moving toward more collaborative and adaptive management of wildlife: changing perspectives of state...

Moving toward more collaborative and adaptive management of wildlife:

Changing perspectives of state wildlife agency personnel

Carrie Ott-Holland, Stanton Mak, Kevin Ford, Shawn Riley

Michigan State University

Patrick Lederle

State of Michigan, Wildlife Division

Acknowledgements

Michigan State Government Michigan Department of Natural

Resources Wildlife Division Leadership Team

Wildlife Division Planning and Adaptation Section

Big Picture Question

When making strategic changes to create

more adaptive, collaborative wildlife management

how can progress be monitored?

Overview: Michigan DNR, Wildlife Division

Mission To enhance, restore and

conserve the State’s wildlife resources, natural

communities, and ecosystems for the benefit

of Michigan’s citizens, visitors and future

generations.

ChallengesChanging stakeholders

• Decline in hunters, trappers • Increase non-consumptive stakeholders• Changes in land use patterns

Needs assessment• Need for new direction• Need for more adaptive supervision• Need for enhanced accountability at the

management level• Need for enhanced trust with

stakeholders

Goals of strategic effort

Provide clear direction and help set priorities

Make Division more proactive, adaptive and

appropriately responsive to contemporary and

emerging wildlife issues

Address priorities through enhanced engagement with

partners, stakeholders, and the general public

Increase the efficiencies of the Division

Increase Collaboration Entering into partnerships with other agencies,

organizations, and stakeholder groups

Collaboration on projects and activities by other agencies or organizations

Using volunteers to assist in division efforts

Relating to the unengaged public as a potential to build support for Division programs

Strategic Planning Process

Design team to create strategic plan

Information Gathering

GPS Education Initiative

Implementation team

Operationalize the GPS across the Division

Identifying barriers

Tracking and Monitoring Progress

Given change in organizations….…is slow…requires continuous effort…requires understanding different perspectives

External stakeholder surveyLongitudinal internal stakeholder survey

Assess trust and satisfaction throughout strategic planning processThree consultants from MSU lead effort

Internal Survey Methods• Went to management meetings around state to

collect data• 20 minute survey• Entire population was sampled

148 employees 1st year 140 employees 2nd year

• 99 employees could be linked between year 1 and year 2

First year internal survey findings

Personal commitment of the GPS

Overall Satisfaction

Clear, timely communication

0 1 2 3 4 5

First year findings

5-point Likert scale of agreement

First year internal survey findingsPerceiving management as being committed to the success of the GPS significantly correlated with...

Feeling personally committed to the

GPS

Perceiving the work culture as

open to new ideas

Overall job satisfaction

r=.53* r=.56*r=.53*

First year internal survey findingsViewing the Division as a whole rather than focusing on one’s work unit was positively related to…

Perceived employee

accountability

Satisfaction with communication

Overall job satisfaction

r=.50*r=.35*r=.29* r=.40*

Satisfaction with

coworkers

Positive change between 1st and 2nd year

Personal commitment of the GPS

Management support of the GPS

Positive Changes arising from the GPS

Clear and timely communication

Challenging and varied work

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

2012 Mean 2013 Mean

5-point Likert Scale of Agreement

Positive change between 1st and 2nd year

Training opportunities

Employee accountability

Partnerships with external stakeholders

Satisfaction with supervisor relationship

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

2012 Mean 2013 Mean

5-point Likert Scale of Agreement

Next stepsYear 3Year 2Year 1

Perceived Managerial Support for

GPS

Perceived Managerial Support for

GPS

Perceived Managerial Support for

GPS

Partnerships with

External Stakeholder

s

Partnerships with

External Stakeholder

s

Partnerships with

External Stakeholder

s

Implications Change… 

…requires understanding different perspectives (internal)

…is slow, requires more than a “snapshot” …necessitates on-line data for continuous learning

and adaptation

Thank you!Contact Information

Carrie Ott-Hollandottholla@msu.edu

Stanton Makmakstant@msu.edu