1. The Story of Washington’s Murder (according to Bill Sutherland) 12 th Dec 1799 Inspects plantation in snow 13 th Sore throat 14 th Dec 2:00 AM Breathing difficulties Mr Rawlins, Estate overseer, provided mixture molasses, vinegar Mr Rawlins ordered by Washington to remove 0.75 pint blood 10:00 AM Dr James Craik, personal physician, arrives Preparation dried beetles applied to throat 1 pint blood removed No improvement so another 1 pint blood removed Vinegar in water gargle – near suffocation 2 more pints blood removed 3:00 PM Dr Elisha Dick, prominent physician arrives 1.8 pints blood removed Pulse low 10:10pm Died Total > 6.5 pints removed

2. Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis (1787-1872) Introduced numerical methods to examine the effectiveness of medical interventions Showed blood letting ineffective

3. How Practitioners Make Decisions Myth  Anecdote  Observation  Comparison  Replicated  RRC Academic Now Practitioners Future Academic Practitioners Documented Source: Sutherland 2007

4. Measuring Effectiveness An Overture Measuring Conservation Effectiveness Summit May 5-6, Palo Alto, California

5. Research On Over 220 Measures Systems in Different Fields

6. Business & Management Family Tree

7. Q1. What Is Measuring Effectiveness?

8. Status Question: How are Species and Ecosystems Doing? ?

9. Effectiveness Question Are Our Actions Leading to Desired Results? ?

10. Certification Question: Do We Meet External Standards? ?

11. Why We Are Focused on Effectiveness ?? The Focus for This Summit

12. The fight in baseball between traditional managers who use gut hunches/rules and the quants over short and long-term actions: Bunt on this pitch? (seconds) Replace this pitcher? (minutes) Sign Player X? (years) Build a new stadium? (decades) Q2. What is the Unit for Measuring Effectiveness?

13. Actions Threats Conservation Target Wildlife and Habitat Direct Indirect Costs of measuring change Level of confidence Time to see an impact Outputs Outcomes Impacts

14. Q3. How Do You Measure Effectiveness?

15. Need to Integrate Measuring Effectiveness into an Iterative Project Cycle

16. The Basic Systematic Performance Management (SPM) Cycle

17. Biodiversity Conservation Projects Come In All Shapes and Sizes 1.A community fishing ground in the Pacific 2.A TNC preserve or provincial park 3.Coordinated efforts to manage state and federal funding for Puget Sound or Lake Ontario 4.The WWF Markets Initiative 5.A funder’s grantmaking strategy for the California Coastal waters, or the Coral Triangle

18. CMPAWFCITNCWCSWWF Biodiversity Targets Focal Targets Conservation Outcomes Focal Conservation Targets Landscape Species Long- Term Goals Threats PressuresThreats ObjectivesMilestonesObjectivesTargetsProject Targets An Excerpt from the CMP’s Rosetta Stone Analysis Similar Concepts, Different Terms

19. Conservation Measures Partnership’s Open Standards Are One Flavor of SPM Developed by leading orgs & agencies Draws on many fields Open source & common language Used around the world

20. Q4. How Much Should We Invest in Measuring Effectiveness? SPM does not specify M&E Design !!

21. The “Burden of Proof” Depends on Risks, Costs, and Timeframe for Decision Making Generally Invest More in Measures When: Stakes are high (high cost of error or inaction) Potential to leverage learning Costs of measures are low relative to actions Marisla Foundation Packard Foundation

22. Q5. Should We Mandate Measuring Effectiveness? The Bell Curve: Treating Cystic Fibrosis A Surprise – The Best Get Better It’s the centers in the top quartile that are improving fastest….they are at risk of breaking away. What the best may have, above all, is a capacity to learn and adapt – and to do so faster than everyone else. The Bell Curve Leads to Uncomfortable Questions Will being in the bottom half be used against doctors in lawsuits? Will we be expected to tell our patients how we score? Will our patients leave us? Will those at the bottom be paid less than those at the top? The answer to all these questions is likely yes. Poor Below Avg Above Avg Best Distribution of Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Center Success Rates

23. Ultimately We Are Not Competing Within Conservation, But Against Other Social Causes Conservation Worthy Cause A Worthy Cause B

24. Q7. How Do We Roll Out Measuring Effectiveness Both Internally…. After a guy gave an ‘air ball’ Six Sigma presentation…the standard joke was that the guy “decided to leave” before his elevator reached the ground floor.

25. Q7. How Do We Roll Out Measuring Effectiveness Both Internally….and Externally?

26. If We Create a Culture of Data Sharing… ? 

27. Q8. How Do We Continue this Conversation Going Forward?

28. Our Fundamental Hypothesis

30. Measuring Effectiveness Can Transform the Practice of Conservation Practitioners in field using measures results to plan and implement effective projects Managers and donors getting better information to improve work All stakeholders learning from each other Increased public support for conservation Ultimately, better conservation outcomes