1. Evaluating Management Effectiveness WORKSHOP STREAM 5 Session 5c: Protected area management standards and certification ISO certification at Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa (Catalonia-Spain) Jordi Falgarona i Bosch Ministry of Environment of Catalonia PNZVG team member

2. EUROPE CATALONIA 145 protected areas in Catalonia 21 under special legislation. 13 SLPA managed by MECat.

3. GARROTXA EUROPE CATALONIA GNP 4%> Catalonia Agriculture 5’4 % Industry 56’7 % Services 37’9 % Unemployment 3’5% < Cat.

4. Nature Park (V) 120 km 2 26 Nature Reserves (II) 10 km 2 18 urban areas (excluded) 9 km 2 11 municipalities 40.000 inhabitants (2.000 in NP) 98% privately owned (>1000 o.) 100% budget from MECat PARC NATURAL DE LA ZONA VOLCÀNICA DE LA GARROTXA

5. VOLCANIC LANDFORMS: The best preserved volcanic area in the Iberian peninsula 40 volcanic cones VEGETATION AND FLORA Southern boundary distribution for:. Eleboro-fagetum. Isopyrum-qercetum roboris CULTURAL LANDSCAPE. Traditional architecture and archeological sites.

6. NEEDS TO BE ADRESSED Social and political recognition A quiet and long term work demands for immediate outer identification. Park management team organisation Organisational needs for a mgt. team often differ from the common administrative structure Secure park mangement Secure the continuity of the team, ressources, plans, processes...in an uncertain and changing context.

7. ISO SEEN AS: TOOL PROCESS AWARD / LABEL

8. PARK MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PHASES InitialDevelopmentConsolidationActual Management 1982 Designation law approved 1985 Start of management 1990 Creation of MECat 1994 Aproval of MP 1998 ISO

9. ISO 9002-1994 process began on 12/97, and certification on 29/10/1998 All PA team as Quality Committe, with a Quality co-ordinator and a Quality chair (the park officer) 2003: adaptation process to ISO 9001-2000. ISO in the PNZVG

10. ISO: an open tool for a process ISO, as a label that, further than the distinction itself, implies the challenge for a demanding and rolling-on process. ISO, as a wide range standard. Not only designed for PA organisations. ISO, a label well known, prestigious and easy to identify STRENGTH ISO: driven by a live organisation that is feeding back it self and promoting revisions in order to fulfill the organisations needs.

11. Mostly designed for products, often difficult to fit in specific PA demands. Consultant experts often do not understand well the PA management team needs and worries. WEAKNESS Can survive as a purely burocratic system and it won’t be taken away. No specific requirements for evaluation of management results.

12. Regular analisys of the system and feed-back. Monitoring the organisation working system. Building a commited team able to work together. The team, as Quality Commitee, thinking together on the mission, the processes and its interactions. Clear definition of responsabilities. OPPORTUNITIES Evidence for consequences following any proposed change ISO label, process and experience as a good background for other standard certifications.

13. Do not covers the whole organisation (MECat, PA Board, etc..) Team may feel tried when laking tangible results and/or clear advise from certification consultant experts. THREATS Strong dependence on the Quality co-ordinator leadership.

14. ISO system is a proven tool able to fulfill the organisational needs of a PA management.