SAPAA partners with the UofA CSL program and runs student projects. For the winter semester, we are welcoming about 7 individuals from the Sustainability 202 course. For students unfamiliar with SAPAA, see the Annex at the end of this post.

This post will outline potential projects, how SAPAA runs the CSL partnership, and provides a one stop backgrounder to help the 7 students to pick SAPAA!

1. The Course Context
2. You Are Not Students
3. Agile Project Methodology
4. Relationship to Course Curriculum
5. How Many Projects?
6. Project 1: Scouts Canada Proof of Concept
7. Projects as Time Permits
   1. Project 4: Support a Mini-Conference
8. Project 5: Research Site Inspection Best Practices
9. Projects Not Selected
   1. Project 2: Integrate Google Workspace into Site Inspections
   2. Project 3: Update Web Style Guides
   3. Project 6: SAPAA and Service Alberta
   4. Project 7: Data Stores
   5. Project 8: GoA Environmental Data Systems
10. Notes
11. Annex – What is a SAPAA?
    1. More Background (including past CSL site visits!)

The Course Context

Seven students will be assigned to SAPAA. Details of SUST 202 – Global Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals; hosted by the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences; are as follows:

An introduction to sustainable development with a global perspective and a focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

You Are Not Students

Despite being students in SUST 202, for the SAPAA project – you are not students.

Deliverable Focused. SAPAA runs its CSL student projects by first assuming that you are not students. Instead, you are a consulting firm that SAPAA has contracted with to deliver one or more deliverables.

One Neck to Choke. As a consulting company, the first thing the group needs to do is to pick the project manager. This is one person who SAPAA will deal with. Of course we will have team meetings and collaboration is expected but the buck stops with the project manager [1].

Let’s Talk. Tough cliches aside, one of the reasons for having a project manager is to keep an eye on the team. Students are juggling studies, part time jobs, outside interests… and SAPAA projects. If reality is interfering and we need to reduce scope, drop projects, or pivot – let’s be open, honest, and transparent about the change.

Think Resume, Not Grade. One of the advantages of framing the CSL project as a consulting engagement is that changes the mental model from the present/school to the future/resume. While a good grade in SUST 202 would be nice – in a few years, who cares. This is why each of the project descriptions below includes a potential resume description.

Agile Project Methodology

Consultants work on projects and communications is critical to project management. As a result, we will have a weekly stand up meeting (date and time to be determined, I like Thursdays 11-12h). There are four questions to be covered in these sessions:

1. What did you accomplish over the past week?
2. What do you plan to do in the next 2-weeks?
3. What do you need to know from SAPAA?
4. What are the risks and issues that SAPAA sees that need to be addressed?

This is a modified form of Agile Project Management. We talk, we argue, we discuss, and ultimately we agree on what is possible – even if that means changing the plan. Failing Fast and Proof of Concepts are the team’s best friends [2].

Relationship to Course Curriculum

The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals [3] are all noble and represent what humanity can aspire to. Unfortunately, with 20 CSL hours, the students will not make much of a dent in anyone of them.

The primary focus of the following projects are on 2 of the 17 goals:

1. Goal 16… build effective and accountable institutions.
2. Goal 15… Protect, restore and promote sustainable use … reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Honourable mentions include Goal 8, Work; and Goal 9, Innovation.

How Many Projects?

CSL 202 will provide 7 students. SAPAA has lots of work but no one project is big enough to accommodate this many resources. As a result, SAPAA is proposing 7 mini-projects. The first project must be done by a student group. One, two, or all six of the other projects may be attempted.

Thus, one of the first decisions of the student group is to answer the question, how many projects can we do within the time available to us and planning to delight our customer?

January 31 Update: The students selected Project 1 (required), 4 and 5.

Selecting fewer projects may raise the eyebrow of the instructor not to mention mean less resume fodder for the individuals. Conversely, over promising and under delivery is not a recommended life strategy. It is suggested that each project have 1-3 students dedicated to it. Project Manager, don’t forget you have extra duties – so be careful in committing to too much.

Project 1 is fleshed out, the rest have a brief description and are otherwise spitballs at this point [4]. All of the following are flexible on deliverables, scope, etc.

Project 1: Scouts Canada Proof of Concept

• WHAT: Support a SAPAA board member in running a proof of concept education program for the 1st St. Albert Scouts. This group will test a program, visit a natural area (River Lot 56), and submit one or more Site Inspection Reports
  • This project must be undertaken by the CSL team as SAPAA has external commitments.
• DELIVERABLE(S): Under the direction of the board member and SAPAA volunteers:
  • Run a proof of concept with 1st St. Albert Scouts including a site visit to Riverlot 56 in the March time frame.
  • Prepare an analysis and recommendation for the continued involvement of youth programs, and Scouts Canada in particular, in SAPAA’s inspection and educational activities.
• DETAILS: Lead or participate in one or more of the following activities:
  • Review and understand the proof of concept (PoC) proposed to Scouts Canada.
  • Develop a project plan.
  • Align the badge program visiting a natural area, identify precursor activities to be run during Scout meetings.
  • Update the SAPAA website to include the Scouts Canada program.
  • Meet with the St. Albert Scout leaders and walk through the draft program, ask for feedback and revise accordingly.
  • Plan a trip with the Youth to Riverlot 56, inviting the Stewards.
  • Have the scouts prepare a 2025-Short-Inspection form based on this inspection.
  • Debrief with the leaders, Scouts.ca, and SAPAA.
  • Present results to the GoA and peer organizations for feedback and comments.
  • Recommend revisions to move this PoC into production or go into another round of testing.
  • Evaluate the applicability for other youth focused organizations such as Forest Wardens, Cadets, 4H, schools, etc.
  • 1-3 students will be assigned to this project.
• YOUR RESUME FODDER:
  • Support the design and delivery of a proof of concept for a youth based program that visited Alberta’s natural areas.
  • Contributed to the evaluation of the viability of this proof of concept and recommendation for next steps.
  • Using WordPress.com, created programming material used by the proof of concept.

Projects as Time Permits

Two other projects may be completed but only after Project 1 is well in bed. The Mini-conference is the second priority followed by the best practice scan.

Project 4: Support a Mini-Conference

• WHAT: One of the legacy benefits of being a volunteer steward was the opportunity to attend an annual conference. Awards, best practices, and updates were provided. The last conference was held in 2017 and SAPAA is thinking of running a ‘mini-conference’ in the fall of 2025. This team will work with the assigned board member.
• DELIVERABLE(S):
  • Determine whether SAPAA should hold a 2025 conference. Prepare 1-3 options, a recommendation, and seek board approval to proceed (or not). Develop a preliminary project plan for the conference. The analysis should include:
    • The benefits of an in-person conference to SAPAA, its members, partners, and the GoA.
    • Identify 1-3 possible formats for the conference and include in each a cost estimate, date, duration, complexity/risks to organize, location, etc.
    • Present options to the board with a recommendation to (not) proceed as applicable.
    • Develop a more detailed event-plan based on board approval.
    • Identify possible add-ons before and after the conference, for example field trips, lectures, courses, etc. “
• YOUR RESUME FODDER:
  • Designed a conference to coordinate best practices in volunteer stewardship of protected areas.

Project 5: Research Site Inspection Best Practices

• WHAT: What information can an enthusiastic but amateur site inspector collect about a site? What categories of questions (e.g. botanical, disturbances, or social/political) can be collected? What do other jurisdictions do when citizens visit public lands submit site inspections? These questions will be considered from a best practice lens. The team will conduct a literature review and discuss informally with individuals from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences and present findings to the board as well as other individuals suggested by SAPAA.
• DELIVERABLE(S):
  • Research, analyze, and present findings to answer the question, what can reasonably be expected from volunteer/lay site inspectors.
• DETAILS:
  • Working with the instructor, discuss informally with the faculty what data points generate the most value to researchers.
  • Working with SAPAA, discuss with the Government of Alberta their information requirements.
  • Working with SAPAA, discuss with peer organizations their information requirements.
  • Consolidate and analyze results, formulate recommendations for SAPAA’s site inspection questions and process.
  • A note on scope. Stewards come in at least five different flavours (see below). The focus of this project is on the first three. Organizational Stewards, e.g. Wagner Society, will be considered in a future project.
    1. Designated Steward: Agrees to visit one or a few sites and does so repeatedly over many years.
    2. Roving Steward: Visits multiple sites over the course of the year and seldom repeats visits to the same site.
    3. Tangential Interest Steward: Visits a site due to a tangential interest. While the Roving Steward is primarily interested in the state of the site(s), Tangential Stewards see this as a secondary consideration to their primary interest. Interests may include writing a book, field guide, photography, hunting, botany, etc.
    4. Organizational Steward: Manages a site(s) typically with a formal agreement with the Crown. Site inspections are less important as this type of information is often captured through other internal or external reporting obligations.
    5. Public or Ad hoc Steward: May only visit a single site once in their life, as part of another organization (e.g. a school field trip, Scout/Guide badge work, etc.). Alternatively, this individual group may evolve into one of the above type of Steward.
• YOUR RESUME FODDER:
  • Conducted a best practice survey of citizen-science/stewardship and presented findings and recommendations to a nonprofit engaged in this activity.

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Projects Not Selected

Project 2: Integrate Google Workspace into Site Inspections

• WHAT: A SAPAA site inspection strategy document envisions using Google Workspace (GWS) as a data collection tool for select contributors. The student team will focus on adoption and training of technology rather than its implementation. As such, good writing skills, empathy, and an interest in program design (technical, social, etc.) would be beneficial
• DELIVERABLE(S):
  • Support a proof of concept using GWS as a method to collect site inspection information.
  • Develop training material to help contributors use GWS.
  • Provide an interim analysis and recommendations on the user adoption and challenges of using GWS as an inspection tool.
• YOUR RESUME FODDER:
  • Advanced knowledge of productivity office tools (Google Workspace) including considerations for managing identity and access management issues across multiple users.
  • Develop training material that appealed to and could be used across multiple demographics, evaluate the success of material.

Project 3: Update Web Style Guides

• WHAT: A core asset of SAPAA is its website. It has grown organically and as a result has some variation across its web pages and three different style guides. This project will consolidate (or update) the style guides, produce definitive documentation, and test the style guides across existing pages. The focus is on ensuring consistent language on the website using practical instruction and guidance. Technical knowledge of website development is an asset but not required. As such, good writing skills, empathy, and an interest in program design (technical, social, etc.) would be beneficial
• DELIVERABLE(S):
  • Review and research best practices for similar websites and audiences.
  • Analyze and recommend a final set of style guide(s) for the SAPAA website.
  • As time permits, conduct a proof of concept update of some web pages.
• As time permits, host a webinar for peer and interested organizations on the work performed, write a best practice guest blog on myorgbio.org.
• YOUR RESUME FODDER:
  • Analyzed audiences for a website and evaluated existing style guides in meeting the website goals.
  • Recommended and implemented revised style guides using both manual and automated methods including AI.

Project 6: SAPAA and Service Alberta

• WHAT: Analyze and prepare a summary of what SAPAA must do to remain compliant in context to the Societies Act and Service Alberta requirements for reporting. Working with the Treasurer, prepare guidance for SAPAA and consider communicating findings to members, peer organizations, or other audiences.
• DELIVERABLE(S):
  • Provide (or better yet, steal) a summary of how nonprofits can be constituted under Alberta’s current legislative framework (e.g. Societies Act, etc.).
  • Identify when federal legislation is relevant, for example, when operating intra-provincially or when a registered charity.
  • Prepare a summary of the obligations of an organization that falls under the Alberta Societies Act and is not a registered charity per the Canadian Tax Act.
  • Update guidance documents and present findings to the board, members, peer organizations, or other audiences.
• YOUR RESUME FODDER:
  • Conducted an jurisdictional scan and prepared guidance for an Alberta nonprofit to ensure it was meeting its reporting obligations.

Project 7: Data Stores

• WHAT: Currently SAPAA is managing its site inspection data in Google Sheets. What are the non-governmental data systems available that store protected area related information. Examples include eBird or iNaturalist.
• DELIVERABLE(S):
  • Conduct a market scan of databases that contain protected area information or similar data.
  • Evaluate the databases, using a simple scale to be determined, on their suitability to SAPAA.
  • Prepare a report with a summary of findings and present to the board and interested members and peer organizations.
• YOUR RESUME FODDER:
  • Conducted a comprehensive market scan of data systems associated with protected areas and evaluated them as to their fit for purpose for managing site inspection data.

Project 8: GoA Environmental Data Systems

• WHAT: The Government of Alberta uses a number of data systems to manage its Crown Land obligations. What is the purpose of each of these systems, is there public access, and what is the applicability to SAPAA’s mandate.
• DELIVERABLE(S): Prepare a report and present findings to SAPAA members and invited guests.
• YOUR RESUME FODDER:
  • Conducted a review of data systems used by the Government of Alberta, their level of public access, and the applicability to one environmental organization.

Notes

1. There is no definitive source on this expression. The more fainthearted may take exception to the expression but that is the point of using it to help prepare students for the terrifying (and wonderful) world of being grown up.
2. Project management, “I don’t need to know how to manage projects…” a student might be thinking. Sorry, but projects (implicit or explicit) are your future. Learn how to run!
3. THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development.
4. EWWW, spit balls? We’re Just ‘Spitballing’ Here… | Merriam-Webster.

Annex – What is a SAPAA?

Although students (and consulting companies) are expected to do their research in advance, the following provides some background to the legacy Alberta Government Volunteer Stewardship program and SAPAA. For the uninitiated, it is recommended that you visit these links and in the order presented.

1. Volunteer Stewardship – Backgrounder | SAPAA
2. CBC Story – Volunteer Stewardship Program | SAPAA
3. A Short Selected History of SAPAA | SAPAA

More Background (including past CSL site visits!)

• Should I Stay or Should I Go? | SAPAA
• Early History of the Alberta Protected Areas System by Peter Achuf, pp. 3-6.
• 2023 Site Inspection Report, Cheat Sheet | SAPAA
• Counting Protected Areas | SAPAA
• 2024-12-19: UofA Field Trip to Riverlot 56 | SAPAA
• SAPAA Field Trip – April 14, 2024