Submission Guidelines for Case Studies Template

General Suggestions

Write-ups should not exceed 500 words in length. Word length for individual sections, unless expressly limited, is discretionary within the 500 word cap. Formatting is done automatically as text is entered. Case studies should be written in straight forward English for a lay audience; avoid technical terms, acronyms and other specialized phrasing. Photographs should not exceed 500KB Specific instructions follow and are repeated when entering data into each of the data fields of the case study template. Simply place the cursor on any one of the headings of the case study template and a window will appear with instructions specific to that data entry field. Questions regarding case study entry should be directed to Willard Dyche (wdyche@newenglandforestry.org) at 207-847-9313.

Title

The title is the common name used by the partners to identify the project among themselves and to others; it does not necessarily convey what the project is about; the title should not exceed 6 words.

Headline

The headline is intended to be the clincher – what the reader sees first and what captures her eye. It delivers in just a few words some essence of the project – the eye-riveting item that will help the reader decide whether she should read on or move on to another project write-up; headlines should not exceed 10 words

Project Purpose

Include a descriptor of the overall project in conjunction with the title and headline. The descriptor – up to 22 words in length – is the condensed summary of the project. Think of it as the two-line summary you would produce for inclusion in a bibliography. It will be simultaneously used in the project summary which appears in the appendix of the compendium.

Location

Identify the region on the case study entry form and select the states

Primary Partners

List the two primary partners, only list one of the federal (if there are more than one) and one from the private sector.

Key organizations and Participants

Who are the most important folks doing this project? List major partners. If the partnership is particularly large, list one or two primary partners from each category (e.g., federal, state, tribal, NGO, foundations, community associations). Do not list individual citizens/property owners unless they are uniquely instrumental to the project; otherwise, denote as landowners, citizens etc. Limit listing to 10 partners, unless extraordinary circumstances require a larger listing; in that case, explain why.

Brief Summary of the Resource Challenge

Focus on why and how partners are doing this project. Specifically: (1) Describe the resource challenge, problem, issue that gave rise to the partnership/project and (2) describe basic features of the partnership, including:

• What is the partnership? (You can repeat the name of the project and the main parties to it; include, if pertinent, a sentence or two on how the partnership formed – eg., started by a group of ranchers, set-up by a governmental entity, organized by an NGO, mandated by federal legislation, facilitated by…?; and provide some idea of how the partnership works – eg., uses an easement, has a governing council, informally makes decisions, works through cost-share arrangements, functions through a contract or a MOU, etc.)
• What is the purpose of the Partnership? (List its basic goals. This gives the reader a context in which to assess the outcomes of the project)

Key Innovation or Highlight of the Project

What stands out as most unique or striking about how the project was implemented, tools it may have used, approaches to problem solving it may have adopted, or contributions it may have made to the practice of cooperative conservation. If the project does not have a unique innovation associated with it, then list a highlight of the project – a lesson learned, a notable feature of its implementation, some striking aspect of the partnering or collaborative process associated with it, or something that you would like to share with others and shine a spotlight on – that special something that makes this project a notch above others. Limit to 25 words.

Results and Accomplishments

Outcomes should correlate with the purpose of the partnership; specific, concrete results are desired, if possible. If major partners are contributing to different aspects of the overall results or accomplishments (i.e., one partner is doing research while the other is doing the restoration work based on that research) then state precisely the respective roles and outputs. It is appropriate to include future plans and activities of the partnership, as well as changes or developments that may be occurring in the partnership and its objectives, as both evolve.

Key Contacts

List one primary contact for the project. This contact should be capable of providing one-stop information to all readers who seek additional info or contacts for the project. The primary contact should be non-federal. Exceptions to this include projects where one or more federal agencies constitute the only major partners or where no single contact can adequately address the full dimensions of the project. In the latter case, two contacts may be listed, of which one must be non-federal.

Project Website

Include project website, if one is available

Photograph

Every project submission should include a photograph, You need to make sure the photo you upload is web ready. This means that the image should be less than 500KB in size and a resolution of no more than 96 pixels per inch(ppi). The site will resize the photos to be 320px wide by 300px tall for display in the case study. If that is too small to show the necessary detail don\'t worry, users will be able to click the image to see the full size. Please keep the file size below 500KB.

To upload your photo:

Click the Upload button

locate the photo file you want to go with your case study by clicking the Browse button

then click the Upload button to send your photo to the CCA server.