Indicators for Monitoring of Beauty, Heritage and Engagement with the Natural Environment under Environmental Land Management

Defra is seeking to procure a contract with a single supplier that has the relevant experience and capability to develop a suite of indicators for holding level monitoring and evaluation of beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment, in the context of Environmental Land Management (ELM). Defra require interested bidders to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to gaining access to the Invitation to Tender documents. To express and interest for this opportunity and request the pre requisite Non-Disclosure Agreement please email [email protected]

ELM will form the cornerstone of a bespoke English agricultural policy, underpinned by payment of public money for public goods. ELM has six public goods objectives: clean air, clean and plentiful water, thriving plants and wildlife, reduced risk of harm from environmental hazards, mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and enhanced beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment. Defra will monitor and evaluate the delivery of ELM's objectives. Existing frameworks of agri-environment monitoring and evaluation indicators have a clear gap in the beauty, heritage and engagement space. This contract seeks to fill this gap, and in developing robust indicators for beauty, heritage and engagement will contribute to the comprehensiveness of the overall monitoring and evaluation of ELM. The supplier will work closely Defra to coordinate with its existing work on national level monitoring and indicator development for the 25 Year Environment Plan's goals.

The project will also seek to use learning from the development of the indicators framework to feedback recommendations for "what works" in delivering BHE outcomes, including attention to land managers attitudes and buy in, and possible unintended consequences. The primary aim of this project is to develop indicators for the ELM monitoring and evaluation approach for BHE by:-

- Reviewing and assessing the ELM outcomes framework for beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment as a basis for monitoring and evaluation. Identifying and filling any evidence gaps to develop a robust and integrated theory of change for monitoring and evaluation purposes. - Conducting primary research with land managers and advisers to explore their views on monitoring processes for (and delivery of) Beauty, Heritage and Engagement. - Consolidating learning from the previous two bullets to provide lessons learnt on "what works" in delivering outputs, outcomes, public goods and wider benefits from beauty, heritage and engagement in agri-environment schemes. - Proposing a comprehensive list of indicators and indicator measurement methodologies for ELM's delivery of Beauty, Heritage and Engagement benefits that cover every level of the theory of change. - Testing a shortlist of indicators (agreed with Defra) for practicality and feasibility.