Systems thinking to operationalize knowledge‐to‐action in fish and wildlife agencies

Abstract

This paper incorporates systems thinking in the design of a knowledge networked systems model (KNSM) for supporting knowledge-to-action in conservation organizations. It assumes that organizations are complex entities with properties that should be considered normatively. The synthesis of these properties into a KNSM revolves around the most common question many conservation practitioners are asked by the public: how is X doing? X typically reflects a concept easily grasped by the public such as a species or ecosystem. To operationalize a KNSM, one should consider that (1) information, not authority, empowers the network, (2) structural or bureaucratic impediments to maximizing utility of knowledge are minimized, (3) interacting agents direct the flow of information and knowledge and guide agency outputs, (4) boundaries between offices, programs, departments, and organizations are treated as porous, (5) transparency is fundamental to successful model operation, (6), most conservation problems are spatial, and (7) ecological and knowledge hierarchies organize the network. Benefits of this approach include facilitating research outcomes that support management decisions, a tool for strategic planning and implementation, greater transparency and operational clarity, foundation for team building, means for identifying knowledge gaps, a platform for organizational in-reach and public outreach, facilitated communication in general, and an important tool for collaborative conservation decision making. An example using a hypothetical listed species is presented to illustrate how a KNSM can be designed and implemented.