INTERNATIONAL WATERS
EXPERIENCE NOTES

http://www.iwlearn.net/experience








2006-006

Lessons-learned Reporting on
Stakeholder Involvement: WIO-Lab



Abstract: While this existing political and institutional framework provides a good ground for political
embedding of strategy formulation and decision-making, the capacity for stakeholder involvement
(technical, financial and human resources) of the dedicated focal point institutions and individual focal
persons may in cases be limited; experience with wide stakeholder involvement (or the motivation to
assure such) may be limited or even non existent. The WIO-LaB strategy for stakeholder participation is
based upon a stakeholder involvement strategy that distinguishes between three levels of stakeholder
involvement. The project has been underway for 15 months, and the approach is proven to be successful
so far, in particular as it concerns the regional-level stakeholder involvement. However, the success rate
of the national stakeholder involvement activities is still to be proven, with many of the project countries
still establishing their strategies and structures.

Peter Scheren
Peter.Scheren@unep.org
Addressing Land Based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean
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Lessons Learned Reporting on Stakeholder Involvement: Wio-LAB

Experience of the GEF sponsored

Addressing Land Based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean"
(UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project)


PROJECT DESCRIPTION
USD in cash co-financing from the Norwegian

Government, and 3,131,675 USD and 375,000
The Project entitled "Addressing Land-based
USD in in-kind and cash co-financing from the
activities in the Western Indian Ocean" (shortly
participating governments and UNEP
referred to as "WIO-LaB") addresses some of
respectively. The project is executed jointly by
the major environmental problems and issues
the Nairobi Convention Secretariat and the
related to the degradation of the marine and
United Nations Office for Project Services
coastal environment due to land-based activities
(UNOPS). The total duration of the WIO-LaB
in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. The
project is 4 years (2005-2008).
project is designed to serve as a demonstration

project for the Global Programme of Action for
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
the Protection of the Marine Environment from

Land-based Activities (GPA/LBA).
The project is implemented under the umbrella

of the Nairobi Convention, in that it executes
The project has three main objectives: 1)
part of the Convention's Programme of work as
Improve the knowledge base, and establish
agreed by its Conference of Parties. As such,
regional guidelines for the reduction of stress to
the project is strongly embedded in the political
the marine and coastal ecosystem by improving
and institutional framework of the Convention,
water and sediment quality; 2) Strengthen the
and key stakeholders are those related closely
regional legal basis for preventing land-based
to the Convention. Among others, the national
sources of pollution; and 3) Develop regional
focal points of the Nairobi Convention are at the
capacity and strengthen institutions for
same time the focal points for the WIO-LaB
sustainable, less polluting development. The
project.
project activities include among others, a

regional monitoring programme for water,
While this existing political and institutional
sediment and biota quality, the implementation
framework provides a good ground for political
of demonstration projects and the development
embedding of strategy formulation and decision-
of regional guidelines for the management of
making, the capacity for stakeholder
municipal wastewater and physical alteration
involvement (technical, financial and human
and destruction of habitats, the development of
resources) of the dedicated focal point
regional guidelines for environmental quality
institutions and individual focal persons may in
objectives and standards and Environmental
cases be limited; experience with wide
Impact Assessment, and a regional Protocol on
stakeholder involvement (or the motivation to
Land-based Activities to the Nairobi Convention,
assure such) may be limited or even non
and various training, educational and
existent. The challenge in this is thus to ensure
stakeholder involvement activities. The final
that the more policy-oriented focal points
product of the project will be a Transboundary
adequately engage others in the process, and
Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and Strategic Action
that were needed capacity at the national level is
Plan (SAP), as well as related National
attracted from supporting institutions.
Programmes of Action (NPA) for abating the

impacts of land-based sources activities.
THE EXPERIENCE


The project involves eight countries in the WIO
The WIO-LaB strategy for stakeholder
region (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South
participation is based upon a stakeholder
Africa, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and
involvement strategy that distinguishes between
Seychelles). Its total budget is 11,413,465 USD,
three levels of stakeholder involvement:
of which 4,511,140 USD from GEF, 3,395,650

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1. Participation: represents the core group of
2005 and joined over 100 participants from
stakeholders involved in the actual
institutions and organizations in the region.
implementation of project activities, either
The project is furthermore developing a
autonomously, on through co-management
web-based Clearinghouse Mechanism (or
or another form of collaboration. In the case
information portal) for information on the
of WIO-LaB, the key stakeholder in this
WIO Coastal and Marine Environment, as a
respect are the National Focal Point
long-term sustainable mechanism for
Institutions (NFPIs), but also other regional
information dissemination under the Nairobi
and national institutions and organizations
Convention Secretariat. At the national level,
implementing specific project activities, such
the existing national systems for information
as the demonstration projects, the water and
dissemination will be used as much as
sediment quality monitoring programme, and
possible. Reports and other technical
training and capacity building activities.
outputs are disseminated as widely as

possible. Furthermore, several countries
2. Consultation: The group of stakeholders
have already organized stakeholder
involved on a consultative level is very wide.
meetings to inform the wider public of the
The key mechanism for consultation is
WIO-LaB objectives and activities.
constituted by:

a. At the highest regional level, the
A specific issue related to the WIO-LaB project
regional Project Steering
is the demonstration projects. In order for these
Committee, and which involves
projects to optimize chances of replication,
UN agencies, collaborating
project-specific stakeholder involvement
projects, regional and national
strategies, as well as strategies for the
NGOs, the and the private
dissemination of lessons learnt, are being
sector;
prepared.
b. At the highest national level, the

national Project Steering
It should be noted that community-level
Committees (or Inter-Ministrial
engagement under the project has so far been
Committees) in each of the
limited. It is, however, intended to developed
countries. The constitution of
specific awareness raising activities to this
the National Steering
extent, coupled as much as possible to actual
Committees varies between
(visible) project activities such as the
countries but generally involves
demonstration projects, as well as educational
governmental and non-
programmes that are being developed. It is
governmental organizations as
believed that such linkage with concrete
well as representatives from the
activities will much increase the effectiveness of
private sector;
such campaigns. The same goes also for private
c. At the more technical level, the
sector engagement, which is most efficiently
regional and National Task
done through their engagement in concrete
Forces and Working Groups.
activities, in particular the demonstration
The members of these groups
projects, although the sector does also play a
are mainly from government
role in the various coordination structures
agencies and research
(Committees and Task Forces).
institutions, and at the national

level also NGOs and the private
The WIO-LaB stakeholder involvement strategy
sector.
is documented in a Regional Stakeholder

Involvement Plan (RSHIP). At the national level,
3. Information dissemination: At the widest
further, the NFPIs are being engaged in the
possible level, information is disseminated,
development of National Stakeholder
both regionally and nationally. Regionally,
Involvement Plans (NSHIP). In order to facilitate
the main mechanism for information
the implementation of the NSHIPs, the NFPIs
dissemination is through the project website
have been invited to make requests for
and newsletters, as well as through an
supported from the project, for example for the
annual Informal Western Indian Ocean
organization of National Task Force meetings,
(WIO) International Waters Forum. The first
Stakeholder Awareness Campaigns, etc. The
of these Forums was held in September
preparation of NSHIPs and the development of
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MOUs between and the NFPIs for specific
Committees, Task Forces and Working
support in executing these plans, is presently
Groups, are very demanding in terms of
ongoing.
management and budget.

· The efficiency and depth of engagement of
Rationale for approach taken
stakeholders at the national level very much

depends on the capacity and motivation of
The approach towards stakeholder involvement
the National Focal Point Institutions,
as taken by the WIO-LaB project builds strongly
including the political support that such
upon the experience of other projects. This
institution has. Not in all cases, stakeholder
concerns in particular the decision to operate on
involvement is therefore equally effective.
the basis of a structure of national and regional
· The effectiveness of certain mechanisms for
Task Forces and Working Groups. Despite
stakeholder engagement at the regional
some of the drawbacks of such structure, such
level, such as the project website and the
as the relatively high cost and administrative
Clearinghouse Mechanism that is to be
burden, the benefits of achieving ownership and
developed, is questionable, in a region
a means of efficient exchange of experiences
where experience with such mechanisms
and points of view, seem to generally outweigh
and access to IT infrastructure is still
such considerations.
relatively limited. For example, discussion

forums established through the project
The project has furthermore attempted to
website are very little used, despite regular
approach the issue of stakeholder involvement
promotion.
in a pragmatic manner: not all stakeholder need
· Unfortunately it should be said that the
to be engaged at the same level, and it should
representation in Committees, Task Forces
be clearly established which stakeholders need
and Working Groups is in cases determined
to be engaged at what level. The regional and
by `who knows who' rather than based on
national stakeholder involvement plans
appropriateness and competence. The
developed and being developed by the project
selection of participants should therefore be
provide the basis for such.
managed with a good level of diplomacy.


Pros and cons of adopted approach
The project has been underway for 15 months,

and the approach is proven to be successful so
The following advantages of the above-
far, in particular as it concerns the regional-level
presented approach may be defined:
stakeholder involvement. However, the success

rate of the national stakeholder involvement
· The institutional structure through which
activities as still to be proven, with many of the
stakeholders are engaged in Committees,
project countries still establishing their strategies
Task Forces and Working Groups ensures a
and structures. The slowness of this process
good level of ownership of the project and its
proves once more the dependency on the
activities; the project is very much seen as a
capacity and `drive' of the National Focal Points.
joint effort from the region.

· The systemic way in which stakeholders are
REPLICATION
identified and involved ensures also that

most key stakeholders in the region are
The approach is generally applicable to other
actually involved, to various degrees, as
projects. The main restriction in implementing
appropriate.
such approach is probably a budgetary one,
· The network of regional partners, including
since the structure of Committees, Task Forces
other programmes and projects which have
and Working Groups is financially quite
related objectives and activities, and the
demanding.
mechanisms established for cooperation

with such partners, generates both efficiency
REFERENCES
and effectiveness of project activities.


WIO-LaB Website: www.wiolab.org
Te following disadvantages may be formulated:


Contact details: Dr.ir. Peter Scheren, WIO-LaB
· The institutional structures for engaging
Project Manager
stakeholders, including the various
Tel: +254.20.7621270/1206/1250,
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E-mail:
wiolab@unep.org /
peter.scheren@unep.org

KEYWORDS

S Stakeholder involvement
S Project design



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