Phase 4: Implementation
- MCA Field Guide
- MCA Field Guide Checklist
- Phase 4: Implementation Checklist
- 4.1 Administration accounted for
- 4.2 Planning initiated
- 4.3 Outreach planned and begun
- 4.4 Science program established
- 4.5 Enforcement needs assessed and met
- 4.6 Public uses promoted and managed
- 4.7 Livelihoods identified
- 4.8 Habitat management needs realized
- 4.9 Maintenance identified and scheduled
- 4.10 Funding needs assessed and acquired for the long-term
The most crucial phase in the Marine Conservation Agreement (MCA) process is implementation—this is when the actual conservation is achieved. All of the other phases have been undertaken solely to enable this phase. After the MCA has been designed and signed in Phase 3, the implementation phase begins.
Implementation Needs
There is often a common misperception that ocean and coastal waters are somewhat fallow and require little active management. Conservation organizations may assume there will be little time, effort, and resources needed for MCA projects after all of the parties have signed the formal documents. Unfortunately, this may not be the case.
Lands, resources and ecosystem services associated with ocean and coastal waters frequently require similar types of management as terrestrial areas. Due to the fluid nature of the environment, ill-defined boundaries, public rights to water, and several other factors, strict attention and necessary resources should be dedicated to long-term implementation activities. Site-specific focus is, in fact, one of the important and tangible benefits conservation organizations can bring to ocean and coastal management that public agencies can ill afford.
The project implementation sub-steps presented in this toolkit are designed to stimulate thinking about several fundamental long-term management responsibilities. The sub-steps do not necessarily represent the full range or the minimum viable set of all needed management activities for specific sites—this must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some sites will require high levels of long-term implementation activities while other sites will require little if any.
Implementation Roles
Photo: B. Allen/TNC
There are three basic scenarios under which MCAs may be implemented. Each scenario prescribes different roles for lead conservation organizations and right-holders. In addition, other direct stakeholders may be engaged by lead conservation organizations and right-holders to assist with any or all implementation activities.
From this point forward, those directly responsible for implementing the MCA, whether conservation organizations, right-holders or other direct stakeholders, are considered the implementers.
The basic implementation scenarios include:
- Original right-holders retain interests in the land, resources or ecosystem services and also assume the lead role for implementation activities.
- Original right-holders retain interests in the land, resources or ecosystem services, but the lead conservation organization assumes implementation responsibilities.
- Original right-holders transfer interests in the land, resources or ecosystem services to the lead conservation organization or a third party and the lead conservation organization or third party assumes implementation responsibilities.
1. Right-holders Retain Interests and Assume Implementation Responsibilities: As the implementers, the right-holders are responsible for nearly all aspects of implementation while the role of the lead conservation organization is relatively limited, ensuring the terms and commitments of the MCA are fulfilled by the right-holders. Typically, the activities of the lead conservation organization will shift over the implementation period from day-to-day activities to periodic engagement. The most basic requirement for moving toward a long-term, sustainable agreement is effective initial implementation and regular feedback of experiences.
Standard procedures for benefit delivery and performance monitoring should evolve such that the lead conservation organization activities take the form of periodic application of established protocols rather than ongoing engagement. However, the lead conservation organization must always continue to ensure that mechanisms are in place to allow prompt responses to implementation problems, community grievances, or the emergence of new threats to the stability of the agreement.
Over the long-term, the ideal role for the lead conservation organization is to measure progress towards biodiversity conservation, improvement of quality of life and compliance with the agreement. The results of these activities will ultimately allow for periodic re-design of the agreement to ensure it effectively conserves biodiversity while people are satisfied with the arrangement. These activities are not optional and should be performed on a regular basis.
2. Right-holders Retain Interests; Conservation Organization Assumes Implementation Responsibilities: As the implementer, the lead conservation organization is responsible for all aspects of implementation while the role of the right-holders is relatively limited, ensuring benefit delivery is received by the appropriate parties. Periodic check-ins may be desired by right-holders to ensure the lands, resources or ecosystem services are being managed according to the terms and conditions of the MCA.
3. Right-holders Transfer Interests; Conservation Organization Assumes Implementation Responsibilities: Once again, as the implementer, the lead conservation organization is responsible for all aspects of implementation while the role of (former) right-holders is nearly non-existent. Because the right-holders transferred their formerly-held interests, there is typically no need or desire for them to engage in implementation activities. This is even more common if the transfer of interests is perpetual, such as under a fee-simple purchase. If the transfer of interests has a defined term and the interests may return to the right-holders at the end of the term, then the right-holders may retain at least some level of interest and engagement during the implementation period.
Implementation Sub-steps
While the information within Phase 4 is presented as a series of sub-steps, 4.1 to 4.10, in reality, implementation activities are not nearly as sequential as the sub-steps of the other three phases in the field guide. Some implementations activities need to be undertaken immediately and simultaneously while other sub-steps can be undertaken later and sequentially. While the immediate and long-term needs and timing of implementation activities will largely be project-specific, we have attempted to present them here in an order in which the most common, pressing needs are presented first and in a logical progression (wherein later activities may benefit from earlier activities). Ultimately, under any of the three implementation scenarios as described above, a similar set of implementation actions may be necessary at some point during the MCA project's life.
First Sub-step
To begin implementing an MCA, administrative duties should be addressed.