Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) support is enabling the Rainforest Alliance to create a cohesive network of CEPF grantees by providing them with a platform to share experiences and findings, and identify potential future collaborations. Its flagship Eco-Index site is available in multiple languages and now includes information on more than 1,000 inspiring conservation projects, including more than 130 supported by CEPF.
Melissa Normann, Neotropics Communications Program Manager, Rainforest Alliance
What was the most important lesson learned?
While the Eco-Index has grown to become more popular than we ever thought it would be, we did not anticipate how difficult it would be to convince our conservation colleagues to invest time in sharing project data, best practices and lessons learned.
Describe how you learned this and whether / how you have adapted your approach or specific project elements as a result.
In order to ask conservationists to take time away from their busy schedules to voluntarily share their project information with their colleagues, we know that we need to provide a high-quality platform for them to do so. We work hard to ensure that the Eco-Index is technologically up-to-date, contains relevant information, and is as easy-to-use as possible, and we continually upgrade the functionality and design of the site. We also regularly survey the site’s visitors to collect feedback and suggestions for ways to improve the site, and implement those suggestions as often as possible.
In our past and current grants with CEPF, we have found that fellow grantees find the Eco-Index to be a valuable resource, and most add and update their profiles on an annual basis. For grantees that are slower to participate, we have developed gently persuasive and friendly ways to gain their participation and support. Also, working closely with CEPF’s Coordination Units has been instrumental in securing the participation of their grantees.
As the information sharing movement gains momentum, we are finding that project directors are increasingly willing to share their information and perhaps most importantly, their missteps and lessons learned. We believe that sharing lessons learned is of utmost importance to advance conservation, and we applaud the conservation directors that are willing to share this invaluable information, as well as donors like CEPF that create an atmosphere that makes project directors feel comfortable in doing so.
- Sept. 14, 2009
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