1. Workshop Plenary Maintaining Protected Areas for Now and the Future
Evaluating Management Effectiveness:
Maintaining
Protected Areas
for Now and the Future
Workshop Plenary

2. Format of Proceedings 1. Workshop report 2. Panel response
3. Plenary Discussion
Contributions from the workshop to
WPC outputs:
5. Close
Durban accord
Message to CBD
Recommendations 18 & 19

3. Workshop Report
Geoff Vincent
Parks Victoria, Australia

4. 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

5. Workshop Themes Evaluation systems and processes Indicators Threats
Work in Progress

6. Key Messages Theme: 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
- Evaluation of management effectiveness is occurring in a number of countries, being done at national, regional and site levels
Evaluation is being done at a number of different levels from casual observation to highly scientific assessments.
There are several frameworks available for conducting evaluations, with new holistic science-based concepts such as ecological integrity becoming more prominent.
Ecological integrity evaluations are flexible, and can be adapted by scale (space and time) depending on the management needs.
Monitoring and reporting, and communicating with the public on the heath of the protected area are essential but under-utilized tools for informing the public and generating support.
Evaluation systems can play a necessary role for establishing clear conservation goals and objectives, increasing accountability through adaptive management and follow-up, and improving stakeholder engagement.
Capacity (scientific, human and financial resources) to conduct such evaluations is an issue.

7. Key messages Theme: 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
Plethora of frameworks exist—need to harmonize, use common language and reduce duplication, and translate into day-to-day operations of PA management
Need to find ways to improve information collection and sharing, targeting the monitoring efforts towards the management actions.
The needs and perspectives of indigenous and local communities are integral to the effective management of of protected areas.
The challenge of developing indicators for ecological, social and cultural integrity relevant to the specific context of the protected area was noted in many sessions.

8. Key Messages Theme: Threats
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
Need to raise public awareness on existing and emerging threats on the health of protected areas.
Some of the major issues threatening biodiversity and ecological integrity of protected areas include:
- climate change
- unsustainable harvesting and illegal trade
- invasive alien species
Lack of capacity (scientific, financial, management) to address emerging threats
Solutions should be based on an ecosystem approach, with a solid science foundation (increased monitoring and reporting), including the use of traditional or local knowledge, and public education, as well as capacity building of protected area managers (local communities, governments, other agencies)

9. Key Messages Theme: Work in Progress
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)
Amalgamation of evaluation frameworks would assist simplification of indicators
Further work on common language of protected area management frameworks and raise awareness to develop wider sense of ownership and public support.

10. 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

11. Common Threads 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

12. 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
Local communities need to be positively engaged in protected area management.
Improve the use of science in management of protected areas.

13. Major and Emerging Issues
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
Ecological integrity evaluation

14. 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

15. Where to from here?

16. 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