Guidelines for the Development of Upscaling Plans
4. Developing recommendations
Based on your strategical analysis and how you foresee that barriers can be addressed the concluding part of your upscaling route map should provide your guidance, advice and recommendations on how to address the key barriers identified in the PESTEL analysis based on your knowledge and experience.
Developing recommendations includes identifying enabling actions that are needed to address the barrier and the actors that need to be consulted or engaged. It is also valuable to consider the feasibility in addressing the barrier (low-medium-high). Any further comments that support relevant actors in addressing the barrier should be provided. Two examples are given below
This is a key part of the route-map, which is very important for capturing the learning of your project. It should be well understood that individual project teams are only expert and experienced in a specific geography and/or subject and so provide a particular perspective. If you identify an issue but have nothing to offer from your project or personal expertise on how to address it, be honest – your route-map is a guide not a set of instructions.
Example recommendations
Social barrier – Addressing the social barrier of the large number of private forest owners in Sweden
Enabling action – Leverage the dedication and interest of private forest owners by:
- Establishing a framework to record and acknowledge the contributions of private forest owners towards Sweden's adherence to the NRR. This framework should be accessible and ideally with incentives for landowners to disclose information regarding their restoration efforts.
- Recognizing and capitalizing on the diverse array of private forest owners. Acknowledge their individual contribution and their right to autonomy.
- Enforcing impartiality standards for forestry advisors or alternatively facilitate individual landowners' access to unbiased forestry guidance at a reasonable price.
Actors – Government agencies in collaboration with landowner organizations
Feasibility – Moderate with a challenge to overcome existing distrust.
Comment – The current negative narrative around the NRR within certain groups of the forest sector needs careful consideration during communication and to overcome the distrust also financial incentives should be made available.
Example recommendations
Economic barrier: Lack of market instruments for payment of ecosystem services
Enabling actions – Explore the emerging set of commercial actors that links companies/business that wish to offset their environmental footprint (carbon and/or biodiversity) with landowners. Ensure that contracts developed include clear restoration targets and a developed monitoring system with relevant indicators to ensure long-term effects and social credibility.
Actors – Mediator companies, landowners, landowner organizations
Feasibility – High, especially if credible systems with long-term commitment develops.
Comment – The major risk lies in whether these initiatives can show positive and additive effects (net-gain) on the ground to avoid accusation of greenwashing i.e., a suitable monitoring system should be implemented. Ideally a certification system for carbon- and biodiversity credits should be established.