A guide for planners and managers - IUCN

PART I
Strategies and Tools
need to change attitude can be backed by facts and is reinforced by the experience
of the people themselves.
An important part of awareness work is “feed-back” to determine programme
effectiveness. Feedback provides a conduit that can tell planners and other management
staff what is really happening in the real world. Field staff interact with the people
constantly and therefore are in the best position to gauge the actual effects of the
programme.
5.5 Scientific Input
In project assessments, scientists have important roles to play. In particular, they should
advise on the relevance, reliability and cost-effectiveness of scientific information
generated by research and monitoring and advise on the suitability of control data.
Scientists should also provide monitoring methods to estimate the extent to which
observed changes in managed environments and practices can be attributed to
conservation measures as opposed to other factors. A United Nations (UN) report lists
eight major opportunities for scientific and technical input in coastal conservation
(GESAMP, 1996):
1. Environmental impact assessment
2. Resource surveys
3. Simulation modeling
4. Economic assessment and valuation
5. Legal and institutional analyses
6. Social and cultural analyses
7. Management methodologies
8. Public education materials
Some good advice to scientists involved in planning coastal management
programmes appeared in the UN report. Such scientists were advised to design their
research by “…preparing concise statements of objectives for research and monitoring,
clearly defining what is to be measured and why, and in identifying methodologies,
facilities and personnel needed for the studies to be cost effective and successful.” That
is, for each priority issue to be addressed, scientists should work with conservation
managers to formulate specific questions that are to be resolved through subsequent
scientific investigations.
The UN report notes that scientists can help bring together the information
required by managers and politicians. But often the reward system for scientists
encourages them to concentrate on research which is not relevant to management,
which could be a real problem for MPA planners (GESAMP, 1996).
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