Evaluation Framework and Initial Process Evaluation of NERC Biodiversity Duty

The Environment Act 2021 introduced a strengthen 'biodiversity duty' which places all public authorities who operate in England under a legal obligation to consider what they can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity.

This strategy recommends competition via the Research Development and Evidence (RDE) Framework for the provision of one service contract to produce a framework for the future evaluation of the strengthened biodiversity duty and subsequently undertake a process evaluation of the strengthened duty.

The framework will set out key evaluation questions and methods Defra needs to understand whether policies are working as intended and the initial process evaluation will focus on understanding public authorities' perceptions and experiences of the duty's requirements to make their first consideration by January 2024. As the process evaluation is likely to take place shortly after the introduction of the duty, it should provide a simple 'first look' at how the duty is being implemented, and it is likely a further process evaluation will be commissioned in the future.

The principal client using the results will be policy officials in Defra. Findings will also be shared with Other Government Departments (OGD) and selected Arm's Length Bodies (ALB). Some high-level conclusions will be discussed with local authorities and local planning authorities.