16 • Commission two sets of case studies that document and analyze responses of the
governance system to issues posed by shifts in the condition of the coast and its fisheries
Activities Case studies will be assembled that document and analyze both the processes of governance by
the management cycle and the outcomes by the Orders of Outcome framework. For many initiatives, it is expected there will be only fragments of unconnected cycles. The analysis will
look for evidence of learning and adaptation between various attempts to address the same problem or geographic area. A second focal point is the degree to which an initiative has made
the transition from planning and policy formulation to implementation and if it includes evaluation. The case studies will be commissioned in two rounds. The first round will commence
in February 2010 and will address such issues as:
• The trawler fleets and efforts to regulate their activities at the national and LME scales • Control of dynamite fishing and light fishing by the artisanal fleets
• Efforts to strengthen community-based fisheries management and the roles of the traditional Chiefs in the Western Region
• Evolution and impacts of controls over shorefront development in the Western Region and nationally
The first round will be completed in the second quarter. Based on the results of the first set of cases and the insights being generated from other actions, a second set of case studies will be
commissioned for completion in the third and fourth quarters of Phase 1.
Task Q2 Q3
Q4
Identification of consultants Jan
Completion of case studies Feb-Mar
Publication of selected studies May
Outputs • A set of case studies that reveal processes and outcomes of initiatives by government, the
traditional governance system and civil society in response to coastal and fisheries issues • The best case studies also may be distributed as stand-alone documents
3.1.4 Biodiversity Threats Assessment Background
The Program will conduct a threats assessment—in part owing to the fact that some of the ICFG funds are biodiversity earmarked.The assessment will ensure the ICFG Program meets the
criteria for the biodiversity earmark and will provide information that feeds into the overall baseline and State of the Coast report. The threats assessment report will also identify and orient
more detailed research activities that will need to be conducted during the life-of-the-Program in order to design biodiversity conservation strategies and actions, including a thorough coastal
17 habitats study activity 3.7 below. This activity will primarily be a desktop activity that
summarizes existing information available on coastal and marine biodiversity at two scales—at the national scale and at a scale that focuses on the Western Region. In addition to a desktop
review, the team will conduct interviews with selected key informant and consultations with local experts. The USAID Biodiversity Guide
http:pdf.usaid.govpdf_docs PNADE258.pdf will be a key reference document when designing this activity and report. The University of
GhanaLegon and the University of Cape Coast will be contracted to conduct the threats assessment and develop the report.
Objectives
• Identify areas of coastal and marine biological significance in Ghana and document assets • Identify key threats to these biodiversity assets
• Identify and orient further priority research activities that are needed to design and implement biodiversity conservation strategies and actions
• Provide recommendations of how the ICFG Program can address these threats
Activities Contract University consultants—a small team of not more than three to four researchers—to
undertake this activity in the first quarter of the Phase 1 implementation plan. Working with the ICFG Program Director Chief of Party, the team will develop an outline for the report that
summarizes the following information at the national and Western Region scales. This will include but not be limited to the following:
• General characterization of the coastal geographically within the coastal administrative districts and marine shoreline to the outer boundary of the EEZ environment
• Description of key ecosystems and habitats and those of unique value • Identification of endemic, rare, threatened species and their location
• Identification of lagoon and wetland issues, changes in marine fisheries ecosystems, trends in populations and nesting of sea turtles, identification of areas of marine
mammals— particularly whale migration areas—impacted by invasive species • Identification and map of existing reserves and protected areas within the area of scope
and critical areas of concern turtle nesting sites, whale-calving grounds, important lagoons and wetland areas, etc.
• Description of the legal and institutional framework for wildlife conservation and park management
• Identification of direct threats habitat conversion, overexploitation, pollution, climate change, etc and indirect or root causes such as population growth, poor policies, and
implementation of laws, market distortions or pressures, and cultural concerns • Prioritization of threats according to several factors, including urgency of addressing the
threat, probability of success in mitigating the threat, area affected by the threat, feasibility of addressing the threat e.g., culturally, politically, economically
• Identification of priority research activities for experts and graduate students that are needed for designing conservation interventions and development of the related Terms of
Reference for those who will carry out these activities • Recommendations for the ICFG Program
18 The draft report will be vetted through a workshop that assembles key conservation experts and
other stakeholder representatives to validate the information assembled and develop consensus among stakeholders about the level of threats and priorities the Program should address. A post-
workshop report will be prepared that takes into account workshop inputs. Timeline of Tasks
Task Q2 Q3
Q4
Identify and contract threats assessment team Jan
Team develops initial outline for the report Feb
Team develops draft report Feb
Conduct expert consultation meeting April
Produce final report May
Outputs
• Biodiversity threats assessment report that meets USAID requirements • List of priority research activities and Terms of Reference for each activity
3.1.5 Participatory Characterization of Coastal Communities and Environments Background
