Strategic Planning for Species Conservation: A Handbook - IUCN

8. Actions
This chapter describes Actions necessary to achieve the Objectives, and ultimately the
Goals and Vision of a SCS. It defines Actions as any activity which will contribute to
improving the conservation status of the species of concern. The chapter provides
guidance on identifying Actions and sites for Action, determining timelines, identifying
actors, and prioritizing Actions within the framework of a SCS. It also explains the
necessity of monitoring the effectiveness of Actions through indicators of success.
8.1 Introduction
Actions are the activities which need to be implemented to achieve the SCS’s Objectives
and, ultimately, its Goals and Vision. Proposed Actions are likely to be diverse, including
activities such as the protection of populations and their habitats, surveys of distribution
and status, captive breeding, and research, as well as capacity development, education,
policy development, advocacy and fundraising.
It is important to bear in mind that, while many species inhabit landscapes or seascapes
administered by multiple countries and therefore require conservation across or beyond
international boundaries, the majority of Actions will be governed by national policies.
Developing national Action Plans (or Action Plans at the local or regional level if these are
the scales at which policy is determined) will be vital under such circumstances. The
SCSs developed under the auspices of SSC, at scales which will usually be range-wide or
regional, can provide excellent templates for national Action Plans. Chapter 9 provides
greater detail on how such Plans may be developed. Using SCSs in this way can help
ensure that national Action Plans adopted by neighbouring countries complement one
another.
It is almost inevitable that information and experience will be gained in the course of
implementing a SCS: some Actions may succeed and others may fail. It is important that
the SCS be devised in a way which allows managers to learn from these successes and
failures and to modify Actions accordingly. Hence, where possible, all management
Actions should be developed and implemented in association with appropriate monitoring
programmes. Most or all SCSs should list monitoring as an Action.
This chapter provides guidelines on how to identify appropriate Actions within the
framework of a SCS.
8.2 What are Actions?
8.2.1 How Actions fit within the SCS
The term “Action” here describes any conservation activity which will, directly or indirectly,
contribute to improving the conservation status of the species involved. Actions form the
most crucial component of a SCS: it is these Actions which, if correctly identified and fully
implemented, should achieve the SCS’s Objectives and hence, in turn, contribute to
achieving its Goals and Vision. For this reason, almost all aspects of the strategic
planning process are designed to ensure that the right Actions are recommended, and
that these recommendations have the greatest probability of being implemented.
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