The international Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention) aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic, and avian migratory species throughout their migration routes. All contracting Parties designate National Focal Points (NFP) as liaison officers between relevant government offices and the CMS Secretariats. Ecologic Institute has developed a manual for the NFPs as well as a concept for an NFP e-community platform.

CMS manual supports NFPs in fulfilling their duties

The aim of the manual is to clarify the general roles and responsibilities of NFPs. It gives guidance on how to contribute effectively to the implementation of the instruments under the CMS and how to facilitate interactions between the Parties and the CMS Secretariats. The manual encourages the NFPs to act as a facilitator between institutions through the sharing of experiences in species conservation.

NFP e-community facilitates the exchange of knowledge and experiences

Ecologic Institute has developed a concept for an NFP e-community platform which provides a framework for an online community-of-practice designed to facilitate the daily work of NFPs. The concept specifies the platform’s information architecture, knowledge presentation, functionalities, user roles as well as advanced online e-learning tools for participation, communication, and collaboration. A prototype of the e-community platform has been set up during the project duration.

Target groups were involved in the development of the manual and e-community platform

In a first step of the project, Ecologic Institute collected and assessed the information needs of the NFPs via an online questionnaire. Representatives from the NFPs and the CMS Secretariats were asked to comment on draft versions of the manual and e-community concept in several feedback loops. Furthermore, a working group of 25 active experts from different regions, cultural and professional backgrounds had been formed to review the progress made.

On 1-2 November 2012, the working group met in Bonn to discuss the manual using the participatory World Café method. They also had the opportunity to test the prototype of the e-community platform, which led to positive feedback on its usability. Ecologic Institute facilitated the workshop together with the CMS Information and Capacity Building Unit’s Officers, and with support from the AEWA (Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds) Secretariat.