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Short course - Collaborative Practices in Land Management

This course will cover the key aspects of collaborative management of land where multiple outcomes are sought including nature recovery, livestock production, landscape, archaeology, access and natural flood management. It is an applied and practical course focusing on recent examples of collaborative land management, allowing participants to practice tools and understand the underpinning legal documents that enable collaborative management. There will be a particular focus on landscape recovery schemes, farmer clusters and common land.

The course has an applied focus and is designed for upland farmers, land managers and advisors. It can be studied separately or as part of our set of Upland Environmental Land Management short courses. Small group taught sessions will take place online, at local venues and upland locations in Cumbria or Dartmoor, as appropriate.

The course will next run in the Dartmoor region w/c 3rd November 2026: to apply for this course, please complete this application form.

To receive an email alert when we next offer this course in the future, please register your email address here



Bursaries available with the kind support of our sponsors.

Apply for the course commencing week of the 3rd November 2026

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Course Overview

This course will cover the key aspects of collaborative management of land where multiple outcomes are sought including nature recovery, livestock production, landscape, archaeology, access and natural flood management. It is an applied and practical course focusing on recent examples of collaborative land management, allowing participants to practice tools and understand the underpinning legal documents that enable collaborative management.

Sometimes collaboration is essential, such as on common land or where a Landscape Recovery scheme is being negotiated. In other instances, such as farmer clusters, working together can achieve enhanced outcomes for nature, access, climate, heritage and business. Delivering multiple outcomes involves people with different viewpoints reaching an agreement; it is a profoundly social process. This course will cover both the ‘soft skills’ such as negotiation and active listening as well as the formalities of governance and financial management.

The course includes farm visits, in-person workshops and seminars, plus online evening lectures. The in-person taught days are spread across a 4-6 week period so that the course will often be possible to complete whilst working.

On this course you will...

  • Develop your knowledge of collaborative practices for land management where multiple outcomes are sought.
  • Develop your skills for more effective and authentic collaboration in your work, e.g. as a member of a farm cluster or commons association, provider of advisory services or manager of environmental projects.
  • Learn about governing collaborative schemes and resolving conflicts.
  • Encounter case studies and see the benefits of collaborative practice in action.
  • Keep a reflective log and summarise the key insights for collaborative practice in your work in future.
Apply for the course commencing week of the 3rd November 2026

Course Structure

What you will learn

Indicative topics you’ll learn about in this course are:

- Benefits of collaborative practices
- What comprises successful collaboration
- How to engage and communicate
- Designations and consent
- Governance of Collaborative Agreements
- Funding
- Cash flow for capital works
- Delivery

You’ll encounter collaborative practice as an ethos ‘how we are’ as well as the practice ‘what we do’.

On successful completion of this course, you’ll be able to:

- Describe differing perspectives towards land management in the uplands and marginal land.
- Reflect on the key principles derived from examples of collaborative process in action that you can apply in future.
- Review a variety of resources and tools for collaborative practice in land management and select those which best support your work.
- Evaluate best practice and pitfalls in collaborative practice through peer discussion and detailed case studies.
- Describe the key considerations/priorities in building a sustainable framework for collaboration in land management

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