Evaluating a strategic approach for identifying and ranking holistic sets of indicators of conservation project success

Andrew R. Marshall; Rodrigo M. de Oliveira; Ricardo L. de Figueiredo; John Meadows; Frederick Sutton; Hayley Blackwell; Jennifer Archer; Charles Meshack; Fadhili M. Njilima; Susannah M. Salluh

doi:10.1111/csp2.70351

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Evaluating a strategic approach for identifying and ranking holistic sets of indicators of conservation project success

Journal article

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Evaluating a strategic approach for identifying and ranking holistic sets of indicators of conservation project success

Andrew R. Marshall, Rodrigo M. de Oliveira, Ricardo L. de Figueiredo, John Meadows, Frederick Sutton, Hayley Blackwell, Jennifer Archer, Charles Meshack, Fadhili M. Njilima and Susannah M. Salluh

Conservation Science and Practice, Vol.8(8), pp.1-13

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70351

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Abstract

conceptual model

conservation management

experts

project evaluation

stakeholders

strategic planning

threat assessment

Evidence-based conservation often fails to balance ecological and socioeconomic measures of success. Indicator selection is often biased by expert opinion, misaligned with goals, and lacks scientific rigor. We developed and tested the Holistic Indicator Selection Protocol (HISP), a semi-systematic approach to improve indicator prioritization in conservation planning. Based on the widely adopted Conservation Standards, HISP combines expert and stakeholder input with structural situation model parameters to identify and rank ecological and socioeconomic candidate indicators relevant to evaluating conservation success. In a case study landscape with typical conservation challenges, we applied four HISP indices to score indicators based on their effectiveness at representing: (1) conservation threats; (2) project strategy defined by a situation model; (3) expert opinion; and (4) stakeholder opinion. We statistically evaluated each index for its ability to minimize selection biases and complexity. Indicators represented ecological and socioeconomic dimensions, direct and indirect threats, and governance strategies. The threat-based index prioritized socioeconomic challenges, whereas the model-based index balanced socioeconomic and ecological indicators, suggesting broader applicability. Opinion-based indices introduced some biases but remained valuable for data-limited contexts. HISP offers a transparent, adaptable method for prioritizing conservation indicators-supporting rather than replacing expert judgment-enabling refinement based on feasibility and conceptual alignment.

Details

Title: Evaluating a strategic approach for identifying and ranking holistic sets of indicators of conservation project success
Authors: Andrew R. Marshall - University of the Sunshine Coast
Rodrigo M. de Oliveira (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Ricardo L. de Figueiredo - University of York
John Meadows - University of the Sunshine Coast
Frederick Sutton - University of York
Hayley Blackwell - University of York
Jennifer Archer - University of York
Charles Meshack - Tanzania Forest Conservation Group
Fadhili M. Njilima - Tanzania Forest Conservation Group
Susannah M. Salluh - University of Leeds
Publication details: Conservation Science and Practice, Vol.8(8), pp.1-13
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1111/csp2.70351
ISSN: 2578-4854
Copyright note: © 2026 The Author(s). Conservation Science and Practice published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Data Availability: Data will be made available on request.
Grants: Understanding the importance of lianas for forest health and management, FT170100279, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship, RTP, Department of Education (Australia, Canberra)
Grant note: Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991246149302621
Output Type: Journal article

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