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FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
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To: | Service Directorate
WO Division Chiefs/Deputies Geographic Assistant Regional Directors, Regions 1-7 Programmatic Assistant Regional Directors, Regions 1-7 Ecosystem Team Leaders |
From: | Team Leader, Ecosystem Approach Implementation Team /s/ John G. Rogers |
Subject: | Guidelines for Ecosystem Teams |
Thank you for your continued support of the Ecosystem Approach. We hope that this information will be useful and help us as we move forward to achieve our priority resource goals.
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Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Ecosystem Approach Implementation Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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I. Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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II. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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III. Purpose of Ecosystem Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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IV. Roles of Ecosystem Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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V. Team Structure | |
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VI. Operations | |
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The Fish and Wildlife Service has adopted an Ecosystem Approach to unite Service programs and Regions in a comprehensive approach to conservation and to embrace partnerships outside the agency. Along with using our technical capabilities and increasing the cultural diversity of our organization in these efforts, we will involve stakeholders in decision-making and implementation.
The Service’s Ecosystem Approach incorporates the following operating principles:
As part of the ongoing commitment to meet resource needs and address employee concerns, the Fish and Wildlife Service contracted with the Ohio State University to assess the Ecosystem Approach to Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Presented to the Service’s Directorate in March 1998, Ohio State’s study identified management and organizational improvements to support the ecosystem approach. The 12 recommendations are designed to increase consistency and improve internal operations. Acting on the study, the Directorate established an Ecosystem Approach Implementation Team to identify barriers and make recommendations for implementing the ecosystem approach throughout the Service.
The primary focus of the first meeting of the Implementation Team in July 1998 was to develop guidance about the roles and responsibilities of teams to address Regional inconsistencies. Accordingly, the Implementation Team created a subcommittee that developed draft guidance, drawing upon the experience of individual members, each of whom was either a current or former ecosystem coordinator or team member. The subcommittee developed this document based on discussions with ecosystem teams and through regional reviews.
The following final guidance is the result, designed to assist teams with the many responsibilities they are empowered to carry out.
This information is a guide to ecosystem teams and Geographical Assistant Regional Directors (GARDs) (and their staffs) for implementing the ecosystem approach. The guide is not intended as a mandate to repeat any action already completed--for example, team effectiveness training--but it can serve as an alert for teams to consider actions that they may not already have discussed or implemented.
Throughout the document are boxes containing comments on the draft guidelines from ecosystem teams, highlighting the actual implementation of the actions discussed. The Ecosystem Approach Implementation Team believes that these comments provide the necessary background for each of the concepts discussed in this document. The Implementation Team also hopes to add new comments as this guidance is revised and our ecosystem approach experience increases.
Ecosystem teams are the building blocks for the Service’s Ecosystem Approach. We have learned a lot about the structure, function, roles, and impacts of ecosystem teams since the Service formally adopted an Ecosystem Approach in 1994. In addition, the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) has offered a highly recommended course, “An Approach to Ecosystem Conservation”, which has furthered our knowledge of ecosystem management. As we proceed with implementation, the teams will become more and more the focus of activities and basis of cross-program coordination.
The purpose of an ecosystem team is to:
“Another part of this equation is that one of the major purposes of an ecosystem team is to use the expertise of all members of the team and key partners and to harmoniously bring this expertise to focus on the team’s priorities on a continual basis.”
Ecosystem teams are empowered to:
This section identifies the basic model for an effective team. Many of these elements will vary slightly, but each team should retain the essential elements of each category. (See Appendix for further information on team member roles.)
A. Core Team: Ecosystem teams are primarily field-based, and composed of cross-program Service employees, including a representative of each field station within an ecosystem. Some teams have enhanced their success with non-Service members on the core team. Others find that non-Service representation is best served on subteams.
Each core team decides on its composition, recognizing that success depends on the commitment of each member and that maximum benefits will result from representation that includes project leaders, other managers, and staff members.
B. Subteams or Subcommittees: For many teams, smaller subteams or subcommittees are the most effective way to identify and achieve its priorities. These subteams may be organized around specific issues, such as migratory birds or endangered species, or, in some cases, specific geographic areas called “focus areas” that involve stakeholders.
Representatives of each subteam should consider attending core ecosystem team meetings to inform the core teams of their meetings and current action items to ensure effective communication and coordination.
“The most successful teams use subteams as the catalyst for success. These groups are excellent places for staff (who do not attend the regular meetings) to participate in the ecosystem approach. Some subteams are chaired by partners, which creates a strong interest and ownership to the parent team and its activity.”
C. Team Executive Committee: Ecosystem teams too large to manage the workload may want to develop an Executive Committee that includes members of the CORE team representing all program areas. Rather than functioning to “supervise” or otherwise manage teams, an Executive Committee helps ecosystem teams do their job better by breaking down complex issues into priority tasks. Some ecosystem teams consider Executive Committees invaluable in focusing on priorities.
The ecosystem team may give the Executive Committee full responsibility
to act in specific circumstances, especially on short-deadline, high priority
issues such as urgent Washington Office requests.
“It is critical that team continuity be of
utmost concern during periods of change in team leadership; having the
immediate, past team leader, and the team leader-elect on the Executive
Committee can bolster the team’s priorities and issues during transitional
periods.”
D. Partners and Stakeholders: Involving partners and stakeholders is the key to team success through the three “c’s:” communication, coordination, and collaboration. Involvement can take on the role of a full team member, regular or occasional invited participant, subteam member or subteam leader.
Each team can develop a strategy to incorporate participation. We recommend Conservation Partnership: A Field Guide to Public-Private Partnering for Natural Resource Conservation, 1993, Management Institute for Environment and Business, Washington, DC, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This book is available from the NCTC (order by telephone, 304/876-7203). A cross-program, cross-regional team of Service leaders in partnership development techniques will provide further guidance.
“There is a great need for increased and improved communication with and participation from non-team members in team activities and business.”
E. Ecosystem Team Leaders: By ensuring the active participation of each member, a strong, dynamic leader is critical to the success of the team. A team leader:
Teams may want to give awards or other recognition to leaders who complete
their terms, given the responsibility of this collateral duty.
F. Ecosystem Coordinators: Several regions have established
positions for ecosystem coordinators who serve a variety of roles:
A. Team Operating Procedures: Team members should develop operating procedures through consensus to document processes for managing projects. Operating procedures identify task priorities, maintain consistency, and give form to vision. Key elements are team organization, meeting frequency, and member responsibilities.
2. Meeting Frequency and Notification: Meeting twice a year is considered minimal, with advance notification of each event.
3. Meeting Management and Summaries: The team leader chairs meetings, with consensus-based decisions as the norm. The chair ensures that members receive agendas in advance and prompt summaries of meetings afterwards. Team meeting should be well facilitated; trained facilitators may be necessary for large teams.
4. Member Responsibilities: All members participate in activities and promote team unity while being directly involved only in a select number of projects. Responsive to requests for information, members provide timely input for team decisions. This section describes the exact roles and responsibilities for the team, subteam, executive committee, and leader. See Appendix for further information on team members.
Ecosystem plans feature:
Ecosystem teams are encouraged to prepare articles about their activities for the Fish and Wildlife News and to contact the Assistant Regional Directors for External Affairs for assistance in planning and conducting outreach to the news media and elected officials. Team members should seek opportunities to learn about the work of other Service offices and cooperators in the functioning of the ecosystem approach through open and honest discussions at team meetings, newsletters, personal letters, electronic mail, field trips, and conference calls. Ecosystem teams may address local civics groups to report regularly on their activities and invite feedback and participation.
Along with sharing their successes with other teams and partners, Regional Directors and the Directorate, ecosystem teams should evaluate their failures and let others know how to avoid making the same mistakes.
“We suggest that all Ecosystem Teams identify a key contact individual for outreach issues, especially since outreach is such a high priority of the Service.”
D. Geographic Assistant Regional Director (GARD) Participation: An essential component of the ecosystem approach, the GARD is accountable for the team’s effectiveness, coordinating the budget process across programs and sharing resources not only across programs but among ecosystems. The GARD fosters communication and interaction among teams, regionally and nationally. Teams need to keep the GARD informed of their activities and involved in them.
As line managers to field project leaders (ecosystem team members), Program Supervisors should model cross-program cooperation and ensure that project leaders do likewise. Participation by GARDs and Program Supervisors with teams is understood.
E. Regional Office Participation: Regional Office staff members can provide valuable assistance to the ecosystem teams and may serve on the team. Ecosystem Coordinators and other Regional Office staff including representatives from Realty, Budget and Administration, External Affairs, Federal Aid, Fisheries, and Migratory Birds may provide additional support to achieve ecosystem team goals and strategies. Teams should invite and encourage the Regional Director and the Deputy Regional Director to attend meetings.
“A person from the Regional Office has been a contributing member of the ecosystem team since the day the team was conceived. This person has attended all team meetings and even took Team Effectiveness Training with the rest of the team. Some feel that having this person actively involved in appropriate team activities has definitely been a plus.”
F. Team Development: Achieving collaborative, on-the-ground conservation requires a specific approach to team development by evaluating and improving team activities. Ecosystem teams working with GARDs or Program Supervisor are responsible for team development, whose key elements are:
2. Team Training: Training is necessary for a team’s operation and development, instilling a sense of urgency and unity, factors that are critical for success. NCTC courses include:
3. Organizational Development and Team Building. Team Leaders and Coaches should consider the advice of consultants on the purpose of organizational development and team-building. While the benefits of expenses for actions that are not on-the-ground may not be clear initially, professional consultants can bring a wealth of expertise to make the team effective and productive. NCTC also has expertise in organizational development that may assist teams. Consultants engaged on a continuing basis gain a great understanding of the team dynamics and the mission and culture of the Service, thus becoming increasingly valuable as the team matures.
4. Team Projects. Nothing can replace the true camaraderie and spirit that develops through working on a field project. Teamwork outside the confines of meetings helps to build relationships and trust that are an integral part of team development. This can be an especially important for non-Service representatives who serve on teams or subteams.
Field projects need not be large or of the highest priority within an
ecosystem. They can be simple and completed over a day or two, or
even tacked onto the end of a team meeting. The focus is doing some
on-the-ground work together as a team to implement conservation directly,
while also gaining an important dimension that will increase its effectiveness
in other shared efforts.
A team’s effectiveness comes from the individual contributions of its members and the collective results of “synergy.” While a Team Leader is essential, leadership is not concentrated within that one person. Each team member brings a different form of leadership to team dynamics. Feedback between team members and between teams and coaches is essential to improve performance
A. Team Member Roles - an ecosystem team member: