Project 1.3.4 - Communication,
community engagement and enhanced delivery
Sea Turtle and Dugong
Awareness Program for Western Province, Papua New Guinea -
Development Workshop, Daru, 10 June 2010
(19 July 2010) A
Sea Turtle and Dugong Awareness Program Development Workshop,
held in Daru, Papua New Guinea (PNG) on 10 June, brought together
some 35 participants, including representatives from the thirteen
PNG Treaty villages in Western Province. Facilitated by the
Sea
Turtle Foundation, with support from the MTSRF Project 1.3.4, the workshop was also attended by
representatives of the PNG Department of Environment and
Conservation, the PNG Fisheries Department, the PNG Treaty Chairman
and the PNG Border Liaison Officer.
Key objectives of the workshop included a review of the Guiding
Framework that resulted from the Daru Turtle and Dugong Workshop
held in February 2009, as well as an introduction of the Sea Turtle
and Dugong Awareness Program for Western Province, PNG, and the
chance to seek feedback from workshop participants on content and
delivery options for the Awareness Program.
Daru workshop participants
(Photo courtesy of David Roe)
Australian
representatives came from the Sea Turtle Foundation, the MTSRF, the
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
(DEWHA), and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT). The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) were
unable to attend due to a major workshop to further develop Dugong
and Turtle Management Plans in the region.
The Daru workshop gave participants the opportunity to develop
components of the Sea Turtle and Dugong Awareness Program that the
Sea Turtle Foundation will deliver in the thirteen Treaty
communities and in Daru.
More information about the workshop is available at the Sea
Turtle Foundation
Daru workshop webpage.
MTSRF Project 1.3.4 Overview
Project Leader and Host
Organisation
Mr Vic McGrath, Torres Strait Regional Authority
Project Description and Objectives
For detailed descriptions of the outputs for
this project for Year 4 (2009/2010) of the MTSRF Research
Programme, see the Annual Research
Plan.
Undertaking research in the Torres Strait requires
that researchers understand and respect the culture and
communication protocols of the Torres Strait region. Throughout the
life of the CRC Torres Strait
program, a system for researcher engagement had been developed and
used, and the resulting protocols formed the basis for the
communication and engagement of the current MTSRF science projects
conducted in Program 3
(Torres Strait) and in Program 4 (Species of
Conservation Concern). It is anticipated that, due to
recent Queensland Government reforms affecting local governance,
these protocols will need some adjustment throughout 2008 that
reflect the new changes.
This project in part, involves the recruitment of a Community
Liaison Officer which is co-funded by MTSRF and the TSRA, and based
at the TSRA offices on Thursday Island. The Community Liaison
Officer is required to work with the Manager of the Land and Sea
Management Unit, TSRA in achieving contractual milestones and
reporting requirements for MTSRF projects. Importantly the
Liaison Officer's involvement and support for MTSRF research
projects in the region will continue to ensure appropriate
communication with Torres Strait Island communities and also to
maintain partnerships and knowledge transfer with supporting
agencies in the region.
Science delivery system: It
is important that the results of research be made accessible to
users. This is sometimes to be done in specialised, tailored ways
as indicated above and covered by our budget for communications and
engagement. However, it is increasingly desirable also to make
information available using web-based delivery and similar tools.
Such a system is also to be developed through MTSRF Theme 5.
This year Project 1.3.4 aims to:
-
Facilitate information dissemination program on
research activities in Torres Strait through newsletter articles,
visits to communities and meetings where appropriate; and
-
Report to the MTSRF on communication
activities.
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The Annual Research Plans, or ARPs, outline the specific tasks,
products, budgets and staff for each research project within each
of the Research Themes and Programs of the MTSRF. The ARPs
also outline the key deliverables, or 'project
milestones' (e.g. major reports, journal articles,
communications products) to be achieved.
An ARP is developed for each operating year of the MTSRF
(2006-2010).
Details of this and previous years' outputs from this project
are included in each of the Annual Research
Plans.
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