Ecological Restoration and Conservation Collaboratives

The Institute for Engagement and Negotiation at the University of Virginia won a prestigious contract from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to investigate and analyze what specific aspects of collaborative partnerships make a difference in terms of ecological restoration and conservation activities and outcomes. IEN’s work will be used by NFWF to guide the development of its funding priorities, to strategically invest in building the capacity of collaboratives to become more effective and to also support collaboratives that are likely to achieve the greatest success on the ground. In December 2018 IEN began its work on this new qualitative research study funded through a contract by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund program. IEN is tasked with assessing how collaboration helps conservation advocates in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to scale up on the ground activities that are proven to help restore and preserve the Bay. IEN’s final deliverable study will help NFWF understand the range of collaboratives operating in the watershed, what formal and informal structures and factors contribute to their the sustainability and success of ecological restoration and conservation collaboratives, and how organizations progress along a continuum of collaboration towards high effectiveness, and what forms of capacity building might be worthy of support. Ultimately, with a long history of facilitating collaboratives as well as contributing to our profession’s understanding of collaboration, IEN is honored to be selected to assist research that could inform NFWF’s strategic grantmaking through incentivizing factors that make a difference, and investments in opportunities that accelerate restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.