The majority of terms in this glossary comes directly from the glossary in the Conservation Measures Partnership’s Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation (Version 4.0). CMP members carefully selected and defined the technical terms in this glossary. These definitions are based on current usage by many CMP members, other conservation organizations, and planners in other disciplines. We have added to the glossary only in cases where the guidel introduces new terms. These new terms and their definitions are shown in italics.

Action Plan – A description of a project’s goals, objectives, and strategies that will be undertaken to abate identified threats and make use of opportunities.

Activity – A specific action or set of tasks undertaken by project staff and/or partners to reach one or more objectives. Sometimes called an action, intervention, response, or strategic action. (See relationship to strategies below.)

Adaptive Management – The incorporation of a formal learning process into conservation action. Specifically, it is the integration of project design, management, and monitoring, to provide a framework to systematically test assumptions, promote learning, and supply timely information for management decisions.

Assumption – A project’s core assumptions are the logical sequences linking project strategies to one or more targets as reflected in a theory of change. Other assumptions are related to factors that can positively or negatively affect project outcomes – see also contextual factor.

Audit – An assessment of a project or program in relation to an external set of criteria such as generally accepted accounting principles, sustainable harvest principles, or the standards outlined in this guide. Compare to evaluation.

Biodiversity Target – A synonym for conservation target.

Community of Practice – A group of practitioners who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.

Situation Model – A diagram that represents relationships between key factors that are believed to impact or lead to one or more conservation targets. A good model should link the conservation targets to threats, opportunities, stakeholders, and intervention points (factors – threats, opportunities, or targets – in a situation model where a team can develop strategies that will influence those factors. It should also indicate which factors are most important to monitor.

Conservation Target – An element of biodiversity at a project site, which can be a species, habitat/ ecological system, or ecological process that a project has chosen to focus on. All targets at a site should collectively represent the biodiversity of concern at the site. Synonymous with biodiversity target.

Critical Threat – Direct threats that have been prioritized as being the most important to address.

Direct Threat – A human action that immediately degrades one or more conservation targets. For example, “logging” or “fishing.” Typically tied to one or more stakeholders. Sometimes referred to as a “pressure” or “source of stress.” Compare with indirect threat.

Enabling Condition – A broad or high-level opportunity within a situation analysis. For example, the legal or policy framework within a country.

Evaluation – An assessment of a project or program in relation to its own previously stated goals and objectives. See monitoring and compare to audit.

Factor – A generic term for an element of a situation model including direct and indirect threats, opportunities, and associated stakeholders. It is often advantageous to use this generic term since many factors – for example tourism – could be both a threat and an opportunity.

Goal – A formal statement detailing a desired impact of a project, such as the desired future status of a target. A good goal meets the criteria of being linked to targets, impact oriented, measurable, time limited, and specific.

Indicator – A measurable entity related to a specific information need such as the status of a target/ factor, change in a threat, or progress toward an objective. A good indicator meets the criteria of being: measurable, precise, consistent, and sensitive.

Indirect Threat – A factor identified in an analysis of the project situation that is a driver of direct threats. Often an entry point for conservation actions. For example, “logging policies” or “demand for fish.” Sometimes called a root cause or underlying cause. Compare with direct threat.

Information Need – Something that a project team and/or other people must know about a project. The basis for designing a monitoring plan.

Intermediate Result – A specific benchmark or milestone that a project is working to achieve en route to accomplishing a final goal or objective (in this case, “intermediate” typically refers to a temporal dimension).

Key Intervention Point – A factor in your situation model where you could develop a strategy to ultimately improve the conservation status of one or more targets.

Learning Questions – Questions that define what you want to learn based on the implementation of your project. Learning questions drive the identification of information needs, and thus, your monitoring plan.

Logical Framework – Often abbreviated as logframe. A matrix that results from a logical framework analysis that is used to display a project’s goals, objectives, and indicators in tabular form, showing the logic of the project.

Monitoring – The periodic collection and evaluation of data relative to stated project goals and objectives. (Many people often also refer to this process as monitoring and evaluation, abbreviated M&E).

Monitoring Plan – The plan for monitoring your project. It includes information needs, indicators, and methods, spatial scale and locations, timeframe, and roles and responsibilities for collecting data.

Method – A specific technique used to collect data to measure an indicator. A good method should meet the criteria of accurate, reliable, cost-effective, feasible, and appropriate.

Objective – A formal statement detailing a desired outcome of a project such as reducing a critical threat. A good objective meets the criteria of being: results oriented, measurable, time limited, specific, and practical. If the project is well conceptualized and designed, realization of a project’s objectives should lead to the fulfilment of the project’s goals and ultimately its vision. Compare to vision and goal.

Operational Plan – A plan that includes analyses of: funding required; human capacity and skills and other non-financial resources required; risk assessment and mitigation; and estimate of project lifespan and exit strategy.

Opportunity – A factor identified in an analysis of the project situation that potentially has a positive effect on one or more targets, either directly or indirectly. Often an entry point for conservation actions. For example, “demand for sustainably harvested timber.” In some senses, the opposite of a threat.

Practitioners – All people involved in designing, managing, and monitoring conservation projects and programs.

Program – A group of projects which together aim to achieve a common broad vision. In the interest of simplicity, this guide uses the term “project” to represent both projects and programs since these standards of practice are designed to apply equally well to both.

Project – A set of actions undertaken by a defined group of practitioners – including managers, researchers, community members, or other stakeholders – to achieve defined goals and objectives. The basic unit of conservation work. Compare with program.

Project Area – The place where the biodiversity of interest to the project is located. It can include one or more “conservation areas” or “areas of biodiversity significance” as identified through ecoregional assessments. Note that in some cases, project actions may take place outside of the defined project area.

Project Team – A specific core group of practitioners who are responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring a project. This group can include managers, stakeholders, researchers, operations staff and other key implementers.

Result – The desired future state of a target or factor. Results include impacts which are linked to targets and outcomes which are linked to threats and opportunities.

Results Chain – A graphical depiction of a project’s core assumption, the logical sequence linking project strategies to one or more targets. In scientific terms, it lays out hypothesized relationships.

Risk Factor – A condition under which the project is expected to function, but which can cause problems for the project. Often, a condition over which the project has no direct control. Killer risks are those that when not overcome, will completely stop the project from achieving its goals and objectives.

Scope – The broad geographic or thematic focus of a project.

Stakeholder – Any individual, group, or institution that has a vested interest in the natural resources of the project area and/or that potentially will be affected by project activities and have something to gain or lose if conditions change or stay the same. Stakeholders are all those who need to be considered in achieving project goals and whose participation and support are crucial to its success.

Strategic Plan – The overall plan for a project. A complete strategic plan includes descriptions of a project’s scope, vision, and targets; an analysis of project situation, an Action Plan, a Monitoring Plan, and an Operational Plan.

Strategy – A group of actions with a common focus that work together to reduce threats, capitalize on opportunities, or restore natural systems. Strategies include one or more activities and are designed to achieve specific objectives and goals. A good strategy meets the criteria of being: linked, focused, feasible, and appropriate.

Target – Shorthand for biodiversity/conservation target.

Task – A specific action in a work plan required to implement activities, a Monitoring Plan, or other components of a Strategic Plan.

Threat – A human activity that directly or indirectly degrades one or more targets. Typically tied to one or more stakeholders. See also direct threat and indirect threat.

Vision – A description of the desired state or ultimate condition that a project is working to achieve. A complete vision can include a description of the biodiversity of the site and/or a map of the project area as well as a summary vision statement.

Vision Statement – A brief summary of the project’s vision. A good vision statement meets the criteria of being relatively general, visionary, and brief.

Work plan – A short-term schedule for implementing an action, monitoring, or operational plan. Work plans typically list tasks required, who will be responsible for each task, when each task will need to be undertaken, and how much money and other resources will be required.

Criteria for Key Terms

Vision Statement: A general statement of the desired state or ultimate condition that a project is working to achieve.

• Relatively General – Broadly defined to encompass all project activities
• Visionary – Inspirational in outlining the desired change in the state of the targets toward which the project is working
• Brief – Simple and succinct so that that all project participants can remember it

Goal: A formal statement detailing a desired impact of a project such as the desired future status of a target.

• Linked to Targets – Directly associated with one or more of your conservation targets
• Impact Oriented – Represents the desired future status of the conservation target over the long-term
• Measurable – Definable in relation to some standard scale (numbers, percentage, fractions, or all/nothing states)
• Time Limited – Achievable within a specific period of time, generally 10 or more years
• Specific – Clearly defined so that all people involved in the project have the same understanding of what the terms in the goal mean

Objective: A formal statement detailing a desired outcome of a project.

• Results Oriented – Represents necessary changes in critical threat and opportunity factors that affect one or more conservation targets or project goals
• Measurable – Definable in relation to some standard scale (numbers, percentage, fractions, or all/nothing states)
• Time Limited – Achievable within a specific period of time, generally 3-10 years
• Specific – Clearly defined so that all people involved in the project have the same understanding of what the terms in the objective mean
• Practical – Achievable and appropriate within the context of the project site, and in light of the political, social and financial context

Strategy: A group of actions with a common focus that work together to reduce threats, capitalize on opportunities, or restore natural systems. Strategies include one or more activities and are designed to achieve specific objectives and goals.

• Linked – Directly affects one or more critical factors
• Focused – Outlines specific courses of action that need to be carried out
• Feasible – Accomplishable in light of the project’s resources and constraints
• Appropriate – Acceptable to and fitting within site-specific cultural, social, and biological norms

Indicator: A measurable entity related to a specific information need such as the status of a target, change in a threat, or progress toward an objective.

• Measurable – Able to be recorded and analyzed in quantitative and qualitative terms
• Precise – Defined the same way by all people
• Consistent – Not changing over time so that it always measures the same thing
• Sensitive – Changes proportionately in response to the actual changes in the condition being measured

Method: A specific technique used to collect data to measure an indicator.

• Accurate: Gives minimal or no error
• Reliable – Results are consistently repeatable – each time that the method is used it produces the same result.
• Cost-Effective – Does not cost too much in relation to the data it produces and the resources the project has.
• Feasible – Project team has the human, material, and financial resources to use the method.
• Appropriate – Acceptable to and fitting within site-specific cultural, social, and biological norms.

Note: We have slightly modified the wording of CMP’s criteria for Methods, in particular to clarify the feasible criterion.