Project title: Creating skilled, capable and effective community co-management associations to secure legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia (Communities for Fisheries).
Location: Monrovia, Buchanan, Robertsport, Marshall and Grand Cess & Sass Town
Work description: Consultancy on project evaluation
Duration: 60 days
Background/project description
Liberia’s marine fisheries play a critical role in the national economy, food security and rural livelihoods. The sector provides direct employment and income to over 33,000 people, including 11,000 fishers. 80% of the population depends on fish as a primary source of protein. Trade in fish is a significant activity for women. Sustainable fisheries management is key to building resilience against food crises, especially in Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, Margibi and Grand Cess, where over 25% of households are food insecure. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and over-fishing threaten the sustainability of fish stocks.
The government has made efforts through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) to strengthen the structures and processes required to secure effective fisheries management and end IUU fishing. However, holistic and sustainable implementation will need the full participation of local fisher groups. Empowering communities through collaborative management associations (CMA) will help secure communities’ effective participation in fisheries management processes, secure sustainable fisheries, and support efforts to end IUU fishing.
The project “Creating skilled, capable and effective community co-management associations to secure legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia” Communities for Fisheries, Contract No. FED/2019/411-342 is a five-year intervention which aims for coastal livelihoods and food security to be supported by sustainable fisheries management, transparency and good governance that contribute to reductions in illegal fishing. The project is implemented by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in partnership with NaFAA.
The “Communities for Fisheries Project” aims to:
Reduce illegal fishing and improve the sustainability of fisheries by expanding and strengthening community co-management associations, creating effective capacity for community monitoring and reporting of illegal fishing
Build the capacity of small-scale fishers and representative organisations, enabling them to actively participate in decision-making.
Create strong and transparent local governance structures and procedures for reporting illegal fishing.
Create networks to share best practices and technical expertise for sustainable and legal fisheries planning and management.
The project activities, mixing communication and advocacy, community engagement and technological innovation, are designed around the above objectives and include the following activities:
Training and technical assistance to strengthen community monitoring of IUU fishing. Satellite-based observations, sea patrols and surveillance are supported by training and equipment.
Extensive public engagement to develop local capacity to generate and share knowledge and expertise within fishing communities and new CMAs; and inform policy and practice for sustainable fisheries management.
Supporting opportunities for collaboration between CMAs and the national government to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and management planning.
Training in advocacy and awareness raising (video, radio, print, events) to engage the wider public, media platforms, government and other stakeholders in supporting legal, sustainable fisheries.
Providing a platform for women to congregate using the Village Savings and Loans Associations approach to train them in participatory fisheries management, leadership, communications and financial management to increase women’s participation in the CMAs and sustainable fisheries management.
The project is expected to deliver a set of targeted and interlinked economic, social and environmental benefits, as well as contribute to food security and marine resource management. It will also promote a set of innovations, together with partner institutions and organisations, that will help improve IUU monitoring and reporting by strengthening the capacity of CMAs.
The guiding principles of the project intervention are set out in the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) as well as the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (VGSSF).
The project is planned to consider the following cross-cutting themes where relevant: preventing conflict, stimulating cooperation, making use of existing structures, the inclusion of minority groups, gender equality and minimisation of negative impacts on the environment.
The main target groups of the project are as follows:
Marshall, Robertsport, Bomie, Tailor Kru Town, Buchanan, Sass Town and Grand Cess
The local mayor and County Superintendent in the four project counties
Small scale fishermen, and women fish workers and their representative bodies at the national and county level:
Liberia Artisanal Fishermen Association (LAFA)
Collaborative Management Associations (CMA)
NaFAA and relevant divisions, at the county level, including:
Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC)
Policy and Development Planning Division
Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Margibi and Grand Kru Offices
Local and national stakeholders, including local and international NGOs and projects involved in the fisheries sector, development partners, universities and research institutes.
Decision-makers and government authorities, including the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The media, at local, national and international levels.
The final beneficiaries are the coastal communities.
More information on the project, including structure, objectives, goals, components and activities, are provided in the project document and updated logical framework.
Evaluation purpose and target audience
The close-out evaluation of the “Communities for Fisheries Project” aims to focus on the following aspects:
Evaluation of processes (including stakeholder integration and collaboration; workflows; participation and empowerment; division of labour between project implementers and between project and stakeholders; changes that came about as the result of the project, or changes that may have impacted project implementation during its duration).
Evaluation of impacts (measuring the immediate effect of the program against its objectives to determine how well the desired short-term changes have been achieved).
Evaluation of outcome (Has the project met its long-term goal of improving food security and promoting legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia? Can the CMAs and VSLAs function and sustain themselves beyond the program?)
Applications will be received until this position is filled.
