This project will provide state fish and wildlife agencies (sfwas) with a reliable, replicable methodology fordeveloping new collaborations with unengaged population segments and novel partner…

This project will provide state fish and wildlife agencies (sfwas) with a reliable, replicable methodology fordeveloping new collaborations with unengaged population segments and novel partner organizations, using existingstaff and resources without being heavily reliant on external consultants. The need for agency-led engagement ofbroader constituencies has emerged from the many pilot projects led by wildlife management institute (WMI) andits sfwa partners in implementing the fish and wildlife relevancy roadmap. The models most likely to succeed are those that, intentionally or not, identify and empower an existing staff member(s) to serve as a bridgebuildersomebody who has the interest and skills to develop and engage a specific constituency in a long-termmutually beneficial relationship with the agency. As the roadmap was not intended to be, nor written as, animplementation guidance document, there is a critical need to establish specific and tactical approaches forsfwas to forge relationships with new constituencies by leveraging in-house connections that, if supported, canbuild a bridge between the agency and a new partner. The project team (WMI staff and clearwater communications) will collaborate with at least one agency in each ofthe four association of fish wildlife agencies regions in developing, implementing, and evaluating a bridgebuilding engagement strategy, focused on one population segment or potential partner organization per state. The team will use evaluation results to refine the bridge-builder engagement model, then distill and package tacticalrecommendations into a set of tools for use by conservation relevancy-related staff and practitioners.anticipated project outcomes include enhanced staff capacity for building lasting collaborations with unengagedpopulation segments and new partner organizations increased confidence of agency leadership that their agencyhas the tools IT needs to build collaborations with such populations and organizations, lasting relationshipswith constituency groups who have not historically engaged with agencies, and increased constituency awarenessof, participation in, support for the agencys role in conservation.project deliverables will include tactical recommendations presented as a set of practical, accessible tools thatcan be implemented by staff at any level within an agency, descriptions of processes used during the project, links to resources used during the project, and an evaluation of project outputs and outcomes. The project is designed to provide lasting benefits to the four-or-more participating agencies, the populationsegments and potential partner organizations engaged during the project.