Setting performance thresholds for natural values within the IUCN Green List
The objective of this project is to create guidance to help candidate sites develop well-defined thresholds for their major natural values as part of the Green Listing process.
The IUCN Green List sets out a best-practice standard for the effective management of protected areas. As such, sites must demonstrate that they are effectively managed to achieve Green List status (Component 3). This requires that sites define performance measures with corresponding threshold levels which, if achieved, demonstrate that major natural values are being managed successfully (Criterion 3.7). These performance thresholds are then used to assess whether the site has achieved successful conservation outcomes (Component 4) for the major natural values (Criterion 4.1).
Setting such performance thresholds requires clear objectives about the desired condition of these values, which can be used to articulate the goal of management. While the inclusion of performance thresholds for natural values is a critical element of the Green List standard, setting these thresholds can be a challenging task. To date there is limited guidance available to help sites develop and clearly express the thresholds. The goal of this project is therefore to prepare detailed guidance on developing performance thresholds associated with major natural values for sites undergoing the Green Listing process. In particular, we hope to develop guidelines about how sites can articulate the direct link between the performance threshold and the major natural value, and provide guidance about how best to express thresholds.
As part of developing this guidance, the project team want to learn from the current approaches used to set performance thresholds by sites on the Green List and candidate sites undertaking the listing process. Reviewing the thresholds already developed for a wide range of sites will help inform the development of guidelines for future candidate sites that account for the diverse circumstances of protected areas around the world. This work will be complemented by workshops conducted with representatives from candidate sites to trial approaches to setting performance thresholds in different contexts.
As part of this project, we are asking Green Listed and candidate sites to indicate whether they would be willing to allow the project team to explore the thresholds developed as part of their Green List application. Participation is entirely voluntary and site data will be kept confidential. No additional action would be required by sites other than to provide their consent for their data to be included in the review. At the initial stage, we would be asking sites to indicate whether they would like to be involved, would prefer not to be involved or would like additional information before deciding whether to participate.
The goal of the project is to understand the challenges associated with setting performance thresholds and to draw general lessons from the performance thresholds already developed by sites. This requires information from a wide range of sites in different contexts. Therefore, the data will not be used at the level of individual sites, but aggregated across sites based on types of values and management contexts. The goal is not to critique the thresholds developed but to help inform general guidelines.
The guidelines developed by this project will be of immediate value to candidate sites undergoing the Green Listing process. However, these guidelines may also assist currently listed sites to refine the performance thresholds they have developed when reapplying for Green List status. Several sites have indicated that participation has helped refine their internal management practices. There will also be opportunities for sites to seek direct feedback from the project team as a result of the project.
This project is being conducted by researchers from Monash University in Australia in conjunction with the IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme. The project team includes individuals with expertise in management effectiveness evaluation of protected areas, as well as members of the Expert Assessment Groups for the Green List of Protected Areas. This means they are well placed to understand the Green List elements and process, as well as the broader context for management effectiveness.
The research team also have expertise in the use of expert knowledge and/or monitoring data to develop triggers or thresholds for management intervention. The process of setting management triggers has strong parallels with developing performance thresholds. The first steps of the process for setting decision triggers include outlining the management objectives, and defining the desirable/undesirable condition of indicators used to monitor progress towards achieving objectives. These steps are analogous to the setting of performance thresholds within the Green List. Please contact the project team if you would like to know more about decision triggers.
Please feel free to contact a member of the project team if you have any questions or would like more information before deciding whether to participate.
There is a link below to a consent form that can be used to indicate that you would like to be involved. You can tick the box on the form to say you are willing to allow the project team to use the IUCN database to access the relevant data for your site. You can also use the form to indicate that you would like more information before making a decision, and a member of the project team will be in touch via email shortly. You would then email your completed form to one of the email addresses provided on the form. If you give your consent, and return the form to one of the project team, then no further action is required.
To get involved or request further information, please return the consent form to carly.cook@monash.edu or mairi.hilton@monash.edu
