Exit strategies for wildlife conservation: why they are rare and why every institution needs one

Exit strategies – plans to end involvement in a project once selected criteria have been reached – are rare in conservation planning but can play a vital role in the conservation planning process; such strategies also prepare the institution, its staff, its partners, and a wider group of stakeholders for eventual success or failure and signal when it is time to move on. Exit strategies may indicate that the project has been terminated but may also signal success, or that project leadership has transitioned to another, more appropriate entity. We address why exit strategies are uncommon in conservation, why they are essential, what determines when to transition or leave, and how to plan for circumstances afterwards. A good exit strategy addresses financial and legal liabilities to employees, publication of results, and ownership of data, among other things. A comprehensive, thoughtful strategy can lead to “beautiful exits” that minimize negative consequences to the project.