NSW Resource condition MER




Status:

Advice provided

Advice date:

October 2012

Summary

In 2010, the NSW Government adopted the NSW Natural Resources Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Strategy 2010-15 (NSW MER strategy). The strategy has been a significant development in the state’s monitoring, evaluation and reporting (MER) arrangements.

The Natural Resource Management Senior Officers Group (SOG) asked the Commission to review existing datasets and indicators, and provide advice on how to best prioritise efforts under the resource condition monitoring program.

In October 2012, the Commission provided its final report on revising the NSW MER strategy. This report sets out what the NSW Government can do to ensure these critical policy and evaluation questions are being answered, including:

  • focusing monitoring and analysis on critical knowledge needs
  • collaborating across different scales
  • delivering timely and relevant information.

The Commission's recommendations aim towards more efficient use of available MER resources by focusing effort on the needs of decision-makers. Benefits of this approach include:

  • focusing investment priorities - allocating limited resources based on the values identified by communities, and understanding of landscape function and future trajectories
  • validating performance - developing clear and transparent evidence to measure progress against goals through rigorous analysis and systematic evaluations
  • designing future actions - allocating scarce resources by identifying trade-offs and understanding risks.

Key documents