Contacts with USAID Ecuador Mission

MANAGEMENT ISSUES With SUCCESS field activities slated to terminate by the second quarter of 2009, field sites are struggling to juggle three different but complementary efforts at the same time. These are to: 1 continue to maximize the progress being made on field-based activities financed by SUCCESS funds, 2 plan for close-out activities to celebrate that progress made, and 3 at the same time, identify potential other funding to keep the most promising of these activities ongoing with support from other donor sources. A similar challenge faces some of the knowledge management and certification efforts. Dr. Lucho Arriaga’s resignation as EcoCostas Executive Director, means the third change in leadership for that organization in just three years. While this is disappointing, it is not expected to disrupt SUCCESS Year 5 plans in EcuadorLAC at this time. As an immediate step, Rafael Elao agreed to serve as Acting Director at least through the successful completion of the SUCCESS field-based activities that will conclude in March 2009, and may potentially remain in this role even beyond this date. Thus, plans to formulate a level 2 curriculum for the LAC Certification in Coastal Ecosystem Governance will continue. Meanwhile, there will be continued efforts to identify other institutions in the region that might be interested and viable as an alternative sponsor of the program should EcoCostas’ dwindling financial base make its continuation in this role no longer possible. As noted in section 8.0 of this report, the state of civil unrest in Nicaragua created unusual challenges during this reporting period, and this may continue. However, there is full expectation that tasks delayed in the last quarter and rescheduled to first quarter calendar year 2009 will move forward, along with those originally slated for this same period. As is always the case, the SUCCESS Program Director is challenged to keep the full team motivated and energized on the heels of the Program soon ending. This is a familiar challenge for most projects and programs as they approach their final year. UPCOMING CHALLENGES, CONSTRAINTS, AND OPPORTUNITIES Interest in the global climate change adaptation Guide continues and may be parlayed into additional opportunities for its adaptation to other agencies and clients around the world. The next and final few months of the SUCCESS Program will continue to provide a springboard to explore these, with the hopeful result that the Guide and its application will continue to be adapted and tested for a wide range of coastal places, users, and uses. The WIO-COMPAS Program continues to gain statements of interest from other donors. Meanwhile, efforts continue to translate those “expressions of interest” into hard dollars of financial support andor public acknowledgements of endorsement e.g., the WPCAMarine. 30