Protected Area Systems and Project Management in Protected Area Systems

Abstract

Applications of information technology and systems engineering in the management of protected areas range from simple 'off the shelf project management and work scheduling software, to complex bespoke distributed management systems in which project management is just one element of an integrated IT system encompassing virtually every function (including administration and finance) of a large organisation. The Countryside Management System is a relatively successful system conceived 'bottom up' as a modest experiment by site managers to solve their immediate problems of project control but has significant limitations. The National Trust's Property Management and Information System in the UK is, by contrast, the most ambitious attempt to date of any conservation organisation to computerise its activities and was abandoned prior to full implementation. It seems likely to be some time before the full potential of information technologies such as Geographical Information Systems can be harnessed to the management of protected sites and landscapes, yet it is a promising prospect.