Greater than the sum of their parts: designing conservation and development programs to maximize results and learning. A practical guide for program managers and donors.

The Biodiversity Support Program (BSP) and Biodiversity Conservation Network (BCN) aim to promote conservation of the worlds biological diversity. They published this practical guide to help program managers and donors design or redesign conservation programs in order to maximize results and to enhance collective knowledge. The introductory part of this guide discusses typical results-oriented programs and learning programs for conservation. The steps in a learning program include: 1) develop program concept and structure; 2) select a focused portfolio of projects; 3) develop an analytical framework; 4) implement projects and analytical framework; and lastly 5) analyze data and communicate results. Finally the costs and benefits of learning programs are cited.