Research Articles Research shows perceptions of the PPA network about the initiative

Perception analysis indicates 93% consider that its management creates confidence in the Platform

The Partnership Platform for the Amazon (PPA), USAID and the Alliance Bioversity/CIAT have a robust monitoring and evaluation program created since the platform's inception. Understanding the impact of private sector projects on biodiversity conservation, as well as mapping growth and changes in the network is a priority.

Social network analysis (SNA) is a methodology that uses a set of techniques to quantify and qualify the relations among actors connected in a network. This tool tracks the development of the PPA network. The methodology has been used to evaluate the impact of partnerships in the private sector and understand how they are formed, evolved, and catalyzed. The results are analyzed by USAID, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT as well as the PPA to point out paths of improvement.

Up to now, the research process had two rounds. The first in 2019 and the second at the beginning of 2021. PPA publicized the results of the second round with partners. The Catalyzing and Learning through Private Sector Engagement for Biodiversity Conservation (CAL-PSE) team, responsible for the research, interviewed 74 people from 46 organizations. They are interviewed according to a baseline questionnaire created in 2019.

The 2020 results indicated that the management of the PPA builds trust for partners to participate in the Platform. Changes in the initiative’s governance have caused the level of knowledge about the Platform to decrease, as well as perceptions about mobilizing funding for conservation. However, the responses show members' interests have remained consistent: entrepreneurship and acceleration in the Amazon. 

Keeping in line with these interests in 2021, the Platform included the development of an Acceleration Thesis, the inclusion of initiatives of Aceleradora 100+, and the Incubadora da Floresta. “Even if the research relates to 2020, it shows that we are on the right track to deliver on its core proposal for our members”, said Augusto Corrêa, PPA’s Executive Secretary. “The investment we made on building the Acceleration Thesis will be essential to guide our work for the next few years, and we hope the new round of the social network analysis will show these commitments”.