A unit of Lasting Forests
Sustained forests; sustained profits
evolving since March 30, 1999
of an Alternative Wildlife Resource Management
Review - Key Concepts
1. An "approach" is a paradigm, scheme, or large pattern of operation.
2. "Get it all together" is a need; how to do so is a serious, major question.
3. How anyone "gets it all together" is of interest. Clearly some people, some groups, do it better than others.
4. The characteristics of those who do it best should be learned and copied.
5. Systems approach is useful.
6. General systems theory is basic to the approach.
7. If not the best approach, the challenge is to all interested to present an equal or better approach and all of its characteristics and comparisons.
8. The systems approach invariably includes inputs, processes, objectives, feedbacks, feedforward, and context!
9. A systems approach to wildlife management has two fundamental actions, analysis and design.
10. "Analysis" implies description, take apart, detail, investigate, and measure. "Design" implies develop blueprints, plan, prescribe, supervise, implement and manage.
11. To "design" requires stating objectives.
12. Managers design. They should start with objectives. Objectives are criteria for "goodness". Criteria are the essence of epistemology (also known as criteriology).
13. Do not start with "problems". Problems exist in the gap between objectives and the actual situation.
14. There are 7 types of objectives. They need to be learned. "Goals" and "objectives" are synonymous. "Types" explain past conflicts in the means of these words. Suggestion: Use "objectives" throughout.
15. The types:- General,
- Fundamental,
- Success Criteria,
- Constraints (or Policies),
- Primary,
- Action-like, and
- Futuristic.
16. Maximizing present-discounted value is in primary use throughout natural resource fields. It is a type 3 objective.
17. Where monetary values are difficult to get, maximizing a benefit-to-cost (B/C) ratio is useful.
18. Express benefits using
B = (
DVES(R) P I T
where
19. Express costs, C, as the total present discounted cost of any and all activities, programs, and projects over the planning period.
20. To maximize Q* is a reasonable basis for deciding on when a manager is doing well. Promotion, praise, and raises can be based on Q* where
Q* = [1.0 - (QA - Q) / Q] x 100
QA is the actual score; Q is the stated desired condition; Q* is the "score" being perfect at 100.
21. An alternative view is the negative feedback equation
Qt + 1 = Q - (1-C)(Qt-Q)
Where Q is the desired state (e.g., 2361 units produced per year), Qt the current production, Qt+ 1 the next production (usually next year) and C is the amount of control (e.g., 0.05) a manager can have over reducing the difference.
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Last revision July 20, 2000.