Social Researcher

The Environmental Land Management (ELM) programme is a core part of FFCP through providing ‘public money for public goods’ across a wide range of environmental outcomes. Our new ELM scheme will launch in 2024 and will pay farmers and land managers for providing environmental benefits such as clean air, clean and plentiful water, thriving plants and wildlife, reduction in and protection from environmental hazards; beauty, heritage and engagement with the environment; mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. The ELM programme is responsible for designing and delivering this scheme, including building our evidence base through Tests and Trials and the ELM National Pilot, and ensuring we have the right policy and delivery approach to achieve our objectives. We are working closely with a range of environmental and agricultural stakeholders to collaboratively design the new scheme so that it is fit for purpose.

We have an exciting and challenging role for a Social Researcher within the ELM Science and Evaluation team, which includes Social Science, Monitoring and Evaluation and Natural Science teams. ELM is a large and fast-paced division comprising of policy, delivery and evidence teams working together to develop this new scheme. Staff are geographically dispersed with a mixture of office and home-working arrangements in place. A range of technologies are used to connect between members as part of our day to day working.

We are committed to taking positive action on diversity through recruitment, and actively encourage applications from as diverse a group of candidates as possible. The department is an equal opportunities employer. Applications are welcome regardless of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or age.

Responsibilities

You will join a team of social scientists responsible for supporting both strategic policy development and delivery. The ELM Social Science team works on a broad range of policy-relevant topics, including:

• Land manager behaviour and decision-making
• Effective design of local governance for Agri-Environment Schemes
• Factors affecting uptake and the quality of Agri-Environment Scheme delivery
• Social dimensions to payment methodology design and effectiveness
• Role and impacts of advisory services for land managers
• Communications and stakeholder engagement research

All members of the team contribute to these themes, but typically work to a principle area of focus led by a Senior Social Researcher.

You will work to –

1. Provide high quality analysis and insight to the development and delivery of ELM. The post holder will work closely with a senior social researcher in a discrete area of our research portfolio, responsible for developing detailed analytical products that are relevant to current policy questions. This may involve conducting in-house primary research (e.g. interviewing, running focus groups, designing surveys); supporting the design, procurement, and project management of external research commissions; conducting evidence reviews and secondary analysis of academic and grey literature; and internal consultancy to provide a social science perspective on key policy topics.

2. Support the wider evidence team to embed evidence-based policy across ELM, through building positive and effective relationships with internal colleagues within the division and with external stakeholders, where required. You will work closely with other analytical professions, including economists, natural scientists, operational researchers and statisticians to ensure we have a strong evidence base to support our policy goals.

3. Contribute to the overall culture and effective working practice of the ELM Social Science team, ELM evidence teams, and Future Farming and Countryside Programme (FFCP) analysis division, by participating actively in ELM and FFCP analysis activities, contributing to wider divisional Learning and development

Person specification

We’d love to hear from you if you have the following essential skills and experience:

• Experience working with qualitative and quantitative research
• Experience working at pace to deliver an analytical product to a short turnaround
• Ability to work closely with a mixed team of analysts and non-analysts, to collaborate and build positive working partnerships with colleagues, and to explain specialist activities effectively to non-specialist colleagues.

Qualifications

• This post is open to full members of the Government Social Research profession or those able to meet the social research expertise requirements of membership (who would be assessed as part of the application process and would join as badged government social researchers). The requirements of membership can be found here.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/886096/GSR_Membership_Guidance_2020.pdf

Memberships

This post is open to full members of the Government Social Research profession or those able to meet the social research expertise requirements of membership (who would be assessed as part of the application process and would join as badged government social researchers).

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Making Effective Decisions

Communicating and Influencing

Working Together

Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Social Research design and analysis

Interpretation & Communication of research findings

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension