IMET approach
IMET aims to strengthen analytical capacities of its users and facilitate decision-making. Data collection and analysis is done in a computer application which encodes data into an internal database. Embedded statistical formulas allow for automated data analysis and visualization to facilitate better understanding of complex issues. IMET coaches (protected area professionals trained in IMET) can train on IMET and facilitate the assessment workshop.
The IMET Handbooks, the COMIT (2016 in English and French) and the COMIT 2 (2022 only in French), explain each assessment question and presents guidelines on assessment implementation with the coaching process. It also provides avenues for increasing capacity in protected area management and analysis.
Scaling-up function
This IMET feature allows a semi-automated analysis of several IMET assessments for a system (group, network) of protected areas or a single protected area over time. This function can produce a national or regional roadmap for further progress in protected area management, such as management policies, operations, capacity-building, threats’ mitigation strategies, species conservation.
Cross-analysis
This IMET feature aims to increase accuracy of an IMET assessment by spoting possible inconsistencies in IMET scores. It investigates whether scores within a pair (or a triplet) of IMET items were significantly different.
Links with Green List
IMET is the favoured tool for in-depth analysis of protected area management effectiveness (PAME). 88% of its indicators match with those of management effectiveness in the Green List. IMET also contribute to enhance capacities of protected area managers for increasing standards of operations required by labels such as Green List.
