Conservation Measures Partnership


Providing principles and practices
for effective conservation

Photo Credit: James Wheeler

 

 

Our Mission


The Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) is a community of conservation-oriented NGOs, government agencies, funders, and private businesses that work collectively to guide conservation around the world. As stewards of the Conservation Standards, we seek better ways to design, manage, and measure the impacts of conservation action.

Read CMP Charter March 2021.

Our Vision


Conservation impacts around the world are amplified as teams use evidence, measure effectiveness, and openly share lessons with the conservation community.

Our strategic plan: Miradi Share version (regularly updated) and 2017-2022 Draft Document (v. January 2020, updated annually)

About Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP)


Our global community of partners fosters and guides conservation efforts around the world.

We draw on the expertise of our collective of NGOs, government agencies, and private businesses. We follow the principles and practices set out in the Conservation Standards guidelines. We work together to better design, manage, and measure conservation action.

Collaboration works.

Our members contribute to the fount of expertise and learn from each other. The experience of each organization becomes collective experience. Tried-but-failed approaches are avoided, best practices are adopted, efforts are shared or streamlined.

Efficiency and Innovation.

Our collective knowledge shapes and reshapes our standards guidelines leading to efficiency in practice. Our focus on the monitoring and evaluation of outcomes leads to innovation. The Conservation Measures Partnership serves as a catalyst for these advances in the field of conservation.

Photo Credit: Felix Cybulla

History


CMP’s roots go back to the July 2002 Society for Conservation Biology meeting, where key members of the USAID-funded Global Conservation Program launched efforts to reconsider how conservation practitioners monitor and measure conservation success.

Representatives from The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund-US, Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International, and Foundations of Success had previously discussed ways to better collaborate, so that M&E and auditing efforts might be made collective.

At the meeting, organizations shared data on M&E, impact assessment, and auditing; identified gaps in knowledge and practice; and planned future collaborations. This was the catalyst for collective action across conservation.

The organizations met again later that year to review M&E process standards and formally establish CMP. A common language for project management terminology was developed called Rosetta Stone of Project Management Systems. This and synthesized process standards led to the development of the Conservation Standards for the Practice of Conservation (version 1.0) in 2004. You can download Version 4.0 here.

Since 2002, CMP has grown and diversified its membership, undertaking new initiatives to improve and magnify our conservation impact.

Historical Initiatives


Photo Credit: Rosamira Guillen

 

 

Rosetta Stone of Project Management Systems

From 2003-2004, CMP members established common terminology for project management systems. This “Rosetta Stone” translated language used across member systems, allowing the conservation community to communicate clearly, collaborate effectively, and learn from one another – all with the broader aim to improve our conservation impact.

Photo Credit: Diane Detoeuf

 

 

Conservation Standards for the Practice of Conservation

The Rosetta Stone initiative established the common language that became the terminology used in the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, commonly called the Conservation Standards. These now-widely adopted principles and practices bring together common concepts, approaches, and terminology for conservation project design, management, and monitoring. This is an open-source strategic framework helping conservation teams achieve lasting impact.

Photo Credit: CONAF

How We Operate


CMP was set up by its founding partners as a community of practice. Its operations are built on the Collective Impact Model, which recognizes that more can be achieved by working together. The Collective Impact Model defines key criteria for success, one of which is the need for a coordinating organization to administer and facilitate the effort.

This appointed coordinator–currently Foundations of Success–serves as CMP’s legal and fiscal sponsor, while CMP operates as an informal association governed by an elected Board. Such an arrangement gives CMP a flexible structure to conduct business cost-effectively.

Governance of CMP’s operations is defined in our Charter, which we review and update periodically.

Photo Credit: Diane Detoeuf

CMP Board


CMP is governed by a Board elected from and by the membership. The Board is comprised of five to twelve CMP members. No institution can hold more than one seat on the Board. To the extent possible, the Board should represent the major CMP constituencies.

 

Annette Stewart

 

(Bush Heritage Australia)

 

Caroline Stem

 

(Foundations of Success)

 

Catherine Payne

 

(Alcedo Conservation)

 

David Wilkie

 

(Wildlife Conservation Society)

 

 

Erica Cochrane

 

(International Crane Foundation)

 

Ian Little

 

(Endangered Wildlife Trust)

 

Kara Stevens

 

(Walton Family Foundation)

 

Kelsey Schueler

 

(Environmental Incentives)

 

 

Stephan Funk

 

(Lemu)

 

 

Terri Schulz

 

(The Nature Conservancy)

 

Will Beale 

 

(World Wildlife Fund for Nature)

Looking for a quick way to get started with the Conservation Standards?


CMP’s flagship product, the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation (Conservation Standards for short) is a set of widely used standards that offer a rich and rigorous approach to project management. But, sometimes teams don’t have the time, money, or support to undertake all steps to the ideal level. If you find yourself in this situation, check out this draft “Cookbook” for Lighter Approaches to the Conservation Standards!

Support CMP

CMP is a partnership of conservation-oriented NGOs, government agencies, and funders that works collectively to achieve greater impact. We seek better ways to design, manage, and measure the impacts of our conservation actions so that we can learn and improve our efforts and contribute our learning to the broader evidence base.

Photo Credit: Jason Houston for USAID

Download CS

The Conservation Standards is the product of inputs, field tests, and discussions among members of the Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP), which has final editorial authority over the Conservation Standards. Substantial input was also provided by members of the Conservation Coaches Network (CCNet) and other CMP partners.

Photo Credit: Felix Cybulla

Our Collaborators

Every organization, agency, project, and individual has its own preferred set of terms. There is no right answer – the most important thing is that the members of your project team and the people with whom you work have a clear and common understanding of whatever terms you choose to use.

Photo Credit: Chris Scarffe

Resource Library

A library of vetted resources designed to help teams understand and effectively use the Conservation Standards. Includes guides, case studies, journal articles, and more.

Photo Credit: Ashleigh Baker

Contact CMP

To inquire about supporting The Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) or for general inquiries, please contact us at CMPinfo@ConservationMeasures.org

Photo Credit: Felix Cybulla