title: Developing a theory of change for a community-based response to illegal wildlife trade.
abstract: The escalating illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is one of the most high-profile conservation challenges today. The crisis has attracted over US$350 million in donor and government funding in recent years, primarily directed at increased enforcement. There is growing recognition among practitioners and policy makers of the need to engage rural communities that neighbor or live with wildlife as key partners in tackling IWT. However, a framework to guide such community engagement is lacking. We developed a theory of change (ToC) to guide policy makers, donors, and practitioners in partnering with communities to combat IWT. We identified 4 pathways for community-level actions: strengthen disincentives for illegal behavior, increase incentives for wildlife stewardship, decrease costs of living with wildlife, and support livelihoods that are not related to wildlife. To succeed the pathways, all require strengthening of enabling conditions, including capacity building, and of governance. Our ToC serves to guide actions to tackle IWT and to inform the evaluation of policies. Moreover, it can be used to foster dialogue among IWT stakeholders, from local communities to governments and international donors, to develop a more effective, holistic, and sustainable community-based response to the IWT crisis.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan QLD, 4111, Australia.|ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.|Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.|IUCN CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, c/ IUCN, Rue Mauverney 28, Gland, CH-1196, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Duan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biggs
authors.affiliation: IUCN CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, c/ IUCN, Rue Mauverney 28, Gland, CH-1196, Switzerland.|Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Rosie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cooney
authors.affiliation: IUCN CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, c/ IUCN, Rue Mauverney 28, Gland, CH-1196, Switzerland.|International Institute for Environment and Development, 80-86 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8NH, U.K.
authors.forename: Dilys
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roe
authors.affiliation: IUCN CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, c/ IUCN, Rue Mauverney 28, Gland, CH-1196, Switzerland.|IUCN SSC African Elephant Specialist Group, c/o IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, P.O. Box 68200, Nairobi, 00200, Kenya.
authors.forename: Holly T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Dublin
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.|School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.affiliation: IUCN CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, c/ IUCN, Rue Mauverney 28, Gland, CH-1196, Switzerland.|IUCN Species Programme, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, U.K.
authors.forename: Dan W S
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Challender
authors.affiliation: IUCN SSC African Elephant Specialist Group, c/o IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, P.O. Box 68200, Nairobi, 00200, Kenya.|Independent Consultancy, P.O. Box MP113, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skinner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D003132:Commerce; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D057766:Policy
keywords: aprendizaje social; cadenas de resultados; caza furtiva; community-based conservation; conservación basada en la comunidad; estándares abiertos; livelihoods; open standards; poaching; results chains; social learning; sustentos