The Process
CBSG's Comprehensive Conservation Planning (CCP) process is a tool for
strategic conservation management planning in parks and protected areas.
Developed first as a method to assist the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with
conservation planning for National Wildlife Refuges, it has been modified and
expanded to meet similar needs of agencies and land managers in other parts of
the world.
How is it designed?
The CBSG team tailors the CCP process to meet the needs of the individual park
or protected area. The process may be organized as one workshop or a series of
workshops, each building on the product of the one before. Participants in the
first phase develop a vision for the future of the protected area, explore key
issues affecting its future within the larger landscape and begin to craft
management goals. During the second phase, these goals are refined, scenarios
for future management are identified, and detailed objectives for reaching the
goals are created. Costs are dependent upon the scope of the project.
Who participates?
CCP participants include representatives from national and state agencies,
NGOs, local citizens, public focus groups, indigenous groups, scientists and
others with a stake in the future management of the landscape. The workshops
extend over 3½ days and are conducted in or near the protected area to allow
easy access to the work-shop by invited members of the local community.
The Outcome
Each CCP workshop results in the production of a strategic planning document
containing a set of specific objectives to guide the future management of the
park or protected area. Draft plans are produced and distributed within two
weeks of each workshop.
Why does it work?
CBSG's workshop process assists diverse stakeholder groups in reaching
agreement on the important issues facing both humans and wildlife. CBSG
workshops provide tools for making management decisions and designing programs
on the basis of sound science, while allowing new information and unexpected
events to be used constructively to adjust management practices. With this
understanding, meaningful and practical recommendations for future management
can be made.
What are the results?
Timely production of a plan for managing the landscape into the future has
immediate impact on stakeholders and decision makers. CBSG's interactive,
participatory approach improves management decision-making and fosters
political and social support for conservation actions. Because all participants
have the opportunity to provide input during the workshop, there is a high
degree of buy-in to the product, which in turn helps ensure implementation.
