3.6 Building on the initial assessment/ gap analysis of regional hydrographic capabilities of the Meso-American and Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission (MACHC), hold a high-level workshop to address institutional arrangements regional capacity building. Participants should include senior, decisionmaking representatives from each country’s national interministerial hydrographic coordination mechanism (Commission, Steering Group, etc.), regional organizations such as COCATRAM, MACHC and other key players. Such a workshop should 1) explore alternatives for regional cooperation under the scope of the project and 2) decide on a common approach, including political arrangements that will effectively build regional capacity while reducing costs by utilizing common assets.

Each country establishes an interministerial mechanism (Commission, Committee, Steering Group, etc. with representiaves from relevant government ministries (including the National Geographic Institutes) and private sector entities to assess, organize and coordinate national efforts related to hydrographic data collection, processing, production and dissemination.