Semi-structured interview framework from: Growing together: Strengthening the partnership and impact of a zoo and community-led conservation organization

Indigenous peoples and local communities play a pivotal role in addressing
the climate and biodiversity crises. The South Rift Association of Land
Owners (SORALO) is a community-driven organization, representing 30
Indigenous Maasai communities in Kenya, which cultivates resources to
support communal landscape management. The Cincinnati Zoo &
Botanical Garden (CZBG) is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA)-accredited zoological facility and has partnered with SORALO since
its inception in 2006. This study evaluates the strengths and challenges
of the SORALO-CZBG partnership using the PARTNERS framework and examines
its alignment with the Naivasha Vision—principles established by African
conservation leaders in 2023 at the African Community Conservation Forum.
We conducted eight semi-structured interviews with SORALO and CZBG staff
(four from each organization) and analyzed them through thematic analysis
and constant comparative methodology. The analysis shows the PARTNERS
framework is an effective tool for evaluating the strengths and
opportunities for growth between an international conservation partner and
a community-based conservation organization. The SORALO-CZBG partnership
is aligned with the Naivasha Vision and has strengths in all facets of the
PARTNERS framework. Key opportunities for growth in the partnership were
found in aptness, responsiveness, negotiation, empathy, and strategic
support. This evaluation acted as a tool for SORALO-CZBG leaders to talk
through strengths and opportunities for growth, along with plans to
address each. Practical Implication: Our findings highlight key factors
that strengthen conservation partnerships and offer recommendations for
conservation organizations, especially international NGOs, to examine
their partnerships and practices to enhance collaboration with
community-led conservation initiatives and best practices written by
community conservation leaders.