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Architecture and Design Scotland’s enabling programme works with client and project teams to explore key design issues with stakeholders and to give early hands-on advice for a range of organisations. Through a broad range of activities, enabling seeks to:

	Raise awareness of the principles of good design.

	Raise awareness of the environmental, economic and social benefits of well designed built environments.

	Raise awareness that design is not merely a question of style or taste but describes what arises from the intelligent and creative synthesis of many interrelated factors.

	Raise awareness of the importance of a coordinated and collaborative approach in developing, delivering and maintaining well designed built environments.

	Develop the capability and confidence of clients to undertake procurement processes that establish a solid foundation for delivering well designed built environments.

	Develop the capability and confidence of project teams to identify, develop and implement appropriate strategic approaches and policy to deliver well designed built environments.

Enabling involves A+DS’s enabling staff team and a panel of enablers, who provide hands-on advice over a dedicated period of time to client and project teams throughout Scotland. Enablers come from a variety of backgrounds representing the built environment professions, client groups and the private and public sector. They are typically appointed to help a team through the early stages of a procurement process or establish strategy or policy for the delivery of well designed built environments that display the qualities of successful places.

A number of key themes guide the work of the enabling programme, including:

	Decision Making – helping those charged with making decisions about policy and capital programmes to appreciate the importance and value of good design.

	Strategy and Policy – helping clients and policy makers identify and prepare better strategy and policy to set the framework to deliver well designed built environments.

	Collaboration and Coordination – helping programme officials and policy makers to appreciate the importance and benefits of a collaborative and coordinated approach in delivering a design led agenda.

	Procurement – helping clients to become better at defining requirements and creating the right conditions to attract appropriate tender submissions and creative responses.

	Design Delivery Tools – helping policy and project teams recognise the importance of and use the range of design delivery tools, including: urban design frameworks, masterplanning, design guidance, site development briefs and design codes.

	Skills – supporting Scotland’s built environment sector in developing the skills to deliver on the aspiration for better built environments.

	Principles of Good Design – embed the principles of good design in practice, with a particular focus on: context, connectivity, sustainability, accessibility and equity.