Why Is Project Management & Design Important In Your Career?
The foundation of success within conservation is the ability to design and implement projects to better protect species, habitats and sites. But only a small proportion of professional conservationists are formally trained in these essential skills.
A well-designed and managed project can make a huge impact for wildlife and the people involved. Setting clear goals, understanding the problems, testing assumptions, adapting, learning and sharing your knowledge. Conversely, a poorly-designed project can lead to wasted time and money, and even cause detrimental impacts on the wildlife and people you’re trying to help.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that project management and design are the most valued skills within the industry, with 55% of all jobs listed on our site to date explicitly requesting them.
If you want to succeed as a professional conservationist you need project management and design skills.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Develop Conservation Projects – Design and implement effective conservation projects that enhance the protection of species, habitats, and sites.
Apply Adaptive Management Principles – Utilize adaptive management techniques to continuously improve project outcomes through goal setting, problem analysis, assumption testing, and knowledge sharing.
Avoid Common Pitfalls – Identify and mitigate risks associated with poorly designed projects to prevent wasted resources and unintended negative impacts on wildlife and local communities.
Enhance Professional Skills – Build essential project management and design skills that are highly valued in the conservation sector, increasing employability and career prospects.
Utilize Industry Best Practices – Apply globally recognized conservation project management frameworks to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.
Communicate and Share Knowledge – Effectively document, evaluate, and disseminate project findings to contribute to the broader conservation community.
This course is perfect for:
Career Switchers
Have you always had a passion for wildlife and want to work in conservation, but don’t know where to start? You might be working in a totally unrelated field right now, and want to gain skills to increase your employability and impact. We’re here to provide you with the key project design and management skills sought after by conservation employers.
Students
Are you currently at university or college, and planning to try and find work in the conservation sector when you finish? There’s no better time to start building the key skills which employers are looking for in the sector, so you can hit the ground running on your graduation day.
Professional Conservationists
Are you working as a professional conservationist, and wanting to improve your project management skills, be better in your role and improve your career prospects? Through the programme, you'll learn how to successfully plan and manage projects using the Conservation Standards.
Job Seekers
Are you currently hunting for a conservation job but struggling? The programme will help you to stand out from the crowd better, by learning key skills sought after by 55% of conservation employers.
Included in this course you will recieve the following:
Step-by-Step Modules to attack at your own pace. You’ll learn how to design and manage conservation projects, as part of your duties as a wildlife professional.
Support from the experts. You’ll have support from us via email, Zoom, and in our private Conservation Career Pro community. We’ll be with you every step of the way.
Freedom to go at your own pace. With our self-paced flexibility, you’ll have access to the course for a full year. You can work entirely at your own pace and around your busy life and work commitments. You don’t need to stick to a schedule.
A warm welcome into the Conservation Career Pro community. You’ll be welcomed into our new private online community for a whole year. Get answers to burning questions, enjoy regular live events, participate in growth challenges, share your coursework, celebrate your successes and more.
Certificate. Everyone who completes the course receives a certificate.
Rock-solid guarantee. Try it for 14 days. Not happy for whatever reason? We will refund 100% of your money.
Why Is Project Management & Design Important In Your Career?
A key to success within conservation is the ability to design and implement projects to better protect species, habitats and sites. But only a small proportion of professional conservationists are formally trained in these essential skills.
A well-designed and adaptively managed project can make a huge impact for wildlife and the people involved. Setting clear goals, understanding the problems, testing assumptions, adapting, learning and sharing your knowledge. Conversely, a poorly-designed project can lead to wasted time and money, and even cause detrimental impacts on the wildlife and people you’re trying to help.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that project management and design are the most valued skills within the industry, with 55% of all jobs listed on our site to date explicitly requesting them.
If you want to succeed as a professional conservationist, you need project management and design skills.
There are no requirements for this course—just bring a positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and a passion for making a meaningful impact in your conservation career. Whether you're already in the field or looking to break into it, this course is designed to support your growth and success.
This fully flexible go at your own pace course is
ONLY €450
Try it for 14 days. Not happy for whatever reason? We will refund 100% of your money.
In Partnership with Conservation Careers
Additional Info
Course Structure
Conservation Project Management & Design is an online training programme brought to you by the team at Conservation Careers which follows the best-in-class Conservation Standards methodology.
It is being taught by Certified Conservation Standards Coach, Facilitator and Coach Trainer Felix Cybulla.
The training covers the following steps in the Conservation Standards cycle:
Step 1 | Assess
This step in the Conservation Standards cycle involves specifying the basic parameters for your project and assessing your overall context. This module will cover:
- Stakeholder & Team, Scope & Vision
- Situation Analysis & Conceptual Models
- Conservation Targets
- Target Viability Analysis
- Direct Threats
- Threat Rating
- Opportunities
- Contributing Factors
Module outcome | Learn how to make sense of your project’s context, including identifying targets, threats, drivers, opportunities, and key stakeholders.
Step 2 | Plan
This step in the Conservation Standards cycle involves planning your project’s goals, strategies, and objectives and assumptions. This module will cover:
- Theory of Change
- Goals
- Strategies
- Objectives and Indicators
- Monitoring Plans
Module outcome | Learn how to define and develop your project’s goals, strategies, and objectives, and identify your team’s assumptions about how you believe your strategies will achieve your project’s goals.
Step 3 | Implement
In many respects, this is one of the most important step in the entire conservation process. It is where you put all of the planning efforts you conducted in the previous steps into action. This step involves developing and implementing specific work plans while ensuring sufficient resources, capacity, and partners.
This module will cover:
- Work Plan
- Team Communication & alignment
- Budget
- Implement
Module outcome | Learn how to develop and implement work plans while ensuring sufficient resources, capacity, and partners.
Step 4 | Analyze & Adapt
This step of the Conservation Standards involves managing your data as they come in and creating a culture within your organisation or work to regularly analyse your data to convert them into useful information and knowledge.
This module will cover:
- Prepare Data
- Analyse Results
- Adapt Plans
Module outcome | Understand the importance of analysing your project’s results, core assumptions, key uncertainties, and relevant operational and financial data, and then adapting your work plan as necessary.
Step 5 | Share
This final step in the Conservation Standards cycle involves sharing lessons and formal products with key internal and external audiences. It also involves giving and receiving feedback and promoting a learning culture.
This module will focus on:
- Document Learning
- Share Learning
- Foster Learning
Module outcome | Understand the importance of sharing lessons and formal products with key internal and external audiences.
Step 6 | Certificate of Completion
Included in the training is a Certificate in Conservation Project Management & Design (Foundation). Throughout the training, your knowledge will be tested using quizzes, to allow you to move from one module to another.
At the end of the training, you’ll have the opportunity to test your knowledge and gain a certificate to showcase to employers on your CV or Resume.