Integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs) are common place in the
field of biodiversity conservation. However, there is little evidence in the wider
literature on the successes of these projects, with failure attributed to a range of
factors including a bias on either conservation or development, weak assumptions and
limited monitoring and evaluation. In this paper, we evaluate an ICDP in the North
Rupununi district of Guyana. Using a systems viability approach, we show how
assessing the project and the nested systems within which it is operating reveals
numerous human and institutional capacity issues which could have been managed
better if highlighted at the project development stage. We conclude with the proposal
that a systems viability approach to ICDP development, monitoring and evaluation
encourages greater learning and adaptive management processes for increasing the
long-term impact of ICDPs.