Guidelines for Developing and Evaluating Tree Ordinances

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Step G. Evaluate and revise.

Even a successfully implemented management strategy must be monitored to ensure that progress is being made and standards are being met. Evaluation provides the feedback necessary to determine whether the management strategy is working. Periodic evaluation also provides an opportunity to reassess the needs and goals of the community. The management strategy may need to be adjusted to reflect new or altered goals. By providing for regular evaluation as part of the management process, the need for change can be identified before a crisis develops.

If you have set quantifiable goals, evaluating progress will be a relatively straightforward process. The types of evaluation techniques you will use will vary with the goal being evaluated. The Evaluation Methods page describes a number of simple techniques that can be used to monitor ordinance effectiveness.