Priority Places Evaluation

The Priority Places initiative is a new way of working for Natural England central and local teams in 49 geographical locations across England. In each area teams are develop strategic ambitions for nature recovery and will work with  local stakeholders to clarify actions needed, agree delivery plans, catalyse and coordinate funding and optimise delivery. Local and central NE teams are expected to work in a more integrated way than has been the case in the past.  I am working with ICF to design and deliver evaluation and learning during the first year of this initiative.

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Mapping governments actions for nature

The Government set out over 70 actions which contribute to the Thriving Plants and Wildlife Goal in the Environmental Improvement Plan (2023). I am working with ICF and CECAN to map out these actions for the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) to enable them to better understand government's plans, including clarifying how they meant to work together, to support the transition from biodiversity decline to 'thriving plants and wildlife'. 

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A literature review on appropriate methodologies to evaluate place-based environmental projects

Some of the biggest challenges for evaluating place based projects include discerning attribution and contribution of actions to effects to the myriad interconnected interventions in a place, emergence and change in what is happening in a place, lack of baseline data and challenges of measuring effects over time, the range of stakeholders in a place with sometimes divergent views on what is needed, and limited resources for evaluation. I'm advising a team at ICF as they deliver a review of literature on the evaluation of place based iniatives for Natural England.

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Evaluation of the Freeports Programme

Freeports are special areas within the UK’s borders where different economic regulations apply. By delivering investment on specific sites benefitting from tax and customs incentives, Freeports will create thousands of high-quality jobs in some of our most disadvantaged communities. I am working with Technopolis and Arup Consulting to deliver the second year of an evaluation of the Freeports Programme for Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)

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Evaluation of Defra's Farming in Protected Landscapes.

The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is a part of Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan. It will offer funding to farmers and land managers in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), National Parks and the Broads. The programme will fund projects that support nature recovery, mitigate the impacts of climate change, provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage and support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses. I'm working with ICF Consulting, LUC (Land Use Consultants) and CCRI (Countryside and Community Research Institute) to evaluate this programme which will run until 2024.

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