Indonesian Conservation Management Practices & the Australian ...

International Context31Evaluation Techniques included:a) The use of formal interview sheets for environmental NGO staff. The same sheet was usedfor each NGO to ensure consistency of questions and allowed for program comparisons.The same interview sheet also was used when interviewing the Forestry department,environment and industry local government representatives and sub-district leaders.b) At times when interviewing project coordinators, a tape recorder was used to ensureall aspects of the interview were captured.c) When approaching community members, the use of non-formal interview techniqueswould not be appropriate, as they were perceived to be invasive by the local communityand restricted ‘honest’ and ‘descriptive’ information.3. Develop the skills needed for achieving desired outcomes in conservation programs.Conservation programs visited within the course of the Fellowship gave McKelson theopportunity to develop wider knowledge and experience. As each program is differentand requires different skill sets, the main skills that McKelson developed from thisFellowship were:• Evaluation of a program using a variety off methods, as discussed above.• The ability to communicate and liaise with different levels of community members,stakeholders and staff members within the program.• The ability to apply some of the knowledge gained to implement the CRU developmentplan within the FFI program, and gain a successful outcome.• The ability to identify issues related to working within a region.• The ability to recognize how a zoo can contribute to a program.4. Using the knowledge and skills gained during the Fellowship to assist the Australian zooindustry to make more informed decisions about supporting conservation programs.The Fellowship report outlines base criteria that the Australasian zoo industry can useto make more informed choices when supporting conservation programs. However,support from a variety of levels is also needed to become world leaders in the zooindustry (please refer to Recommendations). The following points outline McKelson’smain recommendations, based on her experience from the Fellowship.McKelson will continue to support and contribute to Zoos Victoria’s conservation goals,and will also advise and help other zoo industry organisations, so greater goals andoutcomes are achieved in conservation planning and management.• Building relationships with each project is vital for more direct zoo involvement infield programs. Most Australian zoos only provide funds to support programs, but theopportunity exists for much broader involvement, e.g. staff participation, providingskills and helping with strategic direction and goal-setting. This should continue untilthe zoo’s support is no longer needed and the field partner or community can managethe program itself.• Zoo support for field conservation should be developed and implemented within astrategic framework. This can be at the level of individual zoos or regionally, andwould be more effective in delivering zoo support, including advice on field activitiesand outcomes. A strategic plan will provide the Australian zoo industry with a morefocused approach and potentially larger commitment to the field programs, with cleargoals and expected outcomes.