Strategy and Opportunity Mapping

Purpose
  1. Strat­e­gy and oppor­tu­ni­ty map­ping defines the poten­tial spa­tial extent of dif­fer­ent can­di­date strate­gies, and eval­u­ates the con­tri­bu­tion of each strat­e­gy toward con­ser­va­tion goals, and inform­ing the selec­tion of which strate­gies to implement.
  2. Strat­e­gy and oppor­tu­ni­ty map­ping also aids the imple­men­ta­tion of select­ed strate­gies by iden­ti­fy­ing where each strat­e­gy can most effec­tive­ly be implemented.
Products
  • Map of the poten­tial impacts of the can­di­date strate­gies on nature and people
  • Quan­tifi­ca­tion of the poten­tial impact of the can­di­date strate­gies on nature and people
 

By cre­at­ing maps that show what you expect to hap­pen under each can­di­date strat­e­gy and what would hap­pen if you did noth­ing, you can com­pare out­comes and cre­ate a spa­tial analy­sis of the impact of your pro­posed strat­e­gy. These maps can be pow­er­ful tools for inform­ing the selec­tion of which strate­gies to imple­ment, and for show­ing where each strat­e­gy can most effec­tive­ly be implemented.

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  • Articulate and document assumptions required for mapping.

  • Map expected status of conservation and human goals without any strategies.

  • Map potential extent of each candidate strategy, considering its enabling conditions and intermediate results.

    • It may be as simple as mapping the political boundaries of an area that can be affected by a policy strategy.

    • For strategies that aim to find efficient spatial solutions for multiple goals, the process may be more complex.

    • When mapping strategies, consider incorporating local knowledge.

    • Use continuous variables.

  • Refine potential extent of each strategy to reflect organizational resources and capacity.

    • Include the resources and capacity of partners.

    • Create multiple maps if there is a lot of uncertainty in this step.

    • Seek peer, stakeholder, and expert review.

  • Map and quantify expected changes in status of conservation and human well-being goals with each strategy.

    • Consider climate change.

    • Reconsider and map both positive co-benefits and negative impacts on people.

    • If risks are identified, what should you do?

    • Consider optimization methods when strategies are highly dependent on spatial context.

  • Estimate costs, calculate return on investment.

    • Consider whether costs vary spatially.

    • Calculate just your project costs.

    • Consider costs of relevant non-conservation alternatives.

    • Consider costs of monitoring and evaluation.

Minimum Standard Questions
  1. Did you document the assumptions, sources and methodologies used in the process to map your strategies?
  2. Does your analysis allow quantitative comparison of each strategy's impact on metrics of the elements in your minimum goal statement relative to the impacts of a ‘business as usual’ projection?
  3. Do stakeholders and external experts understand and generally agree with your impact estimates?
  4. If a strategy is pursued, will your analysis inform where to target implementation and where tangible conservation outcomes are expected to be achieved?
  5. Do cost estimates allow comparison of the conservation ROI of alternative strategies? Have you included the costs of monitoring and evaluation?
  6. Have the anticipated benefits of a strategy to people been quantified in a way that is relevant and defensible for stakeholders?
FAQS Show All
Are there strategies where mapping is not required?
What if spatial data are not available?
How detailed (scale and accuracy) does the spatial information need to be for use in strategy mapping?

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