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Lessons learned success factors for
biodiversity projects Peter Tramberend
Environment Agency Austria
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Analysis of Project examples

• Aim
• to find good and new solutions in combining
  nature conservation with regional development
  processes
• Analysing tool - Success factors
• short-term benefit - identify good-practice
  elements as well as make visible bottlenecks and
  weaknesses very quickly
• long-term benefit - to produce successively
  learning effects by changing processes and
  improve framework conditions
• 60 project examples in a data base

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Method

• A common questionnaire (analysis matrix) for all
  partners to analyse projects
• Focus on
• Project outline
• Funding categories
• Impact on biodiversity and nature conservation
• Innovative practises or methods
• 10 Success factors
• Further good practise elements

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10 Success factors

1. Importance of the topics or problems tackled in
   the project
2. Vision Image of the project
3. Win-win situations
4. Communication
5. Strong stakeholders
6. Good project start early successes
7. Financial conditions
8. Connection to other projects or measures
9. Project coordination and exchange
10. Competence and resources

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Success factors - Results
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1) Importance of the topics/problems

• Importance of the problems tackled in the project
  and determination to find a solution
• Stakeholders at all levels (national, regional,
  local) regard the increasing loss of biodiversity
  as a central problem and consider the financing
  of the project by using ERDF funding to be a
  realistic approach towards solving the problem.
• Stakeholders are
• Environmental protection and nature conservation
  actors
• Actors in regional development
• Politics
• General public

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2) Vision Image of the project

• Providing a vision and an image for future
  developments in nature conservation and
  protecting biodiversity
• Motivating stakeholder for promoting biodiversity
  and nature conservation

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3) Win-win situations

• In addition to ecological benefits as a direct
  project result, other benefits occure e.g.
• eco-tourism / recreation,
• regional marketing of products from the protected
  sites
• social inclusion of disadvantaged or young
  people,
• through additional income, higher subsidy rates,
• through an improved image of the region

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4) Communication

• Quality of communication within the project and
  to external stakeholder
• Quality of methods and tools been used

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5) Strong stakeholders

• Degree of involvement of stakeholders inside and
  outside the field of environmental protection and
  nature conservation, such as
• Politics
• Leaders of interest groups (environment, land
  users, large protected areas, tourism, industry
  etc.)
• Administration

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6) Good project start early successes

• Presenting early project achievements for
  boosting the motivation to support and
  participate in the project, e.g.

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7) Financial conditions

• Sufficient funding opportunities within the
  operational programmes for nature conservation
  issues
• Providing access to potential beneficiaries to
  the ERDF-funding sources (information,
  transparency, support for applicants )

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8) Connection to other projects or measures

• Project interaction with other projects or
  measures, e.g.
• With Natura 2000 management
• With Water Framework Directive
• With Regional Development plans
• good chances for a follow up resp. continuation
  of funding in the long run (i.e. after the
  termination of the project).

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9) Project coordination and exchange

• Measures are in place in order to facilitate
  efficient internal exchange as well as exchange
  with other stakeholders. E.g.
• Partners or regions with similar problems or
  projects in the own country as well as in other
  countries
• Exchange with research institutions, relevant
  administration bodies, enterprises, or other
  relevant stakeholders

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10) Competence and resources

• The project team has the competences and
  resources needed for the successful
  implementation of the project. This includes,
  e.g.
• know-how and experience within the relevant
  nature conservation issues,
• strategic and communication skills (for example
  negotiating),
• enough staff and time,
• a solid financial background that assures the own
  contribution to the funding,

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Sustainable Use of Regional funds - for
Nature Thank you for your Attention!
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