2.4 Verify Agreement

MCA Field Guide
MCA Field Guide Checklist
Phase 2: Engagement Checklist
2.1 Team selected
2.2 Plan developed
2.3 Ideas exchanged
2.4 Agreement verified

Once the Marine Conservation Agreement (MCA) project is presented by the engagement team, the right-holders and other direct stakeholders should have as much time as needed to communicate with their constituency and discuss the desirability of designing an MCA with the engagement team. The engagement team should confirm that decisions made by right-holders and other stakeholders takes into consideration the sentiment of their constituency.

At this point, the engagement team should have a good idea if they wish to continue or abort the project. If the engagement team, right-holders and other direct stakeholders decide to continue, they should agree on the process to be followed, including timeframe, steps, negotiating teams and roles and responsibilities.

Example: Role Playing in Cambodia

In Cambodia, community institutions called Commune Natural Resource Management Committees (CNRMCs) were the representatives with whom Conservation International’s engagement team discussed and negotiated agreements. Responsibilities of the CNRMCs included communicating to the rest of the community the concept of a conservation agreement, the commitments involved as well as the potential benefits, and, during the implementation phase, disseminating information about the agreements throughout their communities.

To assess their ability to do so, a role-playing exercise followed the initial engagement discussions. During the role-playing, one CNRMC member demonstrated how he would explain the agreement to a villager, played by another CNRMC member who asked questions one might expect from community members. The engagement team and the rest of the CNRMC then evaluated the simulated conversation to assess the effectiveness of information transmission.

During the implementation phase, randomized surveys could also be used to assess the level of village awareness and understanding of the agreement, and part of the benefit package (an administrative fee paid to the CNRMC) could hinge on achieving a minimum level of village awareness as demonstrated in the surveys.

Before concluding the engagement phase, the engagement team must ensure that they have succeeded in conveying the MCA concept to the right-holders and other direct stakeholders. Tools such as role playing with local community representatives (see example box) can confirm that right-holders are clear about the implications of entering into an MCA and how it would operate, to ensure that the potential counterparts are in a position to make an informed decision on whether to proceed.

The product of this final engagement step is generally (but not always) a written commitment to work together to define an MCA according to the agreed upon process. This is not yet a commitment to specific conservation outcomes or activities; details of the actual MCA will be developed in Phase 3: Agreement Design.

Successful completion of the engagement phase should produce:

A clear idea of who can legitimately design and enter into an MCA on behalf of the right-holders and other direct stakeholders
Documented agreement to work towards an MCA
A clearer vision of what an agreement will look like (i.e., conservation actions and benefits)
A refined estimate of the Implementation costs
If funding for implementation has not been secured, a plan to do so during the design stage

Next Phase

After the engagement team verifies the tentative agreements on the issues and process related to the MCA project, the team must work with right-holders and other direct stakeholders design the actual terms and conditions of the MCA.

2.4 Verify Agreement

Example: Role Playing in Cambodia

Next Phase

Site Map