espa projects building, capturing and communicating impact inception impact presentation_1.pdf ·...
TRANSCRIPT
ESPA Projects Building, Capturing and Communicating Impact
www.espa.ac.uk/impact
What is ESPA?
ESPA is an international research programme funded by DFID, NERC and ESRC. Running from 2010-2017, all ESPA research is required to be interdisciplinary and involve researchers from developing countries. ESPA’s world-class research will improve our understanding of the way ecosystems function, the services and benefits they provide to society. It aims to demonstrate how ecosystem services can reduce poverty and enhance well-being for the world’s poor, and to deliver development impact through research excellence.
www.espa.ac.uk/impact
ESPA’s Excellence with Impact
• Academic Impact: ESPA’s science is required to generate world-class research which delivers, high-quality peer-reviewed publications, new data, models and tools.
• Development Impact: ESPA’s research is expected to have the potential to improve the lives of poor people in low-income countries. Projects and the ESPA Directorate are required to undertake activities to put research into use
Generating Evidence
Reaching Out: Web Traffic
Making ESPA’s Research Accesible
Building Impact
http://www.espa.ac.uk/impact/making-impact
Changing Lives
Informing Dialogue
Examples of Impacts
East Africa
• ESPA-BEST (Biodiversity, ecosystem services, social sustainability and tipping points in African Drylands) project is working with the Government of Kenya to support biodiversity and rangeland management
• Swahili Seas is helping 3500 people in the Gazi Bay area to use carbon credits to restore mangroves and enhance local livelihoods.
Zambia
• ESPA project is working with communities to develop better uses for Jatropha seeds after the biofuel market collapsed.
• Soap production has many benefits.
(Bridging knowledge systems for pro-poor management of ecosystem services. NE/I003819/1)
Bangladesh
• Bangladesh is key country featuring in ESPA’s research.
• The ESPA Deltas project will generate evidence on how ecosystems contribute to poverty alleviation and health and sensitivity to climate and land-use change
Bolivia
• ESPA’s projects in Bolivia are supporting the development of locally appropriate systems for payments for ecosystem services.
• Water • Carbon (REDD+)
Building Impact
Some Questions:
• What do projects need to do to enhance their development impact? – Delivering your pathway to impact
• Who are your key impact partners? • How can you work with other projects and
the Directorate? • How will your project communicate the
difference your project makes?
Key stakeholders (ESPA)
• Researchers and partners • Policy-makers • Politicians • Private sector • Potential beneficiaries • Knowledge and impact intermediaries • General public • Funders
Theory Of Change
LONG-TERM, LASTING CHANGE
Complete Theory of ChangeSITUATIONAL DRIVERS
Socio-economic, political, Technological factors
Existing policies,practices, beliefs
Other actors in research, policy and practice
Capacity of targetgroups to respond
Receptiveness of context
Organizations,resources,systems, skills
MEDIUM TERM CHANGESIndirect influence – policy
shapers, knowledge networks, planners, practitioners, stakeholder groups
SHORT-TERM CHANGESWhat behaviour changes, by whom?
Direct influence – partners, collaborators,Immediate research users
Research programmeEvidence, communications,
stakeholder engagement
Engagement, involvement
Capacity to use research
Behaviours and practice for change
Long-term change or impact for people
Adapted from S. Montague, 2007
Awareness, reception of new knowledge
Cause-effect assumptions
ESPA’s Theory of Change….
IMPACT: Sustainably managed ecosystems contributing to poverty alleviation.
Outcome: To positively influence end users and decision makers through the generation of cutting edge evidence on ecosystem services, their full value, and links to sustainable development
The Timeline of a Project
Capturing and Communicating Impact
• Projects need to capture evidence of their progress towards impact throughout the period of implementation and after project closure.
• Reporting through ROS and the 6-monthly meetings with the Directorate help to capture information, but…
• You don’t need to wait for routine reporting to share examples of your impact!
Questions for ESPA Researchers
• Who will use your research? – Who are the intended ultimate beneficiaries?
• How will your research be used? – How will the lives of poor people be changed
by your research being put into use? • What will your project do to ensure that
that this happens? – What needs to be done to track the
development impact of your work?
New Initiatives
• The Directorate will appoint an Impact Manager who will work directly with projects.
• The Directorate plans to appoint Evidence Brokers in South Asia and Eastern / Southern Africa.
• There will be a small grants scheme for impact as an ESPA Regional Opportunities Fund