USAID has developed a new resource with practical advice for thinking and working politically when practicing the Conservation Standards in USAID work. Given strong evidence that political factors overwhelmingly drive the loss of biodiversity, this guide is based on the premise that conservation programs will be more effective when they skillfully integrate political dynamics.
The new guide is the result of significant, iterative inputs from a large number of contributors. It unpacks areas of alignment and divergence between the Conservation Standards and thinking and working politically as practiced at USAID and offers recommendations for drawing on the strengths of both approaches to enhance biodiversity programming. The primary audiences for this guide are USAID staff and implementers who use the Conservation Standards. It also serves as a resource for USAID’s partners as they develop proposals, lead programs, and craft approaches. Conservation practitioners from other organizations may also find the guide of interest as they wrestle with similar challenges. We invite your feedback on the 1.0 version of the “Technically Strong and Politically Savvy: Enhancing Thinking and Working Politically When Practicing the Conservation Standards at USAID” guide.
Story from Kelsey Schueler (Environmental Incentives), Heidi Schuttenberg (USAID) and Jeff Stark.
