The GEF LME:LEARN Ocean Governance online course provides an introduction into governance concepts relevant for practitioners working within Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) and their Coasts. This course aims to provide project leads, partners, and others with practical approaches, lessons on governance and illustrative case studies. It also serves to promote an integrated, collaborative approach to ocean and coastal management.

After completing this course, participants will be able to apply good governance principles and tools to develop and sustain effective governance of Large Marine Ecosystems and their Coasts.

About this Course

This online course will familiarize participants with key components of good ocean governance. As an Introduction, the course will review the governance arrangements and processes that reflect internationally accepted norms, principles, and values. It also provides basic information about relevant global- and regional-scale policy and legal frameworks as well as institutional structures relevant to the governance of Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) and their coasts.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course participants will understand and become familiar with:

• Key principles of good governance;
• The importance the role of values and ethics in supporting good governance;
• The role and process of stakeholder engagement;
• Approaches to sustainable finance;
• International legal and institutional frameworks relevant to ocean governance on a global and/or regional scale;
• The role of national and international agencies in implementing these global and regional instruments;
• Key elements of effective governance;
• The importance of and tools for effective communication as a component of effective governance;
• Ways to integrate science into LME governance and assess science needs;
• Ways to assess governance measure.

Participants

The course is open for International Water (IW) project managers, mid-level government staff, and practitioners who will be supporting GEF IW project implementation.

Applications

Interested participants are invited to complete the application form or by clicking on the apply now button. Applications will be reviewed by the IW: Learn team and all accepted participants will be automatically enrolled in the online course. Revision of applications and acceptances will take place the first week of each month. Selected participants will receive an email from Cap-Net Virtual Campus notifying their acceptance and indicating the steps to follow to access the course.

Contents and course structure

In each module participants will find valuable and updated readings, videos, suggested web sites, and experiences from the ground.

• Module 1: Good Governance of Large Marine Ecosystems
• Module 2: Legal and Policy Frameworks (international and regional scales)
• Module 3: Effective Governance of Large Marine Ecosystems

Course approval criteria and certificate

Responding the quiz at the end of each module and obtaining at least 60% correct responses is a condition to move into the next module, completing the course, and receiving the certificate. There are three opportunities to reach 60% of correct answers, and in all cases the platform will indicate the wrong answers.

 Certificate

After completing the 3 modules, participants are invited to answer a short feedback survey of the course. Once this survey is answered, participants may download their certificate. Participation in the course, as well as the download of the certificate, has no cost for the participants.