Impact and Learning

The members of an LP need to have some way to assess progress made in realizing the long-term vision and reaching the short-term goals of the LP. This means developing a practical and transparent learning and impact monitoring system that can help assess the actual outcomes of landscape activities against agreed indicators of holistic landscape-level impact. Landscape-scale impact assessment also supports ongoing collective learning about ways to improve the effectiveness of different management interventions. 

Results can be used by the LP to adapt and improve its own strategy, targets, action plans and investments. Evidence from impact assessments can also demonstrate to policy makers and other actors the benefits of the LP and of ILM, and mobilize greater support for the approach and for the actions and investments being promoted. 

Examples of landscapes using impact assessments and methods for capturing lessons and results include the Greater San Jose Metropolitan Area, Costa Rica and the Chiapas Coffee growing region, Mexico.

The ILM process is a journey; progress is not linear.

Impact and Learning Outputs

Results and analysis of impact

Periodically evaluating change in impact indicators can reveal whether the Action Plan and Strategy are having the desired effect, and highlight synergies and trade-offs of different interventions. Impact assessment starts with agreement on the set of target indicators (adapted from Element 3.2) to be evaluated. To inform a multi-stakeholder ILM strategy, these need to include indicators related to production and the economy, healthy nature, human well-being and inspiration for collective action. Then decisions need to be made about methods that will be used to assess each of them, as well as who will be responsible for collection and then analysis. Read More

Suggested tools that can help achieve this output
  1. 4 Returns Monitoring in Practice: A Guidebook
  2. A Landscape Perspective on Monitoring & Evaluation for Sustainable Land Management: A Trainer's Manual
  3. Forland
  4. LandScale
  5. Landscape Assessment Framework: Concept and Guidelines
  6. Spatial Planning and Monitoring of Landscape Interventions: Maps to Link People with Their Landscapes
  7. Understanding EcoAgriculture: A Framework for Measuring Landscape Performance

Reflection and learning summaries

The ILM process is a journey; progress is not linear. Thus reflection and learning is an essential part of the impact evaluation cycle helping to adapt and iterate in order to continue growing in the right direction. Reflections allow an LP to move beyond tactical thinking to strategic thinking. Learning entails being able to look at the past, understand it, and improve things going forward. Facilitators can help the LP group to structure their reflections, on the results of the impact analysis and other assessments, and translate these into concrete proposed adjustments to the LP, landscape assessment, vision, strategy and planning and action plan. These reflections and recommendations can be captured in a synthesis report, learning briefs, newsletter articles, videos, or LP meeting notes. Selected materials can be used by the LP in external communications to motivate continued or increased support. Read More

Suggested tools that can help achieve this output
  1. 4 Returns Monitoring in Practice: A Guidebook
  2. How are we doing? A tool to reflect on the process, progress and priorities of your multi-stakeholder forum
  3. Making Evaluations Matter: A Practical Guide for Evaluators
  4. Outcome Mapping (OM)
  5. Retrospectives
  6. Theory U: Dialogue Interviews
  7. Theory U: Guided Journaling