Protected Area Management Planning

PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLANNING

by Anton Antonio

August 5, 2015

Protected area management planning is a long drawn process.  Tedious as it may be, the following steps are essential steps to be sure that the management plan is consultative, participatory and inclusive:

1. Priorities, Objectives and Goals Setting – Objectives setting must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound.  Goal setting is a process of thinking about the ideal future and how to turn visions of this future to reality… a tool in identifying which direction to take.  Priority setting is a process of identifying which tasks must be done first because of their importance, relationship and relevance to the next set of tasks.  It should be noted that accessing the necessary funds is an important concern in the entire planning process.
2. Basic Background Data Collection – The necessary information and data that must be gathered are: maps, biogeographic setting, regional and local setting, soil types, geology, climate, boundaries, flora, fauna, habitats, ecosystem, human population, current land use, legal status and regulations, social and economic status, topographic data, current management activities and research, and other related and pertinent data and information.
3. Local Coordinating Committee Members Identification – Participatory management is the practice of empowering a broad spectrum of stakeholders to participate in organizational decision making.  A committee of key leaders from concerned organizations, groups and entities should be constituted to discuss the goals and objectives of the program.
4. Local Coordinating Committee Meetings – The active participation and involvement of the Coordinating Committee members will make sure that indigenous knowledge system and new management techniques are harmonized in the crafting of the management program and plan.
5. Public Education, Information and Communication – The Local Coordinating Committee members, to include other concerned stakeholders can start conducting education and information sessions with all the other stakeholders and communities that will be affected by the program.
6. Local Technical Committee Members Identification – Local technically qualified people should also be identified to compose the Local Technical Committee.  These are the people who will work closely with the Local Coordinating Committee in harmonizing indigenous knowledge system with new management techniques.
7. Resources Technical Assessments – A detailed resource assessment must be conducted to guide the Local Technical Committee and Local Coordinating Committee on the actual resources are available in the protected area.  This will guide everyone on the safe thresholds of natural resources utilization if the plan or program calls for it.  Ideally, though, the priority should revolve around preservation and development of resources with utilization a secondary priority.
8. Alternative Courses of Action Development – All management plans should have ACAs or alternative courses of action to conform to sound management practices.  This is where the so called “Plan B” or “Plan C” (and so on) comes to play.
9. Public Consultative Meetings – After the Local Coordinating Committee and Local Technical Committee have crafted the comprehensive protected area development plan, this will have to be presented to the public (all stakeholders, co-operators and concerned communities living within the project area) for consultation.  Consultation is this context will also mean some kind of ratification of the management plan and the program as a whole.
10. Alternative Courses of Action Selection – The ACAs should be an integral part of the program and should likewise be communicated to the public.
11. Plan Adoption – Having crafted the management plan (including the ACAs), the Local Coordinating Committee can now be adopted.
12. Plan Implementation – With all other necessary organizational structures, physical infrastructure and support services in place, project or program implementation can now commence.
13. Oversight Plan (Review, Evaluation and Updating/Recalibration) – A periodic review of the plan (with reference to its timeline) is an important activity in the prosecution of the project.  Delays and deviations from the plan can be remedied by the programmed ACAs.
14. Pray for success! (I included this item just for those who are not comfortable with only “13” Steps in a process.)

I believe that these steps are necessary to guarantee success in protected area management planning.

Thoughts to promote positive action…

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