Roundtable 101

1
Roundtable 101

• Roundtable Intro
• Definition, Mandate, Membership
• History of Action Strategy Roundtable
• Successes Shortcomings
• How the Roundtable Works
• Roundtable Tools
• RT Working Group
• Hosting the RT
• Goals for RT 9
• Questions encouraged

2
What is the Roundtable

• Voluntary coalition and partnership
• Mechanism to coordinate conservation action
• Focused on the Action Strategy for Nature
  Conservation 2003 - 2007

3
Updated RT Member Criteria(from Cook Is
Conference, 2002)

• RT members represent intl, regl natl
  organisations implementing, funding or
  coordinating
• more than one objective of the Action Strategy
• in two or more countries
• And
• actively participating in previous RTs and in the
  conference
• interested/prepared to take a role in a working
  group on an issue of regional significance

4
RT Membership to date

• Regional international NGOs
• Regional international inter-governmental
  agencies
• Public private donors
• National agencies leading or coordinating
  multi-country efforts or working on issues of
  regional significance.

5
RT Participation Retention

• Not just about numbers but
• 23-24 Organizations attend each RT
• ca 20 Organizations Return at each RT
• gt25 Organizations provided input to the original
  RT Inventory
• High individual turnover (need more continuity)

6
History of Action Strategy RT

• Action Strategy Evolution Since 1985
• from wish list to key actions to specific
  TARGETS!
• input from community, natl, regl, intl groups
• shared responsibility for implementation
• planning tool for govts, NGOs donors
• Complements SPREP Action Plan
• 1997 Pohnpei Conference calls for RT of regl
  intl organizations
• 2002 Cook Is Conference renews RT mandate calls
  for broader participation

7
At this Roundtable

• 20 organisations have returned
• 6 new organisations
• 10 countries represented

8
Updated Roundtable Mandate(from 2002 Cook Is
Conference Resolution)

• Increase Effective Conservation Action in the
  Pacific Islands by
• Coordination and collaboration among natl, regl
  and intl organizations
• Identifying critical gaps in the AS and develop
  new conservation activities
• Strengthening linkages with
• Countries via NBSAP or similar process to promote
  AS
• CROP agencies for multi-sectoral mainstreaming
• Regional and national NGOs
• Report to the 8th Pacific Islands Conference
  (2007) on implementation of AS
• Mandate from local, natl, regl intl
  stakeholders

9
Action Strategy ProcessInput and ownership
promoted

• Action Strategy
• 1998 2002 è
• 2007 Conference
• PNG
• SPREP Meeting 03
• AS endorsed by PICs ç

• 7th Conference (Cook Is)
• ê
• Action Strategy Drafting Committee
• ê
• Regl Natl Reviewers
• ê
• Pacific Is Roundtable 7
• AS Endorsed by Regl Orgs

10
Successes Shortcomings (from AS RT Review,
2002)

• Unifies the Pacific Islands Region
• Clear, simple document
• Provides justification for funding
• Makes us look good
• Result of consultative process
• Friendly, informal group that promotes sharing,
  collaboration cooperation
• Voluntary relies on member commitment
• Developed important useful tools for AS
  implementation

11
RT Shortcomings (from AS RT Review, 2002)

• Natl govts local NGOs do not feel ownership
  of AS
• RT is in danger of becoming a golf club
• Governments local/Pacific NGOs do not sit at
  the RT
• RT tools not as effective as they could have been
  (esp monitoring matrix working groups)
• Excitement wanes once members return home.
  Volunteerism is a double-edged sword.

AS shortcomings were addressed in the revision
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Goals of RT 9

•         Develop the framework for monitoring the
  Action Strategy
•         Work on Roundtable tools
• o       Strengthen working groups with charters,
  focused chairs, members and outcomes in relation
  to the Action Strategy
• o       Introduce and update inventory and the
  Pacific Protected Areas Database
• o       Start preparations for 8th Conference

13
Goals of RT9

•         Identify strategies to engage donors and
  the private sector in the Action Strategy.
•         Facilitate active national participation
  on the Roundtable and improve understanding of
  national priorities
•         Integrate NBSAP coordinators into the
  Roundtable process.

14
How The Roundtable Works

• Roundtable Principles Lessons Learned
• Roundtable Method
• 5 Roundtable Tools

15
Roundtable is evolving

• National representatives now Roundtable members
• Three day meeting of the NBSAP Working Group of
  the RT.
• Full day meeting time available for working
  groups to meet eg. Invasives

New
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RT Principles for Success

• Knowledgeable, committed members with authority
  to represent their organisation
• Totally voluntary
• Agenda focused on ACTION (not debate or theory)
• Respect for different priorities and positions
• Build trust cooperation

17
Lessons Learned

• Focus on implementing the Action Strategy
  (opportunity to revise AS later)
• Be specific -- WHO, WHAT, WHEN in volunteer tasks
• Effective RT working groups (WG) need a committed
  chair and clear charter
• Avoid chairing more than one WG
• Continuity of membership is very important

18
The Roundtable Method(The Experiment
Continues!!!)

• Get Started -- facilitator, recorder, time
• Get Grounded -- review Inventory of Activities
  share new info
• Get Analytical -- ID priorities for action
• Get Action Oriented -- Volunteer for specific
  tasks
• Get Finished Report Back to Plenary

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Roundtable Tools

• Action Strategy, 2003-2007
• Inventory of Activities (new improved!)
• Monitoring and evaluation (Wed morning)
• Volunteer Tasks
• Working Groups
• Pacific Protected Areas Database
• RT Meeting Reports for more info

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Action Strategy, 2003-2007

• Mission
• 30 year goals for Environment, Economy Society
• Focus on mainstreaming across sectors
• 5-year objectives (18) with specific targets (77)
• Implementation shared by local, natl, regl
  intl groups

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Inventory of Activities, 2004

• Identifies gaps in activity
• Online record also can be exported as excel
  file
• Inventory is ordered at the target level
• Input updates needed from all RT members!
• Will move to PBIF this year

22
Monitoring and Evaluation

• Consultant starts just before RT9
• Will evaluate outcome of AS
• Revise targets of AS
• Wide consultation
• Opportunity to input at each RT
• Final report to 8th PI Conference

23
Volunteer Tasks

• Specific -- WHO, WHAT, WHEN
• Can be achieved in reasonable time (e.g. one
  year)
• Volunteered by RT member present at meeting
• Ideally initiated by next RT

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Working Groups(active as of June 2004)

• Roundtable Management Group
• PI Biodiversity Planning
• NBSAP/National
• Sustainable Conservation Action

• Communications
• Invasives
• Threatened species and ecosystems
• Bird conservation (NEW)
• Conservation Leadership and Training
• Communities (NEW)
• Coasts and Oceans (NEW)

Charters available
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RT Management Group

• RESPONSIBILITIES
• Defacto Organizing Committee
• Plan RT Agenda
• Continuity between RTs
• Maintain momentum follow-up w/ WGs
• Support AS Coordinator
• Monitoring RT AS indicators (with consultant)

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What does it take to be a RTMG Member?

• Individual organization commitment
• Continuity until next Pacific Is Conference
• Pay own way (if at all possible)
• Signed on to Action Strategy (highly desirable)

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Who is on the RTWG?

• Essential Roles
• Chair
• AS Adviser
• Facilitator
• Previous Host
• Next Host
• Working Group Chairs

• Current Members
• Taholo Kami, WCC
• Kate Brown, SPREP
• Lionel Gibson, FSPI
• Audrey Newman, TNC
• Kesaia Tabunakawai, WWF
• Liz Dovey, SPREP
• Frank Wickham, SPREP
• Randy Thaman, USP
• Kate Lee, NZAID
• Hugh Govan, FSPI
• Gai Kula, CI
• Peter Thomas, TNC
• Mark Fornwall, PBIF

28
RTMG Meetings Membership Open or Closed?

• Open at RT meetings
• meets before after RT
• Meetings conference calls between RTs closed
• Host MG Chair have discretion on conference
  calls
• MG Chair can close membership to keep group
  effective (8-10)
• Rotate and recruit members at each PI Conference

29
Next Roundtable meetings

• July 2006, Hosted by FSPI in Fiji
• 8th PI Conference for Nature Conservation PNG
  in July 2007
• RTMG Meeting January 2007 - PNG

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Pacific Island Roundtable

• Where
• Collaboration

Meets
Effective Conservation Action