A guide for planners and managers - IUCN

58 MARINE AND COASTAL
PROTECTED AREAS
experimented with benefits sharing led stakeholders to expect far too much material
benefit from management authorities, often seeing them only as a source of funds
and technical expertise. These expectations were unrealistic; they left some stakeholders
feeling let down by the authorities and antagonistic toward them.
A multifaceted approach, combining printed materials, audio-visual presentations,
and face-to-face interaction is probably the best way to start a specific education
programme. For a general education programme, a variety of additional options can
be employed: mass media (press, television, radio), fixed exhibits, tours, training
workshops, the sale of promotional items such as T-shirts, and informal recreational
activities with an educational focus.
2.16 The MPA Manager
As an MPA professional, you become an advocate of good conservation practice
based on accurate technical input. Clarity and specificity of programme elements are
needed to convince policy makers to make a strong commitment to the MPA. This
effort should continue through all stages of development and management.
Through the various stages of planning, the manager is often faced with a
shortage of funds or qualified personnel. Sometimes there will be an inadequate legal
basis for MPA management or too little detail in the Management Plan for the site.
The site manager inherits these deficient products, but nonetheless is expected to
manage the site effectively, whether or not the information, materials, and support
are adequate.
Regardless of your past experience, as an MPA manager you will become a planner
of sorts too. The planner’s role is to deal with great complexity and reduce it to
simple concepts and programmes that are politically and administratively viable. Typical
administrators, engineers, politicians, and most economic planners are not usually
well informed about the sea and the seacoast, consequently they will depend on your
special expertise.
The MPA manager will need to keep a database and to update it. All modern
data handling facilities are electronic. With the advent of reliable low-cost computer
systems, computer storage and analysis of geographically oriented databases are
now widely available. These computerized GIS databases are now available on PCs
(personal computers) and simple workstations, putting the equipment within the budget
of many agencies (see Section I-5).
The site manager is responsible for achieving management objectives through
the efficient use of funds, staff, and equipment. He or she must participate in
evaluating conservation needs, in identifying visitor use conflicts, in defining realistic
management objectives, in requesting adequate budgets and equipment, and in
selecting suitable staff.