Conceptualizing and Planning Conservation Projects and Programs A Training Manual Based on the Conservation Measures Partnership’s Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation November 2009 Foundations of Success Improving the Practice of Conservation www.FOSonline.org [email protected] Please register at http://www.fosonline.org/resources/all/training-manual to let us know you are using this manual and to receive updates about future products Contents Overview of This Manual ........................................................................................................ 1 Learning Objectives ............................................................................................................. 1 What Is Different about This Planning Process? ................................................................. 2 Outline of the Module .......................................................................................................... 4 Structure ............................................................................................................................... 5 Overview of Open Standards (Week 1) ................................................................................... 7 Introduction to Adaptive Management ................................................................................ 7 Overview of the Open Standards ......................................................................................... 8 Steps in the Open Standards ................................................................................................ 9 Some References ................................................................................................................ 11 Assignment 1.1: Describe what you want to achieve in this course .................................. 11 Step 1A: Define Initial Project Team (Week 1) .................................................................. 12 Introduction to Initial Project Team ................................................................................... 12 How to Define Your Initial Project Team.......................................................................... 14 Some References ................................................................................................................ 16 Assignment 1.2 – Define Your Initial Project Team ......................................................... 16 Step 1B. Define Scope, Vision, and Targets (Week 2) ....................................................... 17 Introduction to Project Scope and Vision .......................................................................... 17 How to Define Project Scope and Vision .......................................................................... 18 Examples of Project Scope and Vision .............................................................................. 22 Some References ................................................................................................................ 23 Assignment 2 – Define Project Scope and Vision ............................................................. 24 Step 1B. Define Scope, Vision, and Targets (Week 3) ....................................................... 25 Introduction to Conservation Targets ................................................................................ 25 How to Develop and Use Conservation Targets ................................................................ 26 Examples of Conservation targets ..................................................................................... 29 Practice Exercise ................................................................................................................ 30 Some References ................................................................................................................ 30 Assignment 3 - Select Conservation Targets ..................................................................... 31 Step 1B. Define Scope, Vision, and Targets (Week 4) ....................................................... 32 Introduction to Viability Assessment................................................................................. 32 How to Do a Viability Assessment .................................................................................... 35 Examples of Viability Assessment .................................................................................... 41 Some References ................................................................................................................ 42 Assignment 4 – Describe the Status of Your Conservation Targets .................................. 42 Step 1C. Identify Critical Threats (Week 5) ....................................................................... 44 Introduction to Threat Rating............................................................................................. 44 How to Do an Absolute Target-by-Target Threat Rating .................................................. 44 Other Methods for Threat Rating ....................................................................................... 51 Example Threat Rating ...................................................................................................... 52 Practice Exercise ................................................................................................................ 53 Some References ................................................................................................................ 54 © Foundations of Success 2009 Assignment 5 – Identify and Rate Your Critical Threats .................................................. 55 Step 1D. Complete Situation Analysis (Week 6) ................................................................ 56 Introduction to Situation Analysis ..................................................................................... 56 How to Complete a Situation Analysis and Document the Results ................................... 56 Examples ............................................................................................................................ 62 Practice Exercise ................................................................................................................ 63 Some References ................................................................................................................ 64 Assignment 6 – Develop a Conceptual Model and Complete a Course Evaluation Form 64 Step 2A. Develop a Formal Action Plan: Goals, Strategies, Assumptions, & Objectives (Week 7) ............................................................................................................................ 66 Overview of Step 2: Plan Actions and Monitoring ............................................................ 66 Introduction to Goals ......................................................................................................... 67 How to Develop Goals ....................................................................................................... 67 Examples of Goals ............................................................................................................. 71 Some References ................................................................................................................ 71 Assignment 7 – Develop Goals for Conservation Targets That Meet Criteria for “Good” Goals ............................................................................................................................ 72 Step 2A. Develop a Formal Action Plan: Goals, Strategies, Assumptions, & Objectives (Week 8) ............................................................................................................................ 73 Introduction to Determining Strategies .............................................................................. 73 How to Determine Strategies ............................................................................................. 74 Examples of Strategies ....................................................................................................... 81 Some References ................................................................................................................ 82 Assignment 8 – Brainstorm, Narrow Down, and Rank Strategies .................................... 83 Step 2A. Develop a Formal Action Plan: Goals, Strategies, Assumptions, & Objectives (Week 9) ............................................................................................................................ 84 Introduction to Results Chains ........................................................................................... 84 How to Develop Results Chains ........................................................................................ 87 Examples of Results Chains ............................................................................................... 91 Some References ................................................................................................................ 92 Assignment 9 – Assemble Results Chains ......................................................................... 93 Step 2A. Develop a Formal Action Plan: Goals, Strategies, Assumptions, & Objectives (Week 10) .......................................................................................................................... 94 Introduction to Objectives.................................................................................................