Choosing Appropriate Interventions, Phase 3

Project description and aims

In order to improve the effectiveness of Environmental Inspectorates’ implementation of the environmental acquis, this project aims to provide IMPEL members with a toolkit for choosing interventions, according to circumstances. The tool has been developed and tested in phase 1 and 2 of the project. During phase 3 improvements will be made to the iDEPEND modelling tool, a host site will be indentified and the benefits of dependency modelling and the toolkit will be broader communicated.

In the 7th Environmental Action Programme (7 EAP) a key strand is effective implementation of environmental legislation. In 2012, the EC issued a communication on improving the delivery of environment measures (COM (2012) 95) which highlights the use of complementary approaches to inspections. The first phase of this project (2012) introduced the concept of a model, or road map, to help choose complementary approaches. The second phase of this project (2013) developed and tested a toolkit to enable practitioners and policy makers to choose the right mix of interventions, according to circumstances, to achieve environmental outcomes or goals. This included use of a dependency modelling tool called iDEPEND. iDEPEND allows users to set objectives (or outcomes) and assemble, map and and test the factors on which the objectives (or outcome) depend (dependencies). The project produced guidance on how to use dependency modelling to help choose appropriate interventions.

The main activities of this phase (3) of the project will be to:

1. Provide a dependency modelling tool based on iDEPEND and reflecting user testing carried out in phase 2.
2. Provide guidance on how to choose interventions using iDEPEND developed during phase 2.
3. Establish a site and/or portal to host: iDEPEND; a library of interventions; and information / evidence on using interventions.
4. Communicate and promote the toolkit to IMPEL members and other users.

• Training: Webinar