Conservation Standards
The Conservation Standards workbook was created by a collaboration between the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Climate Guidance Working Group of the Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) (GIZ & CMP, 2020). It guides managers through the adaptation project planning process using a series of small, detailed steps. For instance, the workbook details how to develop a theory of change (defines long-term goals and then maps backwards to identify necessary preconditions), how to develop a work plan, and how to create a culture of learning within an agency. To help managers complete each step there are additional resources on the Conservation Standards website (https://conservationstandards.org/library…), links to project management software, and illustrative case studies. In one case study, exercises from the guide were used by the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture to identify an initial suite of priorities and prioritize threats to focus efforts for a salt marsh bird plan for the entire East Coast of the U.S. (Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, 2019). The workbook is extremely detailed potentially making it useful for organizations new to adaptation planning but may not be flexible enough for organizations who already have a standard planning process. However, managers can still refer
to sections of Conservation Standards for insight on discrete parts of the adaptation project planning process.
References
Adapted from
Staudinger, M.D., A.V. Karmalkar, K. Terwilliger, K. Burgio, A. Lubeck, H. Higgins, T. Rice, T.L. Morelli, A. D'Amato. 2024. A regional synthesis of climate data to inform the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeast U.S. DOI Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Cooperator Report. 406 p. https://doi.org/10.21429/t352-9q86