Despite efforts by the 193-member Convention on Biological Diversity and landmark publications on human-environment linkages, global biodiversity loss continues. Climate and biodiversity projections suggest that 40% of all species may face extinction before the end of this century. To enhance issue saliency, many peer-reviewed and grey literature publications have called for interdisciplinary approaches that combine ecological, socioeconomic, and policy measures. Several publications have also recommended that these efforts follow a state-benefits-pressure-response (SBPR) framework. The present study provides a literature review of effectiveness assessment in biodiversity conservation projects and policies, followed by an example of a composite index that aggregates measures from SBPR categories. Methods of index formulation (weighted linear combination and data envelopment analysis), weighting, and attribute normalization, are demonstrated and compared. Operationalizing the SBPR framework to produce composite indices of linked indicators will integrate interdisciplinary measures in a manner that enhances public understanding and communication of the biodiversity crisis.