Deliverable 8.1: Methodology for policy stakeholder survey/interviews

The overall aim of the EJP SOIL work package (WP) 8 - Science to policy interaction, is to support a strengthened science-policy interface within the four EJP SOIL policy domains of Climate change mitigation, Climate change adaptation, Sustainable Production and Sustainable Environment. To facilitate a more in depth analysis the domain of Sustainable Environment was divided into two subdomains: Ecosystem services and Avoiding land degradation. Task 8.2 Understand & Analyse requires the identification, understanding and analysis of policy stakeholder needs at both national and EU levels across these domains. This will be achieved via Sub-Task 8.2.1 Needs analysis, which involves the use of a policy stakeholder survey instrument (survey instrument) as well as Sub-Task 8.2.2 Support for dialogue on policy needs, which involves policy forums. This report details the methodology used to develop the survey instrument used in Sub-Task 8.2.1 Needs Analysis and constitutes Deliverable 8.1 Methodology for policy survey/interviews. The methodology outlined in this report has been developed to help assess policy stakeholder needsfor new knowledge as well as for an enhanced access to currently available scientific results to support future policy development & formation, implementation, and monitoring.Policy stakeholder needs will be assessed at both national and EU levels with this survey instrument.As part of EJP SOIL key policy stakeholders at both national and EU levels have been identified and characterised including their scale of operation and also their level of interest and influence. This provides a standardised dataset of key stakeholders and allows the key policy stakeholders at bothlevels to be targeted with this survey instrument. The survey instrument itself, comprises of Sections A-D described below.Section A) Background information – general information about the respondent is collected to help link the stakeholder needs response to the Member State environmental zone and to the stakeholder type, their role within the policy pathway, and their knowledge across the EJP SOIL policy domains.Section B) Policy framing and barriers to implementation of existing policy targets- respondents will be asked to review existing policies and assess how wide they think the gap is between the policy realisation and the actual target. They will be asked why certain policies are falling short of theirtargetsand to identify barriers to implimentation for these policies.