Forest Management Effectiveness Tracking tool

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in early 2004 produced a Programme of Work on Protected Areas, in which Parties to the convention are called to assess at least 30% of their parks AND their networks of protected areas, by 2010.

To assist parties in this important endeavour, WWF offers 2 management effectiveness tools: The Tracking Tool and WWF’s RAPPAM methodology.

The Tracking Tool aims to be:

• Capable of providing a harmonised reporting system for protected area assessment;

• Suitable for replication;

• Able to supply consistent data to allow tracking of progress over time;

• Relatively quick and easy to complete by protected area staff, so as not to be reliant on high levels of funding or other resources;

• Capable of providing a “score” if required;

• Based around a system that provides four alternative text answers to each question, strengthening the scoring system;

• Easily understood by non-specialists; and

• Nested within existing reporting systems to avoid duplication of effort.

The Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool is aimed to help reporting progress on management effectiveness and should not replace more thorough methods of assessment for the purposes of adaptive management.

What the tool isn't...

The tracking tool should not be regarded as an independent assessment, or as the sole basis for adaptive management.

• The tracking tool has strict limitations in terms of allowing comparison between sites: the scoring system, if applied at all, will be most useful for tracking progress over time in one site or a closely related group of sites.
• The tracking tool is too limited to allow a detailed evaluation of outcomes.

What's the difference between the RAPPAM and the Tracking Tool ?

Aims of RAPPAM

• Identifies management strengths and weaknesses of PA systems

• Analyses pressures and threats across entire PA systems

• Identifies areas of high ecological and social importance

• Prioritizes policy interventions

• Identifies appropriate follow-up steps, particularly at the system level

Aims of the Tracking Tool

• Identifies progress on management effectiveness of WWF and World Bank PA Projects

• Provides baseline data on Alliance PA portfolio and assists with reporting and accountability

• Identifies portfolio trends and priorities for the development of appropriate tools and policies

• Identifies key management issues in a specific PA and how to resolve issues

• Identifies appropriate follow-up steps, particularly at the site level