Final answer:
Benchmarking is an approach used to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency by comparing best practices, analyzing performance, and learning from proven outreach tools and partnerships.
Step-by-step explanation:
Benchmarking is a systematic approach to identify and quantify the best practices in an organization in order to make improvements in effectiveness and efficiency. Through the various phases such as the Preparatory Phase, Implementation and Learning Phase, Program Evaluation Phase, and Development of Lessons Learned, organizations can analyze their performance against others to find ways to improve their processes. The use of proven outreach tools and building partnerships can leverage investments and evaluate lessons learned to continuously improve practices, such as in conservation efforts.