The Garden Route National Park team has complied fully with the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METTs). An audit conducted last quarter through an Internationally recognized tool to measure management effectiveness of protected areas (METTSs) prove SANParks is managing the GRNP effectively.
The GRNP obtained an overall 77,6% with the highest scores for its planning division, research programmes, human resources, security and operations budget, income generation, education and awareness, public relations and processes.
The audit revealed a weakness in risk assessments, corridor and buffer zone management. There are necessary adjustments when it comes to working with landowners, cultural assets, capital budgets, staff housing and others.
Another tool that indicated an average score for the GRNP is the State of Area Integrity Management (SoAim) which measures the functions of section rangers and conservation staff in terms of Key Performance Management Areas (KPAs). These include legal documentation, maintenance of infrastructure, staff morale, administration, relationships with landowners and stakeholders.
The METT score was developed by the World Bank in conjunction with WWF due to a shared concern that protected areas were managed effectively. The tool is designed to assess various elements- the context ( such as threats emanating from the environment such as policy and others), planning (system designs, etc), inputs (resources), processes (effectiveness and appropriateness of management processes), outputs (effectiveness of outputs), outcomes (impact/ effects of management outcomes in relation to objectives).
‘METT helps us track and monitor progress against global targets set by the World Bank / WWF alliance world protected management effectiveness goals.’
