These slides were used in a lecture on giving an overview of how large eNGOs organize their work, and how young conservationists can think strategically about working in the field. It was strongly informed by my own experience working in global conservation among some of the larger eNGOs in Washington, DC. It was delivered as part of an undergraduate study abroad course considering wildlife conservation in Madagascar.

1. 
Campaigns, Projects, and Programs
How Non-Profits Promote Conservation
Mark Gibson, PhD Student
Michigan State University
“Paradise in Peril” Study Abroad Trip to Madagascar
May 2015

2. Lecture Overview
 Common Tools Among Diverse Actors
 Theory & Practice of Environmental Campaigns
 Theory & Practice of Projects and Programs
 Defining Success
 The Binding Constraints

3. CommonTools Among Diverse Actors

4. Rise of the Environmental Movement
 19th Century
 Interest in the environment was a feature of the
Romantic movement (e.g., Thoreau’s Walden)
 Industrial Revolution led to rise of urban pollution
 Scientific principles for management of forests and
wildlife
 20th
 National Parks System in US greatly expanded
 Post-WWII
 Awakening social consciousness (Caron’s Silent Spring)

5. Earthrise, 1968

6. Diversity in Conservation Approaches
 NGOs span the political spectrum (left, moderate, right)
 Some organizations are quite large (BINGOs)

7. Common Evolution of Strategic Planning
 Common funders
 Ford, MacArthur, and Gordon and Betty Moore
 World Bank, Global Environment Facility, USAID, GTZ
 Cross-pollination
 Greenpeace -> Sea Shepherd
 Greenpeace/WWF -> Pew Charitable Trusts
 Mimetic isomorphism & Rationalization

8. Theory & Practice of Environmental
Campaigns

9. What is a campaign?
 “an organized effort which seeks to influence the
decision making process within a specific group”

10. Case Study: Save the Deep-Sea Campaign
 Decision-makers
 EU Commission, European Parliament, EU Council
 Influence a Decision
 Achieve major improvements to ecosystem and habitat
protections during reform of EU deep-sea fishing regulation

11. Case Study: Save the Deep-Sea Campaign
 Methods
 Collaboration with Deep-Sea Conservation Coalition
 Public Awareness (Takepart, YouTube Videos)
 Information
 Direct Advocacy
 Outcome
 2yr phase out of deep-
sea bottom-trawling in
2012 recommended by
Commission
 EU Parliament voted
down in 2013

12. Theory & Practice of Conservation
Projects and Programs

13. What are Projects and Programs?
 Project
 a temporary entity established to deliver specific (often tangible)
outputs in line with predefined time, cost and quality constraints
 Program
 multiple projects that are managed and coordinated as one unit
with the objective of achieving (often intangible) outcomes
Build a Death Star Join the Dark Side

14. Case Study: Ecuadorian Shrimp Project
 A Project in Support of a Program
 Tangible Goal: Pilot test “rights-based management”
in developing world
 Part of Fisheries Program: Support sustainable
fishing and good governance
 Ecuadorian Pomada Shrimp
 Political Conflict
 Livelihood Maintenance

15. Case Study: Rights-based Management
for Ecuadorian Shrimp Project
 Methods
 Collaboration with government (MoU)
 Buy-in from fishermen
 Scientific and Socio-Political Analysis
 Meeting Facilitation
 Draft Agreement Development
 Outcome
 Fishery Management Plan
 Work on-going
 Still no RBM

16. Defining Success

17. How DoWe Define Success?
 Option 1: Performance Against Original Goal
 Often strong incentives against
 Option 2: Positive Outcomes
 Often called “Moving the needle”
 Option 3: Opportunity Creation
 A wise investment or “spilt milk”?

18. ShouldWe Fear Failure?
 The private sector would suggest that failure
(creative destruction) is a good thing
 Industrial policy would recommend a health “failure
rate”
 Campaigns and Projects can be considered a type of
“start-up”
 But…what metrics for success if not $$?

20. The Binding Constraints
(Some personal reflections on non-profits’
human resource deficits)

21. Better Management UpTop
 A PhD does not give you managerial talent
 But hard to say who is a good manager and who is
not
 The MVP is not always on the winning team
 Hard to compare apples to oranges
 Regular complaint that managers do not promote
career development of subordinates

22. Skilled “Worker Bees”
 Many non-profit employees lack essential skills
 Essential
 Project Management Skills
 Write a Fact Sheet
 A “Generalist”
 Strong interpersonal skills
 Field experience
 Essential “Plus”
 Grant Writing
 Meeting Facilitation
 Multilingual
 A graduate degree?

23. Boots on the Ground
 To the extent that the project/campaign is not
directed locally
 Ideally prior experience working in government,
industry, or conservation
 All the “worker bee” skills previously discussed

24. 
Questions?