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Implementing a new inventory
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Now armed with some confidence in new forest inventory procedures, you may try to implement them in your organisation. Unfortunately this may not be as simple as it sounds! People, both as individuals and as part of an organisation will affect the design, implementation and acceptance of an inventory and its resultant estimates. Lund (1995) identified 3 sources of problems in new inventory development and use: the individual, the organisation and the current inventory design. Some of the factors that may influence willingness to take part in a new inventory include:
The individual factors:
- Recognition - Need to have people recognise the value, and know how to use the information properly. If they do not have time to learn anything new, they are unlikely to change their current ways.
- Personality - Many natural resource specialists are independent and have trouble working as team players.
- Knowledge - Some experts may declare knowledge of express demands of a new inventory without practical experience in doing the work. This may lead to unrealistic expectations, inapplicable results and frustration.
- Tradition - There is a general unwillingness to change definitions, standards or procedures when it may disrupt the ability to analyse trends.
- Perception - Perception of a change in priority from traditional resource inventory approach.
- Fear - Fear of losing control (over a well known approach).
- Communication - The use of unfamiliar terms and definitions.
- Skills - Lack of new skills
- Leadership - Lack of initiative or taking the lead. Also there may be a reluctance to follow direction because it is viewed as being dictated rather than being persuaded that it is a more reliable way of getting information.
- Support - If people do not the desire or ability to understand and use the information collected there is little incentive for input.
The organisation:
- Self interest - A not invented here syndrome may occur within groups in an organisation when new techniques are presented by outsiders.
- Benefits - Lack of trust in new methods where preious innovations have lead to little or no benefit to the local people or individuals.
- Fear - Groups that traditonally had a simple goal they were meeting may have difficulty changing direction and risking failure.
- Focus - Poor understanding or no concensus on the priority for inventory and questions that need to be answered.
- Communication - Poor coordination and communication between organisational levels and administrative levels.
- Support - Lack of support for adequate time and money to do the job. There is a feeling that it makes more time and resources to think through a new approach rather than just follow the old tried and true methods.
- Priority - Other interests and priorities result in lack of true commitment in funding and completion of the inventory.
- Coordination - lack of a strategic and coordinated plan (which includes training and support in the collection and use of information).
- Power - lack of enforcement or ability to enforce direction once a decision has been made.
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