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IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

This regional strategic framework outlines the basis for action by CONSRN partners towards rehabilitation of fisheries and aquaculture in tsunami affected countries and communities. The framework will also be useful in providing direction and coordination to other organizations (such as government departments, NGOs, multilateral agencies and donors) involved in tsunami rehabilitation. Many other agencies are or will be working in the tsunami affected areas and it is therefore important that any activities are carried out in full collaboration with development partners and governments.

Implementation of activities in support of the strategic elements described in this framework will require close collaboration, design and planning, mobilization of resources, monitoring and evaluation and effective networking and communication. In order to achieve this, five key areas of activity and cooperation have been identified for CONSRN and it's partners. These include:

• collaboration in conducting and communicating results from combined comprehensive damage and needs assessments;
• development of agreed rehabilitation plans and a rehabilitation programme that involve core partners and other related agencies;
• working collectively to mobilize additional resources as appropriate;
• implementation of the agreed rehabilitation plans, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on progress and effective networking and communication of findings; and
• development of a CONSRN flagship project that involves all partners in the consortium.

Collaboration in conducting and communicating results from combined comprehensive damage and needs assessments

Prior to designing and implementing any programmes aimed at rehabilitation of fisheries and aquaculture, comprehensive impact and needs assessments are required. As a first step in this process a review of existing damages and needs assessments will be required to minimize overlap and duplication of work. Key elements of these assessments could include:

• environmental damage, for example that relating to changes in resource base (fisheries and other species), nursery areas for fisheries, coastal zone habitats, coral and mangrove areas;
• economic losses, including losses to aquaculture and fisheries physical assets and infrastructure (including processing, input suppliers and service industries);
• social impact, including the impact of the tsunami on fishing communities, fishers organizations, their capacity to organize and the psychological impacts on fishers and their families;
• financial losses, including impact on existing financial structures at local level;
• changes to livelihoods assets, strategies and vulnerability of the different groups within communities; and
• policy and institutional impact, in particular the impacts on government and
  non-government agencies (both formal and informal institutions) and their ability to support communities.

Development of agreed rehabilitation plans that involve core partners and other related agencies

In parallel with the impact and needs assessments, planning for rehabilitation will have to be carried out. The should be agreed at local level and ensure that the rehabilitation does not result in fishing over capacity or unsustainable development of aquaculture. The types of plans that can be developed during the needs assessment include:

• environmental rehabilitation, in particular long term planning to ensure sustainable use of the natural resource base of fisheries and aquaculture and the coastal zone;
• economic rehabilitation, including medium to long term planning for rehabilitation of public (infrastructure) and private (boats and gear) goods. In particular replacing the loss to aquaculture and fisheries physical assets and infrastructure (including processing, input suppliers and service industries);
• social rehabilitation, including plans for the strengthening of community organizations and cohesion (through group action). Specific attention should be paid to vulnerable groups such as the poor, women and marginalized sectors of the community and their involvement in coastal zone management;
• financial rehabilitation, including how appropriate financial services for all sectors of the community can be re-established;
• livelihoods rehabilitation, including how livelihoods assets of the households within the diverse communities can be rehabilitated to ensure a reduction in vulnerability and the basis for sustainable development; and
• policy and institutional rehabilitation, including how policy and institutions can be strengthened at local and national level (and both formal and informal) to fully support rehabilitation of the tsunami impacted areas.

During this phase, close cooperation with partners and stakeholders is necessary to ensure that overlap and potential waste of resources is avoided and that programmes are well targeted and appropriate. CONSRN partners are ideally placed to support this function having the local, national, regional, and international networks and technical expertise required. Key stages in the development of programmes could include:

• networking and sharing of information (in particular related to the results of damage
  and needs assessments), including support to regional and national technical
  consultations and coordination of planning meetings, development of a CONSRN partner communication strategy and web sites;
• facilitation between agencies and direct support through technical assistance to planning for rehabilitation, including the development of action plans; and
• commissioning of specific reviews as required and according to the needs of countries.

Working collectively to mobilize additional resources as appropriate

During the development of the rehabilitation plans it is essential to identify resources (financial, human and physical) for implementation. Close coordination is required between CONSRN and other partners to ensure that sources of appropriate resources are identified and involved in planning at an early stage. CONSRN can play a critical role through its networks to ensure that needs (expressed as projects and programmes) are coordinated and matched with donors. Key stages in the identification and mobilization of resources could include:

• preparation of high quality concept notes for potential programmes and projects for submission to donor meetings;
• direct communication of project concepts to donor agencies through status reports, technical meetings;
• establishing and communicating project development criteria required by different donors; and
• regular internal communication of project proposal status and topics within CONSRN partners.

Implementation of the agreed rehabilitation plans, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on progress and effective networking and communication of findings

Once project proposals have been approved, implementation can proceed in a timely and accountable fashion. CONSRN is a voluntary activity of the agencies involved and as such has no formal secretariat. Each partner may raise funds to augment its own internal resources
(in any way it sees fit within its institutional policy) and bring these resources on to the
“Consortium table” should that agency deem this appropriate. In a case where two or more partners agree to jointly implement a project, the collaborators in that project will decide on how the project is funded, the source of funds, and their respective contribution to the project cost. In the last instance, the partners may agree to cost in-kind contributions and count these as a contribution to the project. Implementation of agreed CONSRN projects or programmes will be through the consortium partners and follow the agreed guidelines for rehabilitation and development. In addition to these guidelines emphasis will be put on:

• coordinated monitoring, evaluation and reporting progress, including specific thematic and impact evaluations, and
• effective networking and communication through: sharing the most up to date information, reporting on results, disseminating the findings of evaluations, assessments and programme activities.

A wide range of activities in support of tsunami rehabilitation are either underway or planned by individual members. These vary from the provision of extensive relief to mobilizing resources and developing proposals for long term rehabilitation. These individual actions will be implemented by the partners but coordinated and communicated to the consortium.

Development of a CONSRN flagship project that involves all partners in the consortium

In addition to the actions described above, CONSRN has agreed to the concept of a joint flagship programme to be designed and implemented by all partners during the coming months. This programme will give coherence and complementarity to what may otherwise be overlapping activities. It will be developed by CONSRN partners and be based on the draft proposal developed by SEAFDEC. This proposal contains elements to address key issues such as:

• avoidance of over capacity in the provision of inputs during fishery rehabilitation;
• the promotion of responsible fishing techniques during fishery rehabilitation; and
• the promotion of sustainable aquaculture practices during rehabilitation of coastal aquaculture.