Case Studies on the Gateway

Case Studies are simple, 1-page documents that are displayed on the site or can be downloaded as a PDF document

Any group can add a Case Study to their Gateway Page. Whilst the case studies form part of the reporting requirements for organisations with a contract under the 2024-2027 Landcare Enabling Program, any group can choose to create a case study. 

Case Studies are simple, 1-page documents that are displayed on the site or can be downloaded as a PDF document for printing and distribution. They are based on a structured template with a number of possible variations to provide some variety. 

They are a great way for your group to communicate what you are doing and achieving and provide content on the Gateway from which other groups can learn from your experiences.  The case studies are a significant way in which Landcare "can tell its story". 

Adding a Case Study 

You must first log into the Gateway and navigate to your Group's page. From there, if you have appropriate editing rights*, you will see the blue button on the left side menu next to 'Case Studies'. *If you don't see the blue button and you need access to this please contact gateway@landcarensw.org.au and identify yourself and which group you need edit access to. 

You will be presented with a template into which you can enter your information. You can safely save and check print preview in the Case Study as often as you like until you get it right. Note that because the PDF template is strictly controlled, you may find that it takes a bit of experimenting until you get the layout just right.  

If you exceed the word length in the heading, description or other sections, the Print Preview will show a blank page at the start (so you will need to check this before submitting) 

All of the input fields are flexible and can stretch to accommodate extra content, but there is a physical limit to the PDF page size, so you may find that excess content is cropped. 

Content 

The heading of your case study should be short and if possible "catchy" to grab the reader's attention. If your heading is too long it won't display correctly on the PDF version, and your logo will be overwritten. 

More detail can be loaded on the next line "Case Study Description" - to provide context to the heading and your case study. Or you can use this line if you want to include the name of a subgroup to which the case study relates. 

Reference number - for Landcare Enabling Program (LEP) grantees this is your contract number eg  LEP_ [funding deed no.] _role e.g. LEP_025_RLC  

Tag Line - this is the theme that your case study is highlighting. This is based on the objectives of the Landcare Enabling Program:  

─ Text Fields - this is where you tell your story 

  • The Challenge/Problem/Issue (ie  What was the issue/problem identified) 
  • The Solution (ie How did you go about addressing this - Where did the resources come from - What did you do) 
  • The Impact (ie What did you achieve - Why is this important – What is the long-term impact) 
  • The Learnings (What did you learn – What were the success and failures) 

Some of the fields are grouped and will stretch together. For example, the issue, the solution, the impact fields can be adjusted to fit the page.  A combined word limit for these sections of around 350 words will "fit" to the layout of the PDF print out. Every case study is different - some will have more information in the solution, others in the issue or impact, hence you can choose how many words to place in each section. Think carefully about the story you want to tell - and ensure that you have the content in the appropriate section (eg  it is surprisingly easy to muddle up parts of the issue and solutions into the one box). 

The section Learnings should be filled in as this is an important part in sharing what you have learnt about your project - what worked well and what didn't. You can choose whether this displays on the PDF version (due to space reasons or simply because learnings may not be compatible with your intended use of the case study). Simply tick the checkbox below the content box to determine if you want this section displayed or not. 

The Key facts box will stretch based on how many rows you enter. Each row will automatically display as a dot point. However, as a rule try to stick with no more than 5 concise single line points to allow room for your images and project partners logos to display correctly. Key facts work best as "measurable items" eg number of people, number of hectares, number of partners etc, though you can include qualitative ones as well if that is a better fit for your case study. 

Images 

Images should be uploaded in web format - jpg, png or gif, and should generally be about 800px wide. They should be preferably high resolution, particularly if you plan to print a PDF as an A3 or poster size. 

Logo - A square logo (eg for the standard LAL supplied Landcare logos the stacked rather than the in-line version) in png format with transparent background works best. By default the logo* you have loaded on your Gateway page will be automatically picked up and inserted, but you can override this by inserting a different logo (such as if your case study is about the activities of a subgroup - ie you may wish to have that group's logo at the top of the case study instead of your own).  * If the logo appears too small on the case study it may be that the default logo that the case study template is referencing is too small; too wide; too tall or contains too much white space around it. To replace existing default logo refer to the Gateway Help "Updating your Group Page". 

Images - (photos, infographics, charts, graphs etc) You may upload none, one or 2 content images. If you upload 1 image, then it can be taller to fill the space of two. If you upload 2 then you should follow the image sizes suggested on the edit page. 

Project Partners - can contain up to 4 images, again, we recommend that you try to upload square logos in png format with transparent backgrounds, 300 x 300px square.  If you load a subgroups logo at the top of the case study, we recommend you load your own logo here. 

Layout Options - In addition to the variety of content options, you can also choose from a few template layout options. You can choose to place your images on the left or right, and you can choose from a number of PDF template colour schemes. 

Acknowledging funding  

Please ensure that Program branding requirements and acknowledgments are met when creating your case studies.  

LEP Program  

There will be a standard LEP program acknowledgment on the bottom of the template (More information regarding Acknowledgement and Branding is located here )

Private Land Conservation Matters (PLCM).  

If your case study is partially funded by PLCM, please include the following under the Solution section in the first paragraph 

Landcare NSW and the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust are working together to raise awareness and support private land conservation efforts across the state. 

People Led Prevention (PLP)  

If your case study is partially funded by PLCM, please include the following under the Solution section in the first paragraph 

Landcare NSW’s People Led Prevention project empowers communities across regional NSW in developing disaster resilience and preparedness skills. The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments. 

Saving and Submitting 

The save button is at the base of the edit form.  You can safely save and return to your work as many times as you like. When you "save" you will return to a HTML version of how your case study will be displayed. At the top of the HTML view, you will see a number of buttons. 

You should then hit print preview to ensure your case study will "fit" to the PDF layout - this may involve a few reviews of your edit form to cut back or add content until your PDF version has the look you are happy with. At this point, although you can see your case study whilst logged in, it is "draft" and won't be visible until it is "published". 

Once you are happy with the case study - in both the online and PDF versions - hit the submit for endorsement button (You will need to first hit the save button which will take you to the HTML page. The submit for endorsement button is located at the bottom right of the page), and Program staff will review your case study and change its state to "published" or get back to you with suggestions.  

PDF Download 

Once you are satisfied with your creation, you can then download it via the Download PDF button. This will generate a PDF file that you can print or share. Suggested uses are to provide examples of your groups' activities in your annual report, or for printing as flyers and posters. 

The Landcare Enabling Program or Landcare NSW staff will also download selected case studies for use in Program evaluation and for marketing. 

Need further help? 

If you encounter any difficulties completing your case study, you can contact Gateway Help by email. Or contact lep@landcarensw.org.au