Collective goals and actions criterion
The collective goals and actions criterion evaluates whether stakeholders in the landscape initiative have established a shared vision by defining long-term sustainability impact goals at the landscape scale. It also assesses whether they have developed a collective action plan and a strategy for securing the necessary funding and resources to achieve these goals.
To assess these aspects, the criterion is divided into three sub-criteria:
Collective sustainability goals.
Collective action plan.
Funding and finance strategy.
Collective sustainability goals sub-criterion
For a landscape initiative to drive meaningful and lasting change, stakeholders must define clear, long-term sustainability impact goals. This sub-criterion evaluates whether the initiative has established measurable goals that reflect social, environmental, and economic priorities, and whether there is a process in place to regularly review and update these goals to adapt to evolving landscape conditions.
To meet this sub-criterion, the initiative should have identified at least three goals, including at least one environmental goal and one social goal.
A strong set of sustainability goals should:
Be informed by a context analysis or similar assessment of current landscape conditions and stakeholder priorities.
Address social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability.
Be accompanied by measurable metrics, baseline data, and short- and medium-term milestones.
Be regularly reviewed and updated as needed to reflect changing conditions in the landscape.
Documentation requirements
To meet this sub-criterion, the following materials must be submitted through the LandScale platform for validation:
A list of the landscape initiative's sustainability impact goals.
Evidence that the sustainability impact goals were informed by a context analysis, baseline study, or other similar assessment.
Documentation of stakeholder consultation in setting the goals (optional).
A description of the process for reviewing and updating the goals over time, including:
The stakeholders responsible for the review process.
The frequency of reviews.
The decision-making process to ensure consensus on updates.
Validation criteria
Validation will confirm whether the following requirements have been fulfilled:
All required documentation has been submitted via the platform.
Goals are clearly listed and encompass social, environmental, and economic priorities.
At least three goals are identified, including at least one environmental goal and one social goal.
Goals are informed by a documented context analysis, baseline study, or other similar assessment.
If included, documentation of stakeholder consultation in goal setting is provided.
A process for reviewing and updating the goals has been established and is adequately described.
Collective action plan sub-criterion
A well-defined collective action plan is essential for translating sustainability goals into concrete steps and ensuring long-term impact. This sub-criterion evaluates whether stakeholders have agreed on a multi-year action plan that outlines clear strategies for achieving sustainability goals and whether there is a structured process in place to review and update the plan regularly.
A strong collective action plan should:
Address systemic issues by focusing on long-term solutions that can be embedded in local governance.
Consider diverse land uses and commodities within the landscape.
Outline strategies and actions that align with defined milestones and advance progress toward sustainability goals.
Be publicly available and agreed upon by participating stakeholders to ensure broad support.
Be updated regularly to reflect progress, funding availability, and changing conditions.
Include a finance or funding strategy to support implementation.
Documentation requirements
To meet this sub-criterion, the following materials must be submitted through the LandScale platform for validation:
Documentation of the landscape initiative's multi-year action plan, which should:
Clearly define available resources (e.g., funding, technical support).
Include at least one action per sustainability impact goal.
Address diverse land-use types and/or commodities.
Be adopted by multiple stakeholders.
Be publicly available.
Have been updated within the last five years.
Documentation of stakeholder consultation and endorsement related to the action plan (optional).
A description of the process for reviewing and updating the action plan over time, including:
The stakeholders responsible for the review process.
The frequency of reviews.
Validation criteria
Validation will confirm whether the following requirements have been fulfilled:
All required documentation has been submitted via the platform.
The action plan is aligned with sustainability impact goals and milestones, and meets the following criteria:
Available resources are clearly defined.
Includes at least one action per sustainability impact goal.
Addresses diverse land-use types and/or commodities relevant to the landscape.
Is endorsed by multiple stakeholders and publicly available.
Has been updated within the last five years.
If included, documentation of stakeholder consultation related to the action plan is provided.
A process for reviewing and updating the action plan has been established and is adequately described.
Funding and finance strategy sub-criterion
A funding and finance strategy is essential for ensuring the long-term viability of a landscape initiative. It can also enhance the initiative’s appeal to companies and investors by demonstrating financial planning, risk mitigation, and long-term impact potential. This sub-criterion assesses whether the collective action plan is supported by a structured financial approach that identifies funding sources, secures diversified financial resources, and ensures sustained implementation over time.
Documentation requirements
To meet this sub-criterion, the following materials must be submitted through the LandScale platform for validation:
Documentation of the landscape initiative's funding and finance strategy, or a description that includes:
How the initiative has identified potential funding sources.
Efforts to secure diversified funding streams.
The long-term financial strategy to support the implementation of the action plan.
Indication of the funding secured and anticipated funding needs (optional).
Validation criteria
Validation will confirm whether the following requirements have been fulfilled:
All required documentation has been submitted via the platform.
A long-term financial strategy that supports the implementation of the collective action plan has been established and is adequately described.
The strategy outlines efforts to diversify funding sources and ensure financial sustainability.
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