Public engagement on landscape and ecosytem futures: Evaluation and learning
Sciencewise-ERC funded project 2011
Background
As part of a larger project on landscape and ecosystem futures, this element focuses specifically on the evaluation and learning aspect of the project, and is led by the Natural Capital Initiative.
Functions of the project
The following functions will be performed by the project:
- Commission an independent evaluation of component public dialogues, to Sciencewise-ERC guiding principles on evaluation.
- Contribute to wider learning and embedding of the project lessons across relevant policy, stakeholder and expert networks.
Delivered By
Natural Capital Initiative
The Natural Capital Initiative (NCI) is a partnership between the Society of Biology, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology of the natural Environment Research Council and the British Ecological Society.
Icarus
Icarus provides professional support, policy advice and direct delivery in a number of fields, including the environment, and Icarus is conducting an evaluation of the dialogue on landscape and ecosystem futures.
Latest Status Updates
- Workshop 17/03, Noble, London - opportunity for Defra and other interested UK government departments, together with some of its key delivery agencies and research partners, to learn from recent projects exploring how to make citizens more central to decision making on land use and the natural environment.
- Workshop 15/03, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh - opportunity for Scottish Government, together with some of its key delivery agencies and research partners, to learn from recent projects exploring how to make citizens more central to decision making on land use and the natural environment.
- Open forum on Enabling citizen choices about land use and the natural environment held in London on 16 February
Find Out More
- National Ecosystem Assessment WebsiteLiving With Environmental Change
- National Ecosystem AssessmentLiving With Environmental Change
- Landscapes of the FutureSciencewise-ERC @ the British Science Festival
- Enabling citizen choices about land use and the natural environmentNatural Capital Initiative open forum
- Participatory Processes and Techniques for an Ecosystems ApproachDefra
- Managing participation in the context of natural resources and the environmentLearning for Sustainability
- Enabling Citizen Choices about land use and the natural environment Natural Capital Initiative Open Forum
- National Ecosystem Assessment
- Putting a price on natureBBC News
Key Impacts
- The pilots provided lessons for incorporating participatory approaches to ecosystem valuations, and how these approaches might be developed in future.
- Those who were engaged in the dialogue processes felt they were positive and interesting, and enabled meaningful conversations about issues that are important for local communities.
- The concept of ecosystem services worked well as a neutral entry point to enable communities to have meaningful conversations about landscape and land use planning. It also enabled open discussion of potentially contentious subjects such as wind energy projects with less immediate polarisation of views.
Resources
- Enabling citizen choices about land use and the natural environmentNCI Policy Briefing Note
- Edinburgh Seminar SummaryNCI Citizens Choices Seminar
- Defra Seminar SummaryNCI Citizens Choices Seminar
- Edinburgh Seminar ProgrammeNCI Citizens Choices Seminar
- Defra Seminar ProgrammeNCI Citizens Choices Seminar
- Meeting ReportNCI Citizens Choices Open Forum
- Evaluation - Ecosystem Services Public DialogueIcarus Collective