Storytelling with Data using Socio-environmental Report Cards

Imagine if you had the tools that would galvanize volunteers to protect their local river, inspire politicians to fund restoration activities, or stimulate engineers to devise ways to reduce pollution. Socio-environmental report cards synthesize data from scientists and volunteers and convert it into an image-rich format that is easily accessible to a wide stakeholder audience.

Report card grades also tap into a powerful human motivator: peer pressure. Civic leaders and community members can compare their grades with their neighbors, and we have learned that these comparisons lead to a desire for better environmental outcomes in their own backyard.

For nearly two decades, our team has worked with local river protection groups to develop comprehensive assessments of iconic ecosystems like the Chesapeake Bay (United States of America) and the Great Barrier Reef (Australia). These socio-environmental report cards have been used to catalyze improvements in ecosystem health, motive cooperative problem-solving, guide restoration efforts, and stimulate relevant research.

We can no longer be content to just study environmental or natural resource-related problems. The challenges and negative environmental impacts of climate change and other myriad environmental management issues are upon us. We need to use science to inspire real change. We’ll show you how.

Module 1:

• What are Report Cards?
• Why Report Cards?
• Report Card Application
• From Qualitative to Quantitative
• Distilling Data
• Incorporating New Indicators
• Evaluation of Report Card Impacts

Module 2:

• Report Card Process
• Enabling Conditions
• Stakeholder Analysis
• Project Planning 1
• Project Planning 2
• Workshop Planning
• Facilitation and Engagement

Module 3:

• Identifying Values and Threats
• Identifying Indicators
• Indicator Qualities
• Defining Thresholds
• Calculating Scores and Grades
• Gaining Stakeholder Consensus

Module 4:

• Communication strategies
• Communicating Results
• Designing Report Cards
• Stakeholder-led Approach
• Optimizing Collaborations
• Systems Modelling

Module 5:

• Overcoming Barriers
• Creating and Maintaining Momentum
• Dynamic Problem solving
• Examples of Great Champions
• Adaptive Governance
• Theory of Change