A law degree including degree subjects in environmental law, excellent analytical and writing skills, and good information management, IT and communication skills are essential. This is a part-time post (4 days per week) attracting a salary of £18,000 (pro rata) per year. The job is based at our office in Paisley. Applications in writing with a CV, a sample of your written work and a covering letter to Frances McCartney, Environmental Law Centre Scotland, 65 George Street, Paisley, PA1 2JY no later than 15 April 2010.

The Environmental Law Centre Scotland has now been awarded Big Lottery Investing in Ideas funding to consider developing the Law Centre’s range of services. This work centres round direct advice to clients who are involved with projects within their own community in projects that increase or encourage sustainable living within communities, protect the environment or involve the purchase or management of community assets.

The project will take two distinct stages; firstly, market research and secondly, developing that market research into a business plan. This quotation document relates to the first part of the project.

We are seeking quotes for undertaking the following work on our behalf. We wish to obtain information from communities who have or have attempted to work on a project within their community on environmental or sustainability issues. These projects might range from a renewables project to the purchase of a shop or other community facility. The research could look at communities who have been involved in a community land buyout or the setting up or management of a service within the community e.g. car club.

We wish to understand more about the barriers and opportunities regarding the legal advice and the legal steps that communities have faced with such projects.

We wish the research to be undertaken within the following parameters:
Drawing up of a questionnaire to capture amongst other information, details of the types of projects involved, of the community who would benefit from the project, the group leading the project, the type of advice obtained and the groups’ reflections on that advice and the legal barriers to success in the project. It would also be expected that the groups would be asked to reflect on any lessons learned that similar community groups might benefit from. The questionnaire should be designed to draw out whether there is scope, need or desirability for a specialist legal service acting on behalf of a number of communities and what areas of the law that service might have to cover.

The successful contractor would be asked to distribute the questionnaire and thereafter follow up with between 20-30 community representatives. The contractor would be responsible for drawing up consent forms to comply with Data Protection requirements. We would expect the contractor to follow up with telephone or visits to the groups as appropriate to ensure a high level of response.

It is anticipated that the contractor will have a list of potential community projects suitable for inclusion in the project (subject to the community group’s consent) but this can be arranged if necessary.

Quotations are invited by 12 noon on 15th January 2009. Please include full details of the personnel involved including Cvs, experience of similar work and fee charging arrangement. Please note that capped fee proposals are preferred but in all cases details of the hourly rate should be provided.

For further information or to discuss further then please contact Frances McCartney.

The Environmental Law Centre Scotland and the Centre for the Study of Human Rights Law, University of Strathclyde, are holding a joint conference on ‘Environmental Justice, Environmental Law and Human Rights’ on Monday 2nd November. Further information and the programme are available here.

Frances McCartney spoke at a public meeting in Largs which was lauching a campaign against a new coal fired power station at Hunterston. The meeting was attended a representatives of community groups, ngos and the general public. For more information on the campaign, please contact Maggie Kelly on maggiekelly {at} tiscali.co.uk