A Best Practice Guide to Using BARS

This slideshow demonstrates best practice in using BARS to

write a 'SMART' BAP

and

report on progress

using a model HAP and model SAPs for the London Borough of Wandsworth

You will see a series of screenshots from the BARS data entry application...

... showing best practice examples of how to fill in the various fields

As you click through the slideshow

Tips will appear

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And to help you navigate through the screens, you will be shown where to

click next

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here

Subjects covered:

What BARS can do for you: examples of reports

The Model BAP:

Species and Habitats

Setting up a HAP: Acid Grassland in Wandsworth

Setting up a SAP: Bats in Wandsworth

Model Reporting in BARS:

Action reporting

Target reporting

Overview reporting

What BARS can do for you: examples of reports

With a SMART BAP on BARS

up-to-date, informative reports for your partnership and the wider public

and

regular progress reporting

you can produce

at the click of a mouse

to answer questions like this…

Question:

What is the status of the different habitats and species in

Wandsworth?

Answer:

‘Partnership habitats and species’ report

Question:

I want a progress report on all the HAPs and SAPs by yesterday afternoon!

Answer:

‘Plan overview reports’

Question:

Has there been any progress towards

BAP targets?

Answer:

‘Target progress across plans’ report

Question:

Has anything been done for the Grey Heron in Wandsworth in the

last four years?

Answer:

‘Action Progress’ report

Question:

I’m interested in bats.

What has Wandsworth done for bats, and what is planned for the

future?

Now click here

Answer:

‘Complete Action Plan’ report

LB Wandsworth: A Model BAP on BARS

Status of species and habitats in Wandsworth

Now click here to look at status of the pipistrelle

bat

Species the BAP is working on

Not a list of every species in the borough

Habitats in Wandsworth

Number of known roosts of

pipistrelles in Wandsworth

Now click here

Now click here to look at status of standing water

Habitat survey data provided by

GiGL

Now click here

Now click here to look at the loss record

Information on how the loss was managed

Acid Grassland in Wandsworth:

A Model HAP on BARS

Acid Grassland is a London BAP Habitat that exists in this borough – therefore it has a HAP

Brief, general overview of status and what HAP wants to achieve…

Helps the public visualise what the HAP is about

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…written in whole sentences in accessible language.

No need to list species in a HAP…

…habitat is usually enough

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are quantifiableLimited number of targets – 3 or 4 maximum

Clear starting point for maintaining extent

Now click here to open Target

AG02 Habitat Targets:

contribute to London HAP targets for condition & expansion of Acid Grassland

are in line with UK BAP target definitions (maintain extent, achieve condition, restoration, expansion)

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Sp & habs tab

Only the extent of acid grassland will be measured – so no species are listed

for this target

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Target goal is measurable

Uses same units as London HAP

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and time-bound

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Action code links to the most relevant target

Actions fit each stage of project development e.g for creation of acid grassland in Wandsworth (target AG03)….

1. Identify sites

2. Find funding for first site

3. Do the work on first site

4. Consultation for second site

More actions will be added as project develops

e.g. AG03.05 Find funding for second site if consultation successful

Now click here to open Action

AG03.03

Realistic time-frame

Clear, specific action

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Specific location identified

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Quantifiable goal for habitat expansion

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Linked to habitat expansion target

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Estimated cost of habitat creation

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Comments can be used to clarify issues.

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In this case, when this action will be considered complete.

bats

Now click here to open Action

AG02.03Most actions will have

effects on a wide range of species… …but there is no need to

list the species or link them to SAPs

However…

Action AG02.03 is about managing acid grassland habitat specifically for bats, so is linked to the Bat SAP target…

…and bat species are therefore listed for this action

Bats in Wandsworth:

A Model SAP on BARS

Now click here

Vision statement gives a brief introduction to this species group and why it has a SAP

Helps the public visualise what the SAP is about

Bats have their own SAP because they use a range of habitats and have

special requirements that cannot be addressed in a HAP

All bat species found in Wandsworth are listed here

The habitats list is left blank as this is a species action plan

Now click here

Now click here to open Target

B01

Species Targets:

are in line with UK BAP target definitions (population size or range)

are quantifiable

Not all species will have full survey data as a baseline. This explains the approach taken for this SAP.

Now click here

Target Goal is user-defined -overcomes limited survey data for each species

Now click here

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Setting up actions is essentially the same for HAPs and SAPs

This action is part of Acid Grassland HAP but is linked to the Bat SAP, and so appears here as well.

Other actions were created within the Bat SAP

Now click here to open Action

B01.01

This action is ongoing, so has no end date

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Ongoing time commitment of Borough Officer is recorded here

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No action goal for this action as the number of planning applications submitted is not under control of BAP partnership

Reporting in BARS

Three Types of Reporting in BARS

Action reporting:

when action has been taken e.g. applied for funding, sowed seeds, planted trees, held an open day, etc

Target reporting: when there has been measurable progress towards target goals e.g. new habitat created, survey indicates population increase, etc

Overview reporting: summarises overall achievements of the HAP or SAP

Action reporting

Now click here to open Action

AG03.03Reporting on Action AG03.03

Now click here

Now click here to look at the

latest progress report

Progress report gives brief details of what has been done…

…and where…

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…and why…

…and when…

…using accessible language and whole sentences.

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Action Goal updated to keep track of quantifiable progress

Now click here

Status updated

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Expenditure recorded

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Successive progress reports at different stages can reduce the need for long lists

of actions

e.g reporting on action AG03.02 fundraising for habitat creation….

Now click here to open Action

AG03.02

Now click here to see the first progress report

First report when funder identified

Now click here

Now click here to see the

second progress report

Second report when application submitted

Now click here

Now click here to see the latest progress

report

Third report when funding received

Now click here

Now click here

Progress towards this action goal reported when funding received

Relevant documents are attached as part of action progress reports

e.g. Reporting on Action B01.02 Providing advice to householders…

Now click here to open Action

B01.02

Now click here to see

the progress

report

A brief, easy to read progress report shows where readers can find more information…

…and the leaflet has been attached for access from the public area of BARS

Now click here to see the leaflet

Action Reporting Summary

Report action progress on these tabs:

• Progress reports: Brief verbal report and attach relevant documents

• Action goal: Quantifiable progress

• Status: Update status when it changes

• Resources: Record time and money spent

Target reporting

Now click here to open Target AG03

Reporting on Target AG03.03

0.5 ha created at Wandsworth Common

1.5 ha in progress at Tooting Common

Updated quantifiable target measures

Now click here

Up-to-date reporting

Status report…

…complemented by brief verbal progress report - much more informative than status alone

Verbal report only about goal of habitat creation itself. Does not include e.g. funding obtained, consultation, publicity etc.

Reporting on Bat SAP Target B01

Now click here to see the latest

progress report

Brief progress report relevant to the target of roost numbers.

Does not include information on planning applications, etc. This has been reported in reports for actions.

Target reporting summary

Report target progress on these tabs:

• Progress reports: Brief verbal summary of progress directly related to target goals

• Target goals: Quantifiable progress

Overview Reporting

Now click here to open the

overview report

Overview reporting for the Wandsworth Acid Grassland HAP

Top-level report on how the whole Acid Grassland HAP is going.

For most partnerships/ boroughs in London, filling in the report summary may be sufficient…

…but more detailed information can be added under different categories using the Progress tab

…and a similar report for the Bats SAP.

Now click here

A significant constraint is recorded because it is holding the plan back

This will be picked up in 3-yearly reporting rounds and is a chance to influence government policy etc

Now click here to open the constraints

report

Details of the constraint…

…and a proposed solution

Overview reporting summary

Report overall HAP/SAP progress on Plan Overview Report tab:

• Summary: Highlights/overall achievements of the HAP/SAP

• Progress: More detail if required

• Constraints: Significant factors holding up progress

For more…

Have a look at Wandsworth’s

• Acid Grassland HAP

• Bats SAP

and

• Grey Heron SAP

on BARS