The Human Capital Development Strategy for the Biodiversity Sector aims to ensure a socially equitable and suitably skilled workforce of biodiversity leaders, professionals and technicians to optimally implement the sector’s expanding and increasingly complex mandate. It was developed in 2010 through a broad consultative process and several initiatives and activities have been carried out by various partners since then. In 2020, the Lewis Foundation funded a mid-term review and update to the strategy, again with broad input from the sector. The review found that although the strategy remains highly relevant and although much has already been achieved, key gaps and shortcomings remain, particularly around coordination, advocacy, political support, and monitoring and evaluation.

The Post-2020 update to the strategy includes an update to the policy context and the institutional arrangements envisaged. The implementation plan has been updated and strengthened to reflect the new needs and priorities of the sector, with a strong focus on activities related to coordination and advocacy. The original vision and goals remain unchanged, but the original strategic objectives have been replaced with six outcome areas that reflect the new implementation plan.