5Jul 2017
CEP currently recruiting

CEP seeking to recruit Senior Consultant

CEP is seeking to recruit a Senior Consultant to be based at our London office. This is an opportunity for an exceptional candidate to join our growing multi-disciplinary team providing innovative approaches to environmental, social and sustainability practice and research.  Further information and application forms are available on the Jobs page and via the link below.

Senior Consultant

We are seeking an exceptional candidate with at least 4-5 years’ relevant work experience who shares our approach and vision.

The successful applicant is likely to have an excellent academic record with a natural science or social science degree (e.g. biology, ecology, environmental science, marine / earth science, geography, psychology, sociology, social anthropology, politics, social research methods) plus a related second degree.

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5Jul 2017
CEP participatory land use planning webinar

An introduction to participatory land use planning: making it work for people and the environment 

WEBINAR: Thursday 13th July 2017, 1.00 – 1.30 pm British Summer Time (GMT+1)

Participatory land use planning is an internationally-recognised approach to making decisions about how land, water and natural resources are managed and used. It has significant implications for those involved in managing environmental assets in the UK. The UN Sustainable Development Goals reinforce the need for it to be applied. In this webinar, CEP’s Dr Peter Phillips and Dr Bill Sheate will introduce this topic and the associated one-day training course (on 6 September). They will draw on work they have undertaken for The Pentland Hills Regional Park, commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage.



book here
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1Jun 2017
Pentland Hills reports published

Pentland Hills collaborative land use management reports published

CEP’s reports to the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on adopting a collaborative approach to land use management in the Pentland Hills Regional Park have been published.

As part of the project, CEP was asked to adopt the ecosystem approach which is a way of working that combines the need to manage nature in terms of dynamic ecosystems whilst involving affected communities and other stakeholders in decision-making. The project explored, with the Park’s Consultative Forum of local stakeholders, opportunities to work with nature and sustain the provision of key ecosystem services – the benefits people get from nature – in the Park.

The findings of this research are documented in the following reports:

These outputs will play a key role informing the next Pentland Hills Regional Park Management Plan (2017-2027).

For more information contact CEP’s project manager Dr Peter Phillips.

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31May 2017
CEP’s Dr Peter Phillips awarded Honorary Lectureship

CEP’s Dr Peter Phillips has been appointed as an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde

CEP’s Dr Peter Phillips has been appointed as an Honorary Lecturer within the University of Strathclyde’s Faculty of Engineering. This appointment recognises Peter’s service, since 2012, as a guest lecturer within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Peter teaches a class on Applied Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and supervises / examines MSc dissertation projects. He also leads the development of collaborations between CEP and the University, including: the Land Use Strategy (LUS) Delivery Evaluation Project for the Scottish Government; and developing climate change adaptation indicators for transport infrastructure, for ClimateXChange. 

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26May 2017
CEP-led consortium awarded EEA framework contract on forward looking studies

CEP-led consortium awarded EEA framework contract on forward looking studies

A consortium led by CEP has been awarded a four year single supplier framework contract by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to provide expert assistance on forward looking analysis, sustainability assessments and systemic transitions. The contract will support the EEA in preparing the next report on the European environment’s state and outlook in 2020 (SOER 2020).  

This exciting opportunity for CEP builds on our work for the EEA over the last 15 years, including on the SOERs in 2010 and 2015. This specific contract adds to CEP’s track record of work related to forward looking analysis for both the EEA and the European Commission, including recent projects on identifying emerging environmental risks and the implications of global megatrends for Europe.

The scope of the work under the framework contract will include developing contextual and forward looking analyses of Europe’s sustainability challenges and in increasing understanding about the environmental characteristics of core societal systems, opportunities and barriers to sustainability transitions, and the implications for EU policies. A particular focus will be on strategic and long-term policies and visions relating to the low-carbon and circular economy, natural capital and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), for example.

The CEP-led consortium includes experts from leading consultancies, research organisations, universities and agencies from across Europe.

For more information please contact Dr William Sheate (Contract Director) or Owen White (Contact Manager).

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16May 2017
CEP to deliver CECAN seminar on practical policy evaluation

CEP to deliver CECAN seminar on learning lessons from practical policy evaluation

CEP will be delivering a seminar for the Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN) on Learning lessons from practical policy evaluation: reflecting on a meta-evaluation of UK/EU policy and practice evaluations across the nexus.

The seminar will take place on 14 June 2017, in London, and will reflect on the findings of a meta-evaluation study of 23 of CEP’s evaluation projects, exploring lessons around the evaluation of complexity, the role of methods and the nature of evaluation impact. This research brought out the key factors that affect evaluation progress and provided insights on how to navigate an evaluation through dynamic policy landscapes. The full report is available here.

In this seminar CEP’s Dr Clare Twigger-Ross and Owen White will facilitate a discussion around the key findings from this research and approaches for managing complexity in evaluations. 

For more information and to register for this seminar visit CECAN’s website.

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9May 2017
CEP and partners to study the value of bathing waters in Scotland

CEP and partners commissioned by the Scottish Government to study the value of bathing waters in Scotland

CEP, with partners Economics for the Environment Consultancy (eftec) and experts from The South West Research Company (SWRC), University of St Andrews, University of Surrey and Mercatus Research, has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to study The Value of Bathing Waters and the Influence of Bathing Water Quality in Scotland.

CEP will be leading a multi-disciplinary team in developing a detailed and quantifiable socio-economic understanding of the current and future value of bathing water quality to Scotland and how water quality influences bathers, beach users and the national and local economies.

This study will provide the Scottish Government with key information on existing designated bathing waters and benchmark values to support decision-making relevant to the cost/benefit of driving further improvement to bathing water quality classifications under the revised Bathing Water Directive (BWD).

The socio-economic values explored will consider the wider aspects of Scotland’s reputational value for environmental excellence, and include less tangible values relating to health and wellbeing (e.g. benefit of being near blue spaces). These validated reference values will be used in policy development and decisions when assessing new sites and managing existing protected area designation (including de-designation).

CEP’s Dr Peter Phillips is the project manager.

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27Apr 2017
CEP awarded the evaluation of Heathlands Reunited project

CEP TO UNDERTAKE THE EVALUATION OF THE HEATHLANDS REUNITED PROJECT

CEP was commissioned by the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) to undertake the evaluation of the Heathlands Reunited project.

Led by the SDNPA the Heathlands Reunited project brings together 11 organisations who have joined forces to expand and connect the existing 1% of heathland left in the national park. The project will run for 5 years, working with partners on 41 sites to create wildlife corridors forming an area of heathland greater than 1,200 football pitches by the end of the project.  The project is funded by partner contributions and a £1.44 million Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant.

CEP will support SDNPA with the evaluation of the impact of the Heathlands Reunited project on the following intended outcomes:

  • Heritage will be – better managed, in better condition, identified/recorded
  • People will have – developed skills, learnt about heritage, volunteered time
  • For communities, environmental impacts will be reduced; more people and a wider range of people will have engaged with heritage, the local area/community will be a better place to live, work or visit.

The evaluation will run for the full life of the project from May 2017 and until May 2021.

Teresa Bennett is the project manager.

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27Apr 2017
CEP running a workshop on identifying emerging environmental risks

Photo credit: ‘Atomium – Bruxelles, Belgium’ by Giorgio Galeotti on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

CEP running a workshop on a proposed system for identifying emerging environmental risks

As part of our work to develop a methodological framework for the systematic identification of emerging risks to the environment for the European Commission’s DG Environment, CEP together with our consortium partner Milieu Ltd are organising and facilitating a one-day workshop to explore a proposed Framework for Identifying Emerging Environmental Risks. The event will take place in Brussels on Thursday 4th May 2017, and will bring together experts from across the European Commission as well as representatives of other organisations and individuals engaged in managing emerging issues and risks.

The workshop will be a participatory event involving group sessions and the practical testing of elements of the proposed approach. The CEP and Milieu team will facilitate working sessions with experts to discuss and explore topics including: a systematic methodological framework for identifying emerging environmental risks; institutional roles and responsibilities; and options for trialling the approach.

For more information on this event and the project please contact the CEP project manager Owen White (Principal Consultant).

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26Apr 2017
British Council publishes CEP’s case studies evaluating contribution to SDGs

British Council publishes CEP’s case studies evaluating programmes’ contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

CEP was commissioned by the British Council to undertake a baseline study on the British Council’s contribution in developing and promoting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The study included the review of a selection of programmes across the British Council’s portfolio and the development of three case studies. As well as illustrating impact and lessons learned, these case studies highlight good practice and provide useful guidance for further developing British Council’s programmes.

The case studies are now available on the British Council’s website.

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