Strategic management of conservation areas: a systems thinking approach to sustaining complex multi-stakeholder organisations

Abstract

Land under conservation is critical for biodiversity. South Africa has not achieved the Aichi 11 biodiversity target, which is set to allocate 17% of terrestrial land as protected areas by 2020. South Africa has, however, been an example, globally, how private conservation can fill the gap. It is essential to optimise how conservation businesses strategically plan for long-term financial and environmental sustainability taking into account complex environmental, societal, and industry variables to keep conservation areas viable under financial pressure. An inductive qualitatively driven concurrent mixed-method research design is followed and results synthesised using a systems thinking approach. The study investigates contemporary generic strategic planning frameworks such as the Porter’s five forces model but found them to have limited use in the conservation tourism industry. The critical variables conservation area managers need to include in their strategic planning are classed in five significant categories, namely environmental, societal, economic, industrial, and business variables. The research proposes a strategic planning framework which includes a strategic planning and iterative phase, taking into account the interrelatedness of the significant variables.

Grond onder bewaring is van kritieke belang vir biodiversiteit. Suid-Afrika het nie die Aichi 11-biodiversiteitsdoelwit bereik wat daarop gemik is om teen 2020 17% van die terrestriële grond as beskermde gebiede te verklaar nie. Suid-Afrika was egter wêreldwyd ’n voorbeeld van hoe privaat bewaring die leemte kan vul. Dit is noodsaaklik om die wyse waarop bewaringsondernemings strategies beplan vir langtermyn finansiële en omgewingsvolhoubaarheid te optimaliseer, met inagname van ingewikkelde omgewings-, samelewings- en nywerheidsfaktore om bewaringsareas onder finansiële druk lewensvatbaar te hou. ’n Induktiewe kwalitatief-gedrewe gelyktydige gemengde-metode navorsingsontwerp word gevolg en resultate met behulp van 'n sisteem denkebenadering gesintetiseer. Die studie ondersoek eietydse generiese strategiese beplanningsraamwerke soos Porter se vyf-kragte-model, maar het bevind dat hulle beperkte toepassing in die bewaringstoerismebedryf het. Die kritieke veranderlikes wat bewaringsgebiedbestuurders in hulle strategiese beplanning moet insluit, word in vyf belangrike kategorieë, naamlik omgewings-, samelewings-, ekonomiese-, nywerheids- en sakefaktore, ingedeel. Die navorsing stel ’n strategiese beplanningsraamwerk voor wat ’n strategiese beplannings- en iteratiewe fase insluit en van die onderlinge verband tussen die belangrike veranderlikes in ag neem.

Umhlaba ophantsi kwenkqubo yolondolozo-ndalo ufuneka kakhulu ekwandiseni ubukho beendidi-ndidi zendalo. UMzantsi Afrika awukafikeleli kwiThagethi LaseAichi Le-11 leendidi-ndidi zendalo, lokusikwa kweendawo ezifika kwi-17% yomhlaba ongengomanzi zibe ziindawo ezikhuselweyo engadlulanga u-2020. Nakuba kunjalo, uMzantsi Afrika uye wangumzekelo, kumazwe-onke, wendlela esingavalwa ngayo esi sikhewu lulondolozo lwabucala. Kuyafuneka kakhulu ukuba ziqiniswe iindlela zamashishini olondolozo-ndalo zokucwangcisa ngobulumko esenzela ukuba imali kwaneendawo-zendalo zihlale ixesha elide. Oku kuqiniswa makwenziwe ngokuthathela ingqalelo iimeko-meko ezingelula zemo-yendalo, nezentlalo-bantu, nezalo msebenzi wolondolozo, ukuze iindawo zolondolozo-ndalo zigcineke zisebenza nakumaxesha okushokoxeka kwemali. Olu phando lwenziwe ngokohlobo-phando oluyi-inductive qualitative research kunye nomxube weemethodi, zaza iziphumo zaxelwa ngokwendlela eyisystems thinking approach. Olu phando luphicothe izikhokelo zocwangciso olunobulumko eziludidi-lunye zexesha elinye, ezinjenge Porter’s five forces. Kodwa lufumanise ukuba ziyasilela kulo msebenzi wolondolozo nokhenketho. Iimeko-meko ezingundoqo ekufanele ukuba zisetyenziswe ngoomanejala beendawo zolondolozo-ndalo kwizicwangciso ezinobulumko zabo zihlelwe zaba kwizintlu ezibalulekileyo ezintlanu, ezizezi: ezeendawo-zendalo, ezentlalo-bantu, ezoqoqosho, ezalo msebenzi, nezamashishini. Olu phando ke luphakamisa isikhokelo socwangciso olunobulumko esiquka ucwangciso ngobulumko olunesigaba sophinda-phindo, nesikuthathela ingqalelo ukuphinyelana kodlelwano lwezi meko-meko zibalulekileyo.