State of the Environment 2011 (SoE 2011)

State of the Environment 2011 Committee. Australia state of the environment 2011.
Independent report to the Australian Government Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
Canberra: DSEWPaC, 2011.

1 Approach

3.3 Management effectiveness

How are management activities and responses affecting the state of the environment and the pressures upon it?

Management responses are linked to trends in state and pressures in two ways. Patterns of improvement or declines trigger reactive management responses and those actions then contribute to changes in pressures and state over time. Management is also a significant contributor to the overall resilience of a system and directly affects the likelihood and consequences of environmental risks. Understanding effectiveness of past and current management responses is an essential part of understanding and improving the state of our environment.

In each theme chapter, management responses are first identified and described, then assessed according to six elements of management: understanding, planning, inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes (Box 1.3). These six elements allow all stages and components of management to be examined, as well as the impacts of those efforts on reducing pressures and improving environmental outcomes. This assessment method is based on a well-accepted evaluation framework initially established by the World Commission on Protected Areas,^3-4 and has since been trialled worldwide as an approach to assessing a wide range of initiatives related to conservation and sustainable resource use. Examining management responses in this way shows where there are strengths and weaknesses in management efforts.

Results from assessments in each theme chapter are presented in a summary table that examines how management is addressing the pressures identified in the previous section of the chapter. Management effectiveness against pressures is graded on a scale of four levels of effectiveness (very effective, effective, partially effective, ineffective) and a scale of three grades of trend over time (improving, stable, deteriorating).

Management responses that are assessed in this report are those that relate to environmental issues at a national scale. The assessments attempt to account for the cumulative contributions, or gaps, across a wide range of jurisdictional and institutional boundaries. Very few management actions (or assessment methodologies) are designed for national delivery, such as implementing national-scale legislation or grants programs. The vast majority of management actions towards conserving and sustaining Australia’s environmental values are delivered locally. Since states and territories lead much of the management aimed at regulating business practices, and local government bodies lead much of the management of urban and rural development, assessments in this report include consideration of the cumulative contributions, or gaps, of smaller scale management activities. Specific case studies are included throughout the chapters to illustrate important points, but are not presented as surrogates or indicators of how management programs are faring more broadly.

Box 1.3 Grading management effectiveness

The following six elements of management effectiveness,^3-4 and associated assessment criteria and scoring system (developed by the SoE 2011 Committee), were used in assessing current and recent national-scale responses to pressures on each theme environment.

Elements of management effectiveness and assessment criteria	Grades
Management context (understanding of environmental issues; adequacy of regulatory control mechanisms and policy coverage)
Understanding of context Decision-makers and environmental managers have a good understanding of: environmental and socioeconomic significance of environmental values, including ecosystem functions and cultural importance current and emerging threats to values. Environmental considerations and information have a significant impact on national policy decisions across the broad range of government responsibilities.	Very effective: Understanding of environmental and cultural systems and factors affecting them is good for most management issues Effective: Understanding of environmental and cultural systems and factors affecting them is generally good but there is some variability across management issues Partially effective: Understanding of environmental and cultural systems and factors affecting them is only fair for most management issues Ineffective: Understanding of environmental and cultural systems and factors affecting them is poor for most management issues
Planning Policies and plans are in place that provide clarity on: objectives for management actions that address major pressures and risks to environmental values roles and responsibilities for managing environmental issues operational procedures, and a framework for integration and consistency of planning and management across sectors and jurisdictions.	Very effective: Effective legislation, policies and plans are in place for addressing all or most significant issues. Policies and plans clearly establish management objectives and operations targeted at major risks. Responsibility for managing issues is clearly and appropriately allocated Effective: Effective legislation, policies and plans are in place, and management responsibilities are allocated appropriately, for addressing many significant issues. Policies and plans clearly establish management objectives and priorities for addressing major risks, but may not specify implementation procedures Partially effective: Legislation, policies and planning systems are deficient, and/or there is lack of clarity on who has management responsibility, for a number of significant issues Ineffective: Legislation, policies and planning systems have not been developed to address significant issues
Management capacity (adequacy of resources, appropriateness of governance arrangements and efficiency of management processes)
Inputs Resources are available to implement plans and policies, including: financial resources human resources information.	Very effective: Financial and staffing resources are largely adequate to address management issues. Biophysical and socioeconomic information is available to inform management decisions Effective: Financial and staffing resources are mostly adequate to address management issues, but may not be secure. Biophysical and socioeconomic information is available to inform decisions, although there may be deficiencies in some areas Partially effective: Financial and staffing resources are unable to address management issues in some important areas. Biophysical and socioeconomic information is available to inform management decisions, although there are significant deficiencies in some areas Ineffective: Financial and staffing resources are unable to address management issues in many areas. Biophysical and socioeconomic information to support decisions is deficient in many areas
Processes A governance system is in place that provides for: appropriate stakeholder engagement in decisions and implementation of management activities adaptive management for longer term initiatives transparency and accountability.	Very effective: Well-designed management systems are being implemented for effective delivery of planned management actions, including clear governance arrangements in place, appropriate stakeholder engagement, active adaptive management and adequate reporting against goals Effective: Well-designed management systems are in place, but are not yet being fully implemented Partially effective: Management systems provide some guidance, but are not consistently delivering around implementation of management actions, stakeholder engagement, adaptive management or reporting Ineffective: Adequate management systems are not in place. Lack of consistency and integration of management activities across jurisdictions is a problem for many issues
Achievements (delivery of expected products, services and impacts)
Outputs Management objectives are being met with regard to: timely delivery of products and services reduction of current pressures and emerging risks to environmental values.	Very effective: Management responses are mostly progressing in accordance with planned programs and are achieving their desired objectives. Targeted threats are being demonstrably reduced Effective: Management responses are mostly progressing in accordance with planned programs and are achieving their desired objectives. Targeted threats are understood and there are measures in place to manage them Partially effective: Management responses are progressing and showing signs of achieving some objectives. Targeted threats are understood and measures are being developed to manage them Ineffective: Management responses are either not progressing in accordance with planned programs (significant delays or incomplete actions) or the actions undertaken are not achieving their objectives. Threats are not actively being addressed
Outcomes Management objectives are being met with regard to improvements to resilience of environmental values.	Very effective: Resilience of environmental values is being maintained or improving. Values are considered secured against known threats Effective: Resilience of environmental values is improving, but threats remain as significant factors affecting environmental systems Partially effective: The expected impacts of management measures on improving resilience of environmental values are yet to be seen. Managed threats remain as significant factors influencing environmental systems Ineffective: Resilience of environmental values is still low or continuing to decline. Unmitigated threats remain as significant factors influencing environmental systems

Elements of management effectiveness and assessment criteria

Grades

Management context (understanding of environmental issues; adequacy of regulatory control mechanisms and policy coverage)

Understanding of context

Decision-makers and environmental managers have a good understanding of:

environmental and socioeconomic significance of environmental values, including ecosystem functions and cultural importance
current and emerging threats to values.

Environmental considerations and information have a significant impact on national policy decisions across the broad range of government responsibilities.

Very effective: Understanding of environmental and cultural systems and factors affecting them is good for most management issues

Effective: Understanding of environmental and cultural systems and factors affecting them is generally good but there is some variability across management issues

Partially effective: Understanding of environmental and cultural systems and factors affecting them is only fair for most management issues

Ineffective: Understanding of environmental and cultural systems and factors affecting them is poor for most management issues

Planning

Policies and plans are in place that provide clarity on:

objectives for management actions that address major pressures and risks to environmental values
roles and responsibilities for managing environmental issues
operational procedures, and a framework for integration and consistency of planning and management across sectors and jurisdictions.

Very effective: Effective legislation, policies and plans are in place for addressing all or most significant issues. Policies and plans clearly establish management objectives and operations targeted at major risks. Responsibility for managing issues is clearly and appropriately allocated

Effective: Effective legislation, policies and plans are in place, and management responsibilities are allocated appropriately, for addressing many significant issues. Policies and plans clearly establish management objectives and priorities for addressing major risks, but may not specify implementation procedures

Partially effective: Legislation, policies and planning systems are deficient, and/or there is lack of clarity on who has management responsibility, for a number of significant issues

Ineffective: Legislation, policies and planning systems have not been developed to address significant issues

Management capacity (adequacy of resources, appropriateness of governance arrangements and efficiency of management processes)

Inputs

Resources are available to implement plans and policies, including:

financial resources
human resources
information.

Very effective: Financial and staffing resources are largely adequate to address management issues. Biophysical and socioeconomic information is available to inform management decisions

Effective: Financial and staffing resources are mostly adequate to address management issues, but may not be secure. Biophysical and socioeconomic information is available to inform decisions, although there may be deficiencies in some areas

Partially effective: Financial and staffing resources are unable to address management issues in some important areas. Biophysical and socioeconomic information is available to inform management decisions, although there are significant deficiencies in some areas

Ineffective: Financial and staffing resources are unable to address management issues in many areas. Biophysical and socioeconomic information to support decisions is deficient in many areas

Processes

A governance system is in place that provides for:

appropriate stakeholder engagement in decisions and implementation of management activities
adaptive management for longer term initiatives
transparency and accountability.

Very effective: Well-designed management systems are being implemented for effective delivery of planned management actions, including clear governance arrangements in place, appropriate stakeholder engagement, active adaptive management and adequate reporting against goals

Effective: Well-designed management systems are in place, but are not yet being fully implemented

Partially effective: Management systems provide some guidance, but are not consistently delivering around implementation of management actions, stakeholder engagement, adaptive management or reporting

Ineffective: Adequate management systems are not in place. Lack of consistency and integration of management activities across jurisdictions is a problem for many issues

Achievements (delivery of expected products, services and impacts)

Outputs

Management objectives are being met with regard to:

timely delivery of products and services
reduction of current pressures and emerging risks to environmental values.

Very effective: Management responses are mostly progressing in accordance with planned programs and are achieving their desired objectives. Targeted threats are being demonstrably reduced

Effective: Management responses are mostly progressing in accordance with planned programs and are achieving their desired objectives. Targeted threats are understood and there are measures in place to manage them

Partially effective: Management responses are progressing and showing signs of achieving some objectives. Targeted threats are understood and measures are being developed to manage them

Ineffective: Management responses are either not progressing in accordance with planned programs (significant delays or incomplete actions) or the actions undertaken are not achieving their objectives. Threats are not actively being addressed

Outcomes

Management objectives are being met with regard to improvements to resilience of environmental values.

Very effective: Resilience of environmental values is being maintained or improving. Values are considered secured against known threats

Effective: Resilience of environmental values is improving, but threats remain as significant factors affecting environmental systems

Partially effective: The expected impacts of management measures on improving resilience of environmental values are yet to be seen. Managed threats remain as significant factors influencing environmental systems

Ineffective: Resilience of environmental values is still low or continuing to decline. Unmitigated threats remain as significant factors influencing environmental systems

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Forest of red gums, New South Wales. Photo by Matt Lauder