Evaluation of the Engagement of OEH Planning Teams in the Planning System OEH-801-2014

Project Member(s): Ryan, R., Molloy, L., Selmon, N., Lawrie, A.

Funding or Partner Organisation: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage)

Start year: 2015

Summary: The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) contracted the Centre to demonstrate and evaluate the outcomes achieved through engagement of OEH land use planning teams in the NSW planning system, and build the capacity of OEH planning teams to implement future evaluation and monitoring of their work. Using a program logic and outcomes hierarchy approach, the objectives of the evaluation were to: identify, assess and report on how the activities undertaken by planning teams are influencing environmental planning and assessment in NSW; develop an ongoing monitoring and evaluation framework to support future assessment of the outcomes of the work of OEH planning teams; and provide an evidence base to inform future policy and program direction. The evaluation included a series of internal workshops, a dedicated capacity building program, desktop literature and policy review of planning team activities and desired outcomes, segmented online surveys of key government, non-government and private sector stakeholders, in-depth interviews and in-depth case studies of planning team outcomes in each region.

FOR Codes: Land Use and Environmental Planning, Environment Policy, Public Policy, Public Services Policy Advice and Analysis, Environmental Policy, Legislation and Standards not elsewhere classified