Premium
Exit strategies for wildlife conservation: why they are rare and why every institution needs one
Author(s) -
RuizMiranda Carlos R,
Vilchis L Ignacio,
Swaisgood Ronald R
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1002/fee.2163
Subject(s) - business , institution , wildlife , plan (archaeology) , process (computing) , public relations , environmental planning , environmental resource management , operations management , process management , marketing , economics , political science , computer science , ecology , geography , archaeology , law , biology , operating system
Exit strategies – plans to end involvement in a project once selected criteria have been reached – are rare in conservation planning but can play a vital role in the conservation planning process; such strategies also prepare the institution, its staff, its partners, and a wider group of stakeholders for eventual success or failure and signal when it is time to move on. Exit strategies may indicate that the project has been terminated but may also signal success, or that project leadership has transitioned to another, more appropriate entity. We address why exit strategies are uncommon in conservation, why they are essential, what determines when to transition or leave, and how to plan for circumstances afterwards. A good exit strategy addresses financial and legal liabilities to employees, publication of results, and ownership of data, among other things. A comprehensive, thoughtful strategy can lead to “beautiful exits” that minimize negative consequences to the project.