UMD, USMx, UMCES: Co-Production: Addressing Complexity with Environmental Adaptive Management

This course explores adaptive leadership and collaborative management for complex environmental projects, moving beyond traditional "top-down" approaches. It equips participants with strategies to drive sustainable outcomes through empowered teams, stakeholder engagement, and iterative decision-making in distributed environments.

Key Themes

Modern Management Foundations:

• Shifts from hierarchical leadership to co-production and participatory decision-making.
• Emphasizes empowering teams closest to the work, fostering ownership, and integrating adaptive practices across stakeholders.

Building Effective Partnerships:

• Techniques to create psychological safety, align purpose, and motivate interdisciplinary teams.
• Strategies for managing risks, incorporating feedback loops, and maintaining trust across "teams of teams."

Adaptive Frameworks & Tools:

• Implementation of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), agile execution, and team-design strategies to coordinate action without micromanagement.
• Emphasis on iterative processes that strengthen partnerships and improve ecological, regulatory, or resource-management outcomes.

Applied Learning

• Case Study Spotlight: Chesapeake Bay’s watershed restoration and fisheries management.
• Analyzes adaptive management in action, including water quality challenges, regulatory impacts, and iterative solutions for ecosystem health.
• Demonstrates how shared incentives, stakeholder collaboration, and data-driven adjustments lead to scalable success.

Target Outcomes

Participants will learn to:

• Lead distributed teams in climate, biodiversity, land/water management, or international development projects.
• Design adaptive processes that balance stakeholder interests with ecological sustainability.
• Apply stewardship principles to influence policy, guide decision-makers, and align incentives for lasting impact.