Learn how to design and facilitate effective conservation planning processes to help the recovery of species and systems.
Course Dates:
The next dates for this course are:
16 February - 3 April 2026
28 September - 13 November 2026
Registration closes one month before the start date.
Course Introduction:
More than 157,000 species have been assessed through the global IUCN Red List. Alarmingly, roughly a third are considered threatened with extinction.
Reversing this critical situation requires effective conservation plans, but planning can be complex. To scale effective planning, we need a significant increase in competent facilitators able to support governments, non-government organizations, zoos, aquariums, botanic gardens, and civil society groups to plan for species conservation.
This course will equip you with the skills and confidence to design and facilitate inclusive and impactful species conservation plans through our proven, science-based Principles and Steps.
Learning Outcomes:
This is a comprehensive course on species conservation planning.
By the end participants will be able to:
- Apply the CPSG Species Conservation Planning Principles and Steps to the design and facilitation of a 4-day in-person species conservation planning workshop;
- Describe the importance of interpersonal skills and process design steps in enabling groups to function most effectively together;
- Demonstrate the role of the facilitator in consensus-based decision making;
- Demonstrate how to facilitate an open discussion and run a meeting or workshop process;
- Explain the role that quantitative risk assessment tools can play in informing species conservation planning problems and solutions
Course Format:
This online course consists of pre-recorded lectures, tools sessions, reading materials, and weekly group webinars (online) where you will interact with some of the world’s leading authorities on species conservation planning.
Starting 2026, we have refreshed the course content with a more hands-on approach that mirrors a 4-day, in person species conservation planning workshop. You’ll leave with practical experience and elevated confidence in leading the design and facilitation of such a workshop.
Costs*:
We are committed to making our courses as accessible as possible by offering a country-based fee structure based on country of residence. This approach allows us to keep our training accessible to conservation professionals around the world while sustaining course quality.
The cost for participating in this course is:
List 1: $375
List 2: $300
List 3: $190
List 4: $115
List 5: $75
Find the list of countries here.
A limited number of training grants are available for this course. If you would like to discuss this opportunity, or have other questions, please contact: [email protected]
Course Duration:
The course lasts for seven weeks and involves 4-6 hours of work per week, depending on how quickly you work through the materials.
Certification:
Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion. This certificate does not mean you are a 'certified' CPSG Facilitator. However, you would be entitled to use a dedicated CPSG Principles & Steps logo on your planning work.
Application:
To apply, please fill out the form found on the left (bottom on mobile) by clicking "Apply here".
For further information, contact us at [email protected]
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* Our course prices do not reflect the true cost or value of this training, as CPSG is committed to reducing financial barriers to training that will benefit threatened species worldwide. This is currently possible only due to the support received from the Global Conservation Network (GCN), a group of committed institutions and individuals who support CPSG work. If you or your organization would like to consider becoming a GCN donor, sponsoring training grants for trainees with limited resources, or otherwise supporting our training program, please contact [email protected] or Donate here. To learn more about CPSG, please contact: [email protected].
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