The production of a conservation management
plan is a logical sequence of
processes based on the answers to 13 questions which define the features to be
managed, assessing their condition in relation to an ideal condition, and describing
the management required to reach and maintain the ideal condition (Table 1).
Table 1 The logic of making a management
plan
|
|
Questions
|
Process
|
|
For the
site
|
What are the most important
features of your site?
|
Primary
survey
|
|
For each
feature:
|
What is its
present condition?
|
Comparative survey
|
|
|
What would be
an ideal condition?
|
Setting
objective
or target
|
|
|
What is preventing you reaching an
ideal condition?
|
Investigating limiting
factors
|
|
To reach
an ideal
condition:
|
What jobs have to be done to
control the limiting factors?
|
Writing the
prescription
|
|
To carry
out the
work:
|
What methods will be used?
Who is going to do the work?
What will be needed for the work?
When will the work be carried out?
How much will it cost?
Will there by any income to be set
against the costs?
|
Organising projects
|
|
|
How will you know when a job has
been done?
|
Recording
what has
been done
|
|
In the
long-term
|
How will you know when you have
produced an ideal condition?
|
Monitoring
|
|
|
Who needs to know about your
progress?
|
Networking
|
|
|
How will you communicate
progress?
|
Reporting
|
|
|
How
will you get best value for effort?
|
Audit
|
These practical questions are the basis
of the Conservation Management System
(CMS) that is promoted and developed by the UK Conservation Management
System Partnership. The CMS is promoted and updated by professional
conservation managers on an MS Access database that holds the management
plan and its integral management and reporting systems.
The simplest lay-out of a CMS on paper
is set out for each feature as follows.
Rationale:
The reasons for particular courses of action
Description:
The conservation value of the feature
Objective
The condition that is desirable and measurable.
Management
factors: The main impediments that have to be overcome to
reach the objective
Attributes:
At least one measurable aspect of the feature that can be used
as a performance indicator of management
Prescriptions:
The categories of work that have to be carried out
Management
Projects: The work schedules in each work category that are
necessary to address the limiting factors.
Monitoring
Projects: The work schedules for measuring the performance
indicators.
Recording:
Description of what has been done
Reporting:
The outcomes of the work in relation to the objective.
The most important aspect of a management
plan is that its objectives should
address measurable targets. Monitoring projects should therefore measure the
relevant attributes of the feature to compare regularly its actual condition with the
favourable condition. Ideally the attributes should produce a numerical statement,
such as the number of species, or the percentage of vegetation. However,
monitoring could be based on an overall visual assessment according to a point-
scale. The use of a point-scale recognises that land managers, particularly
farmers, normally work to visual standards for the condition of crops. The following
scale would be suitable for most farm ecosystems.
|
Condition of
feature
|
Favourable
|
Beginning to
deteriorate
|
Widespread
deterioration
|
Unfavourable
|
|
Points
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
The simplest method of year on year reporting
is in the form of a site diary, with
associated annotated and dated maps.
