People who benefit from the habitats, species and sites (and the services they provide) should be involved in managing them and making decisions about the project. Vulnerability assessments should be done at both, the municipal and village level. Results of vulnerability assessments should be disseminated to key local and national policy makers and local chief executives and community leaders so they can take action to address key vulnerabilities.

Local knowledge has often been underestimated however; most communities have an acute awareness of, and concern for their marine environment. These views should be considered when developing management undertakings. The success of community consultations depend on the facilitators. Facilitators should be equipped with the appropriate skills such as cultural, traditional, confident, encouraging individuals to give their opinion and good listeners than teachers. Facilitators should never dominate discussions or express their opinions – neutrality is of key importance. Awareness materials and programmes should consider its target audience, how it is delivered and who the message is aimed. Sometimes messages are defensive when interpreting the local situation. Community has ownership or assumed control over the managed area or fishery.

Best to have a team of at least three, so that the work does not become overwhelming, and so diverse talents and interests are available to the team.   The ideal mix has someone who is well-embedded in government, who can secure approvals and budgets, someone who is creative and able to use basic tools for design, and someone who is well-accepted by the community who knows how to engage and facilitate.  They should all know how to mobilize volunteers, and have some basic skills in project management.

The training needs to be practical and within the conceptual reach of the intended beneficiaries, implementers, communities and local governments units. Academic concepts need to be communicated in a simple and understandable manner to be appreciated. Practical examples and bright spots are important. Guidance on next steps helps ensure long-term sustainability of efforts. Encouraging creativity and inventiveness will allow the communities to accomplish the objectives with minimal cost and effort. Cross-visits and inter-community sharing of experiences have greater impact than lectures.

Establishing the first group took extensive time due to farmers’ reluctance to trust facilitated group formation. Presenting proven benefits of Interest Groups and providing incentives for trainings (building block 3) convinced farmers to join. Members of the first Farmer Interest Groups served as example and facilitated the formation of additional groups. Involving farmers who operate mangrove aquaculture ponds outside the buffer zone proved successful for disseminating success stories. This convinced a number of farmers to join Farmer Interest Groups and plant mangroves in their pond, thereby increasing the overall forest cover and pond resilience.