Strategic planning and innovative action

Published: 17 January 2023
Last edited: 17 January 2023

In the longer term, interventions to counter wildlife crime can only be effective if they are based on a combination of strategic planning and innovative action. Practical strategies with clearly defined aims are vital to enable coordinated interventions. All interventions must seek to achieve required outcomes that work towards priority goals. To be successful, strategic planning – as well as the resultant interventions – must involve all key role players to ensure a sense of joint ownership. Similarly, strategic interventions must embrace the contributions of all relevant stakeholders to ensure coordinated action. Yet action must remain innovative so that activities can be adapted as unforeseen circumstances are encountered, new needs arise, or parameters shift. In addition, strategies need to be revisited and refined at regular intervals to ensure they remain relevant in a changing environment. This combination of working toward clear aims with effective strategies, while always being willing and able to adapt through innovative changes in approach and action, is an essential building block to effectively counter wildlife crime.

Classifications

Category
Alliance and partnership development
Co-management building
Collection of baseline and monitoring data and knowledge
Communication, outreach and awareness building
Education, training and other capacity development activities
Enforcement and prosecution
Evaluation, effectiveness measures and learning
Legal and policy frameworks, policy advocacy
Management planning
Sustainable financing
Technical interventions and infrastructure
Scale of implementation
National
Multi-national
Phase of solution
Entirety

Enabling factors

  • Sound systems & approaches must be in place to create an effective framework for strategic planning and innovative action
  • All stakeholders must be involved in strategic planning to ensure a sense of joint ownership & enable successful implementation
  • A strong partnership between conservation & law-enforcement agencies is vital for coordinated strategies to counter wildlife crime
  • Clearly defined overall aims & required outcomes enable strategic planning to be relevant and implementable

Lessons learned

  • Strategies are only successful if they are embraced by all key stakeholders & can be implemented effectively
  • Strategies must be realistic, practical and achievable
  • Acknowledgement of all contributions to the implementation of a strategy is important
  • Strategies must be revisited & refined regularly to remain relevant
  • Innovation & adaptability to change strategies as needs dictate is vital for ongoing success
  • Existing systems & approaches may need to be revised to enable the implementation of strategies, or to ensure innovation & adaptability

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