directions MAKE A COMMENT

monitoring, reporting and evaluation plan and framework

14.1 the plan

RCS Report 13, Monitoring and Evaluation for Natural Resources Management in the Corangamite Region details a framework and process for building the overall monitoring and evaluation framework for the Region. The report:

describes the types of indicators available for performance monitoring and assessment of biophysical and socio-economic assets and threats
identifies key assets under threat from human and/ or natural disturbance in the Corangamite Region
identifies a preliminary set of indicators relevant to Corangamite Region management
identifies the process for finalising the set of key Regional indicators, including indicator categorisation (e.g. pressure, state/ condition, response, outcome, input and indicators)
describes the importance of performance evaluation (at project/ program level) in terms of RCS (and Supporting Strategies) appropriateness, effectiveness or impact, efficiency and sustainability, and
identifies key performance indicators for evaluating the performance of both the Corangamite Regional Catchment Strategy and associated Supporting Strategies.

14.2 the framework

A framework for monitoring and evaluation has been developed to measure progress towards achievement of targets through implementation of the RCS. The framework will:

assess whether the current direction of natural systems in the Region are going up or down, forward or backward, getting better or worse, or staying the same
make comparisons over time against pre-determined targets
assess the standard and performance of current and proposed catchment management practices
compare alternative and existing approaches to catchment management, and
record progress with implementation of the RCS.

The framework includes measures of:

resource condition or the state of a system
threats being felt on the system
what responses are occurring and their adequacy (including activities, participation, knowledge, and resources), and
what actions and investments prescribed in the RCS have been undertaken effectively

In line with directional shifts at National and State levels, the framework selected for Corangamite is, as far as possible, “outcome-based”, rather than “input” focused. For example, the extent of work done, number of tasks completed, or the amount of money or time spent by agencies or the community are all “input” measures. Evaluation of input measures will be limited to an assessment of the performance of the RCS itself: see Chapter 14, Section 5, Evaluating performance of the RCS

In relation to resource condition targets, the framework is built around a set of indicators, which was developed in line with Australian and Victorian Government directions and regional priorities. As the National guidelines and requirements were not finalised at the time of writing, the RCS indicators may need to be revised in accordance with further developments.

It is recognised that indicators needed for assessing progress with natural resource management for the Region as a whole may be different for those required to measure performance at the program, project or farm level.

14.3 victorian catchment indicators

While this RCS was being prepared, the Victorian Catchment Management Council published “The Health of our Catchments: a Victorian Report Card” (October 2002), which set out a system of agreed statewide indicators to enable consistent future reporting on catchment condition. The indicators used in “The Health of Our Catchments” document are shown in Table 37, Indicators from victorian catchment management council and their use in this RCS, together with a summary of the current status of indicator development in Corangamite.

For implementation of the RCS and its Supporting Strategies a larger set of indicators was developed than appears in “The Health of Our Catchments”. These are described in the subsequent section.

14.4 indicators of achievement against priority targets

The approach used in developing a set of indicators to assess RCS outcomes against priority targets was as follows.

The key assets under threat from human and/ or natural disturbance in the Corangamite Region were used as a basic reference set of topics for development of indicators to assess progress against RCS Priority Targets.
A review was made of the literature on indicators for performance monitoring and assessment, from which a checklist of desirable properties of an indicator was developed, and a large list of previously used indicators was complied. These included national State of the Environment and Victorian Strategies sources as well as indicators used in other States and some used internationally. The objective was to ensure that any indicator selected for the Corangamite Region would be comparable to other data sets at national, state and regional level.
Key elements of each RCS Supporting Strategy were noted.
From this a preliminary set of indicators covering resource condition (state), pressures (threats) and responses relevant to the Corangamite Region was selected.
A process for refining and finalising the set of key regional indicators was developed. As resource condition targets are progressively refined over 2003/2004 the indicator set will be correspondingly fine-tuned. Many of the final indicators will be built into the RCS Supporting Strategies.
In addition to the above, the annual Regional Management Plan will record progress against financial targets and Supporting Strategy actions. The preliminary targets/ indicators will be modified (if required) in line with forthcoming Australian Government monitoring and evaluation requirements.

The indicators described will, over time, address achievement against the RCS priority targets. The indicator set will provide a long-term basis for assessing change in resource condition, threats to the Region’s assets and the community’s response to them. It will assist in defining areas where our knowledge of natural, economic and social process at work in the catchment needs to be improved for more effective, better-targeted decision-making. It will provide the essential information base for adaptive management to proceed, by incorporating knowledge gained through monitoring and evaluation into the decision-making process.

It is intended that Stakeholder Agreements will incorporate commitments to collection, compilation and publication of indicator data, where appropriate.

The full report on indicator development can be seen in RCS Report 13: Monitoring and evaluation for natural resources management in the Corangamite Region, 2002-2007. The preliminary set of indicators for assessing progress towards achievement of RCS Targets and Opportunities is given in Table 38, Preliminary indicators for assessing achievement against priority targets within the Corangamite Region.

14.5 evaluating performance of the RCS

Achievement in (i) implementing RCS priority actions and (ii) realising opportunities will be monitored through a number of key milestones.

Key Milestones in implementing the RCS are:

Achievement of Accreditation by late 2003
Publication of the RCS Investment Plan by mid 2004
Prepare Annual Reports of the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority recording progress against RCS targets and opportunities, the RCS investment plan, Supporting Strategy actions, and trends in key catchment indicators
Establish final resource condition targets and indicators by 2004
Assign on-going community monitoring responsibilities by December 2004
Implement the Investment Framework for priority establishment within Supporting Strategies by late-2004
Sign-off Stakeholder Agreements by late-2004
Conduct bi-annual reviews of all Supporting Strategies based on the core evaluation strategy developed by the Victorian and Australian Governments
Report to investors on at least an annual basis
Review the RCS in terms of actions completed, achievement against targets and any changed priorities on an annual basis, and
Annually review Regional Investment Plan and adjust priorities

14.6 resources for monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation are essential components of RCS management and implementation. The requirements for monitoring placed on the Corangamite Region as part of the RCS Accreditation Process increase the need for human and financial resources. Against this, there has been a tendency for financial resources to be withdrawn from long-term monitoring programs. The long-term benefits are too easily dismissed in short-term budgeting of scarce funds.

Additional resources will be required to integrate the large scale monitoring program set out here. While most of the data collection will be performed through on-going programs within CCMA, DSE, DPI, Regional Coastal Boards, Local Government and the community, there is a need for central coordination, interpretation, presentation of data collected, and its use in evaluating progress. There are significant gaps in our capacity to undertake monitoring and a position could help to fill these. It is proposed that one full-time staff person be sought to coordinate all aspects of indicator development, collection and publication, including development of a strategy for community involvement in monitoring and evaluation, so that the RCS is supported by an appropriate natural resource and environmental information management system.