Detailed project planning is undertaken for each of Round River’s regional conservation initiatives, usually on an annual basis. Such planning typically includes:

  • Clarification of project rationale and conservation goals;
  • Identification of project objectives, including interim milestones and key deliverables;
  • Confirmation of conservation strategies to be employed; and,
  • Detailed work planning and budgeting, including confirmation of resource allocation from Round River and from project partners.

Each Project Director also coordinates closely with the Round River student program, so that field activities and research projects completed by students can contribute substantively toward the completion of project objectives.

The particular conservation strategies employed to achieve desired conservation goals in a given region are always tailored to the local context and thus vary from region to region. Examples of such conservation strategies include:

  • Background Information and Baseline Data Compilation: Compilation and assessment of baseline data and past research products, so that local decision makers have access to up-to-date information;
  • Situational Analysis: The completion of detailed situational analyses, including a detailed assessment of stakeholder interests and relationships, so that the context for each conservation project is well understood and to guide the identification of local partners for Round River;
  • Field Research: Design and implementation of targeted field research projects, to determine the scope or status of conservation values or threats, and to inform project planning;
  • Regional Ecological Assessment: Preparation of a regional-scale ecological assessment, often incorporating both western science and local knowledge, to help determine conservation goals and priorities, and to provide sophisticated decision support tools for subsequent planning efforts;
  • Land Use and Wildlife Management Planning: The provision of technical support and planning capacity for land use planning and for development of management plans for wildlife or other conservation values, in cooperation with local users, indigenous communities, and/or resource agencies;
  • Negotiation Support: Technical support, strategic advice and/or participation in negotiations related to conservation plans and initiatives on behalf of local project partners;
  • Conservation Incentives: Design and deployment of financial or other incentives for the completion of conservation plans or agreements, or to support the long-term implementation of such plans or agreements;
  • Institutional Support and Community Development: Where requested by local project partners and where available resources and technical capacity allow, assistance with strategic planning, organizational development, and selected local community development projects to complement conservation planning efforts;
  • Capacity Building: Transfer of skills and knowledge to local project partners, to ensure conservation outcomes are durable, and to reduce the reliance on external technical expertise.