Raising awareness and efficacy through information sharing
The project developed a strategy that entailed reaching out to illegal loggers as well as others, including the forest communities and those parties responsible for regulation and trade. They did this by presenting strong and relevant incentives for engagement, based on empirical information about the current situation and forecast for the country’s environmental resources in the future, and also by offering them the opportunity to help co-develop alternative solutions to these challenges.
Note: while the project was mainly focused on the illegal loggers, and the possibility of developing alternative livelihoods for them, its secondary target audience was the Forestry Commission, which is responsible for managing Ghana’s forestry resources. Over the years, the Commission has also
faced numerous challenges from murder of forest guards and accusations of corruption to poor communications with resource managers and forest communities.
A strategic approach was developed based on information generated, a felt need and a strong sense of trust. The discussions confirmed the need for alternatives livelihoods to illegal chainsaw milling and the concept of support for artisanal milling emerged.
Engaging with the ultimate beneficiaries was essential for the project to be effective. Thus, dialogues were facilitated among stakeholders, including illegal loggers, at the district, regional and national levels. This allowed for input and consensus building at all levels.
Raising awareness and efficacy through information sharing
Creating a dynamic dialogue among stakeholders
Partnership
Bioversity International/Y.Morimoto
Bioversity International
Bioversity International/Y.Morimoto
Bioversity International
2. Partnerships.
Bioversity International engages as a research partner and also provides nutrition education and sensitization on the value of the popped cereals. The private sector (supermarkets and other retail outlets) can be a source of market for the products. Bioversity International engages as a research partner and also provides nutrition education and sensitization on the value of the popped cereals. The private sector (supermarkets and other retail outlets) can be a source of market for the products.
Nutrition education on the importance of dietary diversity and the nutrient content of these snacks
Community sensitization on the rise in non-communicable diseases and how it relates to the foods and snacks they consume
Government support through price subsidies on raw materials
Community support through acceptance, purchase, consumption of and feedback on the snacks
Participatory intervention is a sure bet for successful implementation.The community should be engaged from the on-set for them to own the process and outcomes
International exposure and focus on western gray whales due to WGWAP’s work has catalysed other discussion arenas where NGOS, scientists and business people can exchange information. The Russian Government approached the panel for guidance into mainstreaming biodiversity into development and has created several official structures including an interdepartmental working group on gray whale conservation.
In regards to legislation and compliance, the panel would like to see all governments create a level playing field for companies operating in or adjacent to key marine habitats to ensure that conservation is a broader requirement, not just a lender requirement.
WGWAP was created because of a condition placed on Sakhalin Energy’s lending agreement that the company should work with and take advice from an independent panel of experts. This shows how financial institutions can play a significant role in conservation and are taking an increasing interest in industry’s social and environmental behaviour as seen through mechanisms such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) sustainability standards.
The WGWAP process leveraged experts’ knowledge and experience to help safeguard Sakhalin’s gray whales, while providing important lessons for other stakeholders. Sakhalin Energy has also used the recommendations of the panel by working towards best practices, for example, on seismic surveys and oil spill prevention, which in turn has helped to better position itself within the industry and advance conservation globally.
The panel works with all relevant stakeholders and affected parties, including the International Whaling Commission (IWC), local and federal government, companies, contractors, fisheries, tourism operators, NGOs, lenders, financial institutions and research institutes. It has a huge network of experts at all levels and takes evidence from a range of disciplines and perspectives.
Over the years the panel has helped ease tensions between the different interest groups by creating an open forum for dialogue, particularly between NGOs and Sakhalin Energy. The organisations that campaigned against the company’s financing now participate as observers in WGWAP meetings.
WGWAP has helped increase the number of arenas where whale conservation is discussed with new regional and national fora being established in the Russian Federation. Close connections have been forged between WGWAP and the IWC which supports a broader, range-wide view of gray whale issues. Several Range States have also adopted a Memorandum of Cooperation on Conservation Measures for the western gray whale that refers to the IWC/IUCN Conservation Management Plan (currently being revised), the IWC and WGWAP.
The panel’s links with and capacity to engage with such a diverse range of stakeholders has been built up over several years. Trust building takes time, a willingness to take evidence and hear the perspectives of others and the courage to have difficult discussions.
A key lesson learned through the panel’s engagement has been the importance of understanding and navigating cultural differences be they corporate or institutional, nationality quirks, language or terminology used to describe challenges and solutions.
In addition, while the primary focus of the panel is on Sakhalin Energy, it has also demonstrated the benefits of adopting a more holistic approach to whale conservation and exploring synergies and inputs into national and range-wide processes. This would involve working more closely with the fisheries, shipping and tourism sectors which also impact the whales, and addressing cumulative impacts. Continued discussion among stakeholders is needed to determine whether the panel is the most effective model to take on a significantly wider scope.
As with all ISTAPs, measures are in place to ensure WGWAP has a clear purpose, delivers high-quality outputs on time and is managed in a way that is consistent with IUCN’s policies and procedures. A project management structure defines the role and responsibilities of the project manager and other IUCN staff members or units. The panel chair is responsible for managing the panel members, who report on scientific and technical issues. All panel members, including the chair, report to IUCN and have their own terms of reference.
There is a regular monitoring system to verify that the panel is operating in full accordance with the ISTAP principles, that it delivers agreed outputs according to the terms of reference and work plan, and that the stakeholder engagement plan and communications strategy are followed. Based on the work plan, annual budgets are developed by the project manager and, if required under the contract, submitted for sign-off to the contracting party.
ISTAPs are supported by a grievance mechanism to guarantee that complaints received are addressed in the most transparent, fair and timely manner.
The project manager works with IUCN’s monitoring and evaluation team to verify the integrity of the panel process and its outputs, and to assess the overall impacts of the panel and the potential for broader uptake of its recommendations.
By establishing a monitoring and evaluation system, IUCN has been able to safeguard the accountability of both the panel and the company. For example, at the launch of the WGWAP Stories of Influence report in 2016, it was reported that out of the panel’s more than 539 recommendations to Sakhalin Energy and other parties, 90% had been implemented or superseded by subsequent advice.
Transparency is critical to building trust between all stakeholders. Information and documentation on the panel process, its working arrangements, reports, conclusions and recommendations, as well as company responses, are made publicly available on the IUCN website, unaltered. Panel members’ names, biographies and the panel’s terms of reference are also published.
The roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in the panel, as well as its oversight, were clearly defined at the start, including different IUCN stakeholders and the contracting party.
WGWAP meetings are attended by company representatives, technical contractors, scientists, lenders’ representatives, as well as observers from NGOs, government, other companies, local research institutes and others, all of whom can ask questions and provide data and information.
All of the measures in place to ensure the panel’s independence and transparency have built confidence and trust among stakeholders and credibility of the panel’s operations and findings.
For example, as part of the company’s Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (MMP), an independent observer, contracted by IUCN was present during the the 2010, 2015 and 2018 seismic surveys to develop a first-hand report on the MMP’s implementation and provide any recommendations for improvements in the future. The observer assists the panel and the company in evaluating the effectiveness of the mitigation efforts, providing useful insights to WGWAP, and ultimately the company. Sakhalin Energy is the only energy company operating in Sakhalin that allows the presence of an independent observer as part of its seismic surveys monitoring and mitigation programme, and this is partly due to the long-term collaboration with WGWAP.
A structure is in place to ensure the panel is free from any external influence whether from government, private sector, NGOs, scientists or IUCN. Panel members are free to reach what they consider to be the best conclusions and recommendations based on the latest available science. They can be free with their opinions and have no contractual arrangement for research funding or other with the funder/contracting party or any of other companies operating on the Sakhalin Shelf (including their parent or sister companies and subsidiaries).
The scope of the panel’s work is based on a set of specific, pre-defined conservation and natural resource management questions. Members bring to the table the required expertise from different disciplines and perspectives, and they are expected to consider all evidence before them from a strictly technical or scientific point of view.
Independence of the WGWAP is central to its ability to serve the function for which it was created, and IUCN helps safeguard the integrity of the panel. On a few occasions, for example, the panel has issued public statements of concern, when it felt necessary.
