replica of the intricately carved Scarista Grave Slab for public display and interpretation
  • Planting native woodlands
  • Improvements to routes to be included in the Heritage Trail – path upgrades, signage, car parks and other amenities.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

  • Recruiting and supporting volunteers, facilitating their involvement in a variety of ways.
  • Promoting the Landscape Partnership projects and actively encouraging involvement: writing articles and features for newspapers and for the Isle of Harris website; participating in interviews for radio and TV: visits to schools and other community venues. Training will be provided to develop writing style, communication and presentation skills, if necessary.
  • Writing content for the new Isle of Harris website on Landscape Partnership projects; instigating and contributing to related discussions on the community forum on the website.
  • Sourcing and collating photography, audio and video content for use on the Isle of Harris website, the Harris Heritage Trail guide, Wild Harris, the poetry, music and oral history books and for online exhibitions.
  • Organising and facilitating involvement of local schools in open days, fieldwork and other events proposed as part of the delivery of individual projects.
  • Organising specific events to encourage the involvement of the wider community, publicising them on the Isle of Harris website, in local newspapers, on posters, on radio and BBC Alba and dealing with related enquiries and arrangements.
  • Monitoring and evaluating the experiences of volunteers, schoolchildren, teachers and other members of the local community participating in activities and events. Training will be provided in relevant evaluation techniques.
  • Disseminating information on projects as they develop to interested community groups and participants and writing related press releases.
  • Organising distribution of publications and CDs produced in the course of the projects to schools, colleges, universities and sales outlets as appropriate.
  • Evaluating the value of the books, map, CDs and online resources as learning and interpretation resources. Training will be provided in relevant evaluation techniques.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Job Title:Community Participation Officer, Harris Landscape Partnership

Attributes / Details / Essential/Desirable
Education and Training /
  • Education to degree level in a subject of relevance to the role, or having built up relevant knowledge and skills through experience in previous employment.
/ Essential
Knowledge and Experience /
  • Knowledge and interest in the culture, history, archaeology and natural heritage of Harris.
  • Experience in a community development role, either in the voluntary/community/public sectors, particularly in rural areas.
  • Experience of working in a voluntary role and working with volunteers.
  • Experience of public relations work – any or all of the following - writing of press releases, articles and features/radio and TV interviews/public presentations/ organising events/evaluating public response.
/ Desirable
Desirable
Desirable
Desirable
Skills and Abilities /
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • Strong networking and people skills
  • Good ICT skills
  • Ability to work independently, self motivating, but able to work as part of a small team
  • Ability to speak, read and write Gaelic.
/ Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Desirable
Other Factors /
  • Flexibility with regard to working
hours.
  • Current Driving Licence.
/ Essential
Essential

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