There is seldom a conservation activity that will affect all people, so it is important to specify the relevant groups for each human well-being primary interest. Relevant groups are the people evidence suggests are connected (positively or negatively) to primary interests as drivers or recipients of outcomes. Being clear in the early stages of the planning process about which specific groups may be affected, and how groups differ as drivers of change or as recipients of ecosystem benefit or harm, is critical. Populations are diverse and people can be grouped in many different ways, such as gender, income level, ethnicity, race, representation (marginalized groups), age, political orientation, and economic sector (e.g. corporations, herders, fishers, agricultural producers). The point in identifying relevant groups is not to attempt to reflect all groups, but rather to explicitly identify which groups of people are likely to be affected or influential so they can be considered and engaged as appropriate in the conservation process.
