Participatory, learning and action (PLA) resource guide for practitioners to build, enhance and promote resource conservation and management

Sauafea-Le'au, Fatima.

Guillbeaux, Michael.

Tuaumu, Solialofi.

United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

Coral Reef Conservation Program (U.S.)

United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

Coral Reef Conservation Program (U.S.)

2010

Collaborative management is one of the most effective tools to ensure community participation in resource management. It describes a partnership among different stakeholders for the management of an area or resources. More managers, researchers, leaders and politicians are realizing that sharing management rights and responsibilities with various stakeholders, particularly the local communities, is the positive way to a long-term conservation and effective management of natural resources. It has been experienced that Participatory, Learning and Action (PLA) approach could assist in assessing a community's perceptions on management, identifying activities that have impacted the resources, issues and threats to the communities and their resources, management needs and recommendations on best management strategies for a community. This guide provides steps and tools on how to use a participatory approach to engage and gain participation of local communities in American Samoa. The participatory approach and tools are from previous work experiences used in gathering information from village communities and building partnership with communities in managing the resources. The PLA approach is a simple, creative and effective way to engage and allow all sectors within a community to participate in discussions to assess their concerns and issues, learn and become aware of the issues, and develop actions that will best improve the management of their resources in collaboration with other stakeholders. It is the hope of many resource managers that the effective collaboration and management of the resources by the government and local people will result in more healthy and abundant resources for tomorrow. For future effectiveness and long-term success of managing the resources in American Samoa, there is a need to develop a community network, through active participation and support, for better collaboration among local communities and improved resource management"--Foreword.

Conservation of natural resources

Coral reef conservation

Marine ecosystem management

Marine resources conservation

American Samoa

CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System)

Professional Paper

Collaborative management is one of the most effective tools to ensure community participation in resource management. It describes a partnership among different stakeholders for the management of an area or resources. More managers, researchers, leaders and politicians are realizing that sharing management rights and responsibilities with various stakeholders, particularly the local communities, is the positive way to a long-term conservation and effective management of natural resources. It has been experienced that Participatory, Learning and Action (PLA) approach could assist in assessing a community's perceptions on management, identifying activities that have impacted the resources, issues and threats to the communities and their resources, management needs and recommendations on best management strategies for a community. This guide provides steps and tools on how to use a participatory approach to engage and gain participation of local communities in American Samoa. The participatory approach and tools are from previous work experiences used in gathering information from village communities and building partnership with communities in managing the resources. The PLA approach is a simple, creative and effective way to engage and allow all sectors within a community to participate in discussions to assess their concerns and issues, learn and become aware of the issues, and develop actions that will best improve the management of their resources in collaboration with other stakeholders. It is the hope of many resource managers that the effective collaboration and management of the resources by the government and local people will result in more healthy and abundant resources for tomorrow. For future effectiveness and long-term success of managing the resources in American Samoa, there is a need to develop a community network, through active participation and support, for better collaboration among local communities and improved resource management"--Foreword.

2010

CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System)

Library

Public Domain

1858

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/611