Use of the IMET tool in the evaluation of protected area management effectiveness in Central Africa

Protected areas play a paramount role in counteracting the negative effects of human activity on the environment. Without good management effectiveness they might not be able to fulfill their mission. The tools for management effectiveness assessments that are currently most widely used struggle to provide sufficient depth of analysis, present the situation with sufficient breadth of indicators, provide sufficient objectivity in identifying challenges during the assessment, and suggesting possible paths for improvement. The article offers a novel tool for management effectiveness assessment - The Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET). We show that IMET provides capabilities for more detailed analysis, facilitates result-oriented approach, and decision making in management. We also show how IMET allows for better planning and monitoring by integrating these elements into a Planning-Monitoring-Evaluation system. IMET has been also tested in the field. Ten protected areas from Central Africa (CA) were selected and the tool demonstrated good properties in discriminating between well-performing protected areas and those with a room for improvement. The initial results have pointed to challenges in the management effectiveness dimensions of inputs and process that protected areas in CA are facing. IMET in the long-run is expected to support the transition from merely routine management to results-oriented management of protected areas.

BIALOWOLSKI Piotr;  RAKOTOBE Domoina;  MARELLI Andrea;  ROGGERI Paolo;  PAOLINI Carlo; 

2022-12-02

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

JRC129390

0301-4797 (online),   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479722022538,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC129390,   

10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116680 (online),