Strengths

A successful network process has been initiated, allowing a range of botanists across the region regular interaction with other regional botanists.

It has provided a forum for communication among a whole range of regional and international botanists and those with an interest in the subject. It has also created a functional model for regional scientific collaboration.

The project has focussed attention on plant conservation as part of the Convention of Biological Diversity.

The project has enabled herbaria to collect new data through field trips.

As repositories of scientific information on plants, herbaria across the region have benefited from funding to assist in making information more useable through a process of computerisation.

Most of the activities initiated are sustainable.

The project has increased human capacity within a range of herbaria and in various skills.

Many SABONET trainees have been or are likely to be absorbed into permanent positions.

Activities have sensitised herbaria and regional botanists to the use of herbarium data in applied conservation.

The NBI’s capacity to host the project has made it a successful one.

Weaknesses

Attention afforded to the the way in which obtained information could be disseminated to users, and the effective use of the capacity created, have been insufficient—the result of which is widely differing implementation capacities.

Project management skills need strengthening.

There is a lack of permanent positions for some trained staff; consequently, high staff turnover is a problem, especially with regard to training.

Uncertainty exists over the sustainability (and thus importance) of computerisation in some smaller herbaria, and as a result, the quality of computerised data concerning determination, nomenclature, and georeferencing varies greatly.

Requirements and priorities differ.

Roles and mandates differ.

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