Developed by IUCN and JRC in the context of BIOPAMA and launched in 2015, the IMET (Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool) has been extensively endorsed by countries in West and Central Africa, as well as regional and international organizations operating in this region.

Benin is the most recent country to validate the IMET as the tool for assessing protected areas management effectiveness, by integrating IMET/COMIT modules in the national universities’ curricula for training future protected area managers.

Previously, RAPAC- the Central African Network of Protected Areas, RAMPAO- the West African Network of Marine Protected Areas, as well as Burundi and Gabon adopted the IMET as official mechanism for protected areas management effectiveness. Others, such as Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger, DR Congo, UNDP and GIZ, have gained more interest in the tool and requested for extending the pilot phase of IMET testing.

The Coach Observatory Mission Toolkit (COMIT) is an integral part of IMET and is its pedagogical support tool aimed at helping protected area managers to carry out their training/support assignments. The COMIT is available in French and in English.