Why do some conservation plans end up collecting dust on a shelf after the workshops? Part 3: Unclear responsibilities

As projects invest significant effort into developing management plans, it is important that implementation responsibilities remain clear beyond the workshop phase.

Adaptive management plans need to clearly identify who is responsible for what, when implementation will occur and how actions will be carried forward over time.

Without clear responsibilities, even strong strategic plans can struggle to move from intention to action. Activities may remain undefined, accountability can become unclear and implementation momentum may gradually weaken.

Responsibilities identified during planning should therefore carry through into operational planning, staff roles and broader team management processes. This helps ensure continuity, accountability and clarity around implementation responsibilities across the life of a project.

Healthy Country Planning and the Conservation Standards support adaptive management approaches that connect strategic priorities with operational implementation and clearly defined responsibilities, supported by software solutions like Miradi with its expanding work planning functionality.

Why do some conservation plans end up collecting dust on a shelf after the workshops? Part 2: Disconnected plans

As projects invest significant resources in developing management plans, it is important to ensure that these documents continue to support and guide decision-making during implementation.

One common reason plans lose momentum is that strategic plans remain disconnected from the operational systems that guide day-to-day and annual work.

Conservation plans that are not linked to operational work plans, budgets and reporting processes often remain in the strategic domain without meaningfully informing implementation and decision-making.

One way to avoid disconnected plans is by ensuring operational plans are directly derived from the strategic plan and reflect how teams actually organise their work and reporting processes. When strategic priorities are embedded into operational systems, plans are far more likely to remain active tools that guide implementation, prioritisation and adaptive management over time.

Why do some conservation plans end up collecting dust on a shelf after the workshops?

As projects invest significant resources in developing management plans, it is important to ensure that these documents support and drive decision-making during implementation, making the effort worthwhile.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll share some common reasons why this happens and how projects can strengthen implementation and long-term ownership of their plans.

Part 1: Lack of ownership

One of the earliest traps a planning project can fall into occurs during the project design phase itself. Plans are far more likely to succeed when the people responsible for implementation are actively involved in shaping the planning process from the beginning.

When planning processes become disconnected from the people who will ultimately implement the work, plans can quickly lose relevance once workshops conclude. In contrast, participatory planning processes help build ownership, strengthen shared understanding and increase the likelihood that plans continue to guide operational decision-making over time.

Healthy Country Planning and the Conservation Standards place strong emphasis on participation, shared and transparent decision-making - important foundations for keeping plans alive beyond the workshop phase.

Healthy Country Planning works because it goes beyond methods — it embeds principles.

Participatory, place-based, and grounded in relationships — Adaptations of the Conservation Standards, like Healthy Country Planning (HCP), offer more than an adaptive management framework. Their real strength lies in how they are applied. HCP provides a practical way to incorporate core principles of IP & LC leadership in conservation. HCP creates space for Cultural Authority, supports community-defined priorities, and links planning to action, monitoring, and learning. When applied together, the core principles for community-led conservation enable more inclusive, effective, and enduring conservation — led by communities, and grounded in their knowledge, governance, and long-term stewardship.

SPREP Kikori Fishmaw Bycatch Workshop - Papua New Guinea

I had the privilege of facilitating a multi-stakeholder workshop in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, bringing together representatives from the National Fisheries Authority, the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority, the Gulf Provincial Government, the Kikori District Government, and Kikori communities.
Hosted by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the workshop provided a space for honest dialogue about the future of the fish maw fishery and its impact on threatened species such as dolphins, sharks, and rays.
The workshop, for the first time, provided representatives of the Kikori communities with an opportunity to engage with all levels of government in a multi-stakeholder setting and voice their concerns.
It was encouraging to see everyone working side by side to shape a shared vision for sustainable fisheries management—grounded in science and local knowledge, brought together by the Conservation Standards. Conceptual Models and Theories of Change helped to identify key work priorities and their underlying assumptions.

You can read SPREP’s full media release HERE

Keeping a plan alive - Mid-term Reviews

I’ve just returned from a workshop in the Top End to support the mid-term review of a Healthy Country Plan. These moments are always a great reminder of how important it is to pause, reflect, and assess progress together with the Indigenous Ranger Groups who care most about Country.

Mid-term reviews are not just a box-ticking exercise—they are a chance to look honestly at what’s working well, what challenges have emerged, and where we need to adjust course. They keep the plan alive and relevant, ensuring it continues to reflect community priorities and ecological realities.

In this process, we draw on the power of the Conservation Standards (CS), which provide a clear framework not only for planning, but also for adaptation and learning. Using the CS helps measure progress against agreed-upon outcomes, strengthens accountability, and informs decisions based on both evidence and cultural knowledge.

ALCA Conference 2025 - Gimuy / Cairns - Conservation Standards Workshop

🌿 I’m excited to be part of this year’s Australian Land Conservation Alliance Conference 2025 in tropical Gimuy (Cairns).

Together with Clair Dougherty (Bush Heritage Australia), I’ll be facilitating a 1-day workshop exploring how the Conservation Standards Theories of Change can help projects move from vision to real impact.

If you’re attending ALCA 2025, let’s connect — I’d love to catch up in person, network and share ideas.

Read about our training in this Bush Heritage Post HERE.

Boost Conservation Impact with Community Engagement

A lack of community ownership can be a major barrier to the success of conservation projects. That's where participatory planning approaches like Healthy Country Planning come in.

By engaging local communities from the start, Healthy Country Planning — adapted from the Conservation Standards — offers a powerful framework to link non-Indigenous conservation programs with community priorities. This collaborative approach expands a project’s impact and fosters long-lasting success.

Curious about how this could work for your conservation projects? Learn more HERE

Conservation Planning in the Dawna Tanintharyi region of Myanmar

Back from a very exciting Healthy Country Planning project in the Dawna Tanintharyi landscape of Myanmar to facilitate the development of the Kawthoolei Forest Department Strategic Conservation Management Plan

The strategic conservation plan will support the Kawthoolei Forestry Department, the Karen Wildlife Conservation Initiative and Karen communities to manage a culturally and bio diverse rich landscape strategically.