Concept ProposalPerformance Measures Table
Use and Instructions:
Applicants for Category 2 projects must prepare and submit the Performance Measures Table below, specific to their proposed project, as part of the proposal (see page 19 of the Grant Guidelines for more information). Performance measures should demonstrate ecosystem and/or watershed benefits. The Performance Measures Table, below, requires applicants to align their project objectives with measurable outputs and outcomes, defined below:
- Goals - Broad statements that propose general solutions.
- Objectives - More specific than goals, and often quantitative, specific, narrative statements of desired outcomes, allowing evaluation of how well the objectives are being achieved.
- Outputs - Performance measures that evaluate factors that may be influencing outcomes and include on-the-ground implementation and management actions. Output performance measures track whether on-the-ground activities were completed successfully and evaluate factors that may be influencing ecosystem outcomes (e.g., acres of ecosystem restored or preserved, number of trees planted, and number of barriers to fish migration removed). Project outputs are the things that will be produced as a result of working toward your objective.
- Outcomes - Performance measures that evaluate ecosystem responses to management actions or natural outputs. These are the benefits or long-term changes that are sought from undertaking the project. Outcome performance measures evaluate direct ecosystem responses to project activities (e.g., responses by target wildlife populations, and responses in ecosystem function). They are achieved from the utilization of the project’s outputs. Outcomes are linked with objectives, in that if the outcomes are achieved then the project’s objective(s) have been met. At the end of the project, the outcomes will help answer questions such as, ‘what have we achieved?’ and ‘how do we know?’.
The Delta Conservancy has identified a suite of standard performance measures, listed below,intended to measure the ecosystem and/or watershed benefits of a project. Applicants are required to utilize these performance measures to the extent that they are reasonably applicable to the project proposed. The list of standard performance measures is not exhaustive. Additional project-specific outputs and outcomes may be required to meet the project objectives. All projects will be required to define their outputs in terms of the ecosystem/land use types included in Grant Guidelines Appendix D: Ecosystem and Land Use Types.
Outputs:
- Increased acres or linear feet of ecosystem/land use type protected, restored, or enhanced
- Increased acres or linear feet with a best management practice implemented (identify by type of best management practice)
- Increased acres or linear feet of invasive species treated
- Increased acre-feet of water protected or conserved per year to increase flow in periods of limited water supply
- Increased metric tons of carbon sequestered per year
- Increased acre-feet of contaminated runoff treated or retained on-site
- Reduced concentrations and/or loading of point source pollutants (such as from municipal stormwater) into associated waterbody or into offsite discharge
- Reduced concentrations and/or loading of non-point source pollutants such as sediment, pesticides, bio-stimulatory substances (inorganic nutrients such as including ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate) or other pollutants into associated waterbody or into offsite discharge
Outcomes:
- Increased use/occurrence of native animal species at restored/enhanced project site
- Maintained use/occurrence of native animal species at protected project site
- Increased ratio of native to nonnative plant species at restored/enhanced project site
- Increased abundance of desirable aquatic macro-invertebrates at project site
- Increased desirable primary productivity at project site
- Increased water supply to associated waterbody or for groundwater recharge
- Increased use/occurrence of native fish species in associated waterbody
- Increase in dissolved oxygen concentrations in associated waterbody
- Reduced toxicity[1] of water or sediment in associated waterbody
- Improvement in other water quality conditions (such as decreased water temperature) in associated waterbody
Concept Proposal Performance Measures Table
PROJECT TITLE: ______
Performance Measures Table.In the table below, please describe the project objectives, outcomes, and outputs that lead to environmental benefitsfor the Category 2 Implementation project being proposed for funding. Applicants should use the applicable standard outputs and outcomes from the lists above. This information should be consistent the types and extent provided in Grant Guidelines Appendix D: Ecosystem and Land Use Types. Note when outputs will be completed (the dates should be within the three-year timeframe of a grant agreement funding term).
Objective[2] / Outcome[3] / Outputs[4] / Output Completion Dates[5]The performance measure table examples provided below are intended to be illustrative and not prescriptive.These two project examples are also used in the Attachment 8: Ecosystem and Land Use Types as Primary Types Examples 1 and 2 as well.
Example 1.Hypothetical Category 2 Implementation Project: Riparian Ecosystem Restoration and Open Water Ecosystem Enhancement.
Objective / Outcome / Outputs / Output Completion Dates- Restore 20 acres of riparian ecosystem along denuded channels in the Delta
- Enhance ecosystem in 1000 linear feet of adjacent open water ecosystem to benefit migratory fish species.
- Water quality conditions in the adjacent open water ecosystem will be improved over time as planted native riparian vegetation matures with a target of 20% decrease in peak water temperature in summer months compared to pre-project baseline by 2025.
- By 2030, salmonids will have a 25% increase in use of adjacent enhanced ecosystem than reference area.
Note use of broader Ecosystem and Land Use Type groupings (riparian and open water) in the objective and the specific primary ecosystem type (willow riparian scrub shrub ecosystem) in the output. Standard outcome measures are incorporated (outcome 10, decreased water temperature and outcome 7, increased use of native fish) with numerical targets and comparisons. Standard output measures are incorporated (output 1, increased acres restoredby ecosystem type). Output completion date is within the expected three-year grant funding term (generally Fall 2018 to Fall 2020).
Example 2.Hypothetical Category 2 Implementation Project: Upland Ecosystem Conservation Easement Acquisition.
Objective / Outcome / Outputs / Output Completion Dates- Protect 1,200 acres of upland ecosystem in perpetuity through the purchase of a conservation easement to benefit migratory bird species.
- Maintained numbers of native bird species (within 10% of the pre-project baseline for the same season and species) utilize the area as baseline condition
- Overall value of 1,200-acre property for migratory birds is maintained at or above baseline conditions as documented by annual easement monitoring.
Note use of broader Ecosystem and Land Use Type grouping (upland) in the objective and the specific primary ecosystem types (grassland and low intensity agriculture) in the output. Standard outcome measures are incorporated (outcome 2, maintained use by native animal species) with a numerical target and identified comparison. Standard output measures are incorporated (output 1, increased acres protected by ecosystem and land use type). Output completion date is within the expected three-year grant funding term (generally Fall 2018 to Fall 2020).
[1]Evaluated with toxicity testing using standard methods approved by the USEPA for fish, invertebrates, or algae and/or SWRCB for sediment and benthic invertebrates (as appropriate).
[2]Can use broader Ecosystem and Land Use Type groupings (upland/terrestrial, riparian, perennial wetland, seasonal wetland, or open water).
[3] Incorporate applicable standard outcome measures.
[4] Incorporate applicable standard output measures. Utilize primary ecosystem and land use types consistent with Appendix D and incorporate optional overlapping features (floodplain types, shaded riverine aquatic, and wetland-terrestrial transition zone) if appropriate.
[5] Output completion dates should be within the three-year timeframe of a grant agreement funding term (generally Fall 2018 to Fall2020).