Study

Monitoring law-enforcement performance in nine protected areas in Ghana

  • Published source details Jachmann H. (2008) Monitoring law-enforcement performance in nine protected areas in Ghana. Biological Conservation, 141, 89-99.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Publish data on ranger performance to motivate increased anti-poacher efforts

Action Link
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation
  1. Publish data on ranger performance to motivate increased anti-poacher efforts

    A replicated, before-and-after, site comparison study in 2004–2006 within savanna and forest in seven protected areas and two national parks in Ghana (Jachmann 2008) found that publishing data on staff performance lead to more anti-poaching patrols and that detected of poaching incidents decreased on savanna sites but not on forest sites. Staff performance was 59% higher after reporting (11.8 effective patrol days/staff/month) than before (7.4 effective patrol days/staff/month). In two parks where performance indicators were not reported, performance increased by 11% over this period (after: 10.9; before: 9.8 effective patrol days/staff/month). In four savanna sites, the average number of detected offences related to poaching (including of mammals) was 72% lower after reporting (21 offences/patrol staff-day) than before (74 offences/patrol staff-day). In two forest sites, the average number of offences detected after reporting (179/patrol staff-day) was not significantly different to the number before (214 offences/patrol staff-day). In two parks where performance indicators were not reported, the average number of offences detected after reporting (116 offences/patrol staff-day) was not significantly different to the number before (174 offences/patrol staff-day). Publishing evaluation reports created an awareness of poor performance and generated performance-related competition between sites. Monitoring of patrol effort and illegal activity encounters commenced from mid-2004. Metrics were published at the end of 2005 and monitoring continued through 2006.

    (Summarised by: Ben Allen)

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