Discussion Paper: Evaluating Management Effectiveness Final 11 August 2017 Expert Task Team Members: Dr. Pamela Wright, University of Northern British Columbia Heather Lazaruk, Alberta Parks Laura Bjorgan, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Emily Gonzales, Parks Canada Eden Thurston, Environment and Climate Change Canada Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................................................ ii Executive summary ....................................................................................................................................... v Background ........................................................................................................................................... v Paper purpose and structure ............................................................................................................... vi Challenges and best practices ............................................................................................................. vii Principles for effective management ................................................................................................... ix Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................... xi 1 Introduction to Pathway ....................................................................................................................... 1 2 Paper scope and purpose...................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Why management effectiveness?................................................................................................. 4 2.1.1 Do protected areas protect biodiversity? ............................................................................. 4 2.1.2 Protected areas are under threat ......................................................................................... 4 2.1.3 From protection to persistence ............................................................................................ 5 2.2 What management elements affect biodiversity outcomes? ...................................................... 5 2.2.1 What is PAME? .................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.2 Development of PAME ........................................................................................................ 12 2.3 Why evaluate? ............................................................................................................................ 13 2.3.1 Benefits of evaluation ......................................................................................................... 13 3 Measuring management effectiveness ............................................................................................... 16 3.1 A common framework ................................................................................................................ 16 3.1.1 Indicators of protected area management effectiveness................................................... 17 3.2 Tools and methods for protected area management effectiveness .......................................... 19 3.2.1 Most widely-used tools ....................................................................................................... 20 3.2.2 Tool selection and implementation .................................................................................... 24 4 International status of PAME .............................................................................................................. 25 4.1 Global commitment to PAME ..................................................................................................... 25 4.2 How many PAME evaluations have been completed? ............................................................... 26 4.3 How effectively managed are protected areas? ......................................................................... 26 5 State of management effectiveness in Canada .................................................................................. 30 5.1 Approaches to PAME in Canada ................................................................................................. 30 5.1.1 Parks Canada/State of the Parks assessments .................................................................... 30 ii 5.1.2 Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) .............................................................. 31 5.1.3 Canadian Protected Area Management Effectiveness Pilot Project (Alberta/Ontario) ..... 32 5.1.4 Management plan implementation / Grasslands National Park ........................................ 32 5.1.5 University of Waterloo (P. Eagles)/Ontario Provincial Park System Pilot Study ................. 33 5.1.6 Landscape-level governance / Muskwa Kechika Management Area Case Study ............... 33 5.1.7 Management effectiveness in marine protected areas ...................................................... 34 5.2 Canadian preparedness and readiness for PAME ....................................................................... 34 5.2.1 DFO marine protected areas ............................................................................................... 35 5.2.2 Yukon Parks ......................................................................................................................... 35 5.2.3 NWT Parks ........................................................................................................................... 35 5.2.4 BC Parks ............................................................................................................................... 36 5.2.5 Alberta Parks ....................................................................................................................... 36 5.2.6 Ontario Parks and Protected Areas ..................................................................................... 37 5.2.7 New Brunswick Protected Natural Areas ............................................................................ 37 5.2.8 Nova Scotia Parks ................................................................................................................ 37 5.2.9 Nature Conservancy of Canada ........................................................................................... 38 5.3 State of factors for effective management for protected areas in Canada ................................ 39 5.3.1 Context ................................................................................................................................ 40 5.3.2 Planning ............................................................................................................................... 40 5.3.3 Inputs .................................................................................................................................. 41 5.3.4 Process ................................................................................................................................ 41 5.3.5 Outputs and outcomes ....................................................................................................... 42 5.3.6 Challenges and barriers....................................................................................................... 42 6 Connecting best practices with PAME challenges and the Canadian experience .............................. 43 6.1 Challenges with PAME ................................................................................................................ 43 6.1.1 Measures of outcomes compared with PAME ................................................................... 43 6.1.2 Ecological performance is not always linked to management ........................................... 44 6.1.3 Evaluating management to what end? ............................................................................... 44 6.1.4 Types of evidence to provide input to evaluations ............................................................. 45 6.1.5 All indicators of management effectiveness are not created equally ................................ 45 6.2 Connecting best practices with the Canadian experience .......................................................... 46 7 A pathway toward effective management in Canada ........................................................................ 50 iii 7.1 Principles for consideration ........................................................................................................ 50 7.2 Key considerations: The path forward ....................................................................................... 53 7.2.1 Which tools work best for Canada? .................................................................................... 53 7.2.2 A common standard for tool selection ............................................................................... 54 7.2.3 Applying PAME tools beyond protected areas ................................................................... 56 7.2.4 Targets and indicators for monitoring progress of PAME implementation ....................... 56 7.2.5 Reporting to support and maximize benefits of PAME ...................................................... 58 7.2.6 Building capacity for PAME in Canada ...............................................................................