10Canopy Proprietary

PACE Methodology

Protected Area Conservation Effectiveness
PACE is Canopy's proprietary performance rating for major African protected areas. Each PA is scored across nine dimensions covering ecology, operations, finance, and community outcomes, with two data tiers and transparent sourcing. We publish the full methodology below because funders who understand how a rating works trust it more.
What PACE measures

Each protected area is scored 1 to 5 across nine dimensions covering ecology, operations, finance, and community outcomes. Scores combine into a composite rating and a letter grade. PACE answers a specific question: is this place being run well enough to merit long-horizon conservation capital.

Coverage starts at 38 of Africa's most operationally significant PAs across African Parks managed sites, Peace Parks landscapes, SANParks flagships, Kenya Wildlife Service parks, partnership-run reserves, and major state-managed icons. Coverage expands only as data quality allows defensible scoring.

Two-tier scoring

PACE splits its nine dimensions into two tiers based on data availability. This is an honest reflection of what is measurable from public sources and what requires editorial synthesis.

Tier 1 - Data-driven
6 dimensions scored directly from public sources
Biodiversity protection, ecosystem services, ecotourism infrastructure, community development, budget, and fundraising performance. Scored 1 to 5 against a published rubric using annual reports, IUCN data, Global Forest Watch, 990-PF filings, park authority disclosures, and major operator publications. No editorial judgement.
Tier 2 - Editorial-assisted
3 dimensions requiring synthesis and review
Security and anti-poaching, ecotourism revenues, and political and community leadership. Data here is either uneven across operators or inherently qualitative. Canopy drafts scores with full source trail using LLM-assisted synthesis, then a human reviewer confirms each rating before publication. The review step is not optional.
The nine dimensions
Dimension Tier Primary data sources
Biodiversity protection T1 IUCN Red List species presence, operator wildlife census data, species trend statements in annual reports
Ecosystem services (carbon and water) T1 Global Forest Watch forest cover and carbon flux, water catchment studies, Verra or Gold Standard registry data where the PA hosts a carbon project
Security and anti-poaching T2 Operator anti-poaching reports, rhino and elephant poaching statistics, news coverage of major incidents
Ecotourism infrastructure T1 Lodge and camp listings, park authority websites, TripAdvisor and Booking.com inventory, road and airstrip accessibility
Ecotourism revenues T2 Park authority financial disclosures where available, operator annual report income statements, state tourism ministry data
Community development T1 Annual report disclosures on schools, clinics, employment, and skills programmes. Operator community investment data. Independent evaluations where available
Political and community leadership T2 Government and community statements, conflict and dispute history, leadership continuity, press coverage of governance
Budget T1 Operator audited accounts, park authority budgets, 990-PF filings for US-registered operators, IATI data for donor-funded PAs
Fundraising performance T1 Audited income growth, 990-PF grants received, announced multi-year funding commitments, donor diversification
Scoring logic

Each dimension is rated 1 to 5 against a published rubric, where 5 represents best in class and 1 represents severely deficient. The composite score is the simple average of all nine dimensions. Where a dimension cannot be scored due to insufficient data, it is marked "insufficient data" and excluded from the composite rather than scored conservatively.

Composite grade conversion
A+4.60 - 5.00 - exemplary across most dimensions, a reference case for the sector
A4.20 - 4.59 - strong performance, well-run operation with minor gaps
B+3.80 - 4.19 - above average, credible operation
B3.40 - 3.79 - solid but with identifiable weaknesses
C+3.00 - 3.39 - mixed performance, meaningful operational gaps
C2.50 - 2.99 - significant concerns across multiple dimensions
DBelow 2.50 - severely underperforming on core conservation outcomes
Honest caveats
Data asymmetry is real. Transparent operators will score well because the data to score them exists. Opaque private reserves and state-run parks that publish nothing will either score poorly on Tier 1 dimensions or carry "insufficient data" flags. This is by design. PACE rewards disclosure.
Revenues are the hardest number. National park authorities sometimes publish ecotourism revenue (SANParks, Kenya Wildlife Service). Private reserves and partnership operators rarely do. Where data is absent, PACE flags this rather than estimates.
Leadership scoring is explicit editorial judgement. Unlike every other dimension, leadership cannot be reduced to a data point. PACE scores this dimension based on synthesised evidence across government statements, community reports, dispute history, and continuity. Every leadership score carries a source trail and Canopy stands behind the assessment.
Coverage before opinion. Starter scope is 38 PAs where the full nine-dimension score can be defended. Expansion is deliberate. PACE will not inflate coverage at the cost of rating quality.
PACE is not a substitute for due diligence. Ratings are a public reference for comparison and early screening. They are not investment advice, partnership recommendations, or a licence to skip direct operator assessment.
Editorial review and correction

Every published PACE score passes human review before going live. Tier 2 dimensions - where public sources are thinner and editorial synthesis is required - receive particular scrutiny. Every score carries a source trail and a scoring date, because the strongest rating is one that can be audited.

Corrections are welcomed. Operators, funders, or researchers spotting a factual error should email corrections@canopy.africa. We commit to responding within 14 days. Where a correction is accepted, the change is logged and the scoring date updated. Where we disagree, we publish our reasoning.

Update cadence

PACE scores are refreshed when underlying data changes. Annual report releases, major news events, leadership transitions, and registry updates all trigger review of affected dimensions. A scoring date is displayed on each PA record. No PA score is published older than 18 months without re-review.

Disclaimer

PACE scores are informational only. They are not conservation partnership recommendations, grant-making advice, or a solicitation for any financial transaction. Canopy makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the underlying data. All philanthropic or investment decisions should be made on the basis of independent due diligence.