Key Question

How can the forest industry and environmental non-government organizations collaborate to advance common caribou conservation goals?

Solution

  • I identified key stakeholders and implemented strategies to gather stakeholder input into project scope and deliverables.
  • I created strategies to identify stakeholder interests and reporting mechanisms to provide progress reports.

Situation

Signatories to the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) agreed to 6 goals to improve environmental and social/economic outcomes in the Canadian boreal forest, including the recovery of species at risk within the boreal forests including Boreal Caribou.

As the signatories worked to develop recommendations for caribou recovery on CBFA lands, they identified key information gaps that hindered their ability to effectively develop conservation solutions. Effective stakeholder identification, and engagement in development of the project scope and project deliverables was key to ensuring that the project was perceived as credible and ensuring that results would meet the information needs of the stakeholders.

Services

Stakeholder engagement, multi-sectoral collaboration, identifying project scope and deliverables

Benefits

  • I gained stakeholder buy-in for the project’s success by effectively gathering requirements and interests of all project stakeholders.
  • I anticipated and addressed controversies and conflicts that could have impacted the implementation of the project results.
  • I provided assurance of transparency and accountability.
  • I effectively and accurately gathered project requirements to develop the project scope.

Testimonials

I had the pleasure of working with Kris for over a year on collaborative projects under the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA). Kris is able to manage complex science programs and collaborative planning approaches proficiently and professionally. Her organization and attention to detail provide the structure that allows a project team to focus on the technical and operational components in moving projects to completion. This was demonstrated clearly when Kris coordinated the CBFA Science Committee, giving the Science Committee members more time and attention to focus on the specific document review and recommendations.
Kate Lindsay, Vice President, Sustainability and Environmental Partnerships
Forest Products Association of Canada

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Kris over the last 5 years on several projects related to protected areas planning and woodland caribou conservation. Efficient, effective, professional, engaging, focused …. are some of the characteristics that exemplify Kris’ professionalism. She possesses a wonderful combination of technical knowledge (e.g., protected areas / science) with exceptional project management and facilitation skills. On the personal side, Kris is welcoming and engaging on a broad spectrum of topics …. these traits blend effectively with her professional skills to create a powerful combination.
Elston Dzus, Ph. D., Ecologist
Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.

As the Town Councillor responsible for chairing the Imagine Invermere Implementation Committee, I had the good fortune to engage Kris as one of our key Committee members. Beyond providing her insights to our forward thinking exercise, Kris volunteered to develop the communications and engagement plan for the initiative on behalf of the Committee. Kris applied her experience and knowledge in generating a communications and engagement plan that was pivotal to informing and bringing our constituents to a place of knowledge that ultimately created significant support for the initiative in our community. Without Kris’ thoughtfully crafted plan that really tapped into our unique community consultation needs, the Committee would not have been as successful. A few years later, components of Kris’ plan are still actively being applied today, which is a testament to its value.
Greg Anderson, Executive Director
Forest Enhancement Society of BC and Councillor, District of Invermere