Adaptive management is a widely used term in natural resource management today and is part of effective management practice. As defined by Salafsky et. al (2001),

“Adaptive management incorporates research into conservation action. Specifically, it is the integration of design, management, and monitoring to systematically test assumptions in order to adapt and learn.”

In other words, adaptive management provides an opportunity to identify what’s working well, what’s not, and modify site management to address challenges or emerging issues. 

Ideally sites will make time at least once a year to reflect on progress and make minor shifts needed. Additionally, more rigorous monitoring and protected area management effectiveness evaluations for adaptive management should be carried out during regular time periods (e.g., every 3-4 yrs, or prior to updating management plans – this will depend on the review process that you operate under – in many cases this is set out in the MPA legislation). 

No matter how limited resources may be, making time to reflect on the site objectives or results that are expected to happen and progress toward them, to make necessary changes is a useful and essential component of management effectiveness. This can have implications for prioritizing what gets implemented and how time and funding are utilized to improve chances of success moving forward. 

At its simplest form, adaptive management can include a gathering of managers and stakeholders to discuss these aspects. If important questions about progress cannot be answered due to lack of data, finding ways to collect this data may become a new priority for management. This time also provides a critical opportunity to re-consider the original purpose the site was developed to address and reflect if the MPA alone is sufficient to achieve this objective. If not, part of adapting management could include exploring ways to coordinate with management outside the site such as MPA networks, fisheries management, or coastal zone management approaches.

Just as with planning, part of adaptive management includes collecting and sharing information from stakeholders. Before major modifications are made to management objectives or actions, it’s encouraged that key stakeholders be engaged to provide input. Changes made to management strategies and actions should be reflected through the management plan update process and demonstrate findings of the evaluation that lead to revisions.

Communicating Management Effectiveness

As the management team learns new information over time from research, monitoring, and adaptive management, this information should be shared with key stakeholders. Keeping stakeholders informed can ensure they know about management successes (e.g., site benefits, positive changes in resources) and potentially help with management challenges (e.g., lack of compliance, mistrust). 

Part of strategic communications is identifying different audiences and tailoring the type of information and messages provided to them to their interests. Several stakeholder groups may be important to reach out to with targeted information. For example, sharing information about real or perceived benefits derived from the site may be important to stakeholders who depend on the site for livelihoods. Fishers may want to know about changes to target fish populations within and outside the site. Donors may want to know about threat reduction successes and changes in the resource condition. Each of these audiences may prefer different communication approaches that will make the messages more effective. For example, communication approaches may include engaging community leaders to help share information to local fishers or using report cards with graphics to share scientific data for donors. 

Long term outcomes take time to achieve (e.g., improved resource condition). Being able to share management progress, such as increased support and compliance, effective enforcement, or even trained staff, provides a story that may be just as important to some groups as being able to show you’ve achieved your long-term outcomes. For example, demonstrating increased support for the site to policy makers could influence decisions on budgets for management. 

Sharing site progress, lessons, and ideas with other site managers can also be beneficial to identify common challenges/solutions, and possible ways to collaborate or share resources. Finally, sharing experiences and results nationally to support reporting toward global commitments to help improve the overall understanding of MPA effectiveness more broadly.