Advancing Conservation in a Social Context Supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Thomas O. McShane* *Chair & Coordinator ACSC Planning Group International Institute for Sustainability Arizona State University 13 December 2005

Hypotheses to Conservation Challenges ComplexityInstitutions External Context Use of conceptual frameworks that emphasize linearity, certainty, boundedness instead of complexity and uncertainty. Use of conceptual frameworks that emphasize linearity, certainty, boundedness instead of complexity and uncertainty. Trade-offs are not captured. Mechanisms for distributing costs and benefits are limited. Trade-offs are not captured. Mechanisms for distributing costs and benefits are limited. Local capacity is lacking in many disciplines important for conservation. Local capacity is lacking in many disciplines important for conservation. Need to improve applicability and use of cutting-edge scholarship. Need to improve applicability and use of cutting-edge scholarship. Competing issues (e.g., energy development, poverty, terrorism). Competing issues (e.g., energy development, poverty, terrorism).

Advancing Conservation in a Social Context Goal To advance sustainable conservation outcomes through diverse, dynamic social processes.

Advancing Conservation in a Social Context Audience Those who have improving conservation outcomes as one of their primary objectives. Such actors would include: project and program staff working on field projects; project and program staff working on field projects; government environmental agency staff; government environmental agency staff; local, national and international conservation and development NGOs; local, national and international conservation and development NGOs; environmental staff of bilateral and multilateral development agencies; environmental staff of bilateral and multilateral development agencies; academia involved in researching conservation questions; and, academia involved in researching conservation questions; and, donors with significant support for conservation activities. donors with significant support for conservation activities.

Dissemination of new knowledge, understanding and capacity.Dissemination of new knowledge, understanding and capacity. Reflection on practice and development of new approaches.Reflection on practice and development of new approaches. Cross-linking and sharing between different disciplines.Cross-linking and sharing between different disciplines. Connecting knowledge in new and different ways.Connecting knowledge in new and different ways. Open testing, scrutiny and experimentation.Open testing, scrutiny and experimentation. Conservation Bazaar A multidisciplinary mixing zone and market-place

INTEGRATIVERESEARCHINTEGRATIVERESEARCH Monitoring, collecting and synthesizing existing and emergent scholarship relevant to conservation (both social and natural) in ways useful to conservation actors.

CONSERVATIONLOCICONSERVATIONLOCI Study and analysis of the institutions, processes, nodes and connections that transcend intervention sites. Stimulating conservation actors to understand themselves and those around them so as to do things better.

FIELD-BASEDINTERVENTIONFIELD-BASEDINTERVENTION Study, analysis and testing of existing and new approaches and methodologies in the field. Helping conservation actors to understand what they do and what constrains them.

Promoting process – creating a space for multiple dialoguesPromoting process – creating a space for multiple dialogues and stimulating these with research and investigation. A learning zone offering tools for thinkingA learning zone offering tools for thinking not protocols for action. A safe zone where people can bring issues and problems A safe zone where people can bring issues and problems without fear or blame A work in progress………A work in progress……… Conclusions A multidisciplinary mixing zone and market-place where ideas and practices are compared and swapped for testing.