2B. Develop a Formal Monitoring Plan

Conservation Coaches Network Workshop Presentation

Adaptive Management Workshop Presentations

1A-1B. Team, Scope, Vision1B. Conservation Targets1B. Viability Assessment

2A-1. Strategy Selection2A-2. Results Chains2A-3. Goals and Objectives

2B. Monitoring Plan

1C. Threat Rating

1D. Conceptual Models

Plan Your Actions & Monitoring

Measures

This Presentation

• Types of measures and their value• How to develop a monitoring plan• Challenges related to monitoring and how to

overcome them

Measures

Basic Terminology

• Monitoring – The periodic collection and evaluation of data relative to stated project goals and objectives. Note: Many people often also refer to this process as monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

• Measures (of Success) = Indicators – An indicator is a measurable entity, such as the status of a target, change in a threat, or progress toward an objective.

Measures

Status Question:How are Species and Ecosystems Doing?

?Measures

Effectiveness Question:Are Our Actions Leading to Desired Results?

?

Measures

• Like periodic check-ups of blood pressure or cholesterol

• Status Questions– How is the biodiversity we care

about doing?– How are threats to biodiversity

changing?– Is the capacity to improve

conservation changing?– Can be used for Early Warning

Status Measures Measures

• Strategy Effectiveness Questions

– Are our conservation actions having their intended impact?

– Used for Adaptive Management

Strategy Effectiveness Measures Measures

Measures Matter!

• Often seen as the last step or too challenging or expensive, so neglected

• But essential to:– Enable adapting, learning, & sharing– Provide transparency and accountability

– Secure future funding

Measures

This Presentation

• Types of measures and their value• How to develop a monitoring plan• Challenges related to monitoring and how to

overcome them

Measures

Develop Your Monitoring Plan

Key Steps1. Develop one or more indicators for each

goal, objective and other information need2. Prioritize your indicators based on your

monitoring budget3. For priority indicators, select your methods and

how you will collect the information4. Determine who will collect the data and when

Measures

1. Develop Indicator(s) for Each Goal & Objective

What is necessary: monitoring goals and objectives

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Measures

1. Develop Indicator(s) for Each Goal & Objective

• What is ideal: monitoring key results, even if they don’t have an associated objective

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1. Develop Indicator(s) for Each Goal & Objective

Indicator: A measurable entity related to a specific information need such as the status of a target, change in a threat, or progress toward an objective

Measures

A good indicator should meet the following criteria:

Measurable: Able to be recorded and analyzed in quantitative or qualitative terms.

Precise: Defined the same way by all people.

Consistent: Not changing over time so that it always provides comparable measurements.

Sensitive: Changing proportionately in response to actual changes in the condition or item being measured.

Measures1. Develop Indicator(s) for

Each Goal & Objective

What Is Meant by “Sensitive”?

HH income

HH rice consumption

Measures

Examples of Indicators

Goal for Blue-billed Ducks: By mid-2017, the presence (no. of locations documented) and abundance of blue-billed ducks dependent upon the Swan Coastal Plain return to at least 1995 levels.

Indicator 1: # of individual blue-billed ducks

Indicator 2: GPS locations (distribution) of blue-billed duck occurrences

Measures

Example of Status Indicators

• Target: Lakes• KEA: Water quality• Goal: Beginning in 2013, water quality in the

lakes remains stable or improves.• Indicators:

– Dissolved oxygen (mg/L)– Nitrates (mg/L) and Phosphates (mg/L)– Transparency (depth of light penetration)

Note: These are status indicators because the project team is not taking action to improve water quality. If they were, these would be effectiveness indicators.

Measures

Examples of Indicators

OBJ. C1: By 2015 and thereafter, no new invasive plant species are detected in the Eucalyptus-Melaleuca woodlands

and seasonally flooded wetlands

# of new invasive plant species recorded in the Eucalyptus-Melaleuca woodlands

and seasonally flooded wetlands

Measures

Examples of Indicators Measures

OBJ. B: By 2011, there are no more than 10 infractions issued annually

against landowners in the Swan Coastal Plain for illegal clearing of

vegetation

# infractions issued annually against landowners in the Swan

Coastal Plain for illegal clearing of vegetation

Examples of Indicators Measures

Landowners’ attitudes toward

BMPs and conservation

protection mechanisms

Develop Your Monitoring Plan

Key Steps1. Develop one or more indicators for each goal,

objective and other information need2. Prioritize your indicators based on your

monitoring budget3. For priority indicators, select your methods and

how you will collect the information4. Determine who will collect the data and when

Measures

Develop Your Monitoring Plan

Key Steps1. Develop one or more indicators for each goal,

objective and other information need2. Prioritize your indicators based on your

monitoring budget3. For priority indicators, select your methods

and how you will collect the information4. Determine who will collect the data and when

Measures

Selection of Appropriate Methods

The selection of the most appropriate monitoring method depends on:

• The information you need• The information you have• The skills of the project team• Availability of time, money and other

resources

Method: A specific technique used to collect data to measure an indicator.

Measures

Examples of Monitoring Methods

• To obtain quantitative data – Tracking project records– Formal survey

• To obtain qualitative data:– Key informant interview– Focus group discussion– Direct observation– Social (participatory) mapping

Measures

5. Select your methods and how you will collect the information

A good method should meet the following criteria:

• Accurate: Gives minimal or no error• Reliable: Results obtained using the method are

consistently repeatable • Cost-effective: Not overly expensive for the data the

method yields or for the resources the project has • Feasible: Project team has people who can use the

method, as well as the material and financial resources to use the method

• Appropriate: Appropriate to the environmental, cultural, and political context of the project

Measures

Examples of Monitoring Methods

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OBJ. C1: By 2015 and thereafter, no new invasive plant species are detected in the Eucalyptus-Melaleuca woodlands

and seasonally flooded wetlands

# of new invasive plant species recorded in the Eucalyptus-Melaleuca woodlands

and seasonally flooded wetlands

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OBJ. B: By 2011, there are no more than 10 infractions issued annually

against landowners in the Swan Coastal Plain for illegal clearing of

vegetation

# infractions issued annually against landowners in the

Swan Coastal Plain for illegal clearing of vegetation

Method: conduct vegetation

surveys

Method: track law enforcement

records

Measures

Examples of Monitoring Methods

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Landowners’ attitudes toward

BMPs and conservation

protection mechanisms

Method: key informant interviews

or focus group

Measures

All MPAs have financial /

business plans

Increased knowledge about financial and

business planning and sustainable finance

mecanisms

Support in developing sustainable

finance mechanisms Greater

stability (less turn-over) in

MPA personnel

Greater number of sustainable finance

mecanisms implemented in

MPAs

Increased financial

investment in MPAs

12 MPAs more

effectively managed

Coral reefs

Mangroves

Sea grasses

Estuaries & coastal lagoons

Beach & dune

systems

SPAGs

Whale sharks

Scope: MAR System of

Management Areas

More preparation for global climate change

Less inappropriate

aquatic tourism

practices

Less development

of inappropriate

tourism infrastructure

Less overfishing

and inappropriate

fishing practices

Less inappropriate urban coastal development

Obj MPA10Obj MPA9 Obj MPA8 Obj MPA14

Examples of Monitoring Methods

By 2012 all 12 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have at least one sustainable mechanism that is

generating income, representing at least 20% of their total annual budget

By 2017 all 12 MPAs reach a management

effectiveness minimum score of “Good” …

% of MPA budget that comes from self generating

sources of income

Management effectiveness

assessment score

Method: track project records

Method: formal survey

Measures

Develop Your Monitoring Plan

Key Steps1. Identify your audiences2. Identify your information needs3. Develop one or more indicators for each

information need4. Select your monitoring approach5. Select your methods and how you will collect

the information6. Determine who will collect data and when

Measures

Example of a Monitoring Plan

What (Indicator) How (Methods)

When Who Comments

Goal: By mid-2017, the presence (no. of locations documented) and abundance of blue-billed ducks dependent upon the Swan Coastal Plain return to at least 1995 levels.

Monitoring Approach: time series

# of individual blue-billed ducks

Bird transects Every 2 years in July.

Univ. of Western Australia (UWA – Sherri S.)

WWF plans to analyze relevant data from UWA & not do any monitoring itself on blue-billed ducks

GPS locations of blue-billed duck occurrences

Spatial maps of bird transect data

Every 2 years in July.

Univ. of Western Australia (UWA – Sherri S.)

WWF plans to analyze relevant data from UWA & not do any monitoring itself on blue-billed ducks.

Measures

Example of a Monitoring Plan

What (Indicator)

How (Methods)

When Who Comments

Objective: By 2015 and thereafter, no new invasive plant species are detected in the Eucalyptus-Melaleuca woodlands and seasonally flooded wetlands.

Monitoring Approach: time series

# of new invasive plant species recorded in the Eucalyptus-Melaleuca woodlands and seasonally flooded wetlands

Vegetation surveys – transects

Every 2 years, in Sept, beginning in 2009

Andrew K. (WWF)

To be conducted at the end of the wet season for accuracy and consistency

Measures

Monitoring Plan in Miradi

Measures

To Address Our Original Questions

• Are we doing the right things?

We design strategies based on a conceptual model, prioritize threats and use result chains

• Are we doing them well?

We monitor objectives

• Are we achieving an impact?

We monitor goals

Measures

This Presentation

• Types of measures and their value• How to develop a monitoring plan• Common issues and recommendations

Measures

Issue: Monitoring is perceived as too complex, time-consuming and expensive– Keep it as simple as possible– Focus on essential monitoring –

prioritize indicators– Dedicate 5-10% of budget – If possible, use data collected by others– Invite someone with experience to peer

review monitoring plan

Common Issues & Recommendations Measures

Issue: Need to keep monitoring costs down

– When possible, incorporate monitoring into

existing work

– Consider less frequent monitoring visits

rather than no monitoring

– Consider low-cost, qualitative options rather

than no monitoring

– Engage local people & volunteers in

monitoring efforts

MeasuresCommon Issues & Recommendations

Issue: What is the appropriate level of investment between taking action, assessing status, measuring effectiveness?– No easy answers. Consider:

• Presence of known, serious threats• Level of understanding of targets, threats, and

their linkage• Degree of certainty in strategy effectiveness • Risks of action – ecological, economic,

reputational, etc.• Available resources

Common Issues & Recommendations Measures

Issue: Completing the adaptive

management cycle

– Establish explicit mechanism for

analyzing monitoring data,

communicating results, and

adapting & learning

– Keep it as simple as possible

– Even once per year, a review is

helpful

Common Issues & Recommendations Measures

• Though often seen as last step or too challenging, Measures Matter! (transparency, accountability, adaptive learning)

• Strategy effectiveness measures (conservation actions having intended impact?) vs. status measures (how is biodiversity doing?)

• You develop measures as you develop your plan (KEA’s, threats objectives, viability goals)

• Prioritize measures based on a realistic budget

Key Points Measures