Networking as organizational method of “envisioning”. Elements for sustainable development

Public and non-profit organizations should focus their “distinctive competencies” also on the ability to create lasting strategic alliances as well as to identify, formalize and deploy core values and an envisioned future. This is particularly true for organizations that are active in wildlife and nature conservation and more generally for all organizations that want to achieve objectives of responsible development. The core values and the envisioned future create a “complex system of deep human dimensions”, that is called “vision”. For many organizations a vision is one of the most relevant human dimensions that can be integrated to improve the effectiveness of their management. Depending of their activity, organizations can identify a “business vision” as well as a “fish and wildlife vision”, a “nature conservation vision” or a “sustainable development vision”. According with the socio-cultural and relational perspective of an organization and of a protected area, it is crucial that protected areas systems are managed through a “network approach”, involving distinct players (similar to a partnership among private enterprises). A further comparison with the private sector can be drawn by pointing to the fundamental need of a shared vision within the network. Historically, international partnerships among protected areas has been an important method to focus core values and to create or reinforce sustainable learning and visionary networks. After discussing the theoretical framework, the analysis continues through case study research that focuses on the US – Italian relationships between protected areas systems. This friendship takes its origin in 1860, with the activities of a well known “visionary” man: George Perkins Marsh. During the last decade, the partnership between the two countries has been strengthened by several dyadic relationships (twinnings) between US and Italian organizations managing Protected Areas as well as by formal systemic relationships (MoAs between the NPS, NOAA, and the Italian Conservation Service for Nature). This lecture analyzes US-Italian international cooperation programs and outputs. The partnership experience confirms the theoretical hypothesis: networking between protected areas has been a way to create long term professional and social relationships and, especially, a way to identify a vision for “our common future”.