Project Management

The current project management arrangements for WDF are set out below. This consists of the Project Management Board, the Operational Group and the User Group. If you are a local authority and want to know who your User Group representative is then please click here

Current Management Arrangements

WasteDataFlow was developed under the guidance of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body - CIWM (EB), with funding from Biffaward and the Defra Landfill Tax Credit Scheme SWM Legacy Fund. Responsibility for co-ordinating the system in the UK has now passed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

For further information on the development of WasteDataFlow please see below

WasteDataFlow currently has the following management structure:

Project Management Board

The Project Management Board is made up of the following organisations, which oversee the management and development of WDF. The members of the project board include:

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - overall responsibility for co-ordinating WDF in the UK. Responsible for implementation of the Waste Strategy for England, reporting on national waste recycling, reuse and composting targets.
  • Scottish Environmental Protection Agency – monitoring authority for the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme in Scotland.
  • Welsh Assembly Government – responsible for implementation of the Waste Strategy for Wales, and reporting on national waste recycling, reuse and composting targets.
  • Environment Agency (Wales) - monitoring authority for the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme in Wales.
  • Environment Agency (England) - monitoring authority for the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme in England.
  • Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) - responsible for the implementation of waste management policy in Northern Ireland to meet UK and EU obligations.
  • CIWM – professional body which represents over 7,000 waste professionals working in the sustainable resources and wastes management sectors.

WDF Operation Group

There is a WasteDataFlow Operational Group who is responsible for monitoring performance and operation of WasteDataFlow and for identifying and making proposals for enhancements. This includes representatives from:

  • Local authorities (Hampshire and East Sussex);
  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra);
  • Welsh Assembly Government (WAG);
  • Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA);
  • Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA);
  • Environment Agency (EA);
  • Environment Agency Wales (EA Wales);
  • Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body (CIWM(EB));
  • Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM);
  • SKM Enviros - Managing agent for Defra.

WDF User Group – England

A WasteDataFlow User Group for local authorities in England has been established. The overall aim of this group is to make WasteDataFlow a successful data capture system with a high level of timely good quality data returns. The Group will achieve this by:

  • Identifying barriers to the effective use of the WDF system by Local Authorities.
  • Proposing practical solutions to these barriers. For example through specific proposals on contents of on-line help, Guidance Manual, revisions to questions, adjustments to web-based data screens, reporting functionality.
  • Identifying and sharing good practices in waste data management.
  • Facilitating communication within the WasteDataFlow community.

Terms of Reference for the group are given here User Group ToR

Members of the User Group

Local authority representatives have been selected from a range of volunteers such that a good range of different types of authority from all government regions are represented. Also represented on the group are Defra’s Waste Statistics team, the Environment Agency’s LATS team and SKM Enviros (as Defra’s appointed agents to operate WasteDataFlow).

To find out who your User Group Representative is please click here. User Group Representatives have been listed by Local Authority, so simply select your Local Authority to identify who your UGR is.

You can contact your UGR with any comments or suggestions about WasteDataFlow that you would like to contribute to the User Group meetings. UG meetings are usually held twice a year.

England User Group Meetings

The most recent User Group meeting took place on 1st March 2011. The main focus of this User Group meeting was to discuss the results of Defra WasteDataFlow Survey.

There have been a number of developments recently, with reporting burdens on local authorities and waste policy all coming under review. As part of this, we (Defra) are looking at how WasteDataFlow can adapt and respond to these issues in the future. Although WasteDataFlow is part of the CLG single data list, and required to monitor Waste Framework Directive targets on household recycling, we are aware that some of the information it collects is not necessarily required or widely used. A short online Survey was developed to help gather feedback from WasteDataFlow users to inform this process.

Meeting minutes and key documents from the User Group meeting can be located below.

WDF UG 1st March 2011

   UG Minutes Mar11
   PDF version of WDF Survey
   User Survey Presentation
   DEFRA Advice on Household Recycling from Apr11

Please contact one of the LA members of the group if you have any comments or ideas you want to contribute to the next User Group meeting (contact details are included in the list of members).

The date of next meeting is - to be confirmed....

Previous user group documents

WDF UG 17th February 2006

WDF UG 5th June 2006

Delegate Programme Feb06 Delegate Programme Jun06
Presentation Enviros Feb06 Presentation Enviros Jun06
Presentation EA & Defra Waste Strategy Feb06 Presentation Action Plan Jun06
Break-out sessions Feb06 Presentation BVPIs Jun06
User Group Workshop report 17th February 2006.doc User Group Workshop report 5th June 2006
WDF Action Plan as at 30th May 2006

WDF UG 9th October 2006

WDF UG 7th March 2007

Delegate Programme Oct06 Delegate Programme Mar07
User Group workshop report 9th October 2006 Presentation Enviros WDF functionality Mar07
Presentation Enviros Oct06 User Group workshop report 7th March 2007
Presentation LATS EA Oct06 Presenation Enviros WDF development Mar07
Presentation RR and BVPIs Oct06 Presentation EA Audit visits Mar07
Presentation Bedfordshire County Council Mar07
WDF User Group Action Plan (updated 01/06/07)

WDF UG 10th October 2007

WDF UG 5th March 2008

Delegate Programme Oct07 Delegate Programme Mar08
User Group Report Oct07 User Group Report Mar08
Enviros WDF Development Presentation Oct07 Enviros WDF Development Presentation Mar08
EA LATS Presentation Oct07 Calculating English NIs Presenation Mar08
DEFRA BVPI Presentation Oct07

WDF UG 10th September 2008

Delegate Programme Sept08
User Group Report Sept08
Enviros WDF Development Presentation Sept08
LATS Overview 2007-08

Development of WasteDataFlow

WasteDataFlow was developed under the guidance of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body - CIWM (EB), with funding from Biffaward and the Defra Landfill Tax Credit Scheme SWM Legacy Fund. Responsibility for co-ordinating the system in the UK has now passed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The WasteDataFlow project was co-ordinated and managed by CIWM (EB), the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Environmental Body. CIWM (EB) is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. Its objects include “research, development, education and the collection and dissemination of information about waste management generally for the purposes of encouraging the use of more sustainable waste management practices”.

The following organisations/agencies have expressed their support for the project.


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