Step 7 • Develop Capacity

You’ll need to decide how you want to lead your National Park City. This might be by setting up an organisation, committee or network, or using another approach. Whatever you choose, you’ll need to have the right mix of potential, energy, capacity, capability and resources to deliver on your proposal and carry out your plans. Long-term commitment is essential.

What this looks like will differ depending on the culture, politics, needs, geography and history of your urban area. You won’t need to decide how your National Park City will be led, governed and resourced at the start of your campaign. In fact, we’d encourage you to not become preoccupied with internal organisation too early on.
However, when you submit your portfolio application you must be able to demonstrate a number of key things about your approach.

We want to see that you have created a structure that:

• Is able to lead and care for your National Park City
• Is underpinned by the Universal Charter for National Park Cities
• Is inclusive and reflects the values of the National Park City movement
• Is resilient to political and other changes
• Recognises that a NationalPark City is a place, vision and community, not just an organisation.

We also want to see that you have:

• An agreed action plan, set of goals and key performance indicators that you can use to measure success
• Necessary financial or other resources to deliver on your proposal
• People who are keen and able to deliver on your proposal
• Policy changes that may be necessary to give your National Park City credibility.

You’ll also need to demonstrate that you’ve planned a:

• Ceremony to launch your National Park City
  Media launch
  Big public celebrations, such as a festival.

After you have fully completed the first seven steps you should be ready to submit your portfolio application.