IES launches new case study report for collaborative working

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Over the past year the IES has been working with ACCESS (Advancing Capacity for Climate & Environmental Social Science) to develop a toolkit, and supporting resources, for collaborative working across disciplines and sectors in environmental science. The toolkit was launched at the IES's flagship conference, Dialogue Between Disciplines, earlier this year. It comprises a set of six principles to help bridge disciplinary and sectoral boundaries, with each principle supported by practical questions, prompts, and co-produced resources that will help teams and individuals navigate different phases of collaborative working, from project design through to evaluation and reflection.

We are now pleased to share the accompanying Collaborative working across disciplines and sectors: Case study report (pdf download). You can access all of the project resources here.

During the process of co-producing the toolkit, a survey was distributed to environmental researchers and practitioners to gather examples of collaborative working across research, policy, and practice. It also explored perceived barriers and enablers of successful collaboration, including organisational cultures, funding structures, skills, motivations, and the practical realities of working across disciplines and sectors. This case study report has been developed from the survey findings to illustrate how and where collaborative working is currently taking place, and to reflect on what it looks like in practice. The collection of case studies is as varied and diverse as the ACCESS and IES network, with projects ranging in size, budget, disciplines, and sectors.

The case study report will be released later today at an online launch event; the recording will be made available in due course for those unable to attend live. The launch will feature insights from the project team as well as additional reflections from some of the case study contributors. You can register here to attend.

The case studies included in the report cover specialisms including marine & coastal science, water, air quality, policy, energy and more:

Sustainable management of coastal lagoons in West Africa, by Sian Davies-Vollum, University of Leeds and Chair of the IES Marine & Coastal Science Community
Rural water security in Dewas region, Madhya Pradesh, India, by Mark Everard, UWE, Baerlocher and Vice President at the IES
Gas Net New project, by Chris Jones, University of Portsmouth
Collaborative horizon scanning for post-Brexit policymaking, by Gary Kass, Imperial College London and Vice President at the IES
The EPIC Guidance on Integrating Action on Air Quality and Climate Change, by Alaric Lester, Tech Writing Hub and Sarah Legge, Vice Chair of EPIC
Developing, delivering and evaluating the Preventing and Tackling Mental Ill Health Through Green Social Prescribing Test and Learn programme, by Rebecca Lovell and Harriet Hunt, University of Exeter
Clean Air Gas Engine / Defra–DESNZ Red Diesel Replacement Project, by Daniel Marsh, The Centre for Low Emission Construction, Imperial College London and Committee member of IAQM
From compliance to collaborative ownership: Interdisciplinary resource efficiency and sustainability transformation in Pakistan’s textile sector, by Mudassar Adil, GIZ GmbH
SocEnv Soils and Stones project, by Sarah Ridgeon, MCIPR and Martin Ballard, CEnv CMgr FISEP, Society for the Environment (SocEnv)
Cross-sectoral collaborations for the EU’s low carbon transition, by Melanie Rohse, Ami Crowther, and Rosie Robson, Anglian Ruskin University
“Culture Nature” – a series of interdisciplinary collaborative partnership projects led by Natural England and Libraries Connected, by Cordelia Spalding, Natural England and Sarah Mears, Libraries Connected
Developing an integrated, cross-domain, and sector-agnostic Sustainability Hierarchy Framework (SHF) to break decision-making silos, Melissa Wang, Greenpeace Research Laboratories

Social science at the IES

Within the IES, social scientists work across policy, practice, and research. They ensure behavioural and social science evidence is used alongside other environmental expertise to support effective environmental work that delivers for our society, economy and environment.

If you're a social scientist and not yet a member, consider joining the IES to connect with environmental professionals across disciplines, providing myriad opportunities for interdisciplinary knowledge-sharing and development of systems-led solutions.