COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT
(Grant AID – 492-C-00-96-00028-00)
Name of Client: United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Philippines; Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
Length of Consultancy Assignment:
Start Date: May 1996
Completion Date: September 2004
Detailed Narrative Description of Project:
CRMP, a nine-year project of DENR with financial assistance from USAID, was developed to address a variety of issues at the national and local levels, which caused the overuse, and degradation of Philippine coastal resources. The primary results anticipated from the Project were development and institutionalization of municipal management systems for sustainable coastal resource and effective national policy implementation for coastal resource management. CRMP’s approach was to provide technical assistance both at the national and local government levels to clarify jurisdictions, formulate practical CRM policies and processes, and highlight the significance of reforming the open-access problem in coastal resources. Participatory assessments, CRM planning, and implementation of CRM plans were being facilitated in six “learning areas” while training, institutional capability building, and assistance towards enterprise development were accorded to local government units (LGUs) within these learning areas to strengthen their capability to support CRM efforts. CRMP pursued its objectives through a package of specific interventions, including: (i) informational research and analysis to assist database development and monitoring; and (ii) training, information, and educational campaigns to assist CRM implementation. Activities to implement these basic components were designed to catalyze CRM and achieve a threshold that would expand nationwide and be sustainable beyond the project life.
PRIMEX fielded a Policy Advisor and has been responsible for the implementation of the Policy Component of CRMP, which involved the development of a jurisdictional and operational framework for CRM adoption by local governments in the six learning sites and eventually, elsewhere in the country’s coastal areas. As Component Leader, the Policy Advisor was responsible for the overall supervision, coordination, and management of the Policy Component of the project, including preparation of detailed work plans and budgets, coordination with various stakeholders and the government executing and implementing agencies, preparation of various technical reports and publications, and dissemination to various stakeholders. As Policy Advisor, conducted policy and institutional studies to clarify the roles of national agencies, specifically DENR and DA-BFAR, and LGUs in the implementation of the Fisheries Code of 1998. Developed policy documents such as the DA-DENR Joint Memorandum 2000-01, Guidelines on Sand Mining, and Guidelines for the Delineation of Municipal Waters. Wrote several policy guidebooks articulating the responsibilities of local governments in managing coastal resources, using the Local Government Code of 1991, the Fisheries Code, and various statutes and administrative issues. Co-authored (with Dr. Alan White) the widely cited book on resource valuation in the Philippines entitled, “Values of Philippine Coastal Resources: Why Protection and Management are Critical.”Coordinated the drafting and finalization of guidelines for the delineation of municipal waters and assisted in the advocacy campaign involving NGOs, LGUs, leagues of local government, and members of Congress. Assisted Silliman University Program and the Policy Advocacy Group in the conceptualization, preparation, and execution of various policy forums on CRM and developed a Community-based Enforcement Manual for local vigilante groups with Silliman University’s Legal Environmental Advocacy Program.