Indicators: a deceptively simple word: The planning
During the week of the 14th of June 2025, SANParks engaged in a series of focused meetings with three teams from the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) on the development of indicators within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These discussions built on earlier themes in the SANParks–OFB partnership and were aimed at sharing practices for conservation monitoring and evaluation.
The objectives of the meetings were to:
- Define and characterize effective indicators
- Strengthen the link between monitoring, indicators, and evaluation
- Design scalable and adaptable dashboards
- Facilitate collaboration and technical exchange among parks.
2. Sinothando Shibe and Aseeqah Davids of the CRC Marine Team in Parc Naturel Marin d’Iroise, a French Nature Parck managed by the French Biodiversity Agency.
These discussions were guided by a series of structured questions developed by SANParks.
The meeting opened with a deep-dive discussion with the team from Bassin d’Arcachon, who shared insights on the development of their indicator framework. They demonstrated how indicators are integrated into their park management plan, how threshold levels are defined, and the tools they use, some provided by the European Union and some developed in-house. Of particular value was their experience in transitioning from suggested indicators to fully functional ones.
The second session focused on Parc Naturel Marin d’Iroise, where the team elaborated on their management plan’s three core indicator types: action, conservation, and governance. One key example was their long-term seal population monitoring programme, which they use to demonstrate the importance of selecting relevant metrics and staying adaptable over time.
Still in Brest, the DAPEM team (Direction des Aires Protégées et Enjeux Marins – protected areas and marine issues direction) showcased EVA, their national-level evaluation portal. This tool provides an overview of activities within French Marine Parks managed by OFB and aligns with SANParks’ need to have an overview of multiple activities within MPAs.
A major highlight of the week was the drafting of an outline for the upcoming in-person workshop which will focus on indicators, dashboards, and adaptive management. The OFB teams responded enthusiastically, seeing this as both a technical learning opportunity and a chance to deepen relationships.
