VISION AND GOALS

Count

Establish a stable, shared long-term vision and a common sense of purpose

7

Identify what is happening to, or affecting, biodiversity

1

Set clear, short-term achievable goals.

4

Ensure flexibility in all levels of planning.

Consider view of stakeholders and partners.

6

Ensure planning starts with understanding current performance relative to program purpose.

1

Ensure that staff embrace project aims and culture (vision, understanding the system, goals).

6

Get people to measure performance in relation to project aims.

1

Advocate good governance, particularly in large complex projects.

Ensure congruency between plans, action on the ground and results.

1

Total

27

HANDS-ON LEADERSHIP

Be orientated toward “hands-on” management, working with staff.

5

Possess highly developed biological and/or operational skills appropriate to the program

4

Be able to prioritise the work by asking key questions.

Know people’s strengths; channel their energy and passion to maximum effect.

1

Understand cultural differences and manage people’s expectations and viewpoints sensitively.

Check results with staff and empower them to get the job done.

4

Involve the people doing the work in data analysis, decisions, and implementing changes.

1

Place responsibility and control of information in the hands of people who do the work.

7

Ensure that an understanding of what matters to biodiversity steers the work people do.

Have two-way communication meetings, with an emphasis on clarifying, testing, and listening.

1

Ensure managers lead; spend time with staff, listen to concerns, and enable contributions.

2

Total

25

CONSIDER BOTH PROJECT DETAILS AND THE BIG PICTURE

Focus both internally and externally, understanding intra- and inter-organisational dynamics.

1

Know projects’ sphere of influence—identify the solvable problems.

Establish budgets and a clear fund-raising strategy.

2

Examine financial and nonfinancial measures; which predict and cause conservation results?

Base information, technology, and resource needs on how they help people’s core work.

Create an attitude of cooperation with project partners, sharing information to improve work.

8

Anticipate unexpected outcomes.

Be prepared to seek specialist advice from external sources.

2

Integrate management flexibility alongside professional/scientific rigor.

Determine whether data on staff, communities, or society would be useful for the program.

Total

13

IMPROVEMENT AND LEARNING

Give people the opportunity to ask for training and provide it on a just-in-time basis.

5

Be receptive to (and seek out) alternative solutions.

6

Enable staff to challenge, share, and learn from mistakes, without fear.

2

Expect—and support staff to strive for—high standards.

Expect the project (and its needs) to evolve through time.

3

Understand risk factors and make suitable contingencies.

Appraise the system rather than people; manage morale, celebrate success, learn from failures.

2

Make improvements based on biodiversity needs and process performance, not arbitrary targets.

Recognise difference between neglect and lack of capability (training, experience, or resources).

Allow people doing the work, the freedom to experiment with methods to improve performance.

Total

18