With pressure on rural land use growing – including, for example, agricultural production, energy production, climate change mitigation, ecosystem services, afforestation and recreation – there has never been a greater need for holistic analysis of its multiple uses, measuring what it provides and how it performs.
RICS' recently published International Land Performance Framework (ILPF) has been developed to help land professionals measure the way rural land performs. The framework is designed to be flexible and simple to use, setting out a process to help users design their own key performance indicators (KPIs).
These KPIs are quantifiable measurements that create a baseline to enable performance measurement and track changes over time. Free to use, the ILPF will benefit all decision-makers who own, manage or have an interest in rural land, in both the public and private sectors, and all stakeholders affected by the way such land is used.
KPIs used to improve performance
ILPF supports organisations looking to measure the strategic and operational performance of their rural land. Using the framework then allows them to understand what the land is delivering, identify opportunities for improvement and, just as importantly, which risks to mitigate.
The KPIs designed and developed will be specific to each organisation. They should be linked to the organisation's purpose and core objectives and goals, and the results should be used to improve performance. Rural land use frequently involves trade-offs, and KPIs can inform users who are weighing up the positives and negatives of these.
The indicators can measure the performance of rural land across all jurisdictions, land types, scales and uses. ILPF enables users to develop and add further KPIs when required.
Users can start small and develop a more comprehensive set of KPIs depending on need and the availability of data. The framework covers anything related to rural land and its use, including, for example, soil, water, minerals, agriculture, forestry, natural capital, energy, utilities, land rights and agreements, and access.
The framework highlights the benefits of developing and implementing an appropriately designed suite of KPIs for any rural land-based organisation.
