Table 1_Policy evaluation in China’s national park system: integrating BERTopic modeling with a modular PMC framework.xlsx

A modular Policy Modeling Consistency Index framework was developed, comprising a common core module and document type–specific modules. Using a three-level ordinal coding scheme of 0, 0.5, and 1, the study compared the structural completeness, institutional strength, and internal consistency of individual policies and different document types. Finally, thematic prominence and theme-level institutional design strength were analysed jointly to assess the extent to which policy attention was matched by the completeness of institutional provisions.</p>Results<p>BERTopic identified eight core themes.

The 13 documents had a mean standardised PMC score of 0.729, indicating a relatively well-developed institutional structure. Scores were highest for legal authority and consistency, ecological conservation, and resource management, but lower for alignment with public values, stakeholder integration, cross-jurisdictional coordination, community empowerment, and monitoring-based adjustment. The three tiers of policy have different functional characteristics.

There is a certain degree of structural mismatch between the theme prominence and the institutional design. The ‘high-high’ quadrant encompasses models combining the conservation of flagship species with ecotourism and community livelihoods; the ‘high-low’ quadrant encompasses models for the coordination of resource regulation and governance; the ‘low-high’ quadrant encompasses models for ecological restoration and disaster management; while the ‘low-low’ quadrant encompasses models for financing and legal accountability.</p>Conclusion<p>China’s national park policy framework is now relatively well-developed; however, the prominence of policy themes does not always align with the rigor of institutional design.

Future improvements should focus on translating strategic objectives into specific operational rules, and on strengthening coordination and coherence between policy documents at different levels. Specifically, this includes setting measurable targets, establishing formal inter-departmental collaboration procedures, developing stable benefit-sharing mechanisms, ensuring effective community participation, and establishing adaptive management systems that link monitoring and evaluation to policy revisions and accountability.</p>