Monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement
The implementation of the ACT natural resource management plan needs to be tracked through regular and consistent monitoring, evaluation, reporting and implementation (MERI) and regular reflection leading to improvements. MERI needs to occur in relation to the plan and the Investment Strategy. Resource condition monitoring and reporting also needs to occur at regular intervals.
Resource condition monitoring
The ACT has a wealth of data on the condition of the natural resources of the ACT. It is brought together and analysed on a regular basis for the ACT State of the Environment Report prepared by the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. It is proposed that the State of the Environment Report, prepared once in the life of each Legislative Assembly provide periodic resource condition reporting to inform progress in addressing changes in resource condition. Specific asset-related monitoring and reporting activities also occur periodically to inform progress against targets in addition to territory-wide reporting through the State of the Environment Report.
Investment monitoring, evaluation and reporting
Funding stakeholders such as the Australian and ACT governments require their investments to be tracked and evaluated, and to receive reports on progress.
The Australian Government has prepared a draft national MERI framework and strategy that will seek endorsement from states and territories as the basis for the development of specific MERI strategies in each state and territory. It sets out the broad evaluation framework for natural resource management programs funded by Caring for Our Country and updates earlier approaches endorsed by the Australian Government, states and territories. This new framework will underpin future monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement. The framework incorporates five
important concepts:
- explicit links between planning processes, evaluation and adaptive management
- inclusion of community as an asset in addition to the biophysical assets – land, biodiversity and water
- reporting with an emphasis on outcomes
- participatory evaluation techniques and
- monitoring of program performance as well as the state and trend in the condition of assets.
This is against a minimum set of matters for target as reflected in this plan.
The Australian and ACT governments, in consultation with the Council, will be developing operational plans to implement the new framework.
Continuous improvement
Good natural resource management outcomes can only be achieved through adaptive management (i.e. planning, acting, reviewing, replanning and adapting and then acting again) but with the benefit of the previous experience and new knowledge. This builds collective knowledge about how to address local natural resource management issues and as long as this knowledge is shared, the capacity of the ACT community to act more effectively is enhanced.
The ACT natural resource management plan will be reviewed every five years to accommodate the evidence collected for state of environment and other reports and the outcomes achieved through the investments over the period. In addition, an annual review of investments will be undertaken to ensure that they are on track to achieve their identified outcomes.
Knowledge building strategy
Science needs to underpin all target setting and assessment of progress. With its key partners and stakeholders, the Council will develop a knowledge strategy that addresses the systematic management of data and its application to targets.
