Disseminating the SUCCESS experience
SUCCESS and IMCAFS websites
November 2006
Completed Minor maintenance occurred
in this quarter IMCAFS electronic newsletter
May 2007 Second issue in
progress Development of newsletter
content is ongoing
7.4 Priorities for Next Quarter April 1 to Jun 30, 2007
Build additional reporting capabilities into Monitoring and Evaluation online reporting system Collaborate with WIOMSA on development of online systems to track mariculture activities in
the Western Indian Ocean region.
• Complete content evaluation and load information on mariculture cross-portfolio learning
topics into the theme-based KMS at CRC •
Launch a second issue of the IMCAFS Basins and Coasts newsletter •
Continue refinement and updating of SUCCESS and IMCAFS websites •
Assist SUCCESS staff in building their skills in making documents 508 compliant
8. Science for Management
8.1 Background
SUCCESS science for management includes two sub-components: 1 cross-project learning and, 2 site-level science for management. This work is linked closely to the knowledge management
activities and the monitoring and evaluation components. The SUCCESS Program builds on the WSSD position that good ecosystem governance includes
environmental, social and economic development components. We believe that while technical and institutional capacity is necessary for achieving the goals of ICM, they are insufficient unless
individuals and communities are also economically empowered. SUCCESS sees its livelihood projects as an important element of ICM programs because quantitative and anecdotal evidence
shows that early actions that demonstrate tangible benefits are crucial to sustained success. Thus, a primary premise of SUCCESS is that tangible benefits to quality of life through a livelihoods
approach is a necessary but not sufficient condition to sustained success of ICM programs. Unfortunately, there is also a growing body of anecdotal evidence that suggests many of the
livelihood activities are not having the intended impacts on increasing household income in coastal communities, or reducing pressure on coastal and marine resources. Additionally, there
have been very few rigorous assessments to date on livelihood activities in relation of marine conservation and resource management issues. For this reason, SUCCESS selected this topic as
the main theme for a cross portfolio global learning agenda. Since all three field sites and the associate award site in Thailand have significant livelihood components, they provide living
laboratories for this learning agenda, and the local partners involved in their implementation are a clientele for the learning outputs.
After much background preparation and planning, the learning agenda on livelihoods was launched in earnest in Year 3. There are two main outcomes expected from the field-level
learning agenda:
• A well documented assessment of the impacts of project livelihood strategies on coastal
households, and ICM initiatives, and;
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• An improved understanding of the factors that lead to successful and not successful
livelihood components of ICM initiatives. The learning agenda intends to take these findings to achieve another set of outcomes:
• A set of recommended strategies are formulated that improve the probability of achieving
successful livelihood activities as part of marine conservation and resource management initiatives.
• Improved capacity built among our local partners for integrating successful livelihood
strategies into on-going ICM initiatives. •
Information, including a training module, is made available to donors and practitioners on how to design and implement better livelihood strategies.
A second component of the SUCCESS learning agenda is to conduct biodiversity threats assessments for each of the SUCCESS field sites. Working with partners in the field, the
assessments will identify existing and anticipated direct and indirect threats to biodiversity in each site and current biodiversity conservation efforts that are addressing these threats. This
information will be used to recommend conservation goals and targets related to the priority threats, suggest investmentsactivities to fill gaps, and address the priority threats, and if
necessary, recommend adaptations to the current SUCCESS goals and activities in each site. A third SUCCESS learning component is to revisit the governance baselines for Ecuador and
Nicaragua. Although the baselines were completed for all sites in Year 2, they fall short of serving as models. For the purpose of creating model baselines that could be used to showcase the
method, the decision was made to revise the Ecuador baseline and one of the Nicaragua baselines Estero Real. The Estero Real baseline is revised already and the Cojimies baseline will be
finalized this year.
8.2 Report Period Accomplishments January 1 – March 31, 2007
8.2.1 Cross-Cutting
A research concept paper for the microenterprise learning agenda was drafted during the second half of 2006. This paper provided a basis for developing qualitative and quantitative case studies
of the current microenterprise and micro credit initiatives that are managed through the SUCCESS program as well as the SUCCESS Tanzania and PEACE projects in Tanzania and the
SUCCESS Thailand project. The microenterprises and beneficiaries in Thailand and Tanzania are studied in Year 3. In Nicaragua and Ecuador, where the microenterprises are less well developed,
similar studies will be undertaken in Year 4. During quarter one of this year, a qualitative case study was conducted around the microenterprises in Tanzania, including interviews with
beneficiaries and the micro credit institution, FINCA. The bulk of the field work was undertaken during the current reporting period including additional qualitative interviews and a quantitative
survey, which was administered among beneficiaries in Thailand and Tanzania. Several hundred project and non-project beneficiaries were surveyed in each country along with dozens of key
informants. During this reporting period, a draft biodiversity threats assessment was completed for Nicaragua.
Preparations for the Ecuadorian assessment, which will be conducted in April and May 2007, were also undertaken. The Nicaragua assessment is based on a literature review of existing
articles and reports as well as interviews conducted with NRM staff, SUCCESS managers, and resource user groups in the Nicaraguan field sites. The goal was to gather information on threats
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