BeEnvironmental - taking the sting out of waste and environmental management.

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Projects

• Impact Assessment of the Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) Local Authority Support Unit (LASU) Direct Consultancy Support and Regional Support Fund

  BeEnvironmental was commissioned to undertake a detailed review of the Direct Consultancy Support and Regional Support Fund on behalf of LASU, to identify the specific impacts of these funding programmes. BeEnvironmental developed an appropriate methodology to evaluate the outputs generated by the programmes and made recommendations for future support. The final report was circulated internally to Defra staff and externally to local authority stakeholders.

• Waste Management Training Programme

  BeEnvironmental is responsible for the design and delivery of a one day training programme ‘Introduction to Waste Management’, for new Defra staff. This is delivered approximately every six months and aims to bring new members of staff up to date with the key issues in waste management and provide them with the background and context to understand the challenges from a policy, social and economic context.

• WIP Review

  BeEnvironmental provided support to WIP in researching, developing and editing the first year programme review. This publication was made widely available and provided feedback to stakeholders and interested parties on the progress of WIP following its first year of operation.

• LASU Website Development

  BeEnvironmental were responsible for providing the technical content, and advising on structure and layout, of the LASU website. The website is accessible by all those interested in the support tools and products aimed specifically at local government. A number of research reports produced by BeEnvironmental for LASU are available to download from this site.

• Defra Waste and Resources Research and Development Strategy

  BeEnvironmental provided research support to the Waste Research Team in the development of the Defra Waste and Resources R&D Strategy. The R&D strategy provides the framework for all Defra funded research activities and aims to generate support for waste and resources policymakers and decision makers.

• LASU Performance Analysis and Evaluation

  BeEnvironmental were responsible for undertaking the analysis and evaluation of data relating to the LASU programme of activities in 2004 and 2005, and making recommendations for future programme development. The report was circulated amongst all local authority stakeholders.

• WIP Focus Groups

  Working with the Communications Manager for WIP, BeEnvironmental were responsible for the planning, facilitation and reporting of a series of Focus Groups which were targeted at local authorities and aimed to generate feedback on WIP and identify particular strengths and weakness of the programme and also identify areas of need. These Focus Groups were key in developing the programme of support for subsequent years.

• Evidence and Innovation Strategy: Research

  BeEnvironmental supported the Waste Research Team in developing the Statement of Need in relation to the Waste and Resources R&D Strategy, as part of the development of Defra’s Evidence and Innovation Strategy.

• Mini Summit: Community Waste Sector

  BeEnvironmental were responsible for providing planning support for this major event, bringing the community waste sector together to consider the most effective use of funding support to improve the services that this sector can offer to the wider industry within the context of policy and legislative targets and pressures. BeEnvironmental also provided facilitation services at this event.

• Regional Coordinator Pilot Project

  BeEnvironmental undertook research into the effectiveness of the Regional Coordinator Pilot Project (Defra Community Sector Support Programme), engaging with the community sector and local authority stakeholders to evaluate success and developing recommendations for the future of the project.

• WasteDataFlow User Group Meetings

  BeEnvironmental were responsible for developing the programme for the initial user group meetings, providing facilitation services and producing a report with key issues identified and recommendations made for future meetings and the future operation of the user group.

• Wastenet

  BeEnvironmental were commissioned to undertake background research in relation to the Wastenet project for the Waste Research Team, and produce a scoping report to underpin future developments.

• New Technologies Supporter Programme

  BeEnvironmental are sub-contracted by Enviros to provide specialist support and advice in relation to the new technologies supporter programme. This includes providing technical input and critical evaluation of various articles, briefing notes etc. and supporting the development of the training programme in relation to technical content, structure, and quality assurance methodologies. We also provide communications support to the Demonstrator programme (again sub-contracted to Enviros) for the facilities in operation.