Operationalizing enabling conditions: a social-ecological perspective on marine conservation success

Area-based conservation is a popular strategy to address biodiversity decline. However, despite the identification of enabling conditions, many initiatives still fail at delivering positive outcomes for nature and people. This study examines how enabling conditions are operationalized and their influence on conservation effectiveness using social-ecological approaches. Guided by the central question of whether the way enabling conditions are put into practice affects conservation outcomes, the study pursues three objectives: (1) to document the processes through which enabling conditions are operationalized, (2) to distinguish the different forms of operationalization, and (3) to assess how these processes influence conservation outcomes, in order to extract lessons that may serve as best practices for future initiatives. By comparing the establishment of two coral reef conservation initiatives in the same region, we identified diverse ways in which enabling conditions are put into practice, providing examples for conservation practitioners. Discourse analysis of stakeholders’ perception highlighted that enabling conditions being in place alone does not guarantee success. Instead, the way they are implemented—through specific action-situations, their interactions, and the stakeholders involved—plays a crucial role in delivering conservation outcomes. Operationalization can have both direct and indirect effects, influencing outcomes at one stage of establishment or at later stages. Sequencing and timing also emerged as critical factors affecting perceptions of benefits, compliance with regulations, and the sustainability of conservation measures. These findings offer practical guidance for decision-makers and managers by illustrating how enabling conditions can be operationalized to support more effective and context-sensitive conservation efforts.