Concept and Approach
RESPONSE aspires to amalgamate existing knowledge and expertise to develop advanced, tailored training programs for marine pollution preparedness and response. These comprehensive tools aim to enhance understanding among decision-makers, scientists, managers, regulators, and the public. By providing insights into pollution processes, mitigation effectiveness, and recovery paths, RESPONSE contributes to achieving EU goals in marine pollution control and management.
Using a hierarchical approach, the project integrates information layers to create a harmonized set of tools and curriculum for identifying, observing, mapping, and mitigating marine pollution in the Black Sea region’s coastal and marine ecosystems.
The Method
Preparatory Phase
In this step we:
- Map current landscape of key authorities and organizations
- Identify types of marine pollution
- Determine between pollution and ecosystem components, function and services links
- Report monitoring & mitigation approaches
- Map of current training plans and curricula
- Assess training capabilities of BS authorities
Co-creation & development
Here we:
- Co-create advanced training curricula with key stakeholders
- Provide a practical replication guide
- Develop a methodological guide for setting-up, running and updating training schemes
Stakeholder Empowerment
In this phase we develop:
- a Digital Toolkit for setting-up, running and updating curricula
- a Regional Action Plan for driving sustainable institutional participation
- a Communication Dissemination and Stakeholder Empowerment Plan
Operating & monitoring the training process
Here we:
- Test and refine the training curricula
- Organize national workshops
- Implement actual training to selected stakeholders on how to reach operational readiness and run training courses
- Set monitoring and risk evaluation indicators
Ensure transferability and sustainability
To ensure transferability and sustainability we:
- Build networks and transferability potential of the project results to other BS countries
- Create synergies and coordinate our actions with relevant complementary projects and initiatives
- Perform small scale training visits at least two to a BS country not being part of RESPONSE consortium
Communication and Dissemination
Throughout the lifetime of the project, we:
- Engage key target groups (e.g. relevant stakeholders, policy makers, the general public, the broad scientific community)
- Organize multiple outreach and dissemination activities
- Organize 2 regional and 4 national workshops and 4 pilot training curricula
- Participate in scientific dissemination activities such as conference presentations and workshops
- Provide information through the project’s website and social media
- Expand the networks to new stakeholders among BS marine pollution response entities