Strategic Planning with Conservation South Luangwa
- dazzleafricawebsit
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Dazzle Africa is honored to be facilitating Conservation South Luangwa’s (CSL) five-year strategic planning process this year.
Over the past 24 years, CSL has grown from a small team of just a few people working to protect local wildlife into a respected organization of more than 140 staff dedicated to safeguarding the South Luangwa ecosystem.
During that time, the Mfuwe area and the conservation context in Zambia and beyond has shifted dramatically. Development and human populations have increased significantly, poaching trends have evolved, and conflict between humans and wildlife has become more complex. In response, CSL’s work has also evolved to take a broader conservation approach that now includes aerial surveillance, technology, and community coexistence in a broader approach to conservation with local communities.
Recognizing the need for a focused roadmap to guide the organization through the next five years, in 2026 CSL leadership began a strategic planning process designed to examine its mission, evaluate current strategies, and identify priorities for the future.
Because Dazzle Africa’s model is centered on supporting our partners in the ways they need most, we were pleased to provide this support from within our own team, with COO Dr. Amanda Dewey leading the process.
Over the coming months, we will work to consolidate the expertise and insights of the CSL team alongside feedback from partners and stakeholders into a comprehensive strategic plan.
One major milestone in this process was a four-day workshop held in Mfuwe in April and kindly hosted by Flatdogs Camp. Amanda guided a committee of CSL staff through a series of exercises examining the organization’s current context, strengths, challenges, and opportunities. Together, the team explored CSL’s role within the broader landscape, identified key questions facing the organization over the next five years, and began shaping long-term goals and visions for the future.
Amanda says “Creating a productive container in which hundreds of years of CSL experience can be synthesized into an effective, focused approach to conservation in the Luangwa in the coming years is our goal”.
Beyond the strategic outcomes themselves, the workshop also allowed something equally valuable: time and space for reflection. For a team working daily in demanding conservation conditions, the opportunity to pause, think deeply, and engage in meaningful discussion with colleagues was an important part of the process.
As part of the broader strategic planning effort, Dazzle Africa is also leading interviews with key stakeholders and partners to ensure their perspectives are incorporated into the final plan. The staff committee will reconvene in July to continue refining goals and building a clear roadmap for achieving them.
This process has also allowed Dazzle Africa to deepen our understanding of CSL’s challenges, priorities, and long-term needs, helping us support their work even more effectively through our programs and partnerships. We are honored to be in partnership and happy to be moving forward together.
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