Introduction

Endangered species recovery is always difficult, and biologists need to use the best tools, skills, and experience available. While the use of appropriate biological tools is essential for successful recovery, other factors are also indispensable. These include problem analysis and problem-solving strategies, organizational design, work group effectiveness, effectiveness of interpersonal relationships, and clarity and specificity of goals and objectives. Inadequacy in any of these factors may result in inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the recovery job; ultimately, the species may not be recovered! Professional biologists and managers readily recognize the biological dimensions of recovery work, but largely overlook or depreciate the value of organizational factors. Because of the urgency and the sense of finality inherent in recovery efforts, professionals would do well to attend to such factors.

In this chapter, we introduce some organization and management concepts and recommendations that can help the work of conservationists. Specifically, we 1) provide some background on organization designs and management processes that are useful in species recovery; 2) examine the endangered species task environment in organizational terms; 3) identify the task force/project team model as the most appropriate for recovery work; 4) describe the four functions of management—organizing, planning, leading, and controlling—in these teams; 5) examine task-oriented teams versus power-, role-, or people-oriented teams; 6) introduce a procedure to analyze problems and develop action plans; and 7) offer, in an appendix, a method for developing action plans.