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Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Integrated coastal management planning strategies
Part 4 Monitoring the project
Chapter 4.1 Principles of monitoring
Background
UNESCO’s coastal regions and small islands (CSI) unit has developed a list of wise practice characteristics to provide a framework for evaluating their field projects around the world. The authors participated in the workshops and Internet discussions that produced these evaluation criteria.
Those involved in assessments are expected to adopt an open mind when considering the various activities, and to look for the positive wherever possible, rather than adopting too rigorous an approach.
Purpose of the assessment: (i) To advance the field project, by reviewing the actions already undertaken and planning future activities; (ii) fostering exchanges between different projects; and (iii) disseminating information about the project through the Internet.
Composition of the assessment team: Assessments should be done by a team, which includes at least one qualified person from outside the project who has never been directly involved with the project or its implementation. The team should always include the field project leader(s) and other key people as appropriate. An ideal team size is four people. Wherever possible a person from a complementary field project or UNESCO university chair should be part of the team.
Team leader: The external team member takes the lead in conducting the monitoring / assessment, preparing the first draft of the assessment report, circulating the report to other team members, incorporating the comments into further drafts, and preparing the final report.
Site visit: Assessments must include visits to the project area by the entire project team, usually lasting two to four days. The purpose of the site visit is to organize monitoring of the results, talk to as many people involved or peripheral to the project as possible, to view activities in progress or completed, and in general to gain an on-the-ground sense of the project.
Site visit programme: The site visit should be carefully planned in advance with the field project leader taking the lead, and with the full involvement and agreement of the assessment team members.
Documentation: Copies of all relevant project documents, including drafts, and audio-visual material should be made available to the assessment team at least one month in advance of the site visit so that they have time to review the documentation before the site visit. Project summaries have proven very useful in assessments.
Criteria for assessments: The seventeen wise practice characteristics (see the following Chapter) are the main criteria. Other criteria may also be used where appropriate, as long as they are defined during the preparations for the assessment.
Preparation of the assessment report: During or towards the end of the site visit, the assessment team, led by the team leader, discusses the project activities in light of the wise practice characteristics. A categorization for each characteristic (slightly, partially, fully) is determined, and observations and comments are noted (the observations and comments being more important than the categorization) At the end of this exercise a short synthesis of the key issues (maximum five) emerging from the assessment is discussed. Future activities are then designed to address these key issues. All or some of the future activities become the nucleus of the terms of reference for future contracts. The assessment team leader produces the first draft of the assessment report, either during the field visit or on return to his/her home office. This is then circulated to other team members by e-mail for comments. The process works most efficiently if comments are requested by a certain date. It may take several drafts before all the outstanding points are agreed.
Finalisation of the assessments: The completed assessment is posted on the CSI website and the field project summary is then revised.
Frequency of assessments: Projects should ideally be assessed every two to three years.
Time commitment: It may take six months to complete an assessment, from the initial planning stage to the posting of the finished assessment text on the website.
Chapter 4.2 Wise practice characteristics
The basic criteria of the project efficiency (wise practices characteristics) are the following:
Long-term benefit: positive effect on the coastal zone will be apparent a long time after the project has been implemented.
Capacity building and institutional strengthening: the project provides for strengthening the existing mechanisms and the structures improving management efficiency in the coastal zone, and forms new ones.
Educational possibilities: all project participants and, first of all, local nature resource users receive additional educational services.
Sustainability: the project results are directed towards sustainable improvement in the development of the district (region) The degree of compliance with the sustainability criterion characterizes the efficiency of involvement of the stakeholders in project realization, scientific and methodological standard of implementation of the project activities and, as a result, the outlook for the continuation of the project.
Transferability: the positive expertise gained can be successfully transferred to other stretches of the coastal zone, other areas and regions.
Interdisciplinary and intersectoral aspects: realization of the project is based on a comprehensive approach integrating knowledge of different scientific disciplines and taking into account the interests of all social layers/sectors.
Involvement of the local population in the project: all groups of the population and individual coastal resource users interested in the results of the project actively participate in its realization.
Reaching consensus: consensus is reached among most of the coastal stakeholders whose interests are affected by the project.
Effective and efficient communications process: multidirectional and multilevel communication is organized among all participants of the project, using dialogues, consultations, discussions, confidential talks, etc.
Respect for local culture: the project promotes conservation of local cultural heritage and traditions and takes into account their ecological significance.
Gender and/or sensitivity issues: the project pays attention to diverse aspects of gender relations, family problems and interaction between different age groups (children - parents)
Strengthening local identities: the feeling of local identity in the coastal resource users becomes stronger; possibilities for self-realization and self-sufficiency are broadened by the principle “where you were born, there you are needed”.
Contribution to national legal policy: the design promotes formation of the state policy of actions in the coastal zone.
Regional dimension: the outcome of the project promotes development of the region as a whole.
Human rights: the project promotes development of democracy and strengthening of basic human rights.
Documentation: the work relating to the project is adequately documented in the form of various publications, video films, minutes of meetings and activities, scientific reports, etc.
Monitoring and assessment: the project activities are regularly assessed by experts or the project participants themselves from the point of view of their compliance with the above criteria.
Each of the characteristics was assessed by the team of experts during free, open discussions, using a three-point scale: “fully”, “partially” or “slightly”. Local stakeholders, mass-media, representatives of local administrations and governmental agencies, educational establishments shared in the discussion.
This shortened version of the Russian textbook on “Integrated coastal management planning strategies” by Marina Kononenko and Michael Shilin was prepared in January 2004 and translated into English by M. Shilin.
Russian State Hydrometeorlogical University, St. Petersburg, spring 2004
