Many people in the Caribbean depend on good governance of marine resources for their livelihoods and for development to be sustainable. However, there is an urgent need to build capacity, and network connections for adaptation and resilience, into present and planned marine resource governance in the eastern Caribbean . To assist in addressing this need, CERMES is undertaking applied research on marine resource governance in the eastern Caribbean through this MarGov project.

Using a conceptual framework derived from complex adaptive system (CAS) and social-ecological system (SES) perspectives, the research focuses on understanding governance related to small-scale fisheries and coastal management in the eastern Caribbean mainly through network analysis. It applies the results to the examination of how present and planned marine resource governance initiatives can become more adaptive and resilient at various scales to benefit a diverse array of stakeholders in the eastern Caribbean.

The project will generate lessons applicable to the wider Caribbean and beyond. It is part of a major research programme on coastal and marine resource governance aimed at sustainable development.

Goal
To understand marine resource governance related to small-scale fisheries and coastal management in the eastern Caribbean using complex adaptive system (CAS) and social-ecological system (SES) concepts.

Objectives
To construct a conceptual framework for applied research on marine resources governance in the Caribbean using CAS and SES perspectives.

Investigate governance in the context of small scale fisheries in the eastern Caribbean primarily using cross-scale network analyses with emphasis on features that enhance resilience and adaptation.

Increase the capacities of partners to undertake their own research and use the results by involving them in the participatory applied research.

Facilitate through outreach and information, the incorporation of the research results into initiatives related to marine resource governance for fisheries.

Establish applied research into marine resource governance as a new demand-driven programme.

Duration
Four (4) years – 1 March 2007 to 28 February 2011

Project area
Eastern Caribbean with regional and international linkages, but primarily members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Barbados . The OECS members are Antigua and Barbuda , Commonwealth of Dominica , Grenada , Montserrat , St Kitts and Nevis , St. Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines . Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands are associate members of the OECS.

The hypothetical maritime boundaries shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance

Map of the Wider Caribbean Region highlighting the islands of the Eastern Caribbean

Funding
The MarGov project is grant funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Rural Poverty and Environment (RPE) Program Initiative launched in April 2005. The goal of the programme is “to support participatory action-research, policy analysis and institutional innovation and reform and contribute to the development of networks, partnerships and communities of practice, in order to strengthen institutions, policies and practices that enhance food, water and income security of the rural poor living in fragile or degraded upland and coastal ecosystems”. The programme uses an approach that combines “participatory action research to generate knowledge; capacity development for researchers and decision makers to participate in multi-stakeholder processes; and policy engagement to build action and learning oriented partnerships”.
International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, grant funds CAD$557,400
Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) BBD$700,000.

Research plan
Research questions will be formulated in collaboration with stakeholders in marine resource governance. The research framework, concepts and methods will be developed and shared throughout the project. The investigation will be participatory, involving partners in research design, implementation and interpretation in ways that should facilitate skills transfer and later uptake. In addition to strengthening research partners, the project will produce one PhD and two MPhil graduates who would have served as research assistants.

Partnerships
At the core of the MarGov project there is the CERMES research team of faculty, staff and students that connects with other departments in the university. Beyond them are the regional partners who participate in the research and agree to utilize and test the research outputs (findings, communications, concepts, models and other products). There is also a wider sphere of regional and international institutions that the project will maintain connections with in order to remain on the cutting edge of governance research.

Small grants
Research partners will also be eligible to receive a limited number of small grants to enable them to participate more meaningfully in the research, especially for the dissemination of results and the management of change where immediate action on policy or management recommendations arising from the research is feasible. The small grant activities will be supported technically and scientifically to form part of the complete research package. They will promote ownership and increase the probability of uptake among partners and others, particularly in support of changes in systems of governance.

Communication
Communication and collaboration are key features of the project. Interactions are central to the concepts of governance and networks. How efficiently and effectively the project can communicate to partners and other stakeholders or target institutions for uptake will be part of the research. A communication strategy will be developed and implemented to provide a series of project publications ranging from popular to academic literature, as well as electronic products on compact disc and the internet. Findings will be prepared in a variety of formats that will facilitate sharing with a wide range of partners and stakeholders. Effective communication will include engagement of policy makers.