Partnership in Integrated Coastal Management in the Pacific

Technical Training

Training was a key element of the Coastal Resources Center’s Peace Corps Pacific project. USAID and the Peace Corps, in collaboration with regional institutional partners, developed training programs within the Pacific to increase the capacity of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and their local and national counterparts to engage community stakeholders in a holistic approach to integrated coastal management (ICM). Training of project-dedicated PCVs and national counterparts took place on regional, national, and community levels in order to make effective and efficient use of resources. Joint training of PCVs and counterparts (representing community groups, government officials, and educators) strengthened working partnerships and increased the likelihood that new skills will be retained and leveraged.

Regional and sub-regional “training of trainers” technical workshops are particularly valuable as they benefit from “cross-fertilization” and serve as a foundation for national and local replication. Trained PCV/counterpart teams will support and coordinate the efforts of other community based PCVs who will then be able to implement and monitor ICM activities in their immediate and surrounding communities over their two year (or more) length of service.