Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET)

Release of IMET 2.11 in September, 2023:

Download here IMET 2.11

Brief information on the Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET)

If you have previous IMET versions, please remove them from your computer before installing this new version. In the search box on the taskbar, type Control Panel and select it from the results. Select Programs > Programs and Features. Press and hold (or right-click) on the program you want to remove and select Uninstall or Uninstall/Change.

IMET is a Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) tool that allows an in-depth assessment of marine and terrestrial protected areas, regardless of their management categories and governance type. It is also a decision support tool that helps protected area managers take analysis-based management decisions for improved conservation outcomes.

IMET is a PAME tool – but also much more:

As a PAME tool, IMET identifies management strengths, constraints, and weaknesses of a protected area management.
IMET considers the key values of the protected area throughout the assessment to ensure that the overall scope of management is results-oriented. In this way, it supports the identification of the urgency and conservation priorities.
IMET embeds an inherent dimension of capacity building on protected area planning, monitoring, and evaluation to serve outcome-oriented management.
IMET exercise also supports the application of the protected area to the Green List.

IMET unique characteristics

IMET is a software that can be downloaded free of charge on a PC, that does not require an internet connection.
IMET combines the analysis of the protected area surrounding environment with the internal management assessment to obtain a clearer understanding of the management context and challenges.
IMET encourages participatory assessment and decision-making process, building a collective understanding of how the management functions. It is helpful to develop or renew a work plan or a management plan.
IMET includes data visualization that facilitates the analysis and presentation of results at soon as the assessment is completed.
IMET provides an automatic management analysis report that can be easily shared to protected area authorities and partners, the IMET (PAME) Analysis Report.
IMET stores the information in a database allowing processing and visualisation for more detailed analysis at site or system level.
IMET specialists (coaches) are available to support the IMET assessment, and result analysis. They form a supportive community to leverage capacity for planning, management, and even policy-making.

Key features of the IMET 2.10 version

This new IMET version (IMET 2.8, June 2022) includes several new features. The main ones are:

Two additional languages: Spanish, and Portuguese, in addition to English and French.
A third module, the IMET Analysis Report, which is automatically generated, editable, and printable for PAME reporting.
Possibility to work on any protected area, including those not featured in the WDPA.
Self-updating: no need to download any future version anymore!
Export/import functionality which allows sharing assessments in JSON format.
Possibility to generate a new IMET pre-filled with data from previous ones.
Merge conflicting or duplicates assessments (same PA and same year).
More user-friendly and ergonomic: visually attractive, a printing function, automatic information transfer, and more straightforward navigation between modules.
Increased software quality: self-updating, maintainability, stability.

The IMET 2.10 Technical Note provides the detailed list of all the additional functions with regards to the previous versions.

How to install it

Download IMET 2.10

Please, carefully refer to the following IMET installation note

If needed, IT technical support can be provided by writing at the following email address: JRC-IMET-TECHNICAL-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu

How to use IMET

Typically, the first IMET assessment consists of a 3-4 day workshop with the protected area team and key stakeholders facilitated by one or two IMET coaches. The IMET Handbooks, the COMIT (2016) and the COMIT 2 (2022), 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.

We invite you to report your IMET assessment to the Regional Observatories of biodiversity and protected areas Caribbean; Central Africa; Eastern and Southern Africa; Pacific; West Africa and to the GD-PAME WDPA.

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