22645 1 WORLDB ANK Africa Region* Number 67. August 2001 Findings Infobriefs reports on Good Practice in ongoing operational, economic and sector work carried out by the World Bank and its member governments in the Africa Region. It is published monthly by the Knowledge and Learning Center on behalf of the Region. The views expressed in Findings are those of the author/s and should not be attributed to the World Bank Group. Mozambique: Capacity Building for Integrated Coastal Zone Management The coastal zone of Eastern Africa includes the coastal lowlands from Sudan to South Africa, the nearshore islands off the coasts of Tanzania and Mozambique, and the oceanic islands of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius, and Reunion. In some of the countries of the sub-region, at least 80 percent of the population can be considered coastal. Overexploitation of coastal and marine resources and the degradation of the resource base could significantly limit the sub-region's potential for sustainable economic growth and development. In 1997, the Secretariat for Eastern African Coastal Area Management was launched in Maputo, Mozambique, to assist countries in the East African Region to coordinate and implement Integrated Coastal Management (1CM) activities. Capacity building and the need for enhanced information sharing were seen as critical issues. Critical skills that needed to be built up included techniques for problem solving, strategic planning, project/program monitoring and evaluation, and conflict resolution. In mid-1 998, an Institutional Development Fund Grant for US$396, 000 from the World Bank was provided for promoting Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the sub-region. Technical assistance, training, and equipment were provided to build capacity, particularly at the provincial and local levels where capacity is virtually non- existent. Impact on the ground A database was launched on the Internet in November 1999. This includes projects, programs, research activities, institutional profiles, and links to related websites. While principally text-based, it is also geo- referenced with a simple overlay. Over 1,000 people accessed the database in 2000. The Secretariat has completed the training curriculum on project development and management for local NGOs working with communities to manage their coastal resources. SEACAM implemented a series of five-week training courses throughout the region for local NGOs. Learning from each other's experiences is a critical part of this training. The courses covered: (i) preparation of project proposals and identification of potential funding sources; (ii) project development; (iii) project management; (iv) financial management; (v) communication and dissemination; and (vi) project monitoring and evaluation. The courses were heavily oversubscribed and the requests for follow-up courses were too many for SEACAM to organize or finance. So far, 102 NGO staff have been trained, and the training experience has been used to update the SEACAM training manual (in French and Portuguese)-"From a Good Idea to a Successful Project." There has been a notable increase in the number of viable small-scale fisheries, aquaculture, seaweed farming projects. Thei Gujoill1vaccel7ft,hrivi ~, tiw ' PC' .1folujai Ray J*.i Ar ~ n Le,,n 5~n' IbrtleButk !816iH Sne~et .. 111407hing,tan DC 2044.4' To C 0 - Mdh.1 'U p,Ia~ niJbw'a The SEACAM Coastal Management Leadership program targeted senior managers with strategic planning tools to better deploy scarce national and donor resource. The program has to date trained fifty-five persons in South Africa and sixty-nine persons in the Seychelles. The program is to be expanded in response to demand. The SEACAM program offered a targeted program to build capacity in two critical coastal issues: tourism and coastal aquaculture development. A range of key stakeholders, including government officials responsible for Environmental Assessment (EA) management, EA practitioners in the private sector, and NGOs. Two manuals resulted: "Guidelines for EA Coastal Tourism" and "Manual for Coastal Aquaculture." Lessons learned Sustainability of initiatives: The involvement of local staff is critical to sustainability. Thus, local staff are responsible for maintaining and updating the database and local interns are used for the same purpose. While it is important to respond to training demands, cost-sharing offers an opportunity to make this activity more sustainable. Cost-sharing with other organizations has reduced SEACAM's costs per course by 50-75 percent. This becomes especially relevant when a substantial number of participants are from the private sector (tourism and aquaculture). Local realities: It is critical that the courses are customized to meet local needs and aspirations. Many participants attributed the success of the training courses to this aspect. Further, the courses need to be designed to the level of the concerned participants. Using local trainers both helps to understand the actual needs of the participants and facilitates cost-sharing. Evaluation: Systematic and regular evaluation of activities and their impact, and the visible incorporation of design changes, makes training and other activities more relevant and realistic. SEACAM has had annual evaluations of the Secretariat's performance, apart from the regular end-of-training evaluation by participants followed by a survey. For more information, please e-mail Indumathie V. Hewawasam: Ihewawasam(4worldbank.org Persons accessing the Banks External Website can acces information on Coastal Zone Managementby clicking on Topics and Sectors then Rural Development and Agriculture. World Bank staff can access the necessary information by clicking on Sectors and then on Rural Development and Agriculture.