evaluating management effectiveness:

Evaluating Management Effectiveness:

Maintaining Protected Areas

for Now and the Future

Workshop Plenary

Format of Proceedings

1. Workshop report2. Panel response3. Plenary Discussion4. Contributions from the workshop to WPC outputs:

5. Close

• Durban accord• Message to CBD• Recommendations 18 & 19

Workshop ReportGeoff VincentParks Victoria, Australia

Overview

•13 workshops in 20 sessions

•Nearly 1200 participants

•Comprehensive examination of contemporary work on MEE

•Demonstration of widespread development and application of MEE globally

Workshop Themes

1. Evaluation systems and processes

2. Indicators

3. Threats

4. Work in Progress

Key MessagesTheme: Evaluation systems and processes

• Evaluations being conducted widely

• Ecological integrity emerging as necessary concept for MEE

• Monitoring and reporting, indicator development, public awareness under-emphasized

• Capacity issues

Key messagesTheme: Indicators

•Plethora of frameworks

•Need to improve information sharing and monitoring for management actions

•Perspectives of indigenous and local communities

•Challenges in developing social, cultural and ecological indicators

Theme: Threats

Key Messages

•Increasingly complex (e.g. climate change, invasives, unsustainable harvesting)

•Need to raise public awareness

• Ecosystem Approach and science basis for actions

•Local and traditional knowledge

•Need for minimum standards

•Capacity issues

Theme: Work in Progress

Key Messages

•Amalgamation of frameworks (e.g. simplification)•Need for common language • Generate public support and ownership•Incorporate new science•WCPA to investigate options for verification of Pas•Integration of resilience options into PA management plans, assessment and restoration (eg climate change)

Common Threads

•Establish clear goals, objectives and purposes for MEE at all levels

•Vertical integration of MEE in planning and business processes

•Strong alignment between systems and synergy with management cycles

•Use and apply best practice principles

•Seek out and employ simple, easily measured and understood indicators

• Optimise utility of evaluation data through standardised collection, storage and management

• Optimise benefits of investment to date by making best use of existing Management

Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) systems

• Engage local and indigenous communities in MEE

• Build capacity by applying current knowledge – don’t wait for the perfect system

Common Threads

Major and Emerging Issues

•Threats are becoming more complex

•Improve use of science in the management of protected areas

•Local community needs and perspectives need to be integrated in goals and objectives

•Assessments need to be more rigorous

•Communities, stakeholders and local staff need to be involved in design, conduct and communication of results

• Ensuring that differences between NGO and Government agency agendas doesn’t lead to a fracturing of approaches

• Raise awareness of the utility of new tools such as Ecological integrity evaluations for management effectiveness

• Move from development of methodologies to implementation at sites

• Transparent reporting

Major and Emerging Issues

Key Workshop Outcomes

• Widespread recognition of MEE as an essential component of effective PA management

• Strong commitment to action from all sectors to move from systems development to implementation

• Commitment to work together to harmonise and move forward rather than compete

• Recognition of the benefits of a diversity of methods• Results used to improve management actions

Where to from here?

Panel• Mavuso Msimang CEO South African National Parks

• Marija Zupancic-Vicar, Senior Advisor -, WCPA

• Leonardo Lacerda, WWF International

• Nik Lopoukhine, Director General, National Parks DirectorateParks Canada

• Pedro Rosabal, Protected Areas Program, IUCN

• Geoff Vincent, Deputy CEO Parks Victoria, Australia