The Knowledge-Action Partnership Scorecard

The KAP Scorecard is a tool designed to assess and improve partnerships between organizations that serve to link conservation knowledge with decision-making. Based on a thorough review of peer-reviewed literature on best practices for co-production, partnerships and management, the tool consists of a series of questions that prompt the user to reflect on their particular partnership, the structures and processes that underpin it, and the larger context in which it is embedded. Responses to the survey are then converted to numerical scores which can help facilitate constructive discussions between partners to identify and address possible pain points and areas of opportunity to strengthen partnership functioning. The quantitative results can also be supplemented with a semi-structured interview in order to develop a more holistic and rich understanding of a partnership, as is particularly helpful for research applications of the tool.  

In addition to supporting individual partnership management, we also aim to contribute to a broader body of evidence on conservation partnerships to better understand how they currently operate, and what lessons can be gleaned about what works and how this may differ depending on partnership characteristics and context. Currently, our team is carrying out a study using the tool to assess ten conservation KAPs to examine commonalities and differences between partnerships in terms of strengths and challenges encountered in the collaborative process. 

The KAP Scorecard can serve as a useful method for social scientists studying organizations, collaborative approaches, conservation practice, etc. If you are interested in using the tool for research purposes, please reach out to Dr. Candice Carr-Kelman for more details. 

The KAP scorecard is most appropriate for assessing partnerships between a small number of organizations, typically just two but potentially more. While the questions are geared to assessing more formal partnerships (e.g. those with an MOU, budgeted staff time, etc.), we've found that completion of the Scorecard by newer and/or more informal partnerships can offer valuable insights especially while individuals are still in the process of designing their partnership and figuring out future directions. Though individuals can use the Scorecard independently for self-reflection on a partnership they're involved in, the tool may prove more insightful if individuals from both partner organizations complete the assessment so that they can compare and discuss their results and perspectives with each other. To assess a partnership you are directly involved in, please follow the directions provided in the below section.