Relating Collaborative Capacity to Social-Ecological Outcomes in the United States– Bridging Academic and Practitioner Perspectives

Landscape-scale collaborative conservation and stewardship are increasingly recognized by practitioners as effective in addressing complex, transboundary, and intersectional social-ecological challenges. However, the underlying dynamics of “collaborative capacity” remain incompletely expressed in the academic literature. This exploratory qualitative study contributes empirical grounding to the capacity elements, activities, and contextual aspects that enable collaborative landscape scale outcomes. We conducted a mix of semi-structured, in-depth interviews and focus groups with 43 coordinators, experts, and funders from across the United States. Along with a synthesis of existing academic and practitioner-based frameworks we identified six collaborative capacity elements that are necessary for nine collaborative activities, which in turn enable a suite of six social-ecological outcomes at the landscape scale. This, along with five contextual elements underlie and inform an expanded, practitioner-driven and empirically-based framework. We conclude with recommendations for more effective practitioner, funder, and academic collaborations to advance the field.