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Resources |
Broadening
Participation in Biological Monitoring: |
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Budgeting—Available resources (such as money, equipment, facilities, services, supplies, and labor) are among the most important constraints on what a participatory monitoring project can accomplish. Obtaining sufficient quantities to meet project goals, using the resources wisely, and keeping track of progress also are among of the most important tasks collaborators will undertake. An especially salient issue is the relative allocation of resources among participants, especially if some are struggling financially or are donating their time while others have dedicated budgets or are getting paid for their work. If participants start keeping track of the time they contribute to a project from the very beginning (see the “In-kind support” section in this module’s discussion), this information could prove useful in subsequent discussions of fair compensation. Budgeting must begin with an analysis of what is needed to achieve project goals. To do so, participants must start with a relatively clear picture of the entire project and the process of meeting goals. This can be difficult with participatory projects because the group often does not know how much time and effort will be required in advance to build trust, develop clear communication, develop succinct goals, and figure out methods for achieving those goals. A conservative assumption is that it will likely take more time and effort than anticipated. Once the participants have a clear idea of project goals and how they want to achieve those goals, then careful consideration must be paid to matching available resources to every phase of the project (including the Evaluation and Celebrations modules) if satisfactory results are to be achieved, resources wisely spent, and participants rewarded for their efforts. Frequently overlooked steps (that are particularly crucial if participants are involved) are data analysis, and the reporting and disseminating the results. Planning these steps in advance and discussing their place in the budget can help to solidify long-term commitment to the project and avoid misunderstandings later. Details are discussed in the Analysis and Reporting modules. Matching resources to goals usually entails setting priorities and attempting to acquire additional resources. Addressing the considerations that are listed in many of the modules in this manual will help provide a comprehensive picture of needed resources, but wise planners also allow some allocation for miscellaneous needs, unforeseen expenditures, and emergencies. Fundraising—Because collaborative projects are becoming more popular, the spectrum of potential funding sources is surprisingly broad. That is not to say that acquiring funds is necessarily easy or quick, simply that a range of opportunities exist. Federal land management agencies have a variety of funding mechanisms including challenge grants and stewardship contracting, as well as budgets for existing monitoring programs that could be modified to include participatory ventures. Various government agencies provide grants for innovative and collaborative resource management enterprises. Private foundations are especially keen to support multi-stakeholder participatory projects in order to improve the probability that their money will be well spent. Non-governmental organizations can be particularly well-positioned to raise project funds that agencies cannot access. Mentioning the use of participatory guides such as this one might increase the chances of obtaining funds from either private and public sources. Two strategies for enhancing fundraising achievements are diversity of effort and leveraging success. This entails approaching a variety of potential funding sources and emphasizing how further contributions will supplement an already productive enterprise. Individual and corporate giving are additional possibilities. Whoever is approached for funding, well-documented project plans improve the likelihood of success because they demonstrate to grantors that project supporters are serious and the project is carefully conceived. Lastly, funding organizations typically focus their giving on discrete, short-term projects that can demonstrate quick results, but participatory monitoring projects are often long-term in nature. This discrepancy can be addressed by designing participatory projects that have interim goals and accomplishments, and by educating funding organizations about the need for long-term support. Endowments are particularly appropriate for long-term projects. Accounting—Keeping track of resource expenditures is important in any enterprise, but assumes heightened significance when participants are still developing mutual trust. For this reason, accounting for funds and other resource use in a multi-stakeholder, collaborative project should be especially accurate, understandable, transparent, widely-shared, frequently updated, carefully reviewed, and independently verified. Selecting individuals who are widely trusted and competent contributes greatly to building trust that resources will be expended sensibly and ethically. In-kind support—Participatory projects, by their very nature, entail a great deal of individual time and effort that is not commonly tracked by measures such as work hours or wages. Other participants can easily overlook these contributions if they are not explicitly documented. Such oversights can lead to misunderstanding and disputes about fairness or commitment. Avoiding these troubles is a good reason to have all participants document their time commitments to the project. Doing so also demonstrates to outside contributors the level of commitment on the part of participants. Other types of in-kind support also should be assigned monetary value and explicitly included in budgets. Examples include donations of office space, equipment, vehicles, supplies, meals, lodging, or transportation. Where project sponsors require matching contributions, in-kind contributions are often considered acceptable. Thus, for individuals or community groups with few financial resources, documentation and acknowledgement of in-kind contributions can be an effective strategy for securing their participation and funding a project. Community support—Some forms of support for a project are difficult to appraise monetarily. Nonetheless, they can be critical to a project’s chances of success. Community support is valuable because awareness of, and appreciation for, collaborative efforts in a community can lead to other more quantifiable resource contributions. For this reason, it often behooves participants to engage in outreach activities that acquaint the local community with the goals, methods, and resource needs of the project. Outreach can consist of activities like presentations to community or interest groups, booths at fairs or festivals, nature walks, field trips, invited speakers, slide shows, photo opportunities, newspaper articles, radio or television programs, seminars, special classes, retreats, conferences, pamphlets, web sites, or other methods only limited by the imagination of project participants or community supporters. Public award ceremonies and celebrations of work accomplished by the participants can also generate community support, as well as help participants feel good about their work on the project (see Celebrations module). Engaged volunteers or participants also can benefit communities by partaking in other community development activities. Examples include planting trees or beautification projects. Checklist—
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What
process will be used to create a budget that addresses all pertinent
aspects of a monitoring project?
References—Behar
1996;
Collaborative Forest Restoration Program 2003,
2004c;
Christoffersen 2003;
Daly n.d.a;
Godfrey 1994;
Ecological Monitoring
and Assessment Network Coordinating Office and the Canadian Nature
Federation 2003;
Everett 2001;
Lindenmayer 1999;
Moote and Becker
2003;
North-South; Environmental, Inc. 2004;
Resolve n.d.;
The
Volunteer Monitor. n.d.;
University of Maine Cooperative Extension and
Sea Grant Program, Maine Coastal Program of the Maine State Planning
Office n.d.;
Voluntary Sector Initiative 2002a;
Wright n.d. ©2005 Institute for Culture and Ecology
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