ERIP 4 - Task 8

Strategic Planning Processes for Ecosystem Restoration

Task 8: Building Your Strategic Plan: Purpose and Core Components

Start

Building Your Strategic Plan: Purpose and Core Components

When restoration efforts lack a clear strategy, even well-intentioned actions can miss their mark. A well-designed strategic plan helps you align your interventions with desired outcomes, ensuring your program is both scientifically rigorous and socially responsive.

Why Have a Strategic Plan?

Components of a Strategic Restoration Plan

Up next

References

Components of a Strategic Restoration Plan

Ecosystem restoration programs should help stakeholders access new knowledge, skills, behaviors, and values.

Program scope

Program vision

Ecological and social targetsii

Objectivesii

Ecological and social goalsii

Indicatorsiii

In the next tasks, we’ll unpack each of these components step by step.

Reflection

Close this task and proceed on your journey

Task complete

References

iCalFed Bay-Delta Program. 1998. Developing a Strategic Plan for Ecosystem Restoration. Programmatic EIS/EIR Technical Appendix. California Agencies. Paper 344. Available here (p. 3).

Section overview

Start

Building Your Strategic Plan: Purpose and Core Components

Components of a Strategic Restoration Plan

Does your restoration program currently have a written plan that includes these components? Which of these elements are clear — and which still need to be defined?

Section overview

Start

Building Your Strategic Plan: Purpose and Core Components

Components of a Strategic Restoration Plan

iMorrison, J. 2009. Resources for Implementing the WWF Project & Programme Standards: Step 1.2 Define Project Scope & Vision. Available here (p. 1). iiGann G.D., Mcdonald T., Walder B., Aronson J., Nelson C.R., Jonson J., Hallet J.G., Eisenberg C., Guariguata M.R., Liu J., Hua F., Eheverria C., Gonzales E., Shaw N., Decleer K., Dixon K.W. 2019. International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration. Second Edition. Restoration Ecology (27(S1): 1-46). Available here (p. 58). iiiGann G.D., Mcdonald T., Walder B., Aronson J., Nelson C.R., Jonson J., Hallet J.G., Eisenberg C., Guariguata M.R., Liu J., Hua F., Eheverria C., Gonzales E., Shaw N., Decleer K., Dixon K.W. 2019. International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration. Second Edition. Restoration Ecology (27(S1): 1-46). Available here (p. 34).

Explain the overarching purpose of your program.i

Specify measurable and quantifiable indicators to evaluate program success and progress within identified time frames. To evaluate progress, each restoration objective must clearly articulate:

• The indicators that will be measured (e.g. percentage canopy cover of native plants).

• Desired outcome (e.g. increase, decrease, maintain).

• Desired magnitude of effect (e.g. 40% increase).

• Time frame (e.g. 5 years).

Specify changes and immediate outcomes needed to achieve the target and goals relative to any distinct spatial areas within the site.

• Include the level of ecological recovery sought. Quantify, where possible, the degree of the reference ecosystem attributes to be attained.

• Ensure that your SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented, and Time-limited) goals are explicit and realistic, and consider the time frame and social capital available in the area.

The purpose of a strategic plan for restoration is to:i

• Develop a clear and concise planning framework for socio-economic and ecological goals of restoration interventions.

• Create a rigorous scientific framework to design, evaluate, monitor, revise, and implement restoration interventions.

• Ensure consistency and complementarity with other relevant programs.

• Provide an avenue for inclusive and gender-responsive stakeholder processes to ensure wider uptake and adaptive learning.

• Ensure that ecosystem restoration interventions are mainstreamed in national development strategies and action plans on climate and biodiversity.

• Assist decision-makers in understanding science behind restoration, where and which ecosystem restoration interventions are applicable, what socio-economic and ecological benefits could be expected, which key institutions and stakeholders need to engage for scaling up, and what capital/resources are needed.

Define the scale - broad parameters of the program, geographically and/or thematically, and the foundation for all subsequent steps in the program.i

• Describe the site (overall socio-ecological characteristics) and the native or cultural ecosystem to be restored.

• For full recovery of native ecosystems, the target will fully align with the reference model. In partial recovery cases, it will include elements that deviate from the reference to some degree.

• Include drivers (challenges) to be addressed and expected socio-economic and ecological outcomes.