Assessing Project Management Skills among Conservationists

Story from Jane Hooper, WildTeam UK

WildTeam UK had an article published in the Journal for Nature Conservation entitled “A rapid assessment of the current status of project management skills in the conservation sector.” This research identified that a lack of project management skills in the conservation sector may be contributing, in part, to the gap between conservation research and implementation. Researchers used an online survey to assess the need for project management skills, the demand for and supply of project management training, and the barriers to training in the conservation sector. Researchers received 250 responses from conservationists representing 141 organisations and 52 countries. The surveys indicated that:

  • 98% of respondents believe project management skills are important for them to be effective in their current role, but over 66% of respondents reported that they have insufficient competency in project management skills.
  • 70% of respondents reported receiving project management training, but only 10% reported having project management certification.

In response to these findings, WildTeam has created the Project Management for Wildlife Conservation approach, which encompasses elements of the Open Standards. Read our Project Management For Wildlife Conservation Manual V1.0 to find out more about this approach.