A crucial component to achieving success with the
Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (Pncima)
planning process is comprehensive stakeholder buy-in and support. This needs to happen early in the planning process so that there is widespread understanding and engagement of the people that will ultimately implement the recommendations to come out of the final plan.
Living Oceans Society believes that a planning process for Pncima will only succeed if the people who work and live in the region are involved in a meaningful way. Based on our review of best practices from around the world, we have developed eight principles for sound stakeholder engagement.
In the three years between 2005 and 2008, DFO had been working collaboratively with First Nations in the region and the Province of B.C. to draft a framework for the Pncima marine planning process. Although DFO recognized that stakeholders needed to be engaged, they had not yet consulted with them.
Finally, in December, 2008, DFO signed an MOU with Skeena and Coastal First Nations, officially launching the collaborative aspect of the process, but as of March, 2009, the B.C. provincial government has not yest signed on. In order for the process to be a success, much work still needs to be done to ensure that all levels of government are engaged and adequately resourced.
The first opportunity for stakeholder involvement is the Pncima Forum, on March 26-27, 2009. Three hundred people – including representatives from all levels of government, First Nations, coastal communities, marine industries and non-governmental organizations – participated in a two-day marine planning conference.Working groups will be formed which will have stakeholder components. To find out more about becoming involved in the Pncima planning process go to our PncimaMatters website.
Stakeholder Perspectives on Marine Planning
Living Oceans Society held one-on-one meetings and conversations with several stakeholders throughout the PNCIMA region from May-August 2007 to discuss why marine planning is important. People told us what they think are some of the issues that could be addressed by a marine planning process and how they would like to be engaged as the process unfolds. Then, Living Oceans Society and the B.C. ENGO Marine Planning Caucus held community meetings in late August and mid-September 2007 to talk to the people who work and live on the coast about why marine planning is important and to hear what they think are some of the issues that could be addressed by a marine planning process.
The Stakeholder, Coastal Community and Expert Views on Oceans Issues and Marine Use Planning in BC report is a project summary of these first concerted, widespread efforts to engage stakeholders and solicit their views on the PNCIMA planning process.
This project recognized that similar work is currently underway within Coastal First Nations communities throughout the PNCIMA region. Out of respect for the work being undertaken by First Nations and in an effort to complement that work, the focus of this project was on non-First Nations stakeholders and community members that have not been engaged.
