Building Capacity for Individual and Systems-Level Collaborative Conservation Impacts: Intentional Design for Transformative Practice

Conservation for and with local communities and stakeholders is essential. Despite the importance of community-oriented approaches and calls for capacity building in conservation, the impacts and inputs of training in relational fields like collaborative conservation remain unclear. We used mixed methods to conduct one of the first evaluations of a collaborative conservation capacity building program, and present an empirically-based causal model of the programmatic inputs supporting long-term changes. We found moderate to transformational impacts on participants’ practice and professional trajectories, and on multiple dimensions of capacity, including comfort, conviction, and identity. Flexible funding, immersion into a safe community of practice, and the obligation and opportunity to experiment with collaborative approaches fostered these changes. We also found evidence of a developing landscape of practice, and perceived benefits to communities where fellows worked. We suggest programs incorporate intentional design, including networked communities of practice and heuristics, to enhance individual and systems impact. Management implications
Building collaborative conservation capacity involves more than training: applied experiences, immersion into communities of practice, and flexible funding can support long-term adoption of new approaches.
Fostering a sense of conviction for collaboration early may incite participants to engage with (sometimes uncomfortable) new experiences and groups.
Adopting “networked” communities of practice may allow collaborative conservation fellowships to reduce potential tradeoffs between individual and social systems level goals.

Building collaborative conservation capacity involves more than training: applied experiences, immersion into communities of practice, and flexible funding can support long-term adoption of new approaches.
Fostering a sense of conviction for collaboration early may incite participants to engage with (sometimes uncomfortable) new experiences and groups.
Adopting “networked” communities of practice may allow collaborative conservation fellowships to reduce potential tradeoffs between individual and social systems level goals.

与本地社区及利益相关方共同开展并为之服务的保护工作至关重要。
尽管以社区为导向的保护方法备受重视，保护领域也呼吁开展能力建设，但在协作保护（collaborative conservation）这类关系型工作领域中，相关培训的投入与实际效果仍不甚明晰。
本研究采用混合研究方法，开展了首批协作保护能力建设项目评估之一，并构建了基于实证的、可支撑长期变革的项目投入因果模型。
研究发现，该项目对参与者的实践行为与职业发展轨迹，以及包括适应度、信念与身份认同在内的多维度能力均产生了中等至变革性的影响。
灵活的资金支持、沉浸式融入安全实践社群（communities of practice），以及尝试协作式方法的责任与契机，共同推动了这些变革的发生。
本研究还发现，实践领域正呈现不断发展的态势，且参与项目的研究员所服务的社区也切实获益。
我们建议相关项目应采用有针对性的设计，包括搭建网络化实践社群与运用启发式策略，以强化对个体与系统层面的影响。

管理启示：
提升协作保护能力绝非仅靠培训即可实现——实践历练、沉浸式融入实践社群以及灵活的资金支持，均有助于长期推广新型工作方法。
尽早培育参与者对协作的信念，可激励其投身（有时会令人不适的）全新体验与社群互动。
采用"networked"实践社群模式，可使协作保护研究员项目缓解个体目标与社会系统层面目标间潜在的权衡矛盾。

提升协作保护能力绝非仅靠培训即可实现——实践历练、沉浸式融入实践社群以及灵活的资金支持，均有助于长期推广新型工作方法。
尽早培育参与者对协作的信念，可激励其投身（有时会令人不适的）全新体验与社群互动。
采用"networked"实践社群模式，可使协作保护研究员项目缓解个体目标与社会系统层面目标间潜在的权衡矛盾。