Socio-economic Evaluation of Network for Nature
In March 2021, ERS was commissioned by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) to develop an evaluation framework, establish a baseline and report on the economic and social impacts of the A Network for Nature programme over the duration of its lifetime (July 2021 – March 2025).
Highways England and the Wildlife Trusts worked together to develop A Network for Nature with a joint ambition to unlock the biodiversity potential of the roadside estate and surrounding habitats. A Network for Nature’s portfolio of 22 projects will act to support wildlife by creating new and enhancing existing habitats in and around the Wildlife Trusts estate adjacent to the road network, supporting HE to achieve its biodiversity ambitions and commitments.
Typical project activities include: clearing invasive or non-native species and replanting to create better conditions for richer biodiversity; ground works to improve habitats for hosting wildlife including woodlands, wetlands, waterways and peat bogs; upgrading visitor and site infrastructure; stakeholder engagement; and enhancing evidence through feasibility studies.
Our Evaluation Framework and Baseline Report was produced in July 2021. For this report, ERS developed a suite of bespoke, relevant and robust output and outcome metrics that cover the range of socio-economic benefits the 22 projects hope to achieve. These outcome metrics included: carbon sequestration, nature connectivity, species, improvements to waterways, visitor and community engagement.
Further, we have developed bespoke research tools to capture wellbeing and social impacts for volunteers and local community members. The tools, which include visitor and volunteer surveys, will underpin evidence collection for the remainder of the evaluation.
As the A Network for Nature programme is growing, ERS will continue to provide flexible support, regular evidence reviews, and reporting of impacts and learning. As the programme expands to cover more projects, ERS is working to incorporate these into reporting schedules and to undertake additional data collection. This adaptability extends to evaluation indicators, which ERS is committed to evolving as the programme’s activity, reach and intended outcomes progress. This will allow us to ensure that our evaluation remains relevant to the programme’s evolving context.