Archives: Guidance

Pollinator Scorecard User’s Guide

  August 21, 2019

The Pollinator Scorecard and Management Module was developed by the Rights-of-Way as... Read more » Continue Reading

The Nature of Conservation Enterprises: A 20-year Retrospective Evaluation

  July 11, 2018

USAID’s “The Nature of Conservation Enterprises: A 20-year retrospective evaluation of the… Read more »

Evidence in Action, Unit 1: Understanding an Evidence-Based Approach

  June 6, 2018

Evidence in Action-Unit 1: Using an Evidence-Based Approach provides an introduction to… Read more »

Nevada Conservation Credit System Improvement Recommendations Report

  December 22, 2017

Key to the long-term success of a conservation program is the adoption of well-supported improvements to the program. Improvements can ensure policies, procedures, and tools continue to support the program’s goals and objectives. The Nevada Conservation Credit System undergoes an annual process to evaluate successes and potential improvements. This report synthesizes the recommended improvements, along with the achievement and challenges of the program, and was adopted by the Sagebrush Ecosystem Council in December, 2016.

Monarch HQT User’s Guide

  December 12, 2017

The South Central User’s Guide provides guidance for landowners and managers in using the Monarch HQT to evaluate current habitat quality on a site and estimating future habitat quality that will result from management actions. Habitat quality and quantity combine into functional acres, the basic currency of the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange.

Pay for Performance Strategies for Western States

  January 5, 2017

This technical memo defines multiple pay for success strategies that can be used to leverage public and private funds to achieve verified environmental outcomes. We also define the context in which each strategy is most likely to succeed at creating effective incentives to drive investment and performance.

Making Use of the Portfolio: Organizational Learning at USAID

  August 25, 2016

This technical analysis explores previous and ongoing social learning efforts, best practices, challenges, and lessons in USAID as a foundation for improving the implementation and design of the Agency’s forestry and biodiversity programs. This analysis is particularly relevant as USAID begins to develop a Biodiversity Cross-Mission Learning Program under the Measuring Impact project. The findings reported in this document can help inform the overall design and structure of the Learning Program and provide insight into possible challenges and best practices.

Rewards and Risks Associated With Community Engagement in Anti-Poaching and Anti-Trafficking

This Biodiversity Technical Brief summarizes research on the roles communities do and should play in countering wildlife crime, motivations, and benefits for individuals and communities to engage in anti-poaching and anti-trafficking efforts, and risks and mitigation of risks associated with involvement. Peer-reviewed and grey literature, structured interviews, and case studies informed the research, with highlights from six case studies in Peru, Madagascar, Namibia, Philippines, Kenya, and Indonesia.

Stakeholder Engagement for Biodiversity Conservation Goals: Assessing the Status of the Evidence

Learning how to communicate and work with different groups builds constituencies to support conservation aims. This publication is an analysis of the evaluation of 148 references, selected through a rigorous systematic review process, to identify key lessons for stakeholder engagement. The report outlines key findings, including critical factors for both externally driven processes and self-organized stakeholder actions. This short brief and a longer research paper were deliverables of the Measuring Impact Project.

Fishing for Food Security: Importance of Wild Fisheries for Food Security and Nutrition

USAID’s Fisheries Briefing Book explores the role of fisheries in global development, showcases case studies of USAID fisheries programs, and addresses the importance of fisheries in nine Feed the Future countries – Cambodia, Senegal, Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Liberia. The Briefing Book is a key deliverable of USAID’s Food Security Integration Working Group. It was also a deliverable of the Measuring Impact project.

Measuring Efforts to Combat Wildlife Crime: A Toolkit for Improving Action and Accountability

Developed for any organization concerned with poaching and illegal wildlife trade, USAID’s Combating Wildlife Crime toolkit recommends indicators for monitoring progress and effectiveness of 10 major strategic approaches for combating wildlife crime. A situation model and theory of change diagrams are included, both as tools used to identify where monitoring is needed most, and as useful resources for host government, implementing partners and donors engaged in program design and proposal review. This Toolkit is a deliverable of the Measuring Impact project.

Lake Tahoe TMDL Management System Handbook

  August 24, 2016

Describes the adaptive management system implemented by the Lahontan Water Board and NDEP to guide successful implementation of the Lake Tahoe TMDL Program.

Nevada Conservation Credit System User’s Guide v1.1

The User’s Guide describes the detailed steps necessary to calculate credits and credit obligations for credit and debit sites, respectively, for the Nevada Conservation Credit System.