UKEOF Impact

If you have any examples of where UKEOF has had an impact on your work, let us know at

Impact

The impact of UKEOF’s work can be demonstrated in different ways. The examples below highlight some of the outcomes and impacts that UKEOF’s work has had.

This page is under revision

UKEOF Catalogue

The UKEOF Catalogue holds metadata of over 1100 activities, providing the only UK overview of observation activities.
This availability of metadata is an invaluable tool, and the examples below highlight its value:

  •  THE UKEOF Catalogue has been used as a key evidence base for the Consolidated Evidence work stream of the Defra network Strategic Alignment project.
  • The Systematic Observations section of the UK’s Sixth National Communication, a report required of Parties to the UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) was drafted for DECC by drawing on the UKEOF catalogue, and work by the UKEOF Secretariat and a contractor, to provide a comprehensive overview of UK activities making observations of the climate system;
  • The Natural England mapping of monitoring sites was greatly facilitated by the existing network UKEOF provides and the UKEOF catalogue was a source of key evidence. The project allowed members to look at their monitoring networks alongside Natural England’s and investigate collaborative opportunities.
  • JNCC have used the UKEOF catalogue to find coverage gaps in NBN network, to inform future strategy.
  • South Australia is using UKEOF as a role model for observations and have requested further information relating to the Catalogue.

Guide to Citizen Science

UKEOF’s Guide to Citizen Science was published in 2012 and has received a large amount of media coverage since its publication, for example featuring twice on the BBC news website. This has given it a wide audience, with an estimated 10,000 downloads and prompted enquiries from organisations, students and members of the public into Citizen Science. The Guide is underpinned by a comprehensive report, Understanding Citizen Science and Environmental Monitoring.

The Guide and Report have had some very positive feedback from organisations, as demonstrated below:

"The Citizen Science Guide and report provide some useful advice on the difficult issue of data quality, and the active demonstration of data quality"
Met Office
"On a personal level [the Guide] gave confidence that solutions to perceived / actual barriers in adopting citizen science are within grasp."
DOENI
"[The report has] increased interest and willingness to consider Citizen Science as legitimate science input within our organisation"
MBA

UKEOF are continuing to monitor the impact of the Guide and Report – if you have used the Guide or Report, please fill in this questionnaire.

Other examples

Other examples where UKEOF has had an impact include:

  • The Statement of Need evidence has been used by the UK Space Agency to highlight the opportunities for the use of remote sensing to provide key evidence streams
  • An influential response to the consultation on the implementation of the Environment Monitoring Facilities Theme (EF) of INSPIRE Annex III was able to be produced, utilising the network and knowledge of UKEOF.

Members of the UKEOF Management Group have also confirmed the value of UKEOF which can be seen in the examples below:

  • Wales Environment Research Hub: Following the development and publication of the Decision Support Framework, UKEOF received feedback confirming the usability and helpfulness of this tool. One example was the Wales Environment Research Hub who stated that they would use the Decision Support Framework at every opportunity for their environmental monitoring research priorities. 
"Many thanks for having done all the hard work on this, and for supplying a very useful tool that will help to keep us 'joined-up' and making the most out of limited resources"
S Russell
  • Natural England: It was noted that UKEOF has been invaluable in bringing together Public Sector organisations, particularly in reference to the work done of progressing the Long Term Monitoring Network with Natural England.
"I believe that securing greater integration and collaboration across organisations would have taken a lot longer without UKEOF (and a lower likelihood of succeeding.)  You have provided a more impartial facilitating role in bringing organisations together for this project."
A Nisbet.

 

If you feel UKEOF has had an impact on your work or organisation, let us know at office@ukeof.org.uk

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