Implementation Model of Vendor performance assessment for information technology service provider in PT. Krafthaus Yogyakarta

Vendor performance assessments are important to improve the performance of vendors and to manage long time relationship between SMEs and their vendor. The case study used in this study was on SMES in Yogyakarta. Vendor performance assessment model in this study is using models that have been developed in previous studies. Criteria in the model are Honest, Responsibility, vendor reputation, communication, quality of vendor, timely delivery, price, document and administration, vendor location and flexibility. The implementation of the vendor performance assessment model at PT Krafthaus Yogyakarta aims to make PT Krafthaus easily assess the performance of the vendor and easy to manage the performance.

Introduction
The key of the procurement process is to select a vendor, purchase goods and services as well as support provided by the vendor to the company. This is important because purchasing activity is one of the main parts of business management. In the current environment, it is highly unlikely to succeed with the cost of selling production and produce a quality product without a good supplier. [1]. Therefore, maintaining good relations with the vendors is one of the most important decisions in the procurement process [2] There are many vendors in the procurement process, One of them is a vendor engaged in information technology. Examples of IT vendor types include: System integration and inspeciton, System and Internet management, software and hardware development, software and hardware maintenance, and internet services. To get benefit and competitive advantage, information technology is important to be applied to a company. IT has become a ' commodity ' because IT must be owned by every company [3]. Information technology and vendors are important to the company, then manage the performance of vendors and perform the assessment should be done by the company. Vendor selection should be done carefully because the wrong vendor's sorting can cause harm to the company [4] Performance vendors impact and affect the company's performance [5]. In some industries such as chemicial and automotive, the cost of procurement process is 30%-70% [6]. For companies in managing vendors. Company prioritizes relationships with suppliers with long periods of time [7]. However, company expectations are not comparable to the vendor's performance scoring system. Because until now, many companies have not done evaluation and monitoring of the performance of vendors [8] Prior research [9] resulted in an IT vendor's performance assessment model. Criteria in the model according to the needs of SMES in Indonesia obtained through the dissemination of the questionnaire. The criteria in the model are Honest and maintenance of confidentiality of bussines, Responsibility, vendor reputation, communication, quality of vendor, timely delivery, price, document and administration, flexibility, and vendor location. Based on the research, this study was conducted to implement the vendor's performance assessment model. Model applied to assess the performance of vendors in one of the SMEs in Yogyakarta, PT Krafthaus Indonesia. Assessment is done on Internet service provider vendors. The assessment aims to make the PT Krafthaus able to easily manage the performance of Internet service provider vendors.
Based on the background, the authors made advanced research by applying the model that has been produced to see how the model can facilitate the assessment process and help obtain the best performance vendors.

Methods
Research starts from Literature Review, Vendor performance assessment model, Data Collection, Implementation of the model, and implementation results. Figure 1 which shows the steps of this study.

Vendor of technology information
Previous research in IT vendors was conducted to help decision maker in evaluating and assessing possible IT outsourcing suppliers. Outsourcing According to researchers is the process of transferring managed activities to be done by other people (vendors) and also human resources relating to organization's information technology is also managed by the vendors. Like the general evaluation and selection of vendors, IT also aims to find out the best service providers for products and services for the company [10] In the paper presented, researchers argue that outsourcing is switching the function of production of goods or services to an external provider (vendor) where SI/IT is one of the most accomplished outsourcing practices [11]

Vendor Performance Assessment Model
After literature review was conducted to know the models used in assessing the vendor performances.
And the next step is to determine the model to be used. And in this study, to assess the performance of Internet service provider vendors at PT Krafthaus Indonesia then the model used is the performance assessment model of information technology vendors that have been designed by involving SMEs in Indonesia [9]. Table 1 which shows the criteria, weights, assessment scales and descriptions in the model, Table 1 which shows the vendor performace assessment model. User friendly and there is a defect in the hardware but no Non conformity report 3 Not user friendly but still perform and there is a defect in the hardware and non vonformity report is released 2 Very not user friendly but vendor willing to improve and more than 1 no conformity report are released but vendor is responsible 1 Not user friendly and more than 1 non conformity report are released and vendor is not responsible History of performance and service is good 3 Bad performance history but goog service 2 Good, performance history but bad service 1 History of performance and service is not good 10 Honest and maintenance of confidentiality of business 0.213 5 Very honest and transparent in giving information and always have good commitment 4 Honest and transparent in giving information and have good commitment 3 Sometimes honest and transparent and sometimes have commitment 2 Not transparent in giving information and do not have commitment 1 Very not transparent in giving information and do not have commitment The IT vendor performance assessment Model used consists to the criteria, the weights of each criteria and rating scale to be used in the assessment process. Creation of models starting from the review of the literature to determine the frequent criteria Used, and then determining important criteria according to experts through assessment questionnaires,

Likert Scale
The Likert scale uses a number of questions to measure behavior by responding to 5 points of choice on any item of inquiry, totally agree, agree, don't decide, disagree, and totally disagree [12].

Vendor
Indrajit and Yuliandono stated that vendor is the source that provides the first material, where the chain of distribution of goods will begin. This first material can be in the form of raw materials, raw materials, auxiliary materials, merchandise, subassemblies, spare parts, etc. Every company needs vendo rs to supply material needed to produce the final product. Vendors play an upstream role and are very important in their position in the industry [13]. When an organization decides to use a vendor, it can be interpreted that the organization's performance will depend on the vendor, so that if the organization is wrong in selecting the vendor it will arise a difficult problem to overcome [14] Vendors are assessed from Several criteria that are often used in assessing or selecting vendors. These criteria are quality, price, supply chain support, quality and risk cost. [15] 2

.5 Data Collection
Process of collecting data done through interviews with director to know the background and involvement of vendors as Internet service providers. While to know the performance of vendors then data collection is done through the Vendor performance assessment form. Table 2. which shows data vendor technology information. After getting the values of each criteria then the next step is score calculation. The formulas used are:

Result and Discussion
From the research conducted, data collection to assess the performance of Internet service provider vendors at PT Krafthaus made through the form. In the form, the PT Krafthaus asked to mark (O) on each scale corresponding to the performance of the vendor. Figure 2 which show the example of a vendor's performance assessment form that has been marked (O)

Figure 2. Example of a Vendor performance assessment form
After obtaining the assessment through the form. Then the next step is to do the calculation process. Calculation starts by calculating the score of each criteria by using formula S=A*W From Figure 2 PT Krafthaus assesses Gmedia as the Internet service provider with the assessment scale for quality criteria is 5. To get the score of each criteria then the value given by the Pt Krafthaus is weighted by the weight of the criteria. Weights of quality criteria is 0.126 and assessment scale is 5 then: The calculation process is also done for nine other criteria using the same formula. Then, Table 3 which shows the Vendor Performance Assessment Results. Of the research conducted on PT Krafthaus, it can be concluded that they prioritize Honest and maintenance of confidentiality of business in choosing a vendor. It indicates the conformity between the needs of PT Krafthaus with the model. Also in accordance with previous research, where the research also argues that Honest and maintenance of confidentiality of business is an important thing in outsourcing software so that vendors are expected to be honest in doing the work [16]. Other research has also made Honest and maintenance of confidentiality of business in choosing a vendor as one of the most important subcriteria [17]. Others also assumed that vendors should be able to keep the confidentiality of business [18]. In addition, PT Krafthaus also prioritizes the quality in choosing information technology vendors. Other studies have also shown that quality is an important in assessing and choosing vendor performances. They explained that quality is the most criteria and should be used [19] [20].

Conclusions and Recommendations
After doing the implementation of vendor performance assessment model, the following conclusions are obtained: 1. In the performance assessment of vendors using the vendor performance assessment model performed by using a valuation form that can facilitate SMES. Where the assessment is done simply by giving a checklist on the assessment scale of each criterion that corresponds to the performance of IT vendors. 2. Models can be used and assist in assessing the performance of vendors at PT Krafthaus Indonesia 3. Performance from the Gmedia vendor is very good 4. Implementation is only done on one vendor so for further research, model applied to SMES that have more than one vendor


Role of Performance Appraisal System and Its Impact on Employees Motivation

The general objective of the study is to determine the role of performance appraisal and its impact on employee. The study is guided by the following specific objectives: to establish the extent to which performance appraisal process affects employee motivation, to determine the extent to which appraisers affect staff motivation and to determine the challenges in appraising employee performance. The study adopted descriptive research design. The population of interest consists of 120 employees of Service Industry in Nepal. Data is collected using structured questionnaires and additional qualitative data is collected using the reference from the questionnaire and the objectives of the study. The data is analysed using statistical tools such as frequency distribution, percentages and Pearson correlations. Data is presented using tables and charts. The research findings suggest that regular assessment of performance leads to employee motivation. Performance appraisal rating can be considered as a technique that has a positive effect on work performance and employee motivation. Employees may be motivated if the appraisal process is based on accurate and current job descriptions. On the challenges of performance appraisal on employee motivation established that some managers tend to be liberal or strict in their rating of staff which may affect the employees’ motivation. The manager’s ability to address the skills gaps can have a significant impact on the employee’s motivation. Regular ratings may affect the performance and motivation of the employees. Fair assessment of the employee’s performance may enhance their motivation.

Introduction *
With the rapid development and growth of organization, both in terms of its operations as well as the growing needs of the employees, it is quite normal for an organization to want to appraise its employee's performance. Traditionally, performance appraisals are conducted in a timely manner in order assess growth and progress of the employees in their work and job roles. Due to this, it is often linked to employee benefits as well as growth and promotion schemes by the organizations. While many organizations provide benefits or promotions based on the result of these appraisals, most of them unconsciously ignore the crucial connection of these appraisals with employee motivation.
According to Chan & Lynn (1991), organizational performance criteria should include not only just profitability, productivity, marketing effectiveness, customer satisfaction, but also employee morale. The rationale behind it is simple i.e. employees are the key resources and assets for an organization. An organization becomes successful when its workforce works hard to achieve organizations goals and objectives and subsequently, when the organization becomes successful, it helps its employees to progress in life, career and earnings. To become a successful organization, performance appraisal must be conducted all throughout the year, wherein employee's experience so far, motivation level, growth and development and other factors are reviewed to get a clear picture of his/her performance.
A typical traditional appraisal usually occurs once or twice a year. There would be extended time gaps of months between establishing goals and reviewing them, and objectives that are set upon in the beginning of the year are usually only dragged out during appraisal time (Afriyie, 2009). While performance appraisals provide the perfect opportunity for managers and staff to have one-on-one discussion, it is unfortunately open to biased ratings (Khan, 2013). There is also a tendency to focus on the weaknesses instead of strengths, which tend to create conflicts between manager and staff as well as negative work environment (Okeyo, Mathooko and Sitati, 2010). What organizations do not realize is that skills gaps need to be addressed quickly as it would impact the bottom line. During the performance appraisal process, there are common problems that emerge and they include: bias, stereotyping, halo error, distributional errors, similarity error, the appraisal conflicts, proximity error, contrast error and attribution error.
A successful performance appraisal system must fit the organization. Organizations need to assess the suitability of performance appraisal systems to their own workforce before implementing one that meets their needs (Skarlicki & Folger, 2007). The primary purpose of an appraisal system is to sieve out those who cannot or would not do the job. It has to be communicated to all involved parties and appropriate support and training should be provided especially to managers conducting such sessions with their staff (Shaw, Delery, Jenkins, & Gupta, 2008). Employers should also take note that performance evaluation is a continuous process and not one that happens only once a year. The best appraisals are a two-way discussion and focus on the employee assessing his own performance and setting goals for improvement. And as best practice, organizations should ensure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are well communicated to and clarified with staff, and there are proper benchmarks in place against which staff are assessed. Data collected from appraisals should be used to track the success of recruitment and induction practices.

Nature and Collection of Data
The research is descriptive in nature. The study setting of this research study is non-contrived. This research is conducted in the natural environment setting without any external influences or an artificially controlled setting.
As the data for this study will be collected once, the research study is cross-sectional. The unit of analysis for the study is at individual level. The relevant population for the research study is 120 employees of Service Industry in Nepal.
The questionnaire has been split into two sections. The initial section asked questions concerning the general responded information. The second section established the effect of the performance appraisal process on employee motivation. The third section determined the extent to which appraisers affect staff motivation. The fourth section examined challenges in appraising employee performance. A five-point Likert scale and rankings is used (ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree) to reflect the appropriate levels of measurement necessary for statistical analysis.

Data Analysis Methods
According to Mugenda and Mugenda (2009), descriptive analysis involves a process of transforming a mass of raw data into tables, charts, with frequency distribution and percentages. In this study, the descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequency distribution are used to analyse the demographic profile of the participants. The mean described each variable under performance appraisal system, appraisers and the challenges of the appraisal system. Pearson Correlation is used to determine the relationship between independent and dependent variable. The data is presented using tables and figures to give a clear picture of the research findings at a glance.  Table 1 is indicative of the results which are obtained from the demographic profile. Among the 120 respondents, 66.67 percent are male and 33.33 percent are female. 48.33 percent of the respondents are of 20-30 years, 45 percent are of 31-45 years and 6.67 percent are from 46-60 years. 16.67 percent of the respondents are associated with their respective organisations for less than 1 year, 23.33 percent are associated with 2-5 years, 22.50 percent are associated for 6-10 years, 21.67 percent have served for 11-15 years and 15.83 percent have served for more than 15 years. My performance rating is based on how well I am doing. I am satisfied and motivated with the way appraisal system is used to evaluate my performance.

Effect of Performance Appraisal on Employee Motivation
There are set standards for my job. Employee performance is easy to measure. The most recent ratings I received are based on many activities I am responsible for at work. My performance is above average ratings. I clearly understand the purpose of performance appraisal process. Performance appraisal identifies performance problems to improve employee productivity and motivation. Performance appraisal process encourages co-operation. The performance appraisal system has helped improve job performance. I am satisfied with the way the performance appraisal system is used to set my performance goals for each rating period. The findings indicate that a large proportion of the respondents suggested that their performance rating is based on how well they are doing (m=3.16). The rating scale method offers a high degree of structure for appraisal and motivation. Similarly, the data collected form the respondents also suggested that they believe performance appraisal system has helped improve job performance at work (m=3.05). It can be deduced that performance appraisal system is often considered one of the most important factors for employee motivation. This is followed by a large number of respondents who suggested that there are set standards for their job (m=3.17). The performance standards specify what the worker is supposed to be doing.
A substantial number of the respondents responded that the performance appraisal identifies performance problems to improve employee productivity and motivation (m=3.08). In addition to it, the findings also suggest that the respondents are satisfied and motivated with the way appraisal system is used to evaluate their performance (m=3.20). From this, it can be deduced that the appraisal process is accurate according to the current job description and experience which may have a direct impact on the employee's motivation to give their best.
However, the number of respondents who are satisfied with the way these appraisals are used to set the performance goals for each rating period is comparatively less (m=2.77). Even fewer responses are that the performance is above average ratings (m=2.75) but on a positive note, the number of respondents who understood the purpose performance appraisal process is comparatively large (m=3.14).

Correlation between the Appraisal System and Employee Motivation
As significance level is 0.00 which is less than 0.05, therefore, the findings suggest that there is strong correlation between the satisfaction with the current performance appraisal system and having a set of set standards for the job at (r=0.346, p<0.01).  The findings from the respondents claimed that the evaluator helps them understand what they need to do to improve their performance (m=3.44). A substantial number of the respondents mentioned that the subordinates recognizes the employees when they do a good job (m=3.26). Subordinate evaluations may give valuable information to improve on the employee's motivation. The findings from the responses also indicate that a number of respondents doubt whether they get a good appraisal at a mean of (m=3.15). The responses indicated customers recognize employees when they do a good job (m=3.34. A few other respondents mentioned that their work colleagues recognize the employees when they do a good job (m=3.08). Peers or co-workers often know the job of the individual employee better than the supervisor does and they are more directly affected by the employee's actions, either positive or negative.

Effect of Performance Appraisers on Employee Motivation
The respondents also seem to agree that the owner, who personally evaluated the employees is highly capable as an evaluator in evaluating their performance (m=3.60). This indicates that the respondents believe that the evaluator is highly capable of evaluating employee performance. This also plays an important factor which is likely to affect their motivation towards work performance. On the other hand, only a few number of the respondents agree the evaluator discusses regularly the employee job performance with the employees (m=3.10). There are certain problems that can occur when mangers or the owners themselves are responsible for employee's evaluation process. A less number of the respondents responded that their direct manager or the evaluator recognizes them when they do a good job (m=3.04) and very few express that their manager has reasonable expectations from the employee work (m=3.10). As significance level is 0.00 which is less than 0.05, therefore, the findings suggest that there is a strong correlation between the satisfaction with current appraisers and the customers being recognized for the good job that they do at (r=0.292, p<0.01). The findings from the response obtained indicate that a large number proportion of the respondents claim that they are satisfied with their relationship with the managers (m=3.34). It is found out that the managers quickly address the skills gaps which have a significant impact on the employee's motivation. Accordingly, a large number of respondents responded that the managers are capable to rate their performance (m=3.10). This indicates that errors may occur when the managers use only the last few weeks or month of a rating period as evidence of their ratings of others which may affect the performance and motivation of the employees. A significant number of the respondents mentioned that the appraisal system does not manage them better (m= 3.19). From this, it can be deduced that the performance appraisal system does not determine how well the employees perform their jobs and motivation.

Challenges in Appraising Employee Performance
On the other hand, only a few respondents agreed that the ratings are based on reasonable expectations from their work (m= 2.99). The findings from the responses also indicated that quite a few number of the respondents agreed that the evaluators are biased about the employee job performance (m=2.86). This means that the ratings may not be objective in evaluating the employee's actual performance. Also, fewer respondents agreed that the evaluator recognizes the employees when they do a good job (m=2.85). A small number of the respondents agreed that the evaluator plays a significant role in employees' motivation (m=1.76) and only a small proportion of the respondents agree that the managers have reasonable expectations from the respondent work (m=2.11). As significance level is 0.00 which is less than 0.05, therefore, the findings suggest that there is a strong correlation between satisfaction with the solutions for performance appraisal problems and the appraisal system not managing employees better at (r=0.315, p<0.01).

Findings from Interview
Qualitative data unlike quantitative data cannot be translated into numbers to decipher the exact data. The data collected have therefore, been coded using a thematic approach to decode and decipher the patterns observed during the interview. As the purpose of the interview is to substantiate the data obtained through the questionnaires collected, only two employees are approached for the interview.

Performance Appraisal Process Affects Employee Motivation
Data reduction is a method through which codes are generated by analysing the themes generated during the interview. The themes of every answer generated are identified and coded accordingly. The codes are generated through these themes. The codes generated are presented as follows: The findings from the first interview (table 8) indicate the importance of accuracy, fairness in scoring the appraisal, goal setting post appraisal, co-operation between the appraisers and appraise as well as the importance of inclusion of self-development aspect for the employees, as important factors which affect the employee motivation during appraisal.

Statements/Themes
Codes "though everyone knows it is being done, not all put value to or understand why it is necessary" "the rating is usually average and done by the boss, so, I don't believe it reflects my correct appraisal"

Statements/Themes
Codes "just done for salary increment or setting target for the next year" "helped in improving my performance compared to last year as my appraisal is a bit better" "helped me identify my weakness when boss talked with me after the appraisal so it has improved my work rate" "boss is usually here on site and observes us and sometimes helps us, so though I think the appraisal reflects my performance, I don't think it is entirely accurate"

Feedback Performance Solving
Fairness in rating Co-operation Lack of Accuracy The findings from the second interview (table 9) indicate importance on clarity on the purpose of the appraisal, development of the workers, the feedback system, fairness in rating, co-operation, accuracy, performance problem solving and presence of biasness as important aspects that can affect the motivation of the employees during the performance appraisal process.

Statements/Themes
Codes "we know when someone has done their part work properly and when one has failed to meet their target" "the targets are set based on the company's target for the year" "our boss talks to each individual after appraisal to tell about their weakness or what or how they should do next time to improve themselves" "my appraisal is, I think, fair bur I believe I could have gotten better ratings" "we all work together and everyone helps each other so I don't think our boss is biased"

Statements/Themes
Codes "ratings are fair but sometimes I think our boss does it based on how we should have done then rather than what we have done that's why they are mostly around average. I think he sometimes expects more from us than we can deliver" "he is the owner himself and has established this organization. He is very capable and we respect him. Moreover, he treats us like family not just employees" "after appraisal he calls us individually to discuss on our appraisal results. They are very helpful" "the owner helps us and provides guidance but that does not mean we must always depend on him to improve ourselves and grow our career" Expectation from Employees Reflection on Performance

Competent Mutual Respect
Individual Feedback

Career Development
The findings indicate some of the challenges on appraisal system are the expectation of work performance from employees, feedback and career development. The findings indicate the biggest challenge is the expectation the evaluator has from the employees. High expectation can often lead to disappointments when they are not met.

Data Display
The data display is method used to summarize the data and information collected during through qualitative method of data collection. Among the various phrases are used during the interview, some phrases are frequently used. The findings from the interview indicated some of phrases that are used frequently during the interview by the interviewees.

Frequently used Phrases
Frequency Codes "the ratings of the appraisals are fair but are do not accurately reflect our level of performance rather our lack of performance from the expected level" "everyone one knows when appraisal is done but not everyone knows how the ratings are scores or what is the main purpose for it as many think it's is only for salary increment" "feedbacks are individually given to each and every employee and their performance during the year is discussed as well" "our weakness and strengths are discussed during feedbacks and during weekly meetings and guidance is provided if we show our capability and potential for improvement" The data indicates that among the various factors that affect the motivation of the employee in regards to the appraisal system, the four crucial aspects regarded the employees are accuracy, clarity on purpose and process of the appraisal process, prospect of performance problem solving and skill development.
The interviewees firmly believe that accuracy of the rating and proper understanding of the appraisal system play crucial role regarding employee motivation. If the employees perceive that their appraisals are not accurate and do not reflect their actual performance, then it will demotivate them from improving their work performance. Similarly, if they have no idea how the appraisal is done or measured, then even if the appraisals are accurate, they might feel unfairness or inaccuracy in scorings.
The interviewees also perceive that it is important that the post-appraisals process would show prospect in helping the employees to further develop their skills and reach their potentials by providing guidance and help in solving the problems that would help in increasing their ratings in the next appraisal. This would help them in developing themselves and increasing their skills which would help to pave their career path as well. Such prospects are important factors of the appraisal which motivates employees.

Frequently used Phrases
Frequency Codes "everyone is treated like a family member and even the owner as well as managers help the workers in the work so there is no bad relation between the employees" "the owner has a lot of experience and is competent to appraise us" "everyone is treated fairly and rated based on their work performance rather than their behaviour, so it is not biased" The data indicates that among the various factors and codes generated, the following are most crucial factors regarded by the employees regarding the second objective. The factors are mutual respect, competence of the appraiser and lack of biasness.
According to the interviewees, the competency of the evaluator is one of the crucial aspect when regarding the motivation of the employees in the appraisal process. This indicated that even appraiser play crucial role in motivating employees through the appraisal process which leads to good cooperation during the appraisal as well other day-to-day activity.

Frequently used Phrases
Frequency Codes "after every appraisal, all the employees are called individually to discuss their appraisal results and give constructive feedback on their performance" "we perform the best we can, but the owner has high expectation from our work which leads to only average ratings in appraisal" "these appraisals indeed provide guidance to our career but this mainly depends on our work and commitment rather than the appraisal 5 3 3 Feedback

Expectation on Performance
Career Development From the data collected through interview and the frequency used, it can be inferred that the provision of feedback is taken as a crucial factor by the employees. The feedbacks are given with the aim to help the employees do better in the next appraisal and perform their work better, however, these are done based on the appraisal results. The interviewees believe that the biggest challenge is that the appraiser has too high expectation from them which has led to only average performance ratings. Due to this, the feedbacks are not as effective as they could have been. These feedbacks also help the employees to develop their skills and pave their career path but to the inaccurate ratings, this has not been as effective as it could have been.

Drawing Conclusion
From the data analysis, the conclusion can be summarized with the help of the conceptual framework ( fig. 1).

Conclusion
The general objective of the study is to identify the key variable factors that determine the effect performance appraisal has on the motivation of employees. The study is guided by the following specific objectives: to establish the extent to which performance appraisal process affects employee motivation, to determine the extent to which appraisers affect staff motivation and to determine the challenges in appraising employee performance.
The study adopted descriptive research design. The population of interest consists of 120 employees employed in Service Industry in Nepal. Data is collection using structured questionnaires and open ended interview questions. The data is analysed using the statistical tools such frequency distribution, percentages as well as Pearson correlations. The data is presented using tables and figures.
On the effect of performance appraisal process on employee motivation established that the system is important for employee motivation. Performance appraisal system has helped improve job performance at work. The regular assessment of performance leads to employee motivation. The performance standards are quantified and pegged against an individual evaluation which is essential for employee motivation. Performance appraisal rating can be considered as a technique that has a positive effect on work performance and employee motivation. The employees may be motivated if the appraisal process is based on accurate and current job descriptions. The performance appraisal identifies performance problems to improve employee productivity and motivation.
On the effect of performance appraisers on employee motivation established that the different evaluators can increase the accuracy of performance evaluation (can reduce bias) and increase employee's perceptions of fairness. Customers can recognize the employees when they do a good job evaluation process that are important for employee's motivation. Subordinate evaluations may give valuable information to improve on the employee's motivation. Peers or co-workers often know the job of the individual employee better than the supervisor does and they are more directly affected by the employee's actions, either positive or negative.
On the challenges of performance appraisal on employee performance established that some managers tend to be liberal or strict in their rating of staff which may affect the employees' motivation. The manager's ability to address the skills gaps can have a significant impact on the employee's motivation. Regular ratings may affect the performance and motivation of the employees. Fair assessment of the employee's performance may enhance their motivation.
Employers should also note that performance evaluation is a continuous process and not one that happens only once a year. The reasonable expectations of the ratings can lead to honest feedback for employee motivation.

Implications
The main objective of the research is to identify the key variable factors that determine the effect performance appraisal has on the motivation of employees. Despite favourable conditions and co-operation from the respondents, there are a few setbacks present.
A major setback is the total population of the respondents. The present research is conducted in limited sample population. It includes 120 employees who work in Service Industry in Nepal. Researchers suggest that less than 100 samples are considered "small sample size," between 100 and 200 samples are considered "medium sample size," and over 200 samples are considered large enough. So the sample size, despite being taken in entirety, is still too small.
Similarly, the study is cross-sectional in nature meaning, the data is gathered only once in order to derive the findings of the research. As questionnaires are involved, there is still possibility of self-biasness from the side of respondents in the data obtained.
There is the need for the researchers to conduct further research on this topic. While working in this research, there are fewer than handful research in existence. Identifying and coming into conclusive on this rising topic will definitely bring a commendable change in the corporate business world.


Advancing Social Equity in and Through Marine Conservation

Substantial efforts and investments are being made to increase the scale and improve the effectiveness of marine conservation globally. Though it is mandated by international law and central to conservation policy, less attention has been given to how to operationalize social equity in and through the pursuit of marine conservation. In this article, we aim to bring greater attention to this topic through reviewing how social equity can be better integrated in marine conservation policy and practice. Advancing social equity in marine conservation requires directing attention to: recognition through acknowledgment and respect for diverse peoples and perspectives; fair distribution of impacts through maximizing benefits and minimizing burdens; procedures through fostering participation in decision-making and good governance; management through championing and supporting local involvement and leadership; the environment through ensuring the efficacy of conservation actions and adequacy of management to ensure benefits to nature and people; and the structural barriers to and institutional roots of inequity in conservation. We then discuss the role of various conservation organizations in advancing social equity in marine conservation and identify the capacities these organizations need to build. We urge the marine conservation community, including governments, non-governmental organizations and donors, to commit to the pursuit of socially equitable conservation.

INTRODUCTION
Considering social equity in conservation efforts is essential for both ethical and instrumental reasons. While there is a diversity of conservation initiatives, with a range of positive and negative impacts on people, we acknowledge the deeply problematic roots and history of Western and colonial visions of conservation. Many past conservation models and practices have privileged Western ways of thinking and doing, have envisioned humans as separate from nature, have been shaped by colonial mindsets, and have perpetuated racism (Sandlos, 2007;Dowie, 2009;Griffin et al., 2019;Musavengane and Leonard, 2019). The result too often was poorly designed conservation initiatives that were planned and implemented in a topdown manner, that inadequately considered local perspectives and needs, and that separated Indigenous Peoples and local communities from resources and territories that they depend on for culture and survival (Dowie, 2009;Stevens, 2014;Griffin et al., 2019;Muhl and Sowman, 2020). Such conservation approaches often produced a number of negative social consequencesincluding displacement, violence, disempowerment, human rights abuses, widening of economic inequities, and increased poverty Agrawal and Redford, 2009;Oldekop et al., 2015). Unfortunately, some of these problems persist in conservation initiatives promoted by both international organizations and national governments (Cross, 2016;Fletcher et al., 2016;Bennett et al., 2017b;Armitage et al., 2020). Insufficient attention to social equity in conservation not only produces social harms Bennett et al., 2017b), it can also undermine local support thereby hindering the effectiveness of conservation (Ferse et al., 2010;Pascual et al., 2014;Bennett et al., 2019b). Furthermore, long-term sustainability and effectiveness can be increased through creating strong local partnerships, integrating traditional knowledge and local management practices, recognizing and championing local leadership, and protecting Indigenous rights and tenure (Garnett et al., 2018;Burt et al., 2020).
Prompted by evidence of wrong-doing and pressured by many civil society and Indigenous groups, progress has been made over the past few decades to address past wrongs and reorient conservation practices to be more collaborative, peoplecentered, and locally led (Greiber et al., 2009;Stevens, 2014;Charles et al., 2016;Armitage et al., 2020). Such advancements have included, for example, recognition of community-based approaches to conservation (Berkes, 2007;Govan et al., 2009;ICCA, 2013;Jupiter et al., 2014), consideration of social impacts on livelihoods and well-being (de Lange et al., 2016;Ban et al., 2019a;Wallace et al., 2020), recognition of the rights and roles of Indigenous Peoples in conservation (Stevens, 2014;Ban and Frid, 2018;Porten et al., 2019), promotion of gender equity (Leisher et al., 2016;Kleiber et al., 2018;Lau, 2020;Mangubhai and Lawless, 2021), and greater attention to participation and power sharing in conservation governance (Borrini-Feyerabend et al., 2007;Armitage et al., 2012;Jupiter, 2017;Eger and Doberstein, 2019). Global conservation policiessuch as the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Biodiversity Targets and draft Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework -have also highlighted the importance of social considerations in conservation, such as benefit sharing, equitable management, Indigenous rights, livelihoods, and participation in decisionmaking (CBD, 2010(CBD, , 2020. There have been many recent treaties and global commitments to increase the spatial coverage of conservation around the globe (CBD, 2010;United Nations, 2015;Wilson, 2016;Pimm et al., 2018). While we recognize that there is an urgent need to scale up conservation efforts to arrest global declines in biodiversity (IPBES, 2019;Duarte et al., 2020), there is also a danger that the push to rapidly achieve spatial targets, in the absence of social equity considerations, may lead to the perpetuation of exclusionary conservation models and the undermining of local rights (Büscher et al., 2017;Schleicher et al., 2019). Despite growing recognition of the need for socially equitable conservation, in both policy and practice, greater attention is still given to what, how much, and where to protect, rather than how to go about protecting biodiversity and who should be included in the process (Hagerman and Pelai, 2016;Campbell and Gray, 2019). One reason for this is that many actors involved in marine conservation -including governments, nongovernmental organizations, advocates and funders -often lack a clear understanding of what social equity means and how to integrate it into conservation practices. This represents a barrier to more socially progressive, equitable and effective conservation. Through this article, we seek to advance the field with a specific focus on how the marine conservation community can advance social equity in and through marine conservation.

SOCIAL EQUITY IN MARINE CONSERVATION
In general terms, social equity is concerned with fairness and justice in how people are treated or public policies are formulated and implemented. The current thinking on social equity in conservation draws from a long history of thinking and scholarship on environmental justice (Agyeman et al., 2003;Schlosberg, 2009;Walker, 2012;Ulloa, 2017;Engen et al., 2021), social justice (Fraser, 1998;Miller, 1999;Sikor et al., 2014;Bennett et al., 2019a), and social equity (McDermott et al., 2013;Pascual et al., 2014;Schreckenberg et al., 2016;Zafra-Calvo et al., 2017;Dawson et al., 2018;Friedman et al., 2018). Frameworks specifically focused on social equity in conservation (McDermott et al., 2013;Pascual et al., 2014;Schreckenberg et al., 2016;Zafra-Calvo et al., 2017;Dawson et al., 2018;Friedman et al., 2018) have defined four aspects of equity that needed to be considered in conservation interventions: recognitional, procedural, distributional, and contextual equity (see definitions in Table 1). Here, we extend that thinking to provide practical guidance that is applicable to marine conservation policy and practice.
In developing this guidance, our author team, which includes a broad group of both academics and practitioners with experience working in marine conservation around the world, felt that past applications of these four aspects of social equity to conservation had several shortcomings that we wanted to address. First, past attention to procedural equity addresses aspects of governance 1 | Definitions of the elements of social equity in the context of marine conservation (McDermott et al., 2013;Pascual et al., 2014;Schreckenberg et al., 2016;Zafra-Calvo et al., 2017;Dawson et al., 2018;Bennett et al., 2020).

Elements of social equity
Definition in the context of conservation

Recognition
The acknowledgment and incorporation of the rights, tenure, cultural identities, practices, values, visions, knowledge systems and livelihoods of local groups into conservation governance, planning, and management

Procedures
The inclusion and effective participation of all relevant actors and groups in rule and decision-making for conservation policies and programs, which requires good governance practices such as transparency and accountability

Distribution
The level of fairness in the distribution of benefits and burdens between different groups, including current and future generations, of the outcomes of conservation actions

Management
The extent to which local people are able to participate in, carry out the work of, or be responsible for and have a leadership role in management activities

Environment
The quality of the local environment and nature's contributions to people based on the effectiveness of actions taken to maintain ecological sustainability, health and productivity that people depend on for food security, livelihoods, cultural anchoring, health, and well-being Contextual or Structural The surrounding social, economic, and political conditions that influence people's pre-existing status (in terms of wealth, social capital, assets/capabilities, and power), as well as the structures that enable or undermine people's ability to achieve recognitional, procedural, distributional, managerial, and environmental equity in conservation initiatives such as inclusiveness, participation, transparency, access to justice, accountability, and free, prior and informed consent (McDermott et al., 2013;Pascual et al., 2014;Schreckenberg et al., 2016;Zafra-Calvo et al., 2017). These frameworks, however, have not adequately captured the need for local involvement in or leadership in conservation management. Thus, we suggest there is a need to differentiate governance as the policies, institutions and processes that determine who participates in decisions and how decisions are made from management which is the resources, plans, and actions that result from applied governance (Lockwood, 2010;Bennett and Satterfield, 2018). Second, while the status of the environment is often implied under distributional equity in previous frameworks, few studies focused on equity have measured environmental variables or effectiveness (Friedman et al., 2018). Given the strong links between environmental sustainability and various aspects of wellbeing (e.g., health, food security, and livelihoods), we believe that the quality of the environment, the efficacy of conservation actions, and the effectiveness of management should be more explicit as foundational to social equity (Caillon et al., 2017;Leach et al., 2018;Díaz et al., 2019Díaz et al., , 2020. Finally, we feel that the implications of broader contextual or structural factors -including social, economic, and political conditions and conservation frameworks -on the ability to achieve social equity within local conservation initiatives deserves some clarification. Thus, we build on the prior frameworks to suggest that advancing social equity in marine conservation requires attention to six interrelated equity elements: recognition, procedures, distribution, management, the environment, and contextual or structural factors. Below, we define each element and consider the implications of each for marine conservation (see Table 1).

Recognition: Acknowledging and Respecting the Dignity of Diverse Peoples
The idea of recognitional equity suggests that the human dignity of all peoples and the diversity of human experiences and situations needs to be acknowledged by marine conservation actors, as well as respected and integrated into the promotion, planning and management of conservation (Pascual et al., 2014;Martin et al., 2016). Achieving this requires a broad and deep understanding of the social context where conservation occurs. Key considerations related to recognitional equity in conservation include: (a) acknowledgment of stakeholders and rights holders; (b) respect for formal and customary rights and tenure, and historical connections to the local environment; (c) incorporation of diverse cultural institutions, practices, and knowledge systems; (d) integration of worldviews, perspectives and needs of diverse and marginalized groups, including different genders, ethnicities, and classes; (e) affirmation of sovereignty, autonomy, and the right to self-determination; and (f) protection of human and Indigenous rights (IIED, 2016;Schreckenberg et al., 2016;Ban and Frid, 2018;Dawson et al., 2018;Bennett et al., 2020). The tools and methods of applied social science (e.g., stakeholder analysis, values assessment, review of rights, and tenure, etc.) can be useful to help understand these topics (Bennett et al., 2017a), while other topics might only truly be understood through deep engagement with individuals who are embedded in the local context. The latter is the case, for example, with cultural institutions, practices, and knowledge systems (Poe et al., 2014).
Integrating the aforementioned social considerations into planning or management can help ensure that conservation initiatives are appropriate and match to the local socio-cultural context (Epstein et al., 2015;Guerrero et al., 2015). For example, incorporating the views and needs of diverse stakeholder and cultural groups will require that representatives of government agencies and conservation organizations are mindful of which types of conservation fit each locale. In some cultural contexts, the idea of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) or no-take zones may align well with traditional practices such as seasonal or area closures (Johannes, 2002;Ban et al., 2020). In other places where Indigenous worldviews emphasize the interconnections between humans and nature, or where continuation of sustainable use is considered essential to cultural survival, conservation models such as Locally Managed Marine Areas or "Territories of Life" may be more appropriate than areas where human fishing, hunting, or harvesting activities are fully restricted (Govan et al., 2009;Jupiter et al., 2014). For those engaged in advocating for conservation, affirming sovereignty and autonomy means entering into conservation conversations with humility, respect and an open mind -and recognizing that local governments or Indigenous groups have the right to decide whether to engage and support or to opt out (UNECE, 1998;United Nations, 2007).

Procedures: Fostering Participation and Good Governance
Whether initiatives are large and externally driven or small local protected areas, those who reside in or around marine conservation areas and thus who might be impacted by them (both positively and negatively in the short and longterm) ought to be well informed about the initiative, able to voice their perspectives and concerns, help to envision and plan how conservation occurs, and provide consent prior to implementation (UNECE, 1998;United Nations, 2007;FAO, 2012;Borrini-Feyerabend and Hill, 2015). This is the essence of procedural equity, which can be encapsulated as participation in decision-making and good governance processes during the various stages of marine conservation. Key considerations related to procedural equity include: (a) inclusive and participatory decision-making, (b) local capacity to engage in and lead decision-making processes, (c) transparency of information, decisions, and intentions, (d) free, prior, and informed consent, and (e) accountability mechanisms Schreckenberg et al., 2016;Zafra-Calvo et al., 2017;Bennett et al., 2020). These considerations align broadly with the ideals and principles of good governance (Lockwood, 2010;Borrini-Feyerabend and Hill, 2015).
Steps to enable the application of these different norms related to procedural equity will differ by scale and location. In national networks, for example, governments will need to design and create institutions (e.g., laws, policies, rules), structures (e.g., decision-making bodies, formal organizations, networks), and processes (e.g., decision-making, policy creation, negotiation, conflict resolution) that embody and enable equitable participation in marine conservation governance (Lockwood, 2010;Bennett and Satterfield, 2018;IUCN, 2019). For managers at the site level, truly inclusive and participatory decision-making processes will require attention to representation of diverse groups, mindful facilitation of meetings to ensure that all voices are heard and their viewpoints considered, establishing decision-making processes and bodies that are appropriate and reflect local practices, and adequate financial or other support provided to enable local organizations and communities to be able to attend, prepare for (e.g., conduct own analysis, prepare responses), and fully participate in meetings from the beginning of the process (Borrini-Feyerabend et al., 2007;Matsue et al., 2014;Kawaka et al., 2017). Tick box attendance should not be used to legitimize decisions that local stakeholders, especially women and marginalized groups, do not agree with. True procedural equity may necessitate moving beyond including local people in government driven decision-making processes toward more collaborative planning processes or conservation governance processes that are established and led by local or Indigenous communities (Berkes, 2007;Artelle et al., 2019;Jonas et al., 2021). Re-shifting the balance of power back toward Indigenous Peoples and local communities will require sustained financing, for example, to augment local capacity for participation in and navigation of policy processes or to support Indigenous-led marine planning processes and conservation initiatives. Employing transparency in communications, ensuring free, prior and informed consent, and establishing accountability mechanisms are foundational to effective participation (Lockwood, 2010;Borrini-Feyerabend and Hill, 2015;Bennett and Satterfield, 2018).

Distribution: Maximizing Benefits and Minimizing Burdens for Local Populations
The lives and well-being of individuals, groups and communities who depend on local marine resources will inevitably be impacted by the implementation and ongoing management of marine conservation initiatives. These impacts can include a variety of positive or negative outcomes, across different aspects of well-being (e.g., economic, social, cultural, political, health, and physical assets), which may differ based on proximity, by subgroups and over short-and long-time scales (Mascia et al., 2010;Ban et al., 2019a;Gill et al., 2019;Rasheed, 2020). Over longer time scales, benefits to local populations may accrue from the recovery of ecosystems or fisheries; however, in the short term resource users may lose access to the resource (Guidetti and Claudet, 2010;Edgar et al., 2014;Ovando et al., 2016). While a recent review shows that most MPAs lead to benefits for human well-being (Ban et al., 2019a), other analyses suggest that many of the burdens of conservation fall on local communities who may already be politically or economically marginalized (Kamat, 2018;Sowman and Sunde, 2018). As it is unfair to place the burden of marine conservation on local populations, it is important to understand, mitigate, and manage the social impacts of conservation in such a way that it reduces negative impacts and maximizes benefits (Kaplan-Hallam and . Key considerations related to distributional equity include: (a) the distribution of costs and benefits in planning and management, (b) actions to reduce and manage negative impacts, and (c) cultivating opportunities to increase local benefits for improving well-being (Pascual et al., 2014;Schreckenberg et al., 2016;Zafra-Calvo et al., 2017;Bennett et al., 2020;Rasheed, 2020).
A key moment when distributional equity should be considered is during the planning of networks of marine conservation initiatives or the placement of zones within individual MPAs for strict protection or for different uses and/or user groups (Halpern et al., 2013;Kockel et al., 2019). While past distributional analysis has tended to focus on economic aspects, marine conservation planning needs to do a better job of incorporating other factors such as Indigenous territories and rights, important cultural areas and practices, women's livelihoods, and subsistence access rights (Ban et al., 2013;Gee et al., 2017). For example, during MPA planning in Raja Ampat, socioeconomic criteria and data were explicitly used to zone MPAs, to ensure the recognition of community use and governance of resources, maximize equity and access to traditional fishing grounds, and better support long-term food security and livelihoods of local communities .
Actions that might be taken during implementation and ongoing management to avoid or reduce potential negative social impacts include examining how different planning or management activities might impact livelihoods or well-being (Vanclay, 2002;Kaplan-Hallam and Bennett, 2018), creating networks that combine fully protected areas with zones that are important for subsistence activities , or the implementation of compensation mechanisms such as payments for ecosystem services or livelihood alternatives for lost opportunities or access to resources (Rakotomahazo et al., 2019;Mangubhai et al., 2020). The involvement of local communities in examining impacts, considering trade-offs, and making decisions can help to ensure these various activities and mechanisms are designed in a manner that is more equitable and socially acceptable to constituents (Abunge et al., 2013;Gurney et al., 2021). Active monitoring and evaluation of different aspects of human well-being, including economic, social, health, cultural, governance considerations, can enable the adaptive management of social impacts of marine conservation (Kaplan-Hallam and Ban et al., 2019a;Gill et al., 2019). Finally, proactively cultivating opportunities to increase local socioeconomic benefits may include developing capacity-building programs, ensuring local hiring in conservation management, implementing local procurement agreements, supporting local social and cultural infrastructure, developing local ownership or benefit-sharing arrangements for tourism operations, and cultivating livelihood programs or local conservation and development projects that fit with local capacities and aspirations (Hughes and Flintan, 2001;Bennett and Dearden, 2014). Those conservation organizations without sufficient expertise in these areas may benefit from partnering with local developmentfocused organizations or agencies.

Management: Championing and Supporting Local Involvement and Leadership
Local involvement in management is important for legitimacy, local support and the robustness of conservation initiatives (Bodin et al., 2014;Barnes et al., 2019;Bennett et al., 2019b). Equity in management, which in our view goes beyond participation in decision-making or governance processes, refers to the level of inclusion in and leadership of management activities (Elliott et al., 2001;Dalton et al., 2012;Jupiter et al., 2014). Key considerations related to management equity include: (a) the ability of local people to participate or take an active role in management activities; (b) the rights and capacity of local people to be responsible for and take a leadership role in environmental management and conservation; and (c) the establishment of sustainable financial mechanisms to support local participation, capacity, and leadership in conservation management.
Practically, local organizations and communities can benefit from leading, being involved in and taking an active role in management activities such as conducting scientific monitoring, patrolling the area, hosting visitors in their territory, or doing conservation and restoration work. Fostering an active role in management may be as simple as listening to local leaders, stepping back and allowing space for local solutions and practices that already exist -for example, through recognizing, championing, and helping to revitalize customary and preexisting management activities that contribute to environmental sustainability and supporting the individuals who traditionally carry out this work (Cinner et al., 2012;Mathews and Turner, 2017;Ban et al., 2019b). Such is the case in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in Canada where Indigenous clam gardens -which have been shown to have greater productivity and biodiversity than regular beachesare being cultivated within the bounds of the protected area (Augustine and Dearden, 2014).
The creation of formal collaborative management (aka -comanagement) arrangements that involve a partnership between governments and local or Indigenous communities can be a productive way to share management authority, responsibility, and leadership (Armitage et al., 2010;Weeks and Jupiter, 2013). For example, in the Bird's Head Seascape (Indonesia) the majority of the MPAs have been established through community customary adat declarations and regency laws and reinforced by national laws, with co-management structures that allow communities to actively manage and patrol their MPAs (Mangubhai et al., 2012). Yet true managerial equity in many contexts will require going further than just involving local people to recognizing the inherent rights of local or Indigenous communities and supporting their intrinsic rights and capacity to take leadership in the management of an area. This truly makes sense for Indigenous Peoples whose conception of rights is that it comes with coinciding responsibilities to steward or care for the environment (Friedlander et al., 2013). Furthermore, in Indigenous territories or other areas managed by local communities, priority should be given to the establishment of Indigenous-or community-led marine conservation initiatives. This includes models of marine conservation such as Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), Indigenous Community and Conserved Areas (ICCAs), Customary Marine Management Areas (CMMAs), or Territories-of-Life (Govan et al., 2009;Vierros et al., 2010;ICCA, 2013;Jupiter et al., 2014;Jonas et al., 2021).

Environment: Ensuring the Efficacy of Conservation Actions and Adequacy of Management to Ensure Benefits to Nature and People
The health and well-being of local populations is related to the sustainability, health and productivity of the environment and nature's contributions to people , especially for communities who are dependent on marine resources for livelihoods, subsistence, or cultural continuity (Poe et al., 2014). Depleting natural capital, biodiversity or ecosystem services is antithetical to human well-being and to intergenerational equity and justice (Leach et al., 2018;Díaz et al., 2019Díaz et al., , 2020. In other words, the efficacy and adequacy of environmental management is foundational to social equity. Thus, it is important to ensure that conservation and management actions being promoted and taken are effective -i.e., that they maintain or increase environmental sustainability, health and the productivity of resources -so that they lead to tangible benefits for people of current and future generations. This is the idea underlying environmental equity, which asks that we take into account the following considerations: (a) the potential or actual efficacy of the conservation actions being promoted and taken to protect intended species, habitats or ecosystems; (b) the adequacy and effectiveness of management; and (c) the flow of benefits of environmental conservation to local communities.
Ensuring the sustainability of species, habitats, and resources is critical to ensure tangible benefits to humans. Many habitats and species, particularly those found in deep marine environments are non-renewable on human time scales (Durkin et al., 2017;Montero-Serra et al., 2018). Therefore, management decisions relating to the use of marine habitats and species should carefully consider their implications to future generations and a precautionary approach should be taken. Yet it is unjust for marine conservation initiatives or management actions to be promoted or implemented that have a low likelihood of successas this might lead to lost opportunities in the present and lead to unmet future expectations of benefits (Barnes et al., 2018). For example, MPAs will not always be the appropriate tool to conserve specific species, ecosystems, or the ecosystem service benefits they provide (Hilborn, 2016;Pendleton et al., 2018).
One size fits all solutions should be avoided. In some places, the continuation of traditional and ongoing sustainable usewhich combine harvesting and stewardship practices -may be the most effective means to maintain and protect environmental values (Mathews and Turner, 2017;Ban et al., 2019b). There is also a danger of hidden geo-political or capitalist agendas being promoted via spatial conservation (Sand, 2012;De Santo, 2020). Thus, the environmental benefits and effectiveness of potential or ongoing conservation should be evaluated -relative to businessas-usual, no actions, and other alternatives -using the best available scientific evidence as well as local knowledge.
Promoting and implementing conservation actions without ensuring that these initiatives can be effectively and sustainably managed is also problematic as few benefits may flow from resultant "paper parks" (Spalding et al., 2016). Effective management requires, for example, adequate financial resources, sufficient staffing, management plans, evidence-based decisionmaking, adaptive management, and coordination with activities to manage threats outside of the conservation initiative (Pomeroy et al., 2004;Bennett and Dearden, 2014;Gill et al., 2017). Finally, it is important to ensure that marine conservation is producing tangible environmental benefits for local communities, that they have access to those benefits, and that those benefits are monitored, documented and communicated (Mangubhai et al., 2011;Ahmadia et al., 2015;Ban et al., 2019a). The design of regulations and conservation actions need to consider and respond to the life history and ecology of target species and ecosystems and how resources are utilized by Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This will help ensure sufficient abundance of locally valued and culturally important species to allow for sustained benefits for local people. When communities see positive results, they are more likely to become proponents and want to maintain or expand the system (Rocliffe et al., 2014;White et al., 2014). In the Philippines, for example, a network of more than 1600 community-based marine reserves that are managed, monitored, and enforced by communities have sprung up because local people have seen tangible and ongoing benefits from these initiatives (White et al., 2005(White et al., , 2014.

Context: Addressing the Contextual Barriers to and Structural Roots of Inequity in Conservation
The roots of inequity often expand beyond the scale of individual conservation initiatives. Thus in order to achieve equitable conservation, the marine conservation community may also need to first or simultaneously address or account for broader contextual or structural factors. Marine conservation efforts occur in locations around the world with varied historical, social, economic and political conditions that can enable or undermine efforts to achieve social equity at a local scale (McDermott et al., 2013). Distributions of wealth, assets, and capabilities, social relations and norms, and power differ by regions, nations, communities, and sub-groups within communities (e.g., different genders or ethnicities), which affects local people's "ability to gain recognition, participate in decision-making, [. . .] lobby for fair distribution" or engage in management in environmental and conservation initiatives (Pascual et al., 2014). Furthermore, conservation organizations and policies can reinforce systems or perpetuate approaches based on colonial mindsets and structural racism and that produce economic marginalization and even human rights abuses (Sowman et al., 2011;Sand, 2012). Three examples of where broader contextual and institutional factors will need to be confronted are in locations where: extreme poverty or food insecurity exists and local people cannot afford to stop harvesting highly degraded resources, national governance structures do not allow or provide adequate financial support for local participation in decision-making, or there is evidence that conservation actions continue to produce human rights abuses. Addressing the contextual barriers and structural roots of inequity in conservation will require attention to: (a) whether existing economic structures leave local populations economically marginalized or without basic needs; (b) the effects of national governance frameworks or political factors on the ability to achieve recognitional, procedural and management equity; and (c) whether conservation organizations or institutions are enabling or undermining equitable conservation.
In many places, the ability to do conservation equitably (or even at all) will require attention to pre-existing socioeconomic conditions and inequities prior to or in concert with marine conservation actions (Matsue et al., 2014;Gill et al., 2019). Development activities or redistribution mechanisms may need to be considered in advance to enable conservation action. For example, when conservation is implemented in highly impoverished rural areas a "conservation basic income"an unconditional payment sufficient to meet basic needsmay be implemented to support the redistribution of wealth and enable conservation (Fletcher and Büscher, 2020). Other models that have been used are the creation of conservation trust funds, payments for ecosystem service programs, or the redistribution of revenue from tourism activities to support local development activities (Atmodjo et al., 2017;Schuhmann et al., 2019;Mangubhai et al., 2020).
To enable procedural and managerial equity, advocates and NGOs will also often need to advocate for more than on-theground implementation of conservation initiatives, but also for changes to overarching national environmental governance as well as the institutions of conservation. This might include, for example, development of national policies and funding structures to support local participation or Indigenous-led conservation. To do this, NGOs need aid agencies and funders to invest in these activities, noting that these types of changes may be slow to come to fruition and thus need sustained financing. However, many donors are reluctant to invest in these larger governance and institutional transformative changes, as there are less guarantees about outcomes within the timeline of grants.
Finally, deep institutional changes may also be needed within conservation-focused organizations to enable equitable conservation. For example, government agencies and large environmental NGOs alike may need to reckon with colonial practices of the past and consider how to decolonize future practices (West, 2006;Dowie, 2009;Musavengane and Leonard, 2019). In general, government agencies, NGOs, and philanthropic organizations should consider how they can share, build, and yield decision-making power to local organizations and communities as part of marine conservation decision-making, management, and grant-making (Borrini-Feyerabend et al., 2007). Yet we are concerned that many of these grant-making processes are becoming less participatory and donor standards more onerous.

The Role of Various Organizations
Each of the different organizations working in marine conservation has a role and responsibility to advance social equity. But, what is each of their roles? Global conservation policy organizations, such as the United Nations Environment Programme, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), must ensure policy frameworks clearly mandate consideration of social equity and are complemented with guidance for governments and other organizations on how to implement equitable marine conservation initiatives at all scales. Furthermore, national reporting requirements to international bodies should include assessments of social equity, not just the achievement of spatial targets or ecological status (Moreaux et al., 2018;Zafra-Calvo et al., 2019). National governments have a responsibility to create legislative and policy frameworks that mandate equitable conservation governance and co-management practices in government led conservation and that enable locally led conservation initiatives. Adequate financial resources will also be needed from governments to support the implementation of inclusive decision-making, good governance, and Indigenous-led marine conservation initiatives. All government and intergovernmental agencies with conservation mandates need to incorporate social equity considerations at all stages of marine conservation planning and management in the various locations where they work.
Civil society organizations (CSOs) and NGOs should serve as a catalyst for social equity standards and practices through developing and promoting new approaches to conservation, providing technical support and capacity for local implementation, encouraging and putting pressure on governments, and advocating in international fora through forefronting the voices of community partners. Those organizations and individuals who are engaged in advocacy for conservation should develop an awareness of the social complexities of the locations where they work through engaging with local communities and civil society organizations. Advocates should also build diverse coalitions and incorporate social equity considerations (e.g., Indigenous rights, good governance, benefit sharing, local management) into their campaigns. Funders have significant power and influence over which conservation approaches and actions are taken. This power comes with a coinciding responsibility to support conservation and philanthropic processes, actions and organizations that are equitable. Conservation funders might articulate their intentions and interests in supporting more equitable approaches, require attention to social considerations in projects and proposals, and communicate to implementing partners the conditions for future funding. However, donors also need to recognize that addressing equity effectively is a long-term investment. Furthermore, this should not be a one way process. For example, funders should employ participatory approaches to strategy development and grantmaking -e.g., through continually engaging local actors to develop and maintain trust and relationships, understand the changing local social context, and identify how to best support local conservation organizations, community groups, and appropriate initiatives.
Finally, the conservation science community has a role to play -through researching and raising awareness about the history of marine conservation, helping to develop, track and communicate metrics related to attributes of different elements of social equity in conservation (see Table 2), and working to better integrate environmental considerations, human dimensions considerations and non-Western knowledge systems into future marine conservation. A significant barrier is that many of those working in conservation have traditionally come from the natural sciences, rather than social sciences, and consequently concepts related to social equity and the broader human dimensions are not well understood. Indigenous researchers and knowledge holders and scientists from the Global South are underrepresented in conservation science. Furthermore, the conservation science community should consider how it can address the issue of "parachute science" and embody more equitable and ethical research practices -for example, through developing more meaningful local partnerships, redistributing research funds, including local researchers and authors, coproducing scientific processes and outputs, and giving back through local capacity building and knowledge sharing (Chin et al., 2019;Stefanoudis et al., 2021).

Organizational Capacities to Advance Social Equity
Many conservation organizations do not yet have the capacity to adequately engage with and advance social equity in their work. Here, we identify a number of organizational capacitiesat the institutional, procedural, and operational level -that are required within and across the aforementioned marine conservation organizations to facilitate greater attention to and action on social equity.
At the institutional level, each organization will need to establish a guiding philosophy, overarching mandate, leadership ethos, and team culture that embraces and supports actions to advance social equity. An important starting place is introspection -to develop an awareness of the organization's own history, foundational ideas, past actions, team composition, and present programs -followed by reflection on changes needed to address past and present issues. This might include, for example, revisiting organizational philosophies and visions, rethinking objectives or theories of change, or re-constituting teams to be more diverse and inclusive so that these organizations embody the ideals they hope to promote.
At the procedural level, marine conservation organizationsincluding NGOs, advocacy groups, and funders -should consider TABLE 2 | Potential attributes to measure the elements of social equity in marine conservation (building on Schreckenberg et al., 2016;Zafra-Calvo et al., 2017;Bennett et al., 2020;Engen et al., 2021).

Element of equity
Potential attributes to measure

Recognition
• Acknowledgment of all stakeholders and rights holders • Acknowledgment of and accounting for formal and customary rights and tenure • Incorporation of diversity of cultures, values, practices, and knowledge systems • Integration of worldviews, perspectives and needs of diverse and marginalized groups, including different genders, ethnicities, classes, ages, and abilities • Affirmation of sovereignty, autonomy, and the right to self-determination • Protection of human and Indigenous rights Procedures • Inclusion and participation in decision-making, with particular consideration of marginalized groups (including different genders, ethnicities, classes, ages, and abilities) • Local agency and capacity to engage in and lead decision-making processes • Transparency of information, decisions, and intentions • Documentation of free, prior, and informed consent • Presence of accountability mechanisms • Establishment of clear grievance and conflict resolution mechanisms Distribution • Consideration of distribution of socio-economic impacts in planning and management processes • Processes and mechanisms to reduce, manage or mitigate negative impacts • Opportunities identified and actions taken to increase locally valued social and economic benefits • Perceived fairness of social impacts -benefits and burdens -of conservation to local communities and groups, taking into consideration marginalized groups (including different genders, ethnicities, classes, ages, and abilities)

Management
• Local participation or active engagement in management activities • Extent to which local people are responsible for management and take a leadership role in conservation • Presence of rights and policy frameworks that enable local people to be responsible for and take a leadership role in conservation management • Sustainable financial mechanisms to support local participation, capacity, and leadership in conservation management Environment • Efficacy of marine conservation networks, initiatives, and actions being promoted and implemented at protecting species, habitats, or ecosystems • Adequacy (e.g., financial resources, sufficient staffing, management plans, evidence-based decision-making, adaptive management, coordination) and effectiveness (e.g., ecosystem maintenance, species recovery, threat reduction) of management • Tangible and recognized flow of environmental benefits and ecosystem services to local communities Contextual or Structural • Extent to which existing economic structures leave local populations economically marginalized (e.g., economic inequality) or without basic needs (e.g., poverty) • Extent to which existing social norms or institutions marginalize certain groups (e.g., gender, ethnic, class, clan, racial, or religious) • Presence of national governance and policy frameworks that enable the ability to pursue equitable marine conservation (e.g., recognize Indigenous rights or customary tenure, support local decision-making, and governance) • Whether conservation organizations or institutions have supportive leadership and cultures, clearly articulated mandates, explicit codes of conduct, social safeguards, or provide enabling conditions necessary to advance equity in marine conservation Frontiers in Marine Science | www.frontiersin.org the articulation of a code of conduct or set of social principles to guide their engagement activities and programs of work (Bennett et al., 2017b). Such a code of conduct, we suggest, should include principles related to the different aspects of equity: recognition of and respect for diversity, participatory decision-making and good governance, the fair distribution of benefits and burdens, collaborative and locally led management, the ecological efficacy of actions, and the need to address contextual and structural factors that impede equitable conservation. However, to ensure that organizations move beyond visionary platitudes, such codes of conduct will need to be incorporated into the culture of institutions, and supported by clear guidance from leadership on actions that need to be taken, a culture of learning, and mechanisms to ensure accountability. A culture of learning, sharing, reflection and adaptation should be normalized and pervasive within the conservation community, supported for instance through monitoring and evaluation of organizational efforts to advance social equity and the social impacts of conservation, sharing of success and failures, documentation of lessons learned, and ongoing and participatory deliberations on necessary improvements. For accountability purposes, it may also be essential to commit and adhere to a set of social safeguards, to publicly and transparently communicate project objectives and social impact assessments, to establish grievance and conflict resolution mechanisms, and to clearly assign liability and responsibility for remedy (WWF, 2019; CI-GEF, 2020). At the operational level, marine conservation organizations will require adequate knowledge of the social context in the areas where they engage and should acquire the necessary expertise in how to address human dimensions issues in marine conservation. All organizations -including international policy organizations, governments, NGOs, and funders -should consider building capacity in the human dimensions of conservation or hiring personnel with expertise in the human dimensions who can help to consider how to integrate equity concerns into marine conservation policies, programs, actions, and funding portfolios (Bennett et al., 2017a). Finally, sufficient and long-term financial resources will be needed to hire and build capacity within each organization, to support conservation projects and activities that include more inclusive processes and promote equitable outcomes, and to enable local involvement in and leadership of all aspects (e.g., research, decision-making, management) of marine conservation.

Conclusion: Committing to Social Equity in Marine Conservation
To conclude, we urge the marine conservation community and organizations to commit to the pursuit of socially equitable conservation. The meaning of marine conservation success is limited if we do not move beyond area coverage to include a broader set of metrics related to the effective and equitable management of the marine environment (Campbell and Gray, 2019). Social equity should be a core principle of all conservation policies and organizational practices, as it can help to prompt conservation initiatives that are inclusive, collaborative, fair, robust, and that will be more effective and sustainable in the long-term. This call to action is supported by international conservation policies (CBD, 2010(CBD, , 2020 and agreements (United Nations, 1948UNECE, 1998). Through this article, we have examined how advancing social equity in marine conservation initiatives requires attention to: recognition through acknowledging and respecting diverse peoples; procedures through fostering participation and good governance; distribution through maximizing benefits and minimizing burdens; management through championing local involvement and leadership; the environment through ensuring the efficacy of actions to maintain sustainability and benefits; and the broader context through addressing the contextual barriers to and structural roots of inequity in conservation.
The manner in which these ideas are applied by different organizations and in different locales will vary. Marine conservation organizations -including government agencies, NGOs, and philanthropic organizations -should reflect on their own history and identify ways that equity can be incorporated into and supported through their policies, programs, and investments. These organizations may need to build their internal capacity to be able to address human dimensions and social equity. At the programmatic or site level, there is no one recipe for creating socially equitable conservation initiativesstrategic planning will be needed based on the social, economic, cultural, and political realities of each context. Moreover, there is a need for continued attention to committing to, building capacity for, and improving the practice of marine conservation.

FUNDING
Financial support for the process that led to this publication was provided by the Blue Nature Alliance (bluenaturealliance.org). Input from AWh was supported by the Indonesian USAID Sustainable Ecosystems Advanced Project under Tetra Tech, Inc. Tetra Teach Inc was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication. ND contributed through the Just Conservation project funded by the synthesis center CESAB of the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB; www.fondationbiodiversite.fr). NCB received funding from SSHRC and NSERC.