Management effectiveness in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Learning from Canadian periodic reviews

Calls for management effectiveness of protected areas have been made on the grounds that evaluation can help determine the ability of protected areas to meet their goals, identify opportunities and threats, and encourage stakeholders to adapt to changing conditions. In 1995, the Statutory Framework of the World Network of biosphere reserves included a requirement that all biosphere reserves must undergo a process of periodic review once every 10 years. The primary purpose of the periodic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of biosphere reserve organizations in achieving the objectives related to three functions: biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and logistical support. Beyond meeting statutory requirements, the periodic review process can also be considered an opportunity for learning within and beyond the national and international networks. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how management effectiveness in Canadian biosphere reserves has been interpreted through the periodic review process conducted in Canada. A content analysis was performed on the 15 periodic review reports of the 11 Canadian biosphere reserves reviewed between 1995 and 2012. Determining compliance appears to be the dominant purpose of periodic reviews, while determining and providing learning opportunities through periodic review is emerging. We conclude that periodic reviews can be used as learning tools if systematic efforts are made to evaluate, reflect, and share lessons learned. Specific recommendations are provided to enhance this possibility.