landscape effects on human health and well-being as...

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Horizon2020No.677622

Landscapeeffectsonhumanhealthandwell-beingaselementsofsocialinnovation

inmarginalizedruralareas:Reflectionsonwhyandhowtoevaluatethem

LauraSecco,DavidePettenella,MariaNinjk,DavidMiller,ElenaPisani,RiccardoDaRe,CatieBurlando,MauroMasiero,

PhoebeKoundouri,AntonioLopolito,DianaTuomasjukka,NicoPolman

«Landscape and human health: Forests, Parks and Green Care» Vienna, 17-19 May 2017

Landscapeandhumanhealth,Forests,ParksandGreenCare,Vienna,17-19May2017

2.Theoreticalbackground

1.Intro:EUH2020SIMRAproject

3.Objectives

4.Methodology

5.Preliminaryresults

6.Finalreflections

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3.Objectives

4.Methodology


6.Finalreflections

Horizon2020No.677622 Landscapeandhumanhealth,Forests,ParksandGreenCare,Vienna,17-19May2017

Horizon2020SIMRAproject

• 4-yearsResearchandInnovationAction(RIA)project• 26partners(coordinator:JamesHuttonInstitute,UK)• Objective:tofillthesignificantknowledgegapinunderstanding

andenhancingSocialInnovationinMarginalizedRuralAreas.• Focuson:- agriculture,forestryandruraldevelopment

- MarginalizedRuralAreas(MRAs)- Mediterraneanregion(includingnon-EU)- Casestudies- InnovationActions

1.Introduction

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Horizon2020SIMRAproject:WPs

1.Introduction

SIMRA partners

26 in total (24 funded + 2 with own funds from Switzerland)

Key-partners:

•JHI (UK) è WP1, 8•UNIPD (IT) è WP4•BOKU (Austria) è WP6•PERTHCOLLEGE (UK) è WP3•IFE SAS (Slovak Rep)è WP2•EFI (int.) è WP5•IAMZ-CIHEAM (int.)èWP7•EUROMONTANA (int.)è WP7

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3.Objectives

4.Methodology


6.Finalreflections


SIasakeyissueforEurope

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/innovation/policy/social_en


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SocialInnovation(SI)definitionManydefinitionsforsocialinnovation:•“thosechangesinagendas,agencyandinstitutionsthatleadtoabetterinclusionofexcludedgroupsandindividualsinvariousspheresofsocietyatvariousspatialscales”(Moulaertetal.,2005,1978)•“innovativeactivitiesandservicesthataremotivatedbythegoalofmeetingasocialneedandthatarepredominantlydevelopedanddiffusedthroughorganisationswhoseprimarypurposesaresocial” (Mulgan,2007,8)• “changesinthecultural,normativeorregulativestructures[orclasses]ofthesocietywhichenhanceitscollectivepowerresourcesandimproveitseconomicandsocialperformance” (HämäläinenandHeiskala,2007,74)• SIisthecapacitytocreateandimplementnewideasthatarelikelytodelivervalue(thusmeetingindividualeconomicinterests),contemporarilyrespondingtosocialdemands(thusmeetingsocietalneeds),thataretraditionallynotaddressedbymarketsorexistinginstitutions(e.g.BEPA,2011;Andersonetal.,2015).


2.Theoretical background


PreliminarySIMRAdefinition:Thereconfiguringofsocialpracticesinresponsetochallengesassociatedwithsociety,economyorenvironmentbasedonnovelideasandvalues.Thesenewpracticesincludethecreationofnewinstitutions,networksandgovernancearrangements,andseektoenhancesocietaloutcomes,especiallybutnotexclusivelyfordisadvantagedgroupsandrecognizingthelikelihoodoftrade-offsamongcompetinginterestsandoutcomes.Thesepracticesnecessarilyincludethevoluntaryengagementofcivilsocietyactors.


Our SIdefinitionSeveraldefinitionsinliterature:another“fuzzy” word- riskofmisleading

2.Theoretical background

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Emergingandincreasingsocialneedsandsocietalchallenges:- generalizedeffectson(anincreasing)urbanpopulation:“confusing

environments(suchascrowdedurbanones)…mentalfatigue” (KaplanandKaplan,1989)

- increasingandnewvulnerablegroups:- Peoplewithhealthproblemsconnectedtostressrelatedillnesses,mental

problemsandcardiovascularhealthproblems(e.g.HealthCounciloftheNetherlands,2004;Bowleretal.,2010;Tsunetsuguetal.,2013;GPH,2014,9)

- disabled,(e.g.BEPA,2011).- elders (ageing)andyouth (toointensiveITconnection),- women (employment-familystressmanagement),- unemployed (socialexclusion)andpoorpersons (socialexclusion),- immigrants,refugeesandprisoners(socialexclusion,unemployment)


Societalchallenges



“Thenaturalenvironmentseemstohavesomespecialrelationshiptoeachofthefactorsimportanttoarestorativeenvironment”(KaplanandKaplan,1989)

• Ingeneral:exposuretonaturalenvironmentsenhancesabilitytocopewithandrecoverfromstress(e.g.HealthCounciloftheNetherlands,2004;Bowleretal.,2010;Tsunetsugu etal.,2013;GPH,2014,9)

• Emotional andphyscological health (Bodin andHartig,2003;Hug etal.,2009)

• Physical health andprevention• Socialwellbeing


Landscapebenefits


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3.Objectives

4.Methodology


6.Finalreflections


1Identifywhetherand

howexistingmethods,

approachesandtoolscanbeusedoradapted to

evaluateSIandtheimpactsofnew

socialusesofforestsandMRAs.

2

Whatapproachesandindicators

wouldbestcapturethemultifacetedaspectsofnewsocialusesofforestsand

landscapes,withafocusonthe

specificitiesofhealthandhumanwell-

beinginmarginalizedruralarea?

3.Reflectonwhether

andhowevaluationofSIcansupportmoreeffectivepoliciespromotingnew

socialusesofforestsandMRAs.


Ourobjectivesinrelationtothisconference

3.Objectives

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• Needevidenceonwhatworks– Limitedbudgetandbadpoliciescouldhurt

• Improvepolicy/programmeimplementation– Design(eligibility,benefits)– Operations(efficiencyandtargeting)

• Informationiskeytosustainability– Budgetnegotiations– Informingbeliefsandthepress


Whydoweevaluate?



Evaluationandimpactevaluation

• Evaluation isa periodic,objectiveassessmentofanongoingorcompletedproject,programmeorpolicy,whichasksspecificquestionsregardingimplementation,managementandresults.

• Impactevaluationisanassessmentofthecausaleffectofaproject,programmeorpolicyonbeneficiaries.Itanswersthequestions:- “Whatwastheeffectoftheprogramonoutcomes?”- “Howmuchbetteroffarethebeneficiariesbecauseoftheprogram/policy?”- “Howwouldoutcomeschangeifchangedprogramdesign?”- “Istheprogramcost-effective?”

Inourcase,theprojecttobeevaluatedcanbeasocialinnovationinitiativeinanaturalenvironment,whichtakesadvantageoflandscapebenefitsforacertainsocialneed(e.g.agroupofpersonwithmentalhealthproblems).

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3.Objectives

4.Methodology


6.Finalreflections


• Stakeholdersconsultation(discussedissuesonmethods:qualitativevs.quantitative,processvs.outcome-oriented,participatoryvs.expert-based,primaryvs.secondarydata)

• Identificationandanalysis(basedonastandardizedapproach)ofexistingmethodstobeusedoradaptedforassessingSIanditsimpacts

– UNIPD(Italy):coordination– ICRE8(Greece):economicaspects– UNIFG(Italy):socialaspects– EFI(Finland):environmentalaspects– DLO(TheNetherland):governance/institutionalaspects– BOKU(Austria):policyimplications(outofscopeofthispresentation)


4.Methodology

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3.Objectives

4.Methodology


6.Finalreflections


Reference Method Variables

DiIacovoetal.(2014).Transitionmanagementandsocialinnovationinruralareas:lessonsfromsocialfarming

Investigateroleofsocialservicesinruraldevelopmentthroughcollectivelearning

Public-privatepartnershipsNewrulesandattitudes

Sladeetal.(2013).Evaluatingtheimpactofforestschools:Acollaborationbetweenauniversityandaprimaryschool

Interviews CharacteristicsofEffectiveLearning’ (EarlyEducation,2012)

Tsunetsugu,etal.(2013). Physiologicalandpsychologicaleffectsofviewingurbanforestlandscapesassessedbymultiplemeasurements

Experimental,48maleparticipants;testandphysiologicaltesting

ProfileofMoodStatesquestionnaireHeartbeatandsystolicanddiastolicbloodpressure

Iwataetal.(2016).Thepsychologicalandphysicalimpactsofspendingtimeinforests:acasestudyoftwoforestsinIreland

Questionnaireto179visitorstobroadleafandconiferousforests

Physological well-being(mentalrelaxation,enjoymentandfun)MoodLevelofphysicalactivity

Examplesofstudiesonevaluationoflandscapeeffects


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ExperiencesinSIevaluation:generalcharacteristics• 103frameworks/approaches/methods+200toolscollectedandfullyanalysed(governance/institutionalapproachesmissing)• 33%inEurope• 28%inruralareas

• 23%specifictoassesssocialinnovationissues• 42.3%proposeaparticipatoryapproachesassessmentinvolvingmulti-stakeholders:beneficiaries,policymakers,citizens,experts,communityrepresentatives,farmers,decisionmakers,NGOs,companies,suppliers,publicoperators,households,etc.• Atleast54.6%ofmethodsneedsanexternalevaluators,while24%ofmethodscanbeusedforself-assessment

• 63%useindicators(ofdifferenttypes:outcome,impact,etc.)

SIMRAGeneralAssembly,Barcelona,Spain,16-18May2017



• 60.6%mention“framework” and“approach”,67.3%“method”,and58.7%“tool”

• 27.9%considertheuseofcounterfactualanalysis• Fewmethodsadoptspecificevaluationcriteria:

– Relevance44.2%– Efficiency35.6%– Effectiveness48.1%– Impact58.7%– Others:equity,capacity,sustainability

• 33.7%needtheuseofspecificsoftware (formodelling,SNA,mapping,etc.)


ExperiencesinSIevaluation:useofastructuredmethodology


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Horizon2020No.677622 SIMRAGeneralAssembly,Barcelona,Spain,16-18May2017

ExperiencesinSIevaluation:generalcharacteristics



Evaluationcharacteristics



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Slade,M.,Lowery,C.,&Bland,K.(2013).Evaluatingtheimpactofforestschools:Acollaborationbetweenauniversityandaprimaryschool.SupportforLearning,28(2),66-72.

Frameworkadaptedfromthe‘CharacteristicsofEffectiveLearning’ (EarlyEducation,2012)

Anexampleindetarils


Evaluationcharacteristics• 66.3%explicitlyuseindicators• Amongthem:


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Featuresofthetools• Wecollectedandanalysed200tools

• Only11.2%includethetextofquestions




3.Objectives

4.Methodology


6.Finalreflections

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• Itisnoteasytofindaclearcause-effectchain(theoryofchange)

• Averyfewcasesofexistingmethodsandtoolsspecificallyfocusedonimpactsoflandscapebenefits!

• Mainresultspresentedintheliteratureareonimmediateeffectsonsmallgroupsofbeneficiaries

• Findingtheoverallimpactsonwellbeingoverthelongtermandgeneralisethemismuchmorecomplex!


6.Finalreflections

Socialandsocietalneed

•Studentsspendverylittletimeoutdoors,withconsequencesontheirmentalandphysicalhealth

IDEA•Promotecoursesforteacherstospendmoretimeoutdoors,byfollowingthemodelofForestSchools

Activity

•Teacher trainingcourses developed forForest Schools

Output•Teacherstrained innewmethods (SUPPLYSIDE)

Outcome

•Newmethods used (DEMANDSIDE)•Increased completion rates

Impact

•Increased testscores•Decreased impactofADHD•Decreasedstresslevels

Finalreflections:theresult-chainaskeytool


Atthebasisofanycause-effectevaluation,thetheoryofchangeprovidesadescriptionofhowaninterventiondeliversthedesiredresults.

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• Communityvolunteering (e.g.treeplanting)• Naturetherapy:Wildernesstherapy(e.g.“Montagnaterapia.it”,Horticulturaltherapy,Animalassistedtherapy)

• Workintegrationà Socialfarmsfocusonthehealthofspecificpopulationgroups

• Diverseformsofaccess(e.g.physicalexercise,contemplation)

• ...


SIisinterlinkedwithseverallandscapebenefits!SIinitiativespromotenewusesofforests,andthusprovideoptionsforlandscapebenefits:

6.Finalreflections


• Weneedtoimproveourunderstandingofwhattypesofeffectsofnewsocialusesofforestsandrurallandscapesshouldbeevaluatedandhow(e.g.findnew,morecomprehensiveandeasy-to-detectindicators– orarethosealreadyexistingenough?)

• Weneedtomeasurethereal,longtermandbroaderimpactsonthesocietytobetterguidepolicymakersandpractitioners

àWorkinprogressforSIMRA!


6.Finalreflections

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www.simra-h2020.eu

JoinourdiscussionsinSIMRA!Find(soon)usefulmaterial,tellusaboutcasesofSIinMRA,contributetoourblogandmore!!!

Thanksforyourattention!Forfurtherinformationpleasecontact:[email protected]

DepartmentTESAF– Univ.Padova(Italy)

http://www.thechilicool.com/ http://www.targatocn.it

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