IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

The Information Management Task Force (IMTF) was established in April 1996 by the CNPPA (now WCPA) Steering Committee.

The goal of the IMTF is:

• Recognising that there are significant disparities worldwide in access to PA information, resources, services and technologies, the IMTF will pursue strategies which ensure equitable access to protected area information.

The Task Force reports to the WCPA Steering Committee which will periodically review its performance. It will be a major point of contact and collaboration with WCMC (and its affiliates) and with the IUCN Information Management Group.

The IMTF is composed of WCPA members including a representative of WCMC and others as appropriate, who provide both broad geographic representation and state-of-the-art expertise in information management.

• To review information and capacity building needs and the resources of the worldwide protected areas community, and to outline tools and guidelines to address identified needs;
• To produce a fully developed and costed Protected Areas Resource Centre (PARC) proposal which is both modular and phased in design, and act as an advisory body for its implementation;
• To insure effective WCPA input to the Biodiversity Conservation Information System (BCIS) Programme;
• To provide advice to WCMC and WCPA to improve the way protected areas information is collected, managed, accessed, disseminated and applied;
• To seek and secure funding for WCPA information management projects with priority being given to PARC; and
• To undertake other tasks in the area of protected area information management at the request of the WCPA Steering Committee.