Evaluation Sourcebook (.pdf) - School of Natural Resources and ...

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES THREATS ASSETS STRATEGIESHow severe are threats?The following criteria or descriptors of a threat (or asset) can be useful for evaluatingchange, but also for prioritizing which threats or assets to focus on:Impact: How strong or severe is a threat’s impact? Is its effect short-term, longtermor irreversible?Breadth: How many different aspects of the system does it affect? Is it specific tocertain objectives or does it affect your ability to achieve them all? Over whatphysical area does it have an impact? Is it localized or pervasive?Urgency: Is the threat about to have a critical impact on the system, or will it in thefuture? How far in the future? Is the asset time-dependent? Would it have to be usedor maintained now, or is it stable and long-term?STEPS TOWARD SUCCESSYour project may have ultimate goals of healthy, functioning ecosystems and vibrantcommunities and economies. Changes in the threats affecting these long-term, largescalegoals can often serve as more immediate measures of progress.For example, you know you are on your way to achieving high quality habitats if youcan show a decrease in the breadth or impact of invasive species. Similarly, you candocument progress toward your ultimate goal of an ecologically sustainable economyif you have overcome the lack of support of key businesses in the community.Next: Two page spreads on specific project threatsEvaluation Sourcebook 109