Collective Impact in Natural Resources Conservation: A Complementary Approach to Adaptive Management

Collective impact (CI) is a relatively new concept, representing a structured, adaptive approach and methodology to collaboration and problem solving that is driven by a shared vision for change and accepted by all participants. This book informs and inspires readers to understand the complexities of natural resource conservation and offers CI as a way to successfully address the most challenging conservation situations. The authors provide a broad globally focussed presentation of basic conservation issues and examples including the complexities of the conflicting forces that stand in the way of forging common action agendas. The key elements and stages of CI are described and shown to be most effective when all stakeholders (government, non-profit, private sector, and individuals) are involved. Participants create a shared measurements system based on mutually defined indicators to track progress, maximize transparency, accountability, and commitment. It is shown how the CI approach is different and complementary to other adaptive management techniques in several ways. For example traditional adaptive management techniques rely on iterative trial and error processes where corrections are made after lessons are learned. Collective Impact helps to refine this process by revealing lessons learned sooner, and allows for wider visibility and progress. The authors also include a range of case studies applied at different scales, from the local to the regional, for example a landscape scale project in Richmond, Virginia, and sustainable development in rural Yunnan province in China.