Comprehensive training material developed and provided to support SMART trainings. BFD frontline staff’s capacity has been built to successfully conduct SMART patrolling in the field and handlings of necessary equipment and gadgets. Three different training efforts were made available –

• SMART Training of Trainers - selected BFD mid-level staffs trained engaging expatriate facilitators on the basics as well as advanced skills on SMART patrolling using developed training materials, 41 best-performers identified and designated as ‘master trainer’.
• Basic SMART Patrolling - ‘master trainers’ trained (in presence and support of expatriate facilitators) 125 frontline BFD staffs on the basic skills of SMART patrolling, conducted demo patrols, physical handling of gadgets and equipment who later became active in patrolling team.
• SMART Database Management - 31 BFD Officers were trained on data cleaning, editing, analysis, report generation and interpretation of findings. Selected staffs received advanced data management training also.

SMART patrol teams in the Sundarbans were accompanied by on-board mentors in selected patrols and helped to overcome their problems on-site particularly on the use of a Global Positioning System (GPS), navigation, boat and foot patrols, law enforcement, and improved data collections and ensured quality.

BFD was looking for an effective conservation law enforcement option that would equally be practical and affordable in the context of Sundarbans. Attaining good results from piloting initiatives inspired BFD to full-scale implementation in Sundarbans. However, implementing SMART independently but efficiently was a big challenge since BFD was solely dependent on external supports (i.e. Projects). SMP’s approach to develop pool of master-trainers for SMART, use them to train frontline staffs, develop data managers and analyzers had highly motivated BFD towards more independent SMART rollout in the Sundarbans.

BFD realized the need and responded promptly to develop standard SMART protocols for Sundarbans jointly with developers and relevant stakeholders and brought into practice. With the approval of SOP, handbook and other related documents, BFD ensured necessary legal instruments for its smooth functioning. It also maintained sustained fund flow to cater the need of logistics and fuel to keep SMART operational.

‘SMART Handbook’ were jointly developed with the BFD and includes valuable contributions by a multi-stakeholder’s SMART working group members. The SOP constitutes a crucial milestone and presents a uniform and practical framework for implementing SMART in the Sundarbans. The provisions that were incorporated in the SOP and Handbook are consistent with the laws and regulations of the ‘Government of Bangladesh’. All the staffs involved in SMART patrolling were oriented on the ‘SMART Handbook’ and ‘SOP’ and everyone have a hard copy of the same. This helps them to guide during patrols.

The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) supported technical assistance for stakeholder meetings to discuss sustainable finance strategies for marine protected areas in TCI in 2015. 

Possible strategies were formulated in consultation with stakeholders by using the Wolfs Company's Eco2Fin framework, an approach to assess current and potential financing streams based on context-specific conditions. This assessment revealed the diversity of fees and taxes charged to tourists, as well as the lack of earmarked government revenue for protected area management. It also concluded that tourism-related revenue offered untapped opportunities to finance marine protected areas, given that these contain key tourism assets such as coral reefs.

A subsequent analysis of TCI's legal framework provided recommendations on feasible mechanisms to increase budgetary allocations and earmark conservation funds for marine protected areas managers such as DECR. Strategic steps formulated to achieve the succesful implementation of these mechanisms included the development of a business case for increased funding of protected areas and key ecosystems such as coral reefs.

DECR is one of the main protected area managers in TCI. As a government department, DECR depends on funding allocated through a regular budget cycle. Although the government collects a number of fees and taxes that are linked to nature-dependent sectors such as tourism, none of these payments is earmarked to protected area management. Instead, these funds flow to the consolidated fund, from which they are redistributed across public entities.

Building a strong case for protected area management was fundamental for DECR to promote: 1. increasing funding through the regular budget cycle, and 2. earmarking of a portion of nature-related revenues.

To support DECR in this task, GCFI funded technical assistance for the estimation of budget needs and gaps for basic and optimal protected area management. In addition, an assessment of the tourism value of nature was conducted based on existing studies. By comparing these figures, DECR could show authorities that increasing funding was financially reasonable, given that its operating budget in the year under analysis (2015/2016) was 25 times smaller than the added value of nature for tourism and 30 times smaller than the nature-related tourism revenue for the government.

Implementation of advocacy among various stakeholders was very vital in the creation of awareness on sustainable plastic management. As part of the project, there was a communication awareness campaign as well as nine open-air events to encourage the reduction or better management of plastic waste at source.

Partnerships have been very key in getting stakeholder buy-in as well as ownership on the project. The proposition in the partnerships aimed to decentralize the ownership of the eco-points, spur collections rates and develop a seamless sustainable plastic waste value chain. 

During the last 12 months, 3R established various partnerships with different stakeholders. One of the partnerships was with an NGO, ParCo, whereby they established two eco-points, to receive and buy plastic waste from the local community waste pickers. 

Capacity-building provided to community members to enable them to access the financing opportunities offered by SeyCCAT is essential. This includes sessions on how to write a project proposal, developing a budget, and reporting amongst many other project management skills. 

There are different capacity building models. With youth, we get youth experts to teach other young people, on the peer-to-peer principle. We have also a dedicated coaching team, who supports the whole project application cycle. We also partner with existing organisations who have expertise in project management training. 

We build capacities for short-term SeyCCAT applications, but it participates in life-time capacity building for the people to apply and manage other projects beyond SeyCCAT. 

So far, SeyCCAT has build capacities of about 200 people. 

The SeyCCAT Board has members from public and private sectors and civil society, with a majority from the private sector and civil society. It brings all stakeholders' views to the table, so that we get guidance from private sector as well as the NGOs. It is a tri-partite decision-making process, that brings strong consensus, which in turn enhances buy-in from all stakeholders and generates better results. 

SeyCCAT must be established as non-governmental in nature, with its autonomy and independence to effectively manage the funds. It participates in increasing the investor confidence.

We should not be seen as another arm of the government, but have a financial and decision-making autonomy, while considering government as a key partner. One of the reasons is that donors have certain internal policies, preventing them to fund government directly. 

We are transparency in law, which foster good governance and transparent decision-making processes with all stakeholders and partners involved.