Instructions

The Invasive Plant Management Decision Analysis Tool (IPMDAT) is comprised of four primary steps that should take approximately two hours to complete. When the tool is completed a record can be saved and/or printed.

    The completion of the IPMDAT results in one of four possible outcomes.

  • Proceed with control (project has value and a high probability of success).
  • Stop – secure sustainable funding before proceeding.
  • Stop – control not feasible and/or not warranted.
  • Peer-review required – feasibility and/or return on investment are uncertain.

Below is a general overview of how to get started and complete the four steps in the IPMDAT to produce a Summary Report. For detailed instructions see “Help” on each page of the tool.

First, create a record to start the tool. Three project records can be active at one time. You can return to the “Records” page at any time by clicking on the IPMDAT logo. Once a project record is created, summary information is displayed on the records page including type of record (strategy selected), scientific name, steps completed (out of 4), and start/updated dates.

Step 1: Background Information

Complete the background information. Required fields are highlighted in red. You can advance to the next page once the required fields are completed. Advance by clicking on the arrow or by clicking on the page number.

Step 2: Strategy Selection

    Complete the strategy selection process:

  1. Document the invasive plant’s impact or harm.
  2. Select the description that best indicates distribution and abundance of the invasive plant within the context of the political, jurisdictional, or ecological project boundary
  3. You can proceed with the recommended strategy or select a strategy that you believe will achieve the project goals. If you choose to select your own strategy, click “No” and choose one of the three strategy options.

Step 3: Strategy Analysis

Use the best available information to answer each question in the Strategy Analysis section Provide documentation and references when appropriate. If the answer to the question is unknown or uncertain based on the best available information and literature, check the “uncertain” box and proceed to the next criteria and initiate the peer review process. If the criteria are not met, the strategy will not be recommended. You can choose to change to a different strategy or continue with the current strategy. Be sure to document your decision if you choose to continue.

Note: If you choose a new strategy, the "Documentation" text will not be transferred. Copy and paste your documentation text into a word processing document before proceeding.

Step 4: Financial Analysis

    Complete the following three parts of the Financial Analysis:

  1. Estimate Resource Requirements – Estimate the cost of the project using the budget calculator and then select a project cost category.
  2. Assessing Resource Availability - Is funding for core operations secure for at least two years, and has there been at least partial success in developing sources of long-term funding to sustain core costs for the next 5 years?
  3. Return on Investment - To estimate the return on investment (ROI) compare the project cost category (high, medium, or low) to anticipated benefit of the project (low or high).

A Summary Report is generated and it can be saved and/or printed. You can save the Summary Report as a Microsoft XPS Document Writer file or PDF (only if you have Adobe Acrobat Standard). Submit the project summary to iMap, if desired.

Site developed by Florida Resource and Environmental Analysis Center