The Heritage Fund commissioned Wavehill and Environment Systems in July 2024 to undertake an evaluation of the Species Survival Fund programme. The evaluation aims to enhance understanding and provide valuable insights for The Heritage Fund and The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) regarding project experiences and impacts associated with the Species Survival Fund (SSF).
As part of this work, we are seeking to engage with project leads, other project staff, stakeholders and volunteers through surveys, site visits and workshops in order to gain a deeper understanding of the programme’s impacts on nature and people. These engagements form part of the requirement to take part in the evaluation as set out in the SSF guidance and terms.
The data you provide will only be used for the purposes of this evaluation. Any personal information collected as part of the research is kept confidential. Your answers to the questions asked in the survey, site visits or workshops will not be made public in a way that could lead to you being identified.
It is also important to note that the team undertaking this research do not work for The Heritage Fund or any of the organisations that are involved in the delivery or funding of this programme. This is an independent review.
Wavehill will delete the information you provide and all personal data relating to this research within six months of the end of the evaluation, anticipated to be in June 2026.
If you have any queries regarding the evaluation, please feel free to contact Anna Burgess (Anna.Burgess@wavehill.com), who is leading the research.
Under the new data protection legislation, you have the right:
To access your personal data held by The Heritage Fund;
To require The Heritage Fund to correct any mistakes in that data;
To (in certain circumstances) object to or restrict processing;
For (in certain circumstances) your data to be ‘erased’.
Please contact The Heritage Fund if you wish to do any of these things in relation to this programme.
If you have any concerns about how your data has been handled, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office who is Welsh Government’s independent regulator for data protection. You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office on 01625 545 745 or 0303 123 1113, via the website www.ico.org.uk , or write to: Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Further information
Why is this research happening?
This research evaluates the SSF programme’s impact by capturing lessons learned, assessing contributions to biodiversity targets and wider benefits, and examining value for money through environmental, social, and economic outcomes. It focuses on three themes: benefits for nature, skills and capacity building, and connecting people with nature, ensuring relevance to programme priorities and stakeholders.
What type of information is collected through the fieldwork?
Survey:
We will distribute two surveys (one online and one via video call) to all projects to capture high-level data, with data requirements per project informed by the project-level data map. The Wave 1 online survey will focus on capturing data to satisfy the process evaluation requirement. It is also anticipated that this survey will capture project feedback on the design of their project set-up and implementation and partnership development activities.
The Wave 2 video survey will take place towards the end of project delivery and will focus on capturing data to assess the processes, impact and Value for Money of projects which will inform the Process, Impact and Value for Money of SSF at a higher level. This will include data that directly explores delivery against and impact related to the key SSF theme and its associated priorities. The survey will capture any unintended consequences, both positive and negative and identify lessons learned.
Site visit
The first visit will focus on project implementation and early delivery of the project. This will include early reflections on data needs and project staff ability to collect future environmental and impact data.
The Wave 2 case study visit will focus on project journey and impact. As in Wave 1, modular questions for different stakeholders will be developed as a result of the project-level data mapping conducted to ensure comprehensive coverage of key project areas of delivery and desired outcomes.
Workshop:
Within each Wave of fieldwork, the series of workshops will have key themes agreed with The Heritage Fund. It is anticipated that workshops will focus on projects’ delivery of activity for early progress towards the 2030 Species Abundance targets and broader nature-recovery action alongside the additional fund priorities, in particular, employment, training and connecting people with nature.
It is expected that project staff and stakeholders will be asked to attend workshops that directly relate to their knowledge and experience. This will result in delivery and impact focussed workshops and strategic workshops which will support the process and impact evaluations and inform strategy and policy development.
What is personal data?
Personal data means any information that could lead to a person being identified either alone or in combination with other widely-available information, e.g. their name, their address, or details specific to that person.
How long will personal data be kept for?
Wavehill will hold personal data during the contract period but will delete it six months after the end of the contract anticipated to be in June 2026.
What is the legal basis for collecting and processing the data collected through the research?
The evaluation of the SSF enables The Heritage Fund and Defra to understand and evidence the impacts of the programme.
The Heritage Fund has a legitimate interest in gathering this information given that the participation in the evaluation is part of the funding requirements set out in the SSF guidance and terms. The research is being carried out by Wavehill on behalf of The Heritage Fund.
What is the purpose of processing your answers to the research?
The data is used for research purposes only. The data will be analysed to gain an understanding over the learning generated through project delivery, the overall impact of the programme and the value for money and cost-effectiveness of the programme. The data will not be used for commercial, or marketing purposes and it will not be used to take make decisions about you as an individual. Language learning models and 3rd party software may be used to help us process data
Who has access to the personal data collected through the research?
Wavehill will have a copy of the personal data to allow it to carry out the research. Responses collected will be analysed by researchers at Wavehill to produce a summary report for The Heritage Fund. The outputs will not identify any individuals participating in the research and attributable data will not be shared with The Heritage Fund, or anyone else outside of Wavehill, unless explicit consent has been provided. Wavehill will delete all personal data within six months of the end of the project.
Int. Ref. (818-24)
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