Critical reflection and review
Reflection and review gives room to an evaluation of the learning and change that has occurred and the contributing factors. It is an essential part of the process to ensure that learning continues. Engaging in a critical reflection and review of the changes that have happened enables dissonance borders to be stretched and for participants to acknowledge mistakes and successes and to be able to determine the reasons why. Through engaging in a reflexive practice, new influences and pressures were also considered as benefits and or constraints. These then informed subsequent actions.
Synthesizing information, creating space for knowledge learning and sharing of experiences to understand and change outcomes from local people’s perspectives. Understanding the different roles and responsibilities has proven to strengthen relationships necessary for sustainable prosperity of interactions locally and globally.
Lesson learning has been a priority from the outset and the project adopted a participatory action framework for its evaluation. A range of data collection methods was used, ranging from informal discussions and focus groups to photo-voice exercises. As the data and lessons learned were through a collaborative process, so the shift toward sustainable change outcomes was also collaborative, highlighting the importance of shared learning and importance of creating space for a deliberative dialogue between different participants. This reflexive approach ensures those lessons are continually learned collaboratively and that sustainable change and adaptation become synonymous.
Monitoring
Documentation and dissemination of results
Review phase
Local
Subnational
Official website of Sazani
Technical support
The opportunity for external intervention is negotiated with the participants to ensure that it is culturally and ecologically acceptable. Examples included rocket stove training, and jam production. Sustainable change outcomes cannot be achieved without viable alternatives to unsustainable practices. External interventions involved introduction of affordable culturally appropriate innovations that contributed towards income generation.
Synthesizing information, creating space for knowledge learning and sharing of experiences to understand and change outcomes from local people’s perspectives. Understanding the different roles and responsibilities has proven to strengthen relationships necessary for sustainable prosperity of interactions locally and globally.
Lesson learning has been a priority from the outset and the project adopted a participatory action framework for its evaluation. A range of data collection methods was used, ranging from informal discussions and focus groups to photo-voice exercises. As the data and lessons learned were through a collaborative process, so the shift toward sustainable change outcomes was also collaborative, highlighting the importance of shared learning and importance of creating space for a deliberative dialogue between different participants. This reflexive approach ensures those lessons are continually learned collaboratively and that sustainable change and adaptation become synonymous.
Implementation
Local
Subnational
Official website of Sazani
Sustainable change outcomes
Bring project participants together to discuss their sustainable change outcomes was a very powerful exercise and involved use of photovoice to share desired changes and values for sustainable change. The students desire to increase the diversity of the local bird population was one of these; another was to be able to reduce the amount of firewood women used. Agreeing desired change outcomes collectively informed the functionality of their engagement and actions required to achieve them. This influenced participant’s ability to make choices to determine the change they desire.
Synthesizing information, creating space for knowledge learning and sharing of experiences to understand and change outcomes from local people’s perspectives. Understanding the different roles and responsibilities has proven to strengthen relationships necessary for sustainable prosperity of interactions locally and globally.
Lesson learning has been a priority from the outset and the project adopted a participatory action framework for its evaluation. A range of data collection methods was used, ranging from informal discussions and focus groups to photo-voice exercises. As the data and lessons learned were through a collaborative process, so the shift toward sustainable change outcomes was also collaborative, highlighting the importance of shared learning and importance of creating space for a deliberative dialogue between different participants. This reflexive approach ensures those lessons are continually learned collaboratively and that sustainable change and adaptation become synonymous.
Implementation
Local
Subnational
Official website of Sazani
Space for cross-sectoral global learning
Cross-sectoral global learning provides a safe space for a critical reflection on the global pressures and influences on local realities and on the role of governance and institutions in determining the level of influence. Exchange and exploration of different perspectives develops understanding from a range of perspectives and in the development of shared values and priorities to focus on collaboratively. The development of the cross-sectoral collaborative relationship is key to successful engagement and pivotal to this model or solution.
Synthesizing information, creating space for knowledge learning and sharing of experiences to understand and change outcomes from local people’s perspectives. Understanding the different roles and responsibilities has proven to strengthen relationships necessary for sustainable prosperity of interactions locally and globally.
Lesson learning has been a priority from the outset and the project adopted a participatory action framework for its evaluation. A range of data collection methods was used, ranging from informal discussions and focus groups to photo-voice exercises. As the data and lessons learned were through a collaborative process, so the shift toward sustainable change outcomes was also collaborative, highlighting the importance of shared learning and importance of creating space for a deliberative dialogue between different participants. This reflexive approach ensures those lessons are continually learned collaboratively and that sustainable change and adaptation become synonymous.
Entirety
Local
Subnational
Official website of Sazani
Mapping of policy makers and institutional influences
The mapping of policy makers and institutional influences involves mapping of all the institutions, policy makers and other forms of governance that have influence or involvement in and/or on local realities. In doing so, insight is gained in what external and governance structures enhance and or constrain livelihood opportunities positively and negatively. In doing so the key institutions that need to be included are identified.
Synthesizing information, creating space for knowledge learning and sharing of experiences to understand and change outcomes from local people’s perspectives. Understanding the different roles and responsibilities has proven to strengthen relationships necessary for sustainable prosperity of interactions locally and globally.
Lesson learning has been a priority from the outset and the project adopted a participatory action framework for its evaluation. A range of data collection methods was used, ranging from informal discussions and focus groups to photo-voice exercises. As the data and lessons learned were through a collaborative process, so the shift toward sustainable change outcomes was also collaborative, highlighting the importance of shared learning and importance of creating space for a deliberative dialogue between different participants. This reflexive approach ensures those lessons are continually learned collaboratively and that sustainable change and adaptation become synonymous.
Inception phase
Local
Subnational
Official website of Sazani
Livelihoods analysis of assets and strengths
The analysis of assets and strengths is the first step in engaging communities to understand what they perceive to be their assets and strengths at individual and community level and to differentiate between the assets by grouping them according to their nature: social, human, physical, financial or natural. This ensures that the focus from the outset is positive and on what works.
Synthesizing information, creating space for knowledge enhancement and sharing of experiences to understand and change outcomes from local people’s perspectives. Understanding the different roles and responsibilities has proven to strengthen relationships necessary for sustainable prosperity of interactions locally and globally.
Lesson learning has been a priority from the outset and the project adopted a participatory action framework for its evaluation. A range of data collection methods was used, ranging from informal discussions and focus groups to photo-voice exercises. As the data and lessons learned were through a collaborative process, so the shift toward sustainable change outcomes was also collaborative, highlighting the importance of shared learning and importance of creating space for a deliberative dialogue between different participants. This reflexive approach ensures those lessons are continually learned collaboratively and that sustainable change and adaptation become synonymous.
Inception phase
Local
Subnational
Official website of Sazani
Capacity building for the future
Wim C. Mullié
In the lab.
Wim C. Mullié
Wim C. Mullié
Information sharing.
Wim C. Mullié
Wim C. Mullié
Into the water.
Wim C. Mullié

Our project deals with environmental governance within a 20 or 30 years’ time frame. Marine spatial planning issues are very likely to become more and more complex and people in charge in 20 years’ time won’t obviously be the same as today. This is the reason why we have designed and developed a comprehensive capacity building programme including the creation of a Master degree on environmental management of extractive industries (Master GAED), an academic documentation centre, training sessions and internships. In addition, and waiting for this future generation to be ready, we have to get the institutions (and not only people) ready to maintain and use technical tools we have contributed to set up (for example the implementation of a monitoring and early warning system for micro-contamination). Therefore our project provides administration and civil society representatives with equipment and training sessions.

  • Strongly committed institutions (especially scientific institutes)
  • Strong preparatory work: inclusive identification of stakeholders’ needs
  • Transparency for student selection (Master)
  • All stakeholders have called for the creation of such an academic curricula (Master)
  • Learning by doing is more efficient than workshops…
  • The outputs of our capacity building programme goes beyond expected effects of training sessions (international networking, scientific publications, breaking down inter-institutional barriers...)
Implementation
Local
National
International Master Programme (GAED)
Brochure "Monitoring"
Monitoring of Mauritanian Marine Environment Quality
Control and Surveillance Committee (CCS)

With the support of WCS and under the guidance of the Government fisheries enforcement agency, each association has set up a local Control and Surveillance Committee (CCS) that is made up of volunteer community rangers, who are officially recognized by the Government and provided with a registered, numbered identification badge. The CCS allows the application and enforcement of the rules and regulations set out in both the management plan and the dinas. Rangers are equipped and trained to carry out surveillance and enforcement missions and given focused training on: knowledge of regulations; awareness raising methods; dissuasion/sanctions; repression; registration of offenses; and definition of strategies and organization for surveillance and control missions. Rangers come from a range of social backgrounds and include men & women, village chiefs, traditional & religious authorities, private sector operators, school teachers, and fishermen. The CCS carry out missions according to varying schedules and depending on the circumstances with joint patrols by several associations to cover larger areas or joint missions of CCS rangers and Government fisheries enforcement representatives when significant infractions are observed.

  • Willingness of Government to formally transfer certain enforcement responsibilities to communities and to formally recognize the role of local communities.
  • In the initial stages, a technical and financial partner that can provide substantial external support for the establishment, piloting and initial implementation of systems.
  • Communities willing to play the role of enforcer and understand the benefits that will result.

It is necessary to consider the longer term funding and put in place systems for financial sustainability from the outset of project develop. In the same way it is important to plan for technical autonomy for CCSs so that there can be a progressive withdrawing of technical partners. Such community led systems have many positive aspects – proximity, flexibility, engagement etc. – but it is important to ensure that they are not developed in a manner that attempts to duplicate or replace the regulatory role of the Government. This is particularly true in situations such as Madagascar where Government agents are significantly under-resourced and are largely absent from regular field based enforcement activities. From a practical point of view uniforms and badges are extremely important to give the rangers an elevated status in communities so that they are respected and to encourage others to join the CCS.

Monitoring
Local
The Dinabe: A social convention between local communities

The dina is a traditional social convention that helps regulate life in Madagascar communities. It enables local communities to develop a set of rules and regulations to govern a particular set of circumstances and is commonly used in relation to natural resource management. Dinas are developed in a participatory manner and given legal weight through their homologation in local courts. Their enforcement lies with the local community. In the case of Antongil Bay, 26 dinas were created – one for each fishers association in each locally managed marine reserve. The dinas encompass:

  1. a set of regulations for the principal infractions (destructive gear, fish minimum size, etc.),
  2. a set of regulations in accordance with the local context (taboos, night fishing regulations, etc.), and
  3. a set of sanctions.

In addition to the local dinas, the local communities of the 26 marine reserves agreed to create a “dinabe”, which aims to federate the individual dinas and provides an overall framework for sustainable use of the marine resources and coastal areas in the bay in a complementary manner to the Bay-wide management plan.

  • A process of information dissemination and education was essential to ensure communities had the knowledge necessary to make decisions about the content of the dinas.
  • While maintaining community leadership of the process, the involvement from the outset of the Government was important to minimize the risk that obstacles are encountered later in the process.
  • Legal recognition of the social conventions is essential for their legitimacy in both the eyes of the community and the Government.
  • While difficult to achieve due to a lack of a recognized spokesperson, the involvement of migrant or external fishers in the process of elaboration of the Bay-wide management plan (which establishes the principles of exclusive fishing rights for local communities) would have helped to mitigate their negative influence on the homologation process of the dinabe.
  • Not all parties are going to be supportive of local management of fishing rights and unexpected situations or opposition can arise – as was the case with a group of external fishers who blocked homologation of the final dinabe.
  • The relationships built during the process between all stakeholders are an equally important outcome as the management plan and dinabe and provide a strong base on which to overcome problems. The management plan and dinabe development process created a network of partners that did not previously exist and is now working together to resolve the issue of homologation of the dinabe.
Planning phase
Local
Antongil Bay Fisheries Co-Management Plan (ABFMP)

The Antongil Bay Fisheries Co-Management Plan (ABFMP) is a national level legal framework to recognize local community management rights. It was developed through significant collaborative efforts between WCS, resources users, and Government. The result was the first seascape scale traditional, artisanal and industrial fisheries co-management plan in Madagascar covering 3,746 km2 of marine habitats that officially confers fisheries management authority to local communities. The plan acknowledges the role of Antongil Bay marine reserves for resource recovery, and fixes maximum levels for traditional, artisanal and industrial fishing efforts. The decree adopting the ABFMP grants the fishermen’s associations the rights to develop regulations adapted to the local context, identify and implement practical measures to ensure respect of regulations, register and issue licenses to local fishers, and establish and enforce different zones within the local managed fishing areas. Local fisher associations are officially accountable for the implementation of ABFMP and they actively participate in inspection, surveillance and monitoring activities.

  • Significant stakeholder consultation over a long period (108 meetings, 6 workshops, 1466 participants over 7 months)
  • Simultaneous efforts to increase the awareness of local communities in relation to the social, economic and conservation value of marine resources and ecosystem functioning so that they have information to actively participate in debates and discussions
  • Facilitation of cooperation between stakeholders at different levels by establishment of a multi-partner association (PCDDBA) to provide a platform for exchange and discussion
  • It is essential to ensure that all actors in the process have the same and equal levels of information and in particular that the local community has the capacity to be actively engaged
  • There is a need to plan resources for accompaniment of the process over the long term to as to be able to absorb inevitable delays and still see the process to the end
  • There is a need to manage community and Government expectations about the timing for the generation of positive results from the implementation of such a process
  • Careful facilitation of the process is needed to overcome traditional and cultural barriers that create obstacles for full involvement by marginal groups (poor households, local fishers, women, youth etc.)
Implementation
Local
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