Context & Opportunity

Effective relationships between individuals and organisations are critical to the successful delivery of any large project. This is particularly true of landscape restoration where the scale and nature of initiatives often means that successful delivery relies on the actions of a number of stakeholders working together. However, project leaders and partners rarely have complete control over the activities of these stakeholders, and so must rely on trust and persuasion to achieve their goals.

This project seeks to explore the features of a successful partnership for effecting landscape-scale restoration, with a particular focus on the characteristics of individuals involved. We will identify personal strategies and activities by key project staff that have delivered robust partnerships able to deliver ecological outcomes and build the social infrastructure which is essential for landscape-scale working. By analysing relationships within Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme-funded projects, the team will offer feedback to the projects on ways to strengthen partnerships and hence improve implementation of subsequent stages of their project.

Beyond these project-specific results, the team will also identify more general transferable lessons to be shared and applied in various ways beyond the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme. This guidance can be used by landscape restoration projects at an early stage to understand what staff attributes they need to incorporate in specific roles to improve their chances of success. Partnerships at a more mature stage can use the results to identify where they may address weaknesses or gaps through staff development. Finally, funding bodies can use the guidance to assess whether partnerships proposed by funding applicants are likely to be successful, or to suggest where projects may need to seek partners or to change structures.

Project Aim

The aim of this project is to improve understanding of the characteristics of individuals that make for a successful partnership in delivering landscape-scale restoration. Based on this understanding, we will offer guidance in the processes of recruitment and staff development. This is intended to build and strengthen partnerships for current and future landscape restoration projects, to maximise their chances of success and improve outcomes.

Project Impact

Landscape restoration projects will use the guidance produced to develop staff and improve relationship building and maintenance within projects. This will result in more effective partnerships and improved trust between partners leading to improved landscape-level restoration and conservation within and beyond the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme.

Project Partners