Inter-institutional working groups

An inter-institutional surveillance and enforcement committee is set up for each Protected Area and creates a work programme, again, highlighting how different agencies collaborate around which topics. The work programme includes topics such as surveillance, phrasing of objectives and goals, setting a legal framework, listing individual competencies of the agencies, develop action plans, set institutional commitments and an evaluation matrix.

The success of the commitees is based on mutual confidence and trust, political will, instituional backing, experience in the topic, continuity and follow-up, creation of shared values and clearly defined roles.

  • The role of civil society organizations (CSOs) is a topic for discussion in the working groups of some Protected Areas, so it is very important to clearly define their role from the beginning. CSOs can e.g. support as technical advisers, contribute information, support with logistics, follow-up on agreements and facilitate communication between the participants of the different institutions.
  • Common indicators that all members of a working group refer to, encourage the will to work together.
  • Regular meetings and using virtual communication proofed useful.
  • Sometimes it is better to have voluntary commitments of participation instead of having agreements that require legal review by every organization involved.