{"id":{"repo_id":"montana-tech","oai_identifier":"oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-1539"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/montana-tech/oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-1539","repository":{"repo_id":"montana-tech","name":"Montana Technology","base_url":"https://scholarworks.umt.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"HIV/AIDS AND CONSERVATION AGENCY CAPACITY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: PERCEPTIONS OF CRITICAL IMPACTS, BARRIERS, AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES","abstract":"The HIV/AIDS pandemic permeates all aspects of southern African civil society including the ability of organizations to practice conservation. The purpose of this research is to understand how management perceives HIV/AIDS influencing southern African conservation agencies workforce capacity to meet their missions. Research goals include: (1) identifying perceptions of the impacts of HIV/AIDS on workforce capacity; (2) elucidating barriers to addressing these impacts; and (3) exploring mitigation strategies. Data collection involved two stages: (1) semi-structured interviews of managers and scientists (n=23) to better understand impacts and barriers; and (2) a panel of key experts (n=30) within southern African conservation agencies ranked impacts according to their perceived severity, using an iterative, Delphi approach. Impacts identified include loss of experience-based knowledge, difficulty in planning for the future, and increases in human resource costs. Barriers to addressing these impacts include gender issues, lack of awareness, staff housing and stigma associated with the disease. Mitigation strategies must address impacts and barriers within a southern Africa context. This research provides perspectives from current conservation management and human resources to direct and catalyze mitigation strategies.","abstract_html":"The HIV/AIDS pandemic permeates all aspects of southern African civil society including the ability of organizations to practice conservation. The purpose of this research is to understand how management perceives HIV/AIDS influencing southern African conservation agencies workforce capacity to meet their missions. Research goals include: (1) identifying perceptions of the impacts of HIV/AIDS on workforce capacity; (2) elucidating barriers to addressing these impacts; and (3) exploring mitigation strategies. Data collection involved two stages: (1) semi-structured interviews of managers and scientists (n=23) to better understand impacts and barriers; and (2) a panel of key experts (n=30) within southern African conservation agencies ranked impacts according to their perceived severity, using an iterative, Delphi approach. Impacts identified include loss of experience-based knowledge, difficulty in planning for the future, and increases in human resource costs. Barriers to addressing these impacts include gender issues, lack of awareness, staff housing and stigma associated with the disease. Mitigation strategies must address impacts and barriers within a southern Africa context. This research provides perspectives from current conservation management and human resources to direct and catalyze mitigation strategies.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cash, Jennifer Ann"],"institution":"University of Montana","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2007,"date_issued":"2007-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2007-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:13:28Z","subjects":["Africa","conservation capacity","HIV/AIDS","protected areas"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/520","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cash, Jennifer Ann"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Montana"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Africa","conservation capacity","HIV/AIDS","protected areas"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/520"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The HIV/AIDS pandemic permeates all aspects of southern African civil society including the ability of organizations to practice conservation. The purpose of this research is to understand how management perceives HIV/AIDS influencing southern African conservation agencies workforce capacity to meet their missions. Research goals include: (1) identifying perceptions of the impacts of HIV/AIDS on workforce capacity; (2) elucidating barriers to addressing these impacts; and (3) exploring mitigation strategies. Data collection involved two stages: (1) semi-structured interviews of managers and scientists (n=23) to better understand impacts and barriers; and (2) a panel of key experts (n=30) within southern African conservation agencies ranked impacts according to their perceived severity, using an iterative, Delphi approach. Impacts identified include loss of experience-based knowledge, difficulty in planning for the future, and increases in human resource costs. Barriers to addressing these impacts include gender issues, lack of awareness, staff housing and stigma associated with the disease. Mitigation strategies must address impacts and barriers within a southern Africa context. This research provides perspectives from current conservation management and human resources to direct and catalyze mitigation strategies."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["HIV/AIDS AND CONSERVATION AGENCY CAPACITY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: PERCEPTIONS OF CRITICAL IMPACTS, BARRIERS, AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Cash, Jennifer Ann"],"dc:description.abstract":["The HIV/AIDS pandemic permeates all aspects of southern African civil society including the ability of organizations to practice conservation. The purpose of this research is to understand how management perceives HIV/AIDS influencing southern African conservation agencies workforce capacity to meet their missions. Research goals include: (1) identifying perceptions of the impacts of HIV/AIDS on workforce capacity; (2) elucidating barriers to addressing these impacts; and (3) exploring mitigation strategies. Data collection involved two stages: (1) semi-structured interviews of managers and scientists (n=23) to better understand impacts and barriers; and (2) a panel of key experts (n=30) within southern African conservation agencies ranked impacts according to their perceived severity, using an iterative, Delphi approach. Impacts identified include loss of experience-based knowledge, difficulty in planning for the future, and increases in human resource costs. Barriers to addressing these impacts include gender issues, lack of awareness, staff housing and stigma associated with the disease. Mitigation strategies must address impacts and barriers within a southern Africa context. This research provides perspectives from current conservation management and human resources to direct and catalyze mitigation strategies."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/520"],"dc:publisher":["University of Montana"],"dc:subject":["Africa","conservation capacity","HIV/AIDS","protected areas"],"dc:title":["HIV/AIDS AND CONSERVATION AGENCY CAPACITY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: PERCEPTIONS OF CRITICAL IMPACTS, BARRIERS, AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:13:28Z"}