For those of you actively involved in tracking and reporting on the progress towards the effectiveness of protected area management and conservation targets or simply interested in this topic it may be nice news that a new version of the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) is available (METT-4).

METT is a tracking tool that allows a rapid assessment of sites over time and to review the results of existing management measurements. The tool was originally developed by the World Bank/WWF Alliance for Forest Conservation and Sustainable Use to promote monitoring protected area management effectiveness through a simple, questionnaire type approach. As a new feature, METT-4 is available as an Excel tool which aids implementation and compilation of results. To facilitate its application and make the tool more transparent, you can find a METT-4-guide as well as an introductory video on the Protected Planet website, the online visual interface for the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA).