what is social forestry?file/... · what is social forestry? ... i am drawing on research and...

What is Social Forestry?

Presentation on social research in forestryto the Hampshire Woodland Forum

19th October 2010

Claudia CarterSocial and Economic Research Group (SERG)

Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences

19 October 20102

• What is social research?• How might it be useful to you?• FR’s Social & Economic

Research Group• Examples of social research

• Active England• Partnership working

• Access to research findings

I am drawing on research and material produced by several colleagues

Overview

19 October 20103

Def: Forestry for the benefit of rural and urban communities

Environment: Improve the environment for rural and urban population

Social: Improve quality of lifeEconomic: Improve access to forest resources and

create jobs

Spending time in the woodland environment has a great positive influence on health, wellbeing and personal development.

What is SOCIAL FORESTRY?

19 October 20104

Study of society and the way people perceive, use, manage and impact on their environment.

Collection, classification and analysis of information about people such as customers,

stakeholders, individuals, communities and social groups of interest to those involved in forest management.

These data can be related to the social, political, economic, geographical and culture situations in which people live.

Social Research in Forestry

19 October 20105

What? DESCRIPTIVEWhat do people think / perceive / believe / want / value / do?

Why? EXPLANATORYWhy? - how are these perceptions, beliefs, values, actions

related to cause and context?

So what? EXPLANATORY AND PREDICTIVEWhat are the consequences of these perceptions, beliefs,

values, actions?

Common Questions in Social Research

19 October 20106

Social research can be conducted in a variety of ways

Three key approaches:

1) Quantitative methods to answer ‘what’ and ‘how many’type questions

2) Qualitative methods to answer ‘why’ and ‘how’ type in-depth questions

3) Economic methods to identify monetary values for tangible and intangible goods and services

Methods in Social Research

19 October 20107

How might it be useful for you?

• Gain understanding of visitors to a site: their activities, preferences and needs, and the benefits they derive

• Build a profile of the local community surrounding a specific site and compare with users’ profile identified through a site survey

• Evaluate who benefits, and how, from a specific project or intervention/programme or grant scheme

• Assess the likely social/economic impacts of new projects and policies

• Derive economic values for the various contributions forests make to society and the economy

• Explore partnership working for project/site delivery

Social Research in Forestry

19 October 20108

Public benefits:Health and wellbeingEducationLivelihoodsCommunity capacity ParticipationCultural values

Trees, woods & forests:

ForestryEcologyPlanning Species choiceClimate change

Governance:PolicyDecision-making processesInstitutionsPartnershipsParticipatory processes

SERG explores the interface between people and trees and the institutional and organisational processes through which sustainable forest management is undertaken

Social and Economic Research in Forestry

SERG’s5 work areas:well-being & QoLsociety & diversityforest governanceforest economicsevaluation & IA

19 October 20109

13 researchers: Alice Holt (5), NRS (6) and Wales (2)

… from backgrounds in forestry, economics, sociology, anthropology, political science, human ecology, geography

Carry out applied, interdisciplinary work; collaborate with universities and research organisations

Work in GB and Europe (through EU-funded projects)

• We carry out research ourselves• Manage contracted research• Advise on design and conduct of social research• Advise on social issues in forestry

The Social and Economic Research Group

Amy Stewart

Jonathan Starling

Example 1:Evaluation of Active England ProgrammeLiz O’Brien and Jake Morris

Example 2:Partnership WorkingBianca Ambrose-Oji, Anna Lawrence, Jenny Wallace, Amy Stewart

Examples

19 October 201011

Established in 2003 with £94.8 million lottery funding and £31 million Sport England funds

Aim: to increase community participation in sport and physical activity in England

241 projects funded for 3 years

Target groups:• People on low incomes• People with disabilities• Women and girls• Black and ethnic minorities• Young people (under 16)• 45+ age group

Example 1: Active England

Active England Programme

19 October 201012


Five woodland projects funded• 3 site-based and 2 community forests• Cost: £500,000 to £2 million per project

Key activities• Infrastructure improvements –

cycle/walking tracks, play areas, visitor centre

• Equipment purchase

• Organised events• ‘Led’ activities; e.g. health walks• ‘Facilitated access’ – people

brought to the site• Outreach staff

19 October 201013

Methodology• Phase 1 – On-site surveys (at 8 sites) to profile visitors and

monitor changes in visitor activity• Phase 2 – Spatial analysis to produce a catchment profile of

the surrounding population of each site• Phase 3 – Qualitative research with ‘users’ (identify benefits)

and ‘non-users’ (explore barriers). Interviews with project staff to explore challenges/successes

Data2898 questionnaires completed from 8 sites (baseline data and

a survey 1-1.5 years into the projects)114 people involved in activity and focus group discussion


19 October 201014

Phase 1: Site surveys

Significant increase in the 16-44 age class at site based projects due to infrastructure improvements at sites with creation of play areas, family cycle and walk tracks, equipment for archery, laser quest. 59.4%39.7%Site group

16-44

40.6%60.3%Site group45+

52.2%53.1%Community group 45+

47.8%46.9%Community group 16-44 age group

After project

Beforeproject

Community or site based group

224,00080,00010,000Haldon

273,000182,00051,000Bedgebury

2007/82006/72005/6Year:Sites:

Significant increase in site users at Bedgebury Forest and HaldonForest Park


19 October 201015

Act

ivity

Walking without a dogDog walking

Nature watchingPlay Area

CyclingPicnic

Special EventsRunning

Mountain BikingPhotography

Seeing SomethingHorse Riding

EducationalOrienteering

AfterBefore

Act

ivity

Walking without a dogDog walking

Nature watchingPlay Area

CyclingPicnic

Special EventsRunning

Mountain BikingPhotography

Seeing SomethingHorse Riding

EducationalOrienteering

% of visitors6040200

% of visitors6040200

Community

OtherSite Based


Significant increase in site based grouping for cycling, play areas and mountain biking

Time spent at the sites increased for both groups, particularly for the site grouping, from a mean of 1.74 hours before the projects started to 2.33 hours afterwards

19 October 201016

Post code data from the on-site survey was used to map where visitors were coming from. This was then combined with census data to look at the profile of visitors and surrounding communities.

Phase 2: Spatial profile of surrounding catchmentwithin 20 miles radius of the sites


19 October 201017

Phase 3: Evaluation - users of the projects

Adventure, fun, escapism, having a laugh, exhilarated

Enjoyment

Support and advise from staff/volunteers, meet others, motivation to continue activity

Social networks and socialising

Keeping mobile, energised, mental well-being, relaxed, feel healthy, therapeutic, stress reduction

Health: physical and mental

Sense of achievement, developing new skills, gaining confidence, accomplishment

Achievement and learning

Leading on to further exercise, new friends, training to be a volunteer, undertaking challenge

Wider life impacts

Fresh air, scenery, variety, changing seasons, seeing, feeling, smelling, woods screening traffic and noise

Nature – outdoors, senses and aesthetics

Memories, family experiences, childhood use and experience, climbing trees, building dens

Personal childhood use of green space

Project usersBenefit themes


19 October 201018

Non-users: Barriers to accessing, using and enjoying woodlands

Negative perceptions, fear and safety concerns

Under-represented, excluded groups feeling unwelcome Lack of knowledge

Lack of motivation

Physical accessibility

Embedded deprivation

Lack of reasonable facilities

Perceived barriers – personal safety worries, lack of knowledge

Emotional barriers – previous bad experience, feeling unwelcome

Physical and structural barriers – on site problems or problems getting to the site


19 October 201019

Strategic objectiveExamples

Regular once a week / fortnight for those who lack confidence or a partner

Health walks, cycle rides, nature walks

Led activities

Reach groups not confident to visit alone, lack of cultural norms to visit, e.g. BME groups

Bring target group to site for activity

Facilitated access

One-off taster sessionsFun runs, craft fairs, cycle event, activity day

Events

Transportable to communities, school grounds - take to people

Laser quest, archery, climbing wall

Equipment purchases

Can benefit all and attract new users

Cycle tracks, walk trails, play areas, visitor centre

Site infrastructure improvements

Design and implementation of the projects

‘Led’ activities and ‘facilitated access’ are critical to reaching under-represented groups


Under-represented groups

People benefiting

19 October 201020

Lessons learnt

• Targeted outreach work needs to be supported and adequately funded

• Project staff need support in long-term strategic and business planning

• Volunteers provide a vital human resource and help sustain projects

• Users emphasise the high social value of regular and scheduled group activities

• Often the group itself becomes a primary motivation for continued involvement in the activity

• Regular supported activities appear to encourage under-represented groups in sport to become more active than one-off events or infrastructure improvements


19 October 201021

• FC: firm commitment to working in partnership with others across all sectors including public, private and third sector organisations. Supporting and developing partnerships is seen as the best way to deliver the forestry strategy at woodland, community and landscape scale levels.

Example 2: Partnership Working

Partnership Working – How best to support delivery ofstrategic objectives?

Research questions:• What forms of ‘partnership’ exist?• What kind of relationships are necessary for the achievement of specific objectives?• What factors influence the attainment of successful outcomes/impacts from partnerships?

19 October 201022

Partnerships in Theory (benefits) & Practice (aims)

purchaser - inter-organisational systemicprovider negotiation co-ordination

(‘best value’) (bargaining and coordination) (shared vision / joint working)


Features•Equality•Mutuality•Collaborative advantage

Models (after Mackintosh 1992)

•Synergy•Transformation•Budget enlargement / rationale

Strategic: high impact, forward looking relationships connected with decision making

Policy delivery: direct and explicit actions set to deliver against a specific policy target

Operational: related to day-to-day operations

Networking: communication and institutional contacts

Continuum (after Stoker 1998, in Powell & Dowling 2006: 306)

19 October 201023

SCOPING STUDY:

Interviews conducted in

• 3 countries (included Regions / Conservancies and Districts)

• 18 staff from Forestry Commission and 2 partnerships

PARTNERSHIP DATA (i.e. scoping study and FCE work)

• Examination of form, function, funding, and organisations involved in 135 partnerships across FCE Districts and Regions

• 6 detailed case studies• 51 semi-structured interviews

(33 FC; 18 from civil society)


19 October 201024

FCE third sector/civil society engagement study:

Third sector = organisations and institutions that are value driven rather than profit driven and re-invest surpluses or raise funds to further social, environmental or cultural objectives

336198Total

3120Local Authority partnership staff

10280Third Sector - Small and medium sized organisations

2110Third Sector - Large organisations

4-40Forestry Commission England, National staff

7133Forest Enterprise, District staff

7115Forestry Commission, Regional staff

Case studies

Semi-structured interview

Questionnaire Total

Research Method

Respondent’s organisation and role


19 October 201025

climate change13% natural

environment29%

quality of life26%

business and markets

16%

sustainable resource

16%

FC England’s partnerships with third sector


19 October 201026

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Operational Strategic Netw ork Delivery

type of partnership

num

ber p

artn

ersh

ips/

rela

tions

hips

count of partnershipssum of Third Sector relationshipsSum of public sector relationships


19 October 201027

Factors influencing outcomes/impacts

Not the form of partnership which is important but the features

• Mutuality and respect are key• Clarify and agree roles and responsibilities• Collaborative advantage (complimentarity)

The type of organisation/s in partnership and the relationships they can build • Local/national • Size• Capacity• Transform and accommodate• Learning organisations

Power – agreed roles more important than asymmetries• Communicability of partnership meaning


19 October 201028

Conclusions

Principles of partnership working important• Communication• Shared working practice -

finance, reporting, delivery• Understanding• Trust

Dual/multiple scale organisations• Strategic view (governance) and local delivery• Commissioning efficiency

Complimentary competencies

Organisational capacity – risk management

Space for innovation – not over managed

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/INFD-7WCDZH


M&E(learning)

19 October 201029

2 page summaries of individual projects

Short Publications

19 October 201030

Glossy publications of individual research projects or seminar/conference discussions

Glossy Publications

19 October 201031

Newsletter

• 4 pages

• 2 issues per year

• Posted/e-mailed to people (mailing list)

SERG Newsletter

19 October 201032

what is social forestry?file/... · what is social forestry? ... i am drawing on research and...

Documents