Published on 21 Aug 2025

Restoring Nature and Community: Mixed-method evaluation of Jobs for Nature

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6 BRENDAN 1x1 PORTRAIT 1
Dr Brendan Stevenson Quantitative Analytics Lead Contact me
18 MARNIE 1x1 PORTRAIT 1
Marnie Carter Evaluation Lead (NZ) Contact me
21 NED 1x1 PORTRAIT 1
Ned Hardie-Boys Senior Consultant Contact me

Allen + Clarke’s three-year evaluation of the $1.19 billion Jobs for Nature programme revealed its dual success: creating over 14,600 jobs while delivering substantial environmental benefits across Aotearoa New Zealand. By combining place-based and thematic studies, our analysis showed that the programme was able to effectively shift from immediate employment creation to lasting environmental restoration. We used He Awa Whiria (the braided rivers approach) to weave Māori and Pakeha worldviews together, ensuring our evaluation reflected both perspectives.

Our findings showed that:

·       There were a number of key challenges for the programme including varying levels of iwi and Māori involvement, limited sustainability planning and lack of standardised reporting and contract management across agencies.

·       Despite these challenges the programme achieved remarkable results with over 14,600 employment opportunities created and 11 million plants planted. The Programme also strengthened community resilience, boosted local economies and improved participants’ wellbeing.

·       There were opportunities to strengthen the programme including having greater flexibility in contracts, enhancing project metrics and strengthening partnership approaches.

See the full report here

Understanding the complex programme structure

The Government launched Jobs for Nature to create nature-based employment opportunities in response to COVID-19 fuelled unemployment. The programme aimed to deliver both employment and environmental benefits to communities across New Zealand. The Ministry for the Environment engaged Allen + Clarke to evaluate this cross-agency initiative and assess its impact on people and the environment.

The programme faced several challenges from the start. With lower than predicted unemployment, the focus shifted towards environmental outcomes. The programme’s complexity – spanning 25 funds across five government agencies – along with rising inflation and wage increases affected project delivery. Time-limited funding through June 2025 meant that planning for sustainability was important.

We designed an approach that provide multiple perspectives on performance. Our evaluation team combined expertise in complex evaluations, Māori-centred research, mixed-methods research and systems thinking. This allowed us to understand the programme’s intricate structure and deliver a nuanced assessment.

 

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Environmental and employment wins: Measuring tangible success

Our evaluation found the programme had achieved remarkable results with more than 14,600 employment opportunities created, 10.7 million hours of nature-based work delivered, 11 million plants planted and more than 13,000 hectares of land restores. 

The programme significantly increased capacity for environmental restoration, particularly for iwi and regional communities. Many participants experienced improved wellbeing. Partnerships between government agencies, local government and communities strengthened.

However, we also identified several key challenges:

 

  • The complexities of cross-agency programme delivery had led to inconsistent reporting and contract management. 

  • The shift from employment and environmental focus wasn't consistently reflected in contracts. 

  • Regional capacity for workforce development varied significantly. 

  • Limited sustainability planning emerged as a major concern for stakeholders. 

  • There were varying levels of iwi and Māori involvement in some regions. 

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Blueprint for strengthening: identifying pragmatic steps to enhance delivery

Our evaluation provided practical recommendations to improve the programme:

  • Standardise reporting and contract management across agencies

  • Build greater flexibility into contracts to adapt to changing economic contexts

  • Consider the opportunity to deliver structured training programmes aligned with formal qualifications

  • Implement transition planning beyond 2025.

  • Enhance project metrics for more consistent outcome measurement. 

  • Strengthen partnership approaches with iwi through shared decision-making.

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Interconnected coloured pathways forming abstract network diagram