Strategies – What will you do to conserve your targets?
Strategies – What will you do to conserve your targets?
Embedded Files
It’s time to start developing strategies to conserve your targets - abate critical Threats and/or restore Health.
What is a strategy? After years of trial and error, CAP has developed a framework for describing clear strategies to produce results. Strategies have two key elements:
(1) a specific objective that abates a threat and/or enhances the health of a conservation target; and
(2 ) a set of high-level strategic actions designed to achieve the Objective.
All strategies should be designed “change the color” on the Scorecard that shows projected future health.
There are two major types of conservation strategies. Threat abatement strategies focus on abating or removing one or more sources of stress. However, in many instances, a target has been degraded by historical threats that require some form of active restoration. In these situations, a restoration strategy is needed that directly enhances or restores the health of the target.
turboCAP has seven steps to develop conservation strategies:
1. Review your Health Scorecard and Analysis
2. Develop Objectives to address Critical Threats and Targets/Key Attributes that will get worse without action
3. Probe the situation & explore potential Strategic Actions to achieve the Objective
5. Select priority Strategic Actions
6. Determine Next Steps for taking action
7. Review your Future Health Scorecard again to assess results
Overall Process.
- Every Strategic Objective should “change a color on the Scorecard.” That is, if the Objective is achieved, Projected Future Health will be improved – e.g., from Red to Yellow or from Yellow to Green. This means that every Objective needs to be linked explicitly to one or more Key Attributes of one or more Targets.
- Use the turboCAP "Analysis" tab. The software allows you to easily see what Targets/Key Attributes are projected to get worse, and what are the critical Threats.
- Writing Objectives
o Objectives should always link back to a key ecological attribute or threat (the turboCAP software has a feature in Strategies that makes these links clear).
o Make sure the objective = success, not just what’s feasible
o Use the “Good” health rating to set your objective, or clearly define success in abating a Threat.
o A specific, measurable, time-based outcome that defines success – NOT how you do it
Examples:
- Reduce sediment loading to normal TDML levels on 25 of the 40 Upper River “hot spots” by 20xx
- No golf resort development in the Valley
- Developing Strategic Actions - see Probing Questions below!
- Consider Feasibility of Strategic Actions. It's easy to write a sentence to change a public policy. Actually doing it is usually very challenging.
- Use turboCAP to evaluate benefits vs. feasibility and cost. An optional but interesting feature of the software.
Strategy Pathways
Strategy Pathways
There are five broad strategic "pathways" to achieve an Objective - usually one pathway will be focal, but sometimes multiple pathways are required.
Land Acquisition. Is acquisition of interests in land or water needed to achieve the Objective?
Ecological Management. Is ecologically compatible management of lands or waters to achieve the Objective?
Public Policy. Is a change in public policy or policy implementation needed to achieve the Objective?
Compatible Development. Is a new, ecologically compatible approach to development or business practices needed to achieve the Objective?
Underlying Causes. Must some underlying cause of practices or behavior be addressed to achieve the Objective?
Conservation Strategies – Probing Questions
Conservation Strategies – Probing Questions
Explore these questions from veteran conservation coaches to help develop robust strategies...
For Objectives…
Scope of Success
o Will achieving the objective “change a color” on the scorecard (i.e., abate a critical threat or enhance a target’s viability)?
o Does the objective lead you to a vision of success for one or more targets?
Clarity of Outcome
o What is the specific outcome that you seek to achieve, and over what time horizon; are any vague terms defined (e.g., exactly what do you mean by the term “protect”)?
o Is the outcome stated clearly for others to understand?
Avoiding Preconceived Strategic Actions
o Does the objective inadvertently include any preconceived strategic actions (e.g. land acquisition, policy initiative), versus focusing solely on the desired outcome?
For Strategic Actions…
Sufficiency
o Will the proposed set of strategic actions adequately achieve the objective?
Key Decision-Makers, Key Constituencies and their Motivations
o Who are the ultimate decision-making bodies or individuals (e.g., for any policy changes)?
o Who are the key constituencies who must be influenced to implement the strategy (who has something to gain; who has something to lose)?
o What motivates them (e.g. $$$, fear, ease, peers); why will they support/oppose the strategy; what’s the process to engage or address them?
Scope and Scale
o At what scale, and where, must a proposed protection or management action be applied to achieve the objective -- e.g. 100, 1,000, 10,000 or 100,000 acres?)
o Is a legal interest in land or water required to achieve the objective – if so, what level (e.g. fee title, conservation easement, management agreement)?
o What degree, frequency or level of management action is required (e.g. bi-annual controlled burns)
Funding
o What’s the estimated cost to implement the management action or strategy (e.g. $1,000, $10,000, $100,000 or $1,000,000)?
o Where’s the money? What are the sources of funding? Who will secure the money?
Underlying Factors
o Is some underlying factor a critical driver or barrier that must be addressed to achieve the objective?
o Is it feasible for us, or someone else, to address this factor successfully?
Leverage
o Could the success of the strategic action contribute to the success of another objective or strategy?
Google Sites
Report abuse