Environmental Education Tier 1

Environmental outcome 

• Identify and understand the environmental problem being addressed. (Who/what is causing it? What needs to change?)
• Understand and clearly demonstrate the theory of change underlying a project. (for example, how the project proposal will improve the environmental problem)
• Look beyond the traditional focus on single behaviours to broader approaches considering practices, values, worldviews, and changes in organisations and institutions.

Community need

• Know the target audience (e.g. Who are they? Where are they located? Why target them? 
• Explore and build evidence on the target audience needs (for example, What are their typical behaviours, characteristics, values, and worldviews? What influence do they have on the environmental problem you are seeking to address?) 
• Understand appropriate ways to engage and educate the target audience to inform the project design and delivery.

Collaboration

• Identify relevant collaborators (or partners).
• Establish how collaborators can add value to the scoping, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of the project.
• Indicate how collaborators will be actively involved in the project.

Capacity building

• Consider how the project will enhance the skills and capacity of the target audience and collaborators.
• Capacity building and training is integral in developing sustained behaviour and skills  Evaluation and dissemination.
• Identify evaluation techniques that will: 
  • measure the success of the project. (for example, have changes occurred in the practices of the target audience that will result in an environmental outcome?)
  • ensure continuous improvement based on findings.
  • share education and engagement outcomes (for example, approaches, tools, resources).

Target audience 

The target audience is the demographic that the project activities will seek to engage.

Understanding the target audience is perhaps the most crucial component when designing an education project.  

Applicants should carefully consider a community’s characteristics, including geographic location, socioeconomic status, specific needs, values, drivers, culture and interests, and what they will need to contribute towards the environmental outcome you want to achieve. 

Status for tax purposes

All applicants must have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) establishing the organisation as an eligible entity. 

Lead applicant

If successful in securing a grant, the lead applicant will hold primary responsibility for the delivery of the project. 

This includes managing the administrative and financial requirements of the grant, and the performance of collaborators. Non-incorporated community groups and organisations are only eligible to apply if they appoint an external manager to auspice grant funds on their behalf. 

Collaborators

Collaborators are key project partners that are external to the lead applicant’s organisation. They can provide a valuable source of expertise and skills to ensure the long-term success of a project (sustained behaviour change). They can also help lead applicants reach their target audiences.  

Lead applicants must engage collaborators as part of developing an application and, if awarded a grant, maintain their active involvement during delivery of the project. Collaborators are also expected to commit to ongoing use of the project outcomes. Note: Confirmation of collaborator commitments is a requirement in all applications. 

Past performance

The Trust will take into consideration any record of past poor performance in respect of previous grants, or any history of non-compliance with statutory or regulatory obligations when assessing eligibility.  

If it is considered that past performance presents a sufficient risk to the timely and effective performance of the project, an applicant may be asked to respond to the determination, and this response will be considered alongside the overall merits of the application. 
Special conditions may be included in the funding agreement to address any issues of concern. 

Regional representation

The Trust uses a merit-based assessment process for all applications, and does not allocate funding for specific areas or regions of the state. However, we strongly encourage applications from regional and rural communities, or projects that incorporate regional collaborations or partnerships. 

All applications are assessed against the criteria outlined below.

After individual assessment, the TRC meet to discuss and agree on which projects will be recommended to the Trust for funding consideration.

Criterion 1: Environmental outcome (scored out of 10) 

• Clear explanation of the environmental problem (aligned with the Trust’s Strategic Plan 2020–24 priorities) and sustainability challenges to be addressed (i.e. need is clearly demonstrated).
• Likelihood that the project will make a difference to this problem. Clear description of the theory of change underlying the project.
• The application demonstrates how the project will facilitate behavioural and systemic changes that will deliver clearly defined, measurable outcomes for the natural environment, and implementation of activities to achieve these changes are clearly described in the workplan.

Criterion 2: Target audience (scored out of 10)

• Clear specification and understanding of a target audience that can achieve the environmental outcomes identified.
• Likely impact of communication on the target audience and quality of the engagement strategy • Extent to which project activities build capacity of target audience, as well as the applicant and collaborators.
• The activities described in the workplan reflect an understanding of the transformative learning model and include co-design principles.
• Proposed changes in behaviours and systems, and the activities and resources that will facilitate these are measurable, either quantitatively and/or qualitatively.

Criterion 3: Project team and collaborators (scored out of 10)

• Relevance and strength of the collaborators’ and project team’s expertise and experience.
• Demonstrated engagement of collaborators in developing proposal and commitment to involvement in project.
• Demonstrated commitment of the applicant to continue to support the project’s outcomes beyond the life of the grant.
• Participation of project collaborators is visible in the workplan activities.

Criterion 4: Project planning (scored out of 10)

• Clear explanation of how the project will be evaluated and disseminated. The workplan integrates monitoring and evaluation into project activities.
• How well the project incorporates measures to monitor and address identified risk factors.
• Feasible timeframe for achieving proposed outcomes and outputs.
• Demonstrated evidence that similar or existing programs/projects are not duplicated (this does not include expansion of pilot projects or implementation of plans developed through previous programs/projects).
• Degree of originality or innovation of a proposed approach (not essential).

Criterion 5: Value for money (scored out of 10) 

• Extent to which the budget supports the proposed activities and resources, and whether it will ensure the viability of the project overall.
• The likely environmental/sustainability impact of the proposal relative to the amount of program funds sought.
• Transferability for dissemination of project outcomes.
• The applicant has proposed a project budget that clearly describes project costs, demonstrates how Trust funds will be spent. It also provides details about any funds from other sources where relevant, and describes what in-kind contributions can be expected.
• Appropriate allocation of funds across a range of items eligible for funding (see Part 3: What can be funded, eligible and ineligible activities), including materials and other direct project costs, professional expertise, in-kind support and/or cash contributions, and voluntary time.