Environmental services

Description

Defra & Natural England require implementation of a framework to cover a programme of Agri Environment Scheme Monitoring & Evaluation projects designed to assess the progress, success & impacts of Agri-environment schemes. Each project is part of a planned programme of monitoring & evaluation (assessed annually) that addresses both the strategic needs of Defra policy divisions & the operational needs of Natural England, Forestry Commission in ensuring efficient & effective delivery of scheme objectives. The framework will support a range of longer term projects providing baseline monitoring & reappraisals, as well as continuing with a programme of shorter term projects aimed at addressing specific questions raised as a consequence of our monitoring programme/operational needs. The contract will be funded by the current Rural Development Programme for England, out of joint EU and UK Exchequer funds. The funding, known as Technical Assistance, is only available for monitoring. This lot covers delivery assessments of whole management agreements, including baseline assessments of new agreements and resurveys at regular intervals to measure and evaluate the results achieved across the full range of Agri-Environment scheme objectives. It requires competence across a wide range of activities such as: the design of sampling programmes, carrying out multi-objective environmental field and agreement scale monitoring, assessing progress against indicators of success, design of databases, collection, collation, storage and provision of data, quantitative and qualitative analysis of data and report writing. This lot also requires an in depth knowledge of Agri-Environment schemes and agreement options and a good knowledge of each of the objectives of the Agri-Environment schemes. This lot covers monitoring that complements, and may flow from, the core multi-objective agreement level monitoring. It will cover specific monitoring of the impact that Rural Development Programme interventions are having on air quality, water quality, soil protection and flood management. It will require expertise in all of these areas and also in the construction and population of databases, GIS, techniques of statistical analysis and report writing. This lot covers the monitoring of the impact that Agri-Environment schemes are having on invertebrate species assemblages of value in the farmed landscape. It will require expertise in terrestrial and freshwater ecology, invertebrate species identification and field monitoring techniques, GI, techniques of statistical analysis and report writing. This lot covers the monitoring of the impact that Agri-Environment schemes are having on non-avian vertebrate species (e.g. mammals, reptiles, amphibians and freshwater fish) and their habitats that complements, and may flow from, the core multi-objective agreement level monitoring programme. It will require expertise in terrestrial and freshwater ecology, species identification and field monitoring techniques, construction and population of databases, GI, techniques of statistical analysis and report writing. This lot covers the monitoring of the impact that Agri-Environment schemes are having on bird species and their habitats that complements, and may flow from the core multi-objective agreement level monitoring programme. It will require expertise in ornithology and terrestrial ecology, species identification and field monitoring techniques, construction and population of databases, GI, techniques of statistical analysis and report writing. It is also likely to require access to the data from the various long term surveillance programmes that are used to monitor bird populations at a national level. This lot covers the monitoring of the impact that Agri-Environment schemes are having on landscape character that complements, and may flow from, the core multi-objective agreement level monitoring programme. It will require an understanding of the National Character Area (NCA) framework and profiles, expertise in landscape character assessment and also in GI and report writing. This lot covers monitoring of the impact that Agri-Environment schemes are having on particular plants or groups of plants and their habitats that complements, and may flow from, the core multi-objective agreement level monitoring programme. It will require species identification skills, an understanding of plant ecology and a good understanding of field survey techniques. It will also require expertise in the construction and population of databases, GI, techniques of statistical analysis and report writing. This lot covers monitoring of the impact that Agri-Environment schemes are having on multiple species groups at the landscape scale in the farmed landscape, i.e. beyond individual agreements and species specific surveys and assessments. It will require a comprehensive understanding of field survey techniques for a range of species groups and expertise in the design and implementation of large scale field survey activity, including relevant species identification skills. It will also require expertise in spatial and statistical data analysis and report writing. This lot covers evaluations of Agri-Environment scheme design and implementation, including factors such as the effectiveness of Agri-Environment scheme targeting, the role of advice in supporting agreement development and implementation, the role of facilitation and land manager views and attitudes towards Agri-Environment schemes. It may also include the modelling of potential longer-term environmental impacts of changes in Agri-Environment scheme design/patterns of Agri-Environment scheme uptake. It requires competence across a wide range of activities such as: the design of sampling programmes, completing questionnaire and interview/survey activity, design of databases, collection, collation, storage and provision of data, quantitative and qualitative analysis of data and report writing. This lot also requires an in depth knowledge of Agri-Environment schemes and agreement options and a good knowledge of each of the objectives of the Agri-Environment scheme. This lot covers the delivery of soil analysis in order to provide Natural England with soil condition information. It will require expertise in soil science particularly laboratory analysis of soil pH, organic matter, soil carbon and nutrient status as well as competence in IT systems and databases.