Management Effectiveness Evaluation Research Articles

A case study of the potential environmental impacts of different dairy production systems in Georgia

The biological and physical processes of an intensively-managed rotational pasture-based dairy and a confinement fed dairy in the southeastern United States were simulated with the Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM) to evaluate management effects on greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon sequestration, carbon footprint, nitrate leaching, ammonia volatilization, erosion, phosphorus runoff, and phosphorus accumulation in the soil. Edge-of-field erosion and phosphorus runoff were less for the pasture-based dairy per unit of land and per unit of milk produced, but nitrate leaching was greater. Ammonia emissions were greater from the confinement dairy because of the greater handling of manure. Greenhouse gas emissions per cow were greater on the confined dairy, but with greater milk production per cow, the carbon footprint of milk produced was similar to that of the pasture-based dairy. Considering the potential soil carbon sequestration following the conversion of crop land to perennial grassland, the carbon footprint of the milk produced by the pasture-based dairy was slightly less than that of the confinement dairy. The results of this study were generally consistent with similar simulation studies done in the northeastern US with variations due to regional differences in climate, soil type, and agronomic practices. Simulated changes in production practices predicted that increasing milk production through improved animal management or feeding more corn decreased the carbon footprint of milk produced by the pasture-based dairy, while decreasing the inorganic nitrogen fertilizer application rate or raising replacement heifers on the farm had little effect. On the confinement dairy, covering the manure storage and flaring the biogas decreased the carbon footprint, using higher producing, pure-bred Holstein cows or producing less forage on the farm increased the footprint, and eliminating free-stall barns and placing all cattle on pasture had little effect on the footprint. The IFSM was capable of adapting to the climate and production practices of the southeastern US, but further improvements could be made to better represent the cropping practices used in this region.

Managing construction logistics management: Findings from construction contractors and industrialized building system (IBS) manufacturers

Inability of contractors to foresee materials demand at the right time and material-handling at the right place are identified as one of the most common problems in the construction industry. Therefore, this paper attempts to determine the attitude and pattern of the industrialized building system (IBS) manufacturers and contractors towards logistics management system followed by evaluation of logistics management effectiveness. This research is carried out by way of questionnaire and followed by an in-depth interview with IBS manufacturers and contractors. From the findings of this research, it is revealed that the respondents agree that logistics management is important for production efficiency. Price, quality, and capacity of suppliers are three (3) critical factors that should be considered when purchasing materials. However, contractors tend to be more concerned with profit margin, while the IBS manufacturers are concerned with productivity when they make decision for material-handling equipments. Additionally, there are other problems identified in logistics management, including non-punctuality in materials and components deliveries, inability to foresee the period of activities with accuracy, etc. Majority of the respondents agreed that flow chart is one tool that can improve production efficiency in order to solve the problems in logistics management. Key words: Construction, logistics management, supply chain, industrialized building system (IBS), manufacturers, contractors.

Capacity development in protected area management

Increasing land consumption and loss of biodiversity make it particularly important that protected areas fulfil their function. This, however, is often impaired by insufficient political and financial support. This study investigates how existing protected area management capacities can be used more effectively in a prompt and lasting manner. Therefore, data from protected area management effectiveness evaluations were analysed. Efficient workflows and teamwork were identified to be key capacities for effective management. Simultaneously, deficient financial and social security, lack of incentives and inflexible management structures prevent the productive use of existing capacities. In order to improve the situation, greater attention should be given to intangible assets. Additionally, protected area managers and employees must be enabled to be more self-reliant and self-responsible in order to foster a lasting learning process.

Opportunities for improving the rigor of management effectiveness evaluations in protected areas

Management effectiveness evaluations are an increasingly common approach to measuring conservation outcomes within protected areas. While these evaluations have the potential to provide valuable data to guide management, the accuracy of evaluation data is not reported. We investigated how evaluation data are collected and used, the criticisms made of evaluation methods, and the processes employed to address criticisms or ensure accuracy. We found that most evaluation tools use qualitative indicators of management success and rely heavily on the knowledge of protected area managers. Criticisms of the evaluation methods have led to improvements to the data collection process, but the precision and accuracy of these data are almost never measured. We believe that measuring the accuracy of evaluation data will provide important opportunities to improve the rigor of future evaluations and build confidence in the use of these data for adapting protected area management.

Effective Control of Aquatic Invasive Species in Tropical Australia

Often ecologists and natural resource managers can easily access data on invasive species occurrence across a region. Yet, collecting species abundance data over a large area is arguably more important for decision making, but inherently costly, so methods which can provide robust information at low-cost are particularly valuable. Studies of species distribution often use occurrence data to build models of the environmental niche. Environmental suitability derived from such models may be used to predict the potential distributions of species. The ability of such models to predict spatial patterns in abundance have recently been demonstrated. Here we tested the relationship of environmental suitability with local abundance of an aquatic invasive species, olive hymenachne (Hymenachne amplexicaulis) in the Wet Tropics of Australia. Ordinary least squares and quantile regressions revealed a positive relationship between environmental suitability and local abundance of olive hymenachne. We expand on this and use the relationship between environmental suitability and local abundance to quantify the effectiveness of management (reduction in local abundance) under four different management investments. We show that the upper limit of abundance can be used to evaluate management effectiveness based on varying investments, and that ongoing management is the most effective at reducing local abundance. We discuss implications of this in addressing important problems in invasive species management.

Management Effectiveness Evaluation(MEE) Indicators Development in Protected Forest Areas

In order to develop the indicators which evaluate the management effectiveness for the protected forest areas in Korea, candidate indicators were listed based on literature and experts interviews, then questionnaire survey on the experts were conducted. 5 elements of context, planning, input, process, output and outcome and 32 indicators were selected. Context element includes 6 indicators of 1) documentation and assessment of values; 2) documentation and assessment of threats, 3) influence of government policy, 4) related regulations, 5) community cooperation and 6) the structure of management organization. 6 indicators of Planning element were 1) the management objective, 2) protected area design, 3) protected area size and number, 4) representation, 5) standards and categories and 6) management planning. Input element of 3 indicators were 1) management staff, 2) funding, 3) establishment and application of information. Process element were consisted of 1) governance, 2) management guidelines, 3) human resource management, 4) law enforcement, 5) eco-management, 6) disaster management, 7) education program and 8) research and monitoring. The element of outputs and outcomes were 1) accomplishment of plan, 2) accomplishment of program, 3) private land management, 4) threats change, 5) biodiversity change, 6) ecosystem health and vitality, 7) impact on community, 8) international management level and 9) visitors' satisfaction and variation in civil compliant. It is recommended to have further research on evaluation methods development by applying those above developed indicators for the protected forest areas to ensure the practicality of the indicators.

Equipment Support Quality Management Effectiveness Evaluation based on FCE Method

For multi-criteria and multi-factors evaluating, the paper put forward a new fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model about equipment support quality management effectiveness evaluation (ESQMEE). An index system is presented. AHP method is applied to ascertain the index weight. At the end of the paper, a real example is given. The results of the example evaluation indicated the model is feasible and effective. It can give a support to improve the complex equipment management effectiveness.

A Global Analysis of Protected Area Management Effectiveness

We compiled details of over 8000 assessments of protected area management effectiveness across the world and developed a method for analyzing results across diverse assessment methodologies and indicators. Data was compiled and analyzed for over 4000 of these sites. Management of these protected areas varied from weak to effective, with about 40% showing major deficiencies. About 14% of the surveyed areas showed significant deficiencies across many management effectiveness indicators and hence lacked basic requirements to operate effectively. Strongest management factors recorded on average related to establishment of protected areas (legal establishment, design, legislation and boundary marking) and to effectiveness of governance; while the weakest aspects of management included community benefit programs, resourcing (funding reliability and adequacy, staff numbers and facility and equipment maintenance) and management effectiveness evaluation. Estimations of management outcomes, including both environmental values conservation and impact on communities, were positive. We conclude that in spite of inadequate funding and management process, there are indications that protected areas are contributing to biodiversity conservation and community well-being.

Evaluation of management effectiveness in protected areas: Methodologies and results

Protected areas (PAs) play an important role in biodiversity conservation and the implementation of ambitious multilateral environmental agreements, like the 2010 targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In the CBD's Programme of Work on Protected Areas, it is requested that each country conduct management effectiveness evaluations of at least thirty percent of its PAs by 2010. This article compares the most common methodologies of PA management effectiveness evaluations, such as the Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Area Management (RAPPAM) Methodology, the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) and UNESCO's Enhancing our Heritage (EoH) Toolkit. These and other methodologies can help to (1) examine overall effectiveness of PAs, (2) identify factors influencing the effectiveness and (3) determine common threats and their seriousness. However, the outcomes of major studies concerning overall effectiveness as well as success and failure factors for PA management are partially contradictory. Different results can be due to the approach (e.g. number and type of indicators or assessors included in the evaluation process) or to the individual context of the PA (e.g. age, region, IUCN category) and therefore these factors need to be considered when comparing results of management effectiveness studies. Research indicates that increased attention should be paid to regular monitoring of conservation activities in PAs including systematic social science studies with a socio-economic and socio-cultural focus. Unfortunately, the outcomes of the management effectiveness studies are not easily accessible and have not yet been widely shared or distributed among the conservation community. Schutzgebiete spielen eine wichtige Rolle sowohl für den Schutz der Biodiversität als auch für die Umsetzung ambitionierter multilateraler Naturschutz-Abkommen, wie z.B. die “2010” Ziele des Übereinkommens über die Biologische Vielfalt. Das “Arbeitsprogramm Schutzgebiete” der Biodiversitätskonvention fordert, dass jedes Land bis 2010 die Managementeffektivität von mindestens 30% seiner Schutzgebiete evaluiert. Dieser Artikel vergleicht die gängigsten Evaluierungsmethoden für Managementeffektivität von Schutzgebieten, wie z.B. die Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Area Management (RAPPAM) Methode, das Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) und das Enhancing our Heritage (EoH) Toolkit der UNESCO. Diese und andere Evaluierungsmethoden können Aufschluss über (1) die durchschnittliche Effektivität eines Schutzgebietes, (2) Faktoren, die die Effektivität beeinflussen und (3) Gefahren für Schutzgebiete, geben. Die Ergebnisse der wichtigsten größeren Studien werden vorgestellt und in ihrer Widersprüchlichkeit diskutiert. Unterschiedliche Ergebnisse können auch auf die Methode (z.B. Umfang und Art von Indikatoren oder befragten Personen) oder auf Aspekte des Schutzgebietes selber (z.B. Alter, Region oder Schutzgebietstyp) zurückzuführen sein und sollten daher nur in diesem Zusammenhang verglichen werden. Forschungsergebnisse zeigen, dass regelmäßigem integrierten Monitoring von Aktivitäten in und im Umfeld von Schutzgebieten mehr Aufmerksamkeit zukommen sollte. Dabei sollte die Einbeziehung von systematischen sozialwissenschaftlichen Studien mit sozioökonomischem und soziokulturellem Fokus im Mittelpunkt stehen. Leider sind die Ergebnisse von Managementeffektivitäts-Studien noch wenig bekannt und haben so auch unter Naturschutzpraktikern, die hier eine wichtige Zielgruppe darstellen, bisher noch keine weite Verbreitung gefunden.

Challenges and experiences in implementing a management effectiveness evaluation program in a protected area system

Evaluation of management effectiveness in protected areas is increasingly being recognised as a management imperative. Such evaluations facilitate adaptive management to help improve planning processes, provide greater clarity to managers in determining priorities, and support the decision-making process through continuous learning. However, there are considerable challenges in implementing an evaluation program of an entire protected area system: ownership of the evaluation process must occur at all levels of the management agency; a reliable process needs to be developed; a system for information sharing is required; a culture of learning needs to be encouraged and supported; and an appreciation of the range of useful qualitative and quantitative evidence has to be fostered. In NSW, this evaluation process has been established through a State of the Parks program. This article explores some of the key challenges associated with the development of this program and identifies some of the lessons that have been learned.

Pest Arrest in Central Queensland: conserving biodiversity through pest management

Pest Arrest in Central Queensland is an example of an emerging suite of initiatives that puts the theory of management effectiveness evaluation into action. The program was initiated with the vision of maintaining, recovering and restoring the biodiversity and ecosystems of protected areas. Pest Arrest places importance upon high quality research, planning, pest control, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Using ten showcase projects, Pest Arrest aims to move thinking and practice from pest management outputs (e.g. number of pigs controlled) to on-ground outcomes (e.g. restoration of a threatened ecosystem), and from a single species to a whole-of-ecosystem approach. Each showcase project adopts a comprehensive performance management framework. Particular attention is given to articulating desired outcomes that delineate the required condition of natural, cultural and recreational values in the protected area within a set timeframe. Detailed objectives with associated indicators and targets are provided to allow performance assessment. The program encourages a multi-disciplinary, team-based approach; community engagement; formation of partnerships; and ‘learning by doing’. This article explores the major elements and adaptive framework of Pest Arrest.

A Framework to Evaluate Ecological and Social Outcomes of Collaborative Management: Lessons from Implementation with a Northern Arizona Collaborative Group

As collaborative groups gain popularity as an alternative means for addressing conflict over management of public lands, the need for methods to evaluate their effectiveness in achieving ecological and social goals increases. However, frameworks that examine both effectiveness of the collaborative process and its outcomes are poorly developed or altogether lacking. This paper presents and evaluates the utility of the holistic ecosystem health indicator (HEHI), a framework that integrates multiple ecological and socioeconomic criteria to evaluate management effectiveness of collaborative processes. Through the development and application of the HEHI to a collaborative in northern Arizona, the Diablo Trust, we present the opportunities and challenges in using this framework to evaluate the ecological and social outcomes of collaborative adaptive management. Baseline results from the first application of the HEHI are presented as an illustration of its potential as a co-adaptive management tool. We discuss lessons learned from the process of selecting indicators and potential issues to their long-term implementation. Finally, we provide recommendations for applying this framework to monitoring and adaptive management in the context of collaborative management.

Importance‐performance analysis as a tool in evaluating town centre management effectiveness

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide some insights for the evaluation of town centre management (TCM) effectiveness, by proposing the importance‐performance analysis (IPA) as a valuable tool to ensure a multi‐perspective evaluation. The need for more empirical methods of measuring town centre effectiveness is related to the risk of commonly used evaluation methodologies reflecting only the success criteria of dominant stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachBy reviewing the service management literature, a definition of the “town centre product” is proposed, and how IPA can be used to analyse the city users' quality perceptions is emphasized. The theoretical framework is enriched by an empirical case study: the city centre of Benevento.FindingsThe results provide a clear guidance for the implementation of a TCM scheme in the historical centre of Benevento, by identifying the main area of intervention.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper addresses a gap in the academic literature by using the IPA as an alternative evaluating paradigm of TCM and providing a definition of the town centre servicescape. Further research could investigate the impact of the selected environmental variables on the city users' internal responses (e.g. satisfaction) and behaviours (e.g. desire to shop), beside on their quality perceptions.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes a handy tool both for the exante and the expost evaluation, As well, it could be used as a benchmarking tool.Originality/valueThe paper has significant implications both for practitioners and for academics. It provides an original framework for further research and factual implementation.

Accountability, Reporting, or Management Improvement? Development of a State of the Parks Assessment System in New South Wales, Australia

Management effectiveness evaluation has been recognized as an important mechanism for both reporting on and improving protected area management. The Convention on Biological Diversity's program of work on protected areas calls on all countries to implement such systems. In 2004, the first whole of system assessment of park management effectiveness, based on the IUCN-WCPA Management Effectiveness Evaluation Framework, was undertaken in New South Wales, Australia as part of a State of the Parks reporting requirement. This article describes the development of the State of the Parks assessment tool, its elements, and how it addresses the management effectiveness difficulties associated with assessments conducted across an extensive and diverse range of park types. The importance of engaging staff, at all levels, throughout the process is highlighted, as well as the adjustments made to the assessment tool based on staff feedback. While some results are presented, the main purpose of the article is to identify and discuss important procedural and methodological considerations. These include balancing quantitative and qualitative assessment approaches, achieving a comprehensive understanding of the management processes, and responding to any problems associated with assessments.

Challenges and experiences in implementing a management effectiveness evaluation program in a protected area system

Evaluation of management effectiveness in protected areas is increasingly being recognised as a management imperative. Such evaluations facilitate adaptive management to help improve planning processes, provide greater clarity to managers in determining priorities, and support the decision-making process through continuous learning. However, there are considerable challenges in implementing an evaluation program of an entire protected area system: ownership of the evaluation process must occur at all levels of the management agency; a reliable process needs to be developed; a system for information sharing is required; a culture of learning needs to be encouraged and supported; and an appreciation of the range of useful qualitative and quantitative evidence has to be fostered. In NSW, this evaluation process has been established through a State of the Parks program. This article explores some of the key challenges associated with the development of this program and identifies some of the lessons that have been learned.

Conservation news

One of the goals set out in the Convention of Biological Diversity’s Programme of Work on Protected Areas (CBD, 2004; http://www.cbd.int/protected/) is to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of protected areas management across the world’s protected area estate. A key activity is to implement management effectiveness evaluations for at least 30% of each Party’s protected areas by 2010. To measure progress towards the CBD goal on management effectiveness various tools have been developed and applied worldwide, using the guidance provided by the World Commission on Protected Areas (Hockings et al., 2006, Assessing Effectiveness: A Framework for Assessing Management Effectiveness of Protected Areas. 2nd edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland).

Psychometric properties of Global Transformational Leadership Scale: Lithuanian version

Nowadays, leadership is seen as a research object related to a successful functioning of a modern organization. Transformational leadership is valued as most appropriate in today’s changing business world. But practitioners and researchers are lacking a broadly applicable, concise instrument which would also be reliable and valid to assess leaders’ transformational leadership skills. So, this research has been targeted to evaluate the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the Global Transformational Leadership scale Lithuanian version. The research involved 550 Lithuanian employees from various organizations; 112 respondents participated in the first and 438 respondents in the second stage of the research. All participants filled up a questionnaire consisting of the Global Transformational Leadership scale (Carless et al., 2000) and socio-demographic questions. Questions about job satisfaction (Shim et al., 2002), intentions to leave (Meyer and Tett, 1993), N. F. Mott’s proposed situations to evaluate management effectiveness (quoted after Chauhan et al., 2005) and Transformational Leadership Behavior Inventory (Podsakoff et al., 1990) were added to the questionnaire only in the second stage. The results have shown that the Global Transformational Leadership scale is highly reliable (Cronbach α = 0.925). Besides, the stability of the test–retest results (r = 0.868; p < 0.01; t = 0.921; p > 0.05) was an important feature of this scale. Exploratoryand confirmatory factor analyses used in studying the content validity showed that all seven items of the scale explained one factor – transformational leadership. Construct validity was confirmed by strong correlations (r = 0.815; p < 0.01) between the Global Transformational Leadership scale and the Transformational Leadership Behavior Inventory and by proven relations between transformational leadership and subordinates’ higher job satisfaction, lower turnover intentions, and better evaluations of management effectiveness. Thus, the Global Transformational Leadership scale can be characterized as an instrument with appropriate psychometric properties for individual and group analyses for the purpose of research and practice.

Community involvement in management for maintaining coral reef resilience and biodiversity in southern Caribbean marine protected areas

Climate change is posing new challenges to conservation because management policies on protected coral reefs are less effective than they were before the current ecosystem degradation. Coral reefs, the most diverse and complex marine ecosystem provide economic services for millions, but are seriously threatened worldwide because reef-building corals are experiencing bleaching phenomena and a steady decline in abundance. The resources of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Cartagena, Colombia, are in constant decline, despite a current management plan and on-site staff, urging new conservation actions. A multidisciplinary team gathered to evaluate management effectiveness including biophysical, socioeconomic and governance indicators. Coral cover and fish diversity and abundance were low both inside and outside the MPA, which suggests a limited efficiency of management. Currently, the MPA is a reef with low coral cover and high algae cover as well as large dead coral areas, which are generally signs of highly degraded reef habitats. Live coral cover in the MPA was represented by pioneer coral species such as Agaricia tenuifolia and Porites astreoides. Nonetheless, 35% of the scleractinian species sampled in the area harbored more than one zooxanthellae symbiont, which suggests potential resistance and resilience against coral bleaching. Maintenance of trophic structure and functional diversity is an important endeavor that should be a priority for management in order to allow ecosystem resilience. Social and governance indicators showed low-income levels and few opportunities for communities living in and around the park, low governability, weak communication among stakeholders and with authorities at different levels. As a result, problems related to over exploitation of resources were commonplace in the MPA. These results reflect low adaptive capacity of communities to comply with restrictive conservation rules, showing that establishment of a protected area is a necessary but insufficient condition to guarantee conservation goals. Ignoring the role of local communities only will exacerbate the problems associated with natural resources. Involvement of communities in strategic ecosystems management appears to be a requisite to improve effectiveness of protected areas, and participatory strategies, such as co-management, offer opportunities to improve governability while letting communities adapt to MPA needs.

The status of protected area management evaluation in Australia and implications for its future

Evaluation of protected area management in Australia has been driven by public sector reporting requirements and concern to improve management performance. This review of the status of management evaluation in large protected area management agencies reveals considerable variability in effort applied to evaluation, with emphasis being given to context and planning for management and outcomes of management as it affects valued resources. Agencies have largely adopted best practice principles in making assessments, but are not comprehensive in assessing all parts of the management cycle. The current emphasis may serve reporting requirements, but does not provide information and links that can assist in identifying the factors that affect achievement (or otherwise) of desired management outcomes. This constrains capacity to adopt an adaptive management approach to park management based on management effectiveness evaluations.

Progressing the Evaluation of Management Effectiveness for Protected Areas: Two Australian Case Studies

Protected areas have long been of central interest to those concerned about the environment. Over recent decades, this interest has shifted from acquisitions and additions to the global protected area system, to concerns regarding their management and management effectiveness. This paper contributes to the growing interest among researchers and policy makers alike in developing and applying evaluation methods to report on the effectiveness of this management. We applied the recently developed World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) evaluation framework to two national parks in Australia to further contribute to our understanding both of the framework's usefulness and the effectiveness of visitor management. A specific focus on visitor management is a new addition to this framework, as is surveying both visitors and managers to provide evaluation data. The results showed that site management was effective in reducing visitor impacts. In contrast, the effectiveness of managing visitors themselves, specifically through providing information related to minimizing impacts, was less certain. The WCPA framework provides a practical basis for designing and undertaking evaluations of the effectiveness of visitor management, with such management being essential for the long-term sustainability of protected areas