The effectiveness of endangered species recovery planning

Recovery plans are the primary vehicle by which the USFWS plans activities on behalf of federally listed species. Do they work? The cards are stacked against them. Recovery plans  are consensus documents based on science modified by stakeholder concerns. The agency is not required to conduct the work; the guidelines for downlisting are recommendations, not requirements.  Actions are grossly underfunded and task accomplishment rate is low. Recovery plans are difficult and expensive to update. Despite all of these constraints, I argue that they serve a critical role in guiding actions and measuring success. Am I right? You be the judge.