The universal
planning logic
Whether one is
managing a nature reserve, a corner shop or a multinational
corporation, the planning logic is the same. The plan says what has
to be done to secure each asset. In a conservation plan
assets are described as features.
The sequence
of actions for each feature (e.g. habitat, species, scenic view,
historic building, footpath) is as follows:-
-
describe the objective by saying what
the organisation wishes to do and how it will know when it has
reached where it wants to be;
-
devise projects to achieve the
objective;
-
schedule the work for each
project;
-
record the outputs and outcomes of the
work;
-
operate a system of reporting on the
outcomes on a 'need to know' basis.
This schematic can
be organised on various types of commonly used software, such as an
office suite (e.g. MS Works), a topic outliner (e.g. MindManager),
a simple relational database (e.g. SoftKey’s Project Manager)
or an electronic diary.
The simplest
software to use is the My Works Project 'To Do'
list in MS Works, which is bundled free with
Windows PCs.
Planning by
interrogation
Answering the following sequence of questions will
produce a management plan for wildlife
Current state of habitat or
species?
This is the latest measurement of an attribute of
one of the features of the habitat or species; e.g. the number of
individuals of a particular species per unit
area.
Desired state of habitat or
species?
This is a value of the attribute, such as the
number of individuals per unit area, that indicates the population
is thriving. This value defines the favourable
state of the species as a management objective. The
attribute is measured from time to time by means of monitoring
project. These values are performance indicators of the
effectivness of management in reaching its
objective.
Routes to action to reach desired
state?
These start with a list of the important factors
that affect the condition or state of the feature in a positive or
negative way (e.g. food plants; shelter; predators). Each factor is
the basis of an action plan, which details the work required to
influence the factor in order to move the population towards the
its favourable condition or state. The following questions,
addressed to each factor in turn, will produce information for
projects that will comprise the action
plan.
What work has to be
done?
This is a summary
description of the work that has to be done to meet a particular
objective by controlling one of its factors.
How are you going to do
it?
This is a description of the
work that has to be done in terms of procedures and
methods.
Who will do
it?
This is a list of the people
who will carry out the work.
When will they do
it?
This is a calendar item that
schedules the work to begin on a particular date, and says how long
it will take.
What will they
need?
This is a list of any
special tools or equipment required, and schedules when they will
be needed.
Where will it be
done?
This describes where the
work has to be done, and is linked to an annotated map of the
site.
How much will it
cost?
This is the budget allowance
for the work.
When was it actually
done?
Sometimes work schedules
tend to slip, so it is important to record when the work was
actually carried out.
Who actually did the
work?
Sometimes there has to be a
change in manpower from the time the work was originally scheduled,
so it is import to record those who actually carried out the
work.
Any problems?
It is important to record
any unforseen problems associated with the work, particularly those
that prevented its successful completion.
What did it actually
cost?
Did the project fall within
budget?
State of habitat or species before and
after?
It is important to monitor
the effect of the work on the state of the habitat or species. This
is achieved by measuring an attribute of the habitat or species at
a suitable interval after the work was carried out, and compare it
with the state at the time the work was done. The difference
between before and after is a performance indicator of
management.
Who needs
reports?
Reports on the action plan
and its outcome should be sent to all those people and
organisations, such as sponsors, strategic planners and members of
the community.
