Conservation Strategies Pathways to Success Conservation Coaches Network New Coach Training

What intervention or combination of interventions will restore the target(s) or reduce a threat(s)? What Is The Question? Strategies

Conservation strategy Suite of actions designed to: Enhance viability of a target – GOAL Abate a critical threat - OBJECTIVE Remember: Goals -- based on Viability assessment Threat Abatement Objectives -- informed by threat ratings Key Points to Introduce This Step Strategies

Core Concepts Goals and Objectives – What you want to accomplish Strategies – How you are going to get there Key Points to Introduce This Step Strategies

Goals & Objectives are key to shifting to solution-focused thinking! Strategies Key Points to Introduce This Step

Developing Strategies builds on all the work and good thinking you have done before Goal = destination Threat = definition and scale of problem Situation analysis = understanding of situation and points of intervention Strategy = solution Strategies Key Points to Introduce This Step

The job is to get the “colors” in the Viability and Threat tables from Red & Yellow to Green – often a life’s journey 3 to 5 well-crafted Strategies = a lot of work!!! Strategies Key Points to Introduce This Step

Complex Projects & Problems require a suite of strategies: E.g., halt overfishing & dredging (threats) to save reef (target)? Strategies…… –Do you need to demonstrate alternative fishing practices? –Does policy need to change? –Do you need communication/education to provide pressure from consumers or information for policy makers? –Do you need to engage influential partners in a strategic alliance? Strategies Key Points to Introduce This Step

Critical Questions Focus on the goal – is it specific? How about the threat abatement Objective? Clear? Sufficient? Do the goal and threat abatement objective provide a CLEAR picture of the “destination”? Strategies

Will the strategies taken together Accomplish the Goal? Abate the threat? Critical Questions Strategies

Common Issues & Recommendations Issue: What about the terminology? –Different organizations have slightly different terms for same things. Don’t sweat it! –The terms are always flexible – team can make up their own words! –Team needs to understand the concepts Strategies

Issue: Team lacks critical information to form clear goals and threat abatement objectives: Use “TBD” or describe in visual language ( ) the level of threat reduction or ecological status we hope to achieve. –Finding the answer becomes Activity #1 --a research priority Strategies Common Issues & Recommendations

Issue: Long time horizon to achieve goals & objectives? Goals and Threat abatement Objectives are usually longer term – the time it will take to get to the destination Interim objectives usually shorter term - steps along the way Strategies

Issue: What about strategies to address “Medium” threats or to secure “Very Good” viability? “Low hanging fruit” (easy and/or inexpensive strategies) are OK: If they can lead us to another higher leveraged strategy, strengthen or build critical alliance If we suspect that the threat will get much worse (e.g., invasive species) If a threat has a low probability of occurrence but potential for catastrophic impact (e.g. massive oil spill) Strategies Common Issues & Recommendations

Issue: What about developing strategies when you have potentially conflicting objectives? –Remember - A shared vision can help with weighing options! –More than ever - The process of decision making must be completely transparent and as collaborative as possible. –Some teams are using sophisticated modeling tools to illuminate the potential trade-offs of different options. E.g. InVEST ECOSAUT Marxan with Zones Landscape Forecasting Strategies Common Issues & Recommendations

Issue: Way too many strategies Agree to a set of evaluation criteria and evaluate and prioritize (e.g., benefits, feasibility, cost, risk?) Seek peer review Strategies Common Issues & Recommendations

Issue: How much detail do we need initially? –Don’t expect a team to know everything that they will need to do to complete every strategy. Actions (activities) evolve and build on experience. –Do urge teams to think about a few “next steps” to at least get “the ball rolling” Strategies Common Issues & Recommendations

Helpful Hints Do everything you can to ensure that at this step the team includes: Good strategic thinkers People with conservation experience related to the threats you face People with knowledge of the stakeholders and needs of people in the community. There is no substitute for having the “right” mix of “brains” involved in this step. Strategies

Helpful Hints Gather the team in a quiet place away from their daily workspace. Have their situation analysis information on hand Develop a clear goal and threat objective Remember: the act of thinking about Goals and Objectives is key to shifting to solution- focused thinking! Strategies

Helpful Hints Encourage real brainstorming! –Encourage teams to “think out of the box” and retain their list of ideas, before zeroing in on the set they will execute Mix the people up, get them up, consider ways to stimulate creative thinking Question those strategies that seem like “same old thing they always do” Bring good candy Strategies

Probe, probe, probe... the sources of stress, potential underlying causes, possible opportunities Who stands to gain or lose if you achieve this objective? Who are the key actors? –What motivates them? –What do they need to do (or not do)? Strategies Helpful Hints

Results chain models can both test the logic of your team’s strategies and can show where actions and activities are needed in their plan Miradi is great for holding results chains, but it may be easier for teams to use post-its, flip charts or PowerPoint slides to present strategies in a workshop setting Strategies Helpful Hints