Data to decisions in biodiversity

Our research

Background

The current biodiversity crisis manifests as a disconnect between the logics of research and action, that is, what we know and what we do with that knowledge. Decision-makers operate under the logic of action, which determines which problems require attention, what actions should be taken in response to those problems, and how those actions can be enacted in a given context. Meanwhile, researchers operate under the logic of inquiry, which guides which questions they ask, how those questions are answered, and how those answers are disseminated. Aligning the two logics can enable effective and efficient use of data to support conservation decisions.

We focus on aligning the logics between data and decisions because of its potential for scaling the impact of efforts to counteract environmental decline. A myriad of organizations are currently working to tackle the biodiversity crisis, yet all face inadequate resources to achieve their goals and they often have difficulty demonstrating their effectiveness. And, despite the work of all these organizations, biodiversity is still declining. Research results provide approaches to improve conservation efficiency and effectiveness, yet many organizations are hesitant to invest time or funding into trying new approaches when they are focusing all their efforts on battling their biodiversity crisis of choice.

This project will establish a new initiative to codify co-production practices that align the two logics and result in environmental data-to-decisions success. In addition to building an empirical foundation for “what works”, we must also empower decision makers to quickly identify and implement actions. Decision-makers urgently need quick and easy access to data that spans disciplinary boundaries, the ability to synthesize these data to support relevant decisions, and clarity on how the social and political context influences the ability of decisions to enable effective biodiversity outcomes. Thus, our codified “checklist” will then be applied to rapidly scale up our ability to support organizations in implementing a data-driven approach to enable meaningful and efficient biodiversity conservation success.

Using a structured decision-making approach in the Galapagos Marine Reserve

We co-developed a structured decision-making framework for managing the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) to address the mismatch between knowledge production and use and to codify and scale the process of harnessing data for decision making with a limited budget. Management activities in the GMR were not linked to objectives, and they lacked a monitoring and evaluation plan. Additionally, ecosystem services (ES) were a core concept of the management plan, but there was no guidance on how to assess them. Together with partners in the GMR and the Galapagos National Park Directorate, we co-designed a solution that addressed this challenge:

• A way to use data to inform spatial management decisions.
• A transparent approach to evaluate the ecological and economic consequences of management choices.
• Capacity-building to ensure information is available to different stakeholders. 

CBO researchers estimated supply and demand of ES for managers, scientists, and guides to inform spatial management of the reserve. We also designed a framework for the GMR that aligned data collection with the decision support structure and management team to enable the implementation of a monitoring plan within budget constraints. This also builds capacity for community organizations to engage in the co-production process.

This work also informed the development of our data-to-decisions process for a management context:

• Document current plans, processes, and actions of management system.
• Document work with managers to co-produce plans and processes based on a SDM approach.
• Re-evaluate plans, processes, and actions of management systems.

Codifying the data-to-decisions pathway

By creating a “checklist” to guide this alignment of knowledge and action in institutional efforts to tackle urgent conservation challenges, we will enable individual organizations to implement systems to address the ever-pressing question, “What do we get for what we spend?”

To codify these pathways, we envision a process in which we engage in co-production efforts that provide rapid support for data-to-decisions pathways within specific stakeholder organizations while simultaneously studying our approach and codifying what works to enable scaled up solutions across the field.

As we replicate the knowledge-to-action pathway across teams, we will study how the co-production process plays out and identify the features of strategies that are likely to be transferable and scalable. We envision an adaptive initiative that engages in and learns from its own activities and incorporates emerging knowledge from outside activities and sources.