Values-Based Management Framework

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) manages parks and forests under the internationally aligned Values-Based Management Framework (VBMF) which applies to all aspects of our business.

VBMF uses evidence to inform priorities in business plans, steers funding allocations and evaluates effectiveness of programs.

The VBMF is a transparent and adaptive approach to meeting the department's park planning and management accountabilities.

Adaptive management builds upon current management practices to improve our management.

  • Planning and prioritisation sets and prioritises strategic management directions and management objectives based on key park values.
  • Monitoring provides information on the condition and trend of key park values and measures our progress towards goals and objectives.
  • Evaluating and reporting on our performance helps us understand if we are managing our parks effectively.

If we are not meeting our goals, this becomes the catalyst to change how we are managing that aspect of the park.

Adaptive management

Adaptive management is the process of adjusting and improving how we manage our parks after assessing the success of previous strategies and on-ground actions. The concept of adaptive management is widely accepted and applied internationally. Governments, funding bodies and the public are increasingly demanding accountability in park management. While there is still emphasis on outputs, the need to demonstrate effective outcomes is growing and we welcome this.

QPWS manages complex systems—they are hard to predict, vary across the state, and our management can have unexpected results. The only way to manage such complex systems in an accountable and effective manner is by applying a systematic approach to adaptive management.

We recognise that we start from (and will always have) imperfect knowledge. By setting strategic objectives based on our best understanding of the context and testing (by monitoring and evaluating) to see whether the actions/interventions we impose are effective in achieving those objectives – we build understanding of the parks we manage and improve our management and its outcomes over time.

Our approach

Our main goal is to continually improve the management of our parks. Every park has different values, management needs and priorities. Identifying the needs (objectives) for each park; setting realistic and measurable goals and evaluating our performance will be the key to adopting an adaptive management approach.

We then determine:

  • condition of key park values
  • how much we have to invest
  • what the priorities are.

This informs the planning and prioritisation process – to set and prioritise management objectives which are clear, measurable, and will maintain or improve the condition of key park values.

The next step is monitoring the condition of our parks and evaluating our progress towards achieving our management goals. Finally, we ensure we are transparent and accountable by reporting on the state of our parks and outcomes of our management in a way that is meaningful and allows us to learn from experience and keep improving how we manage our parks.

Planning for great management

Planning focuses on park values and provides a strategic approach to management. A values-based approach to park planning starts with an assessment of the park’s values and the Levels of Service (LoS) required to manage these values effectively. Prioritised measurable objectives are set during this process and provide the basis on which we evaluate our performance.

Monitoring our progress

Monitoring is the systematic collection and evaluation over time of relevant, reliable data and information on the condition and trend of key park values. The outcomes of on-ground actions targeted at achieving the desired condition of key values and desired LoS standards are monitored and reviewed to help inform future management.

Key values that require monitoring will usually be determined through the planning process.

Reporting and sharing monitoring information is critical to informing our decision-making and improving on-ground management. Evaluation and reporting must be timely, involve and be easily accessed by park managers. Monitoring information feeds into an evaluation process that will support high level reporting on the state of our parks.

Evaluating and reporting on our performance

Evaluating and analysing how we are performing helps us to understand how effectively we are managing our parks and how to adapt and improve in future. We can test whether objectives set during the planning process have been achieved by using information gathered through monitoring. Evaluating and reporting on performance shows QPWS is using public resources efficiently, prioritising activities which protect park values, and always trying to improve our management. We are also able to evaluate what we have done against budget expenditure to help determine costs of managing parks.

For more information on the Values-Based Management Framework contact QPWS via email ParkManagementPlans@des.qld.gov.au.