1. The Marine Socio-Economics Network
(MSEN)

2. Why are we here and what do we hope to achieve?
• Increase NGO socio-economic capacity and using socio-economic
information in more effective ways
• Better cooperation between the NGOs involved and others within the
field
• More efficient advocacy (as a result of 1 and 2) and effectiveness as a
result of cooperative working
• Better industry engagement
> The network will provide shared learning events which have a ‘policy
hook’ e.g. MSFD

3. Why are we here and what do we hope to achieve?
• More information sharing & joint commissioned
research.
• Organisation staff, skilled, empowered, more capacity to
engage in socio-economic debates.
• Topics broadened from fisheries exclusively to wider
marine environment.
• More holistic approach - being able to challenge
government’s definition of sustainability
• UK wide approach with attention to different realities in
Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland, etc.
• Project as “role-model” for other sectors

4. June 13th LAUNCH OF THE MARINE SOCIO-ECONOMICS NETWORK
(MSEN)
14:00 Arrive at venue / LUNCH
15:00 Welcome & Agenda for the day (CW)
15:45 Sam Fanshawe -NGO presentations on MSEN
nef on the workplan (CW) & the wider project Q&A
16:15 Break
Big Picture & nef (Aniol)
Network (Perry) & plans for tomorrow’s workshop
survey results
Workshop plans – agenda
1830- 1830-1930 free time (pool etc)
1930 Meeting 1930 onwards for dinner
2000 dinner

6. The Marine Socio-Economics Project
(MSEP)
Building the Socio-Economic Capacity of
Marine NGOs

7. Objectives:
• This project aims to build capacity in social and economic
knowledge, skills and systems across the marine NGO sector
as a whole.
• It is also designed to foster greater levels of sharing and
collaboration between NGOs and to foster more effective
engagement with (the fishing) industry.
• Key to this is creating an iterative partnership-building
process into the work.
Two key outcomes:
• NGOs with increased economic capacity
• NGOs working together

8. The inception phase (Jan – March 2012) was used to:
• find the gaps in socio-economic knowledge and the best way to build
capacity (delivery)
• identify priority marine working areas (such as fisheries, renewable
energy and MPAs)
• identify key opportunities for NGOs to influence key policy events (CFP
reform, MSFD, MCZ management measures and IA’s)

9. 1. Information and materials to
increase socio-economic skills
and knowledge
2. Priority Work Areas
3. Policy Opportunities

10. STRATEGIC APPROACH
The project presents the need to reconcile two key considerations:
• the need to balance short (current policy opportunities) and long-term
(increased capacity and cooperation) objectives of the project,
and;
• the need to focus on ‘specific’ marine environmental issues vs. the ‘general’
characteristics of economics

11. For this reason, our approach will combine both:
1. Priority: the long term
• achieving a long-lasting impact
• production of guidance and materials with a long shelf-life
• can be used by other NGOs as the project develops
and;
2. Use existing policy processes and advocacy opportunities as examples:
• delivery of training also has immediate benefits to NGO partners and
staff.
• This will highlight the effectiveness of the project (building closer NGO
cooperation)
• basis for securing future funding.

12. Training and guidance will:
• Use examples that focus on the marine environment
• Equip NGO staff with a broader level of economic knowledge
• Provide understanding (principles) that NGO staff can apply to
any other field

13. Project Governance: the PSC

14. Project phases
Inception phase: Dec-March PSC + proposed Workplan +
2012 Budget
Phase 1: April – July 2012 PSC
Phase 2: Aug – Nov 2012 PSC
Phase 3: Dec – March 2013 PSC + Annual Report + Budget
Phase 4: April – July 2013 PSC
Phase 5: Aug – Nov 2013 PSC
Phase 6: Dec – March 2014 PSC + Annual Report + Budget
Phase 7: April – July 2014 PSC + Final Report + Final
Budget

15. Defining success
• Increased capacity to deal with socio-economic
information.
• NGOs working better together
• More knowledge and access to information to:
o input into/engage with socio-economic debates
o question Government / Industry economic analysis
o interpret, gather and use socio-economic data in credible
ways.
• Long-term impact

16. How to measure success (I)
• Annual Questionnaire as an organisational benchmark
• Participation in MSEP (workshop, seminars etc).
• Website traffic and feedback
• Number of NGO reports using economic arguments
• Number of cooperative reports / research
• Number of downloads for materials off MSEP website: flyers / info
sheets, monitored by total downloads and by month
• Monthly newsletter monitoring

17. How to measure success (II)
• Additional skills survey (before / after)
• Number of successful joint funding bids
• Interviews with stakeholders to see if the value of NGO
contribution changes over time.
• Build NGOs confidence so that they attend more
conferences, e.g.
o UKNEE
o SEAFISH UKFEN
o Bridge VNN
o EAFE conferences- EU level only economists attend
workshops > NGOs should be involved.

18. Project work areas - update

19. • A Marine Socio-Economics Network (MSEN)
• Economics Briefings
• Impact Assessment workshops
• Facts and Figures
• Information and communication
• Understanding the EMFF
• ‘A day in the life’
• Measuring and valuing what matters

20. • A Marine Socio-Economics Network (MSEN) to facilitate
information sharing, dialogue and collaboration between
partner NGOs.
 The MSEN will serve as a space for information sharing,
coordination, strategic planning and dialogue among
NGOs who share common objectives.
 foster discussion and cooperation between the NGOs on
combining the social, economic, political and
environmental aspects of marine conservation and
fisheries policies with on-going plans and strategies.
 build a shared understanding of the use of social and
economic information.

21. • Economics Briefings: Information NGO staff need to know
about Economics.
→ Ten things NGOs need to know about economics
→ Guidance notes
→ Linked to examples in the marine environment:
→ Focus on discount rates for public goods (e.g. fish
stocks)
→ The market and ‘market failures’, focus on how
subsidies are allocated in fisheries

22. • Impact Assessment workshops– support on impact
assessments (IAs): MSEN workshop.
→ Two workshops in the first 12 months of the project
(under MSEN banner) focussing on IA’s for MSFD
and MCZs.
→ Workshop one is taking place tomorrow and will
focus on MSFD as a worked example, including
defra and eftec will help build shared
understanding of how NGOs can contribute
information for IAs and consultations

23. • Facts and Figures: presenting NGOs with useful facts,
figures and statistics.
→ ‘Sectoral’ information sheets (facts, figures and statistics)
and one synthesis document comparing all marine sectors
→ List of all official data sources that will be used for the
research. This will be made available to NGO staff in the
next week
→ The first two facts and figures briefings are currently being
produced and focus on food: capture fisheries vs
aquaculture.

24. Facts & Figures (continued)
Food (fisheries, aquaculture, fertiliser, fishmeal..)
1. Fisheries
2. Aquaculture
Energy oil & gas,
3. Extractive
4. Renewable(wind, tidal, wave, biofuels..)
5. Raw materials (aggregates, water, salt…)
6. Psychological/ Social wellbeing (tourism and recreation..)
7. Tourism & Recreation (angling, diving, .._)
*8. Space and waterways (shipping, MSP..)
*9. Physical wellbeing (medical products..)
*10. Knowledge (research and education)
11. Regulating services (carbon storage..)
> Synthesis and comparison (total ten info sheets).

25. • Information and communication: A project website,
newsletters and socio-economics manual - a project
legacy for accessing future funding
→ Monthly newsletters: started in April 2012
→ For discussion later
→ Project website: out for tender at present
→ For discussion later
→ NGO manual on socio-economics: at the end of the
project, combining all relevant documentation and
available for new starters or as a reference.

26. • Understanding the EMFF (European Maritime and
Fisheries Fund); Identifying funding streams and
possible opportunities for cooperation: MSEN
workshops starting in 2013
→ Guidance notes and two workshops (2013 and 2014)
→ This is a longer term aim of the project: at present all
notes (through Pew and others) on the transition and
suggestions for the EMFF are being monitored.

27. • ‘A day in the life’ series of information sheets and
seminars giving a better understanding of the key
pressures and drivers behind different sectors and
bodies.
→ Information sheets on key pressures and drivers
behind marine industries and regulators

28. • Measuring and valuing what matters; how to make sure
what gets counted counts. Measuring societal benefits
and approaches to valuation.
→ Two training courses for NGO staff, focussing on SROI and
other approaches to valuation.
→ This is a longer term aim of the project and can include
Social return on Investment (as an alternative or extended
CBA)

29. ANY QUESTIONS ?
Chris.williams@neweconomics.org www.neweconomics.org
Tel: 0207 820 6353

31. IDEAS FOR DISCUSSION:
Perry Walker - nefc
Questions for the MSEN
 Website – content and function
 Newsletters – content and function
 Network – type and purpose

32. A Project Website could serve as a common platform for:
 locate and share appropriate socio-economic information
 Sharing project outputs
 news and key events
 A directory on marine social and economic experts and
guidance on funding sources (combined with guidance notes
on EMFF) for social and economic research
 Sharing relevant publications
 Case studies
 Workshop presentations, minutes and briefings need to be
centrally maintained as a legacy of the project and to
provide a collective experience and resource for the project
partners.
 Presenting facts and figures
 Presenting data sources
 Links to the MSEN

34. The website will need to include the following information
 Project Information and contacts
 Guidance notes from the MSEP
 Briefings from the MSEP
 Workshop presentations (and minutes)
 Videos
 Case studies
 Guidance on Frameworks and Methodologies from MSEP
 Directory on marine social and economic experts
 guidance on funding sources (combined with guidance notes on
EMFF) from MSEN
 Data sources: links to Medin, EMU, Eftec, Defra – all
socioeconomic networks and projects
 Links to partner NGOs, social media, campaigns etc
Do you think anything is missing? What would be useful?

35. What should the newsletters do?

36. How do we want to shape
the network?

37. What are we recommending?
The MSEN will organise workshops and distribute information and case studies
Workshops will bring together key NGO staff twice every year.
The MSEN could also provide:
• Positions papers Joint NGO statements could be fed through Defra into the political
process.
• A joint legacy after CFP reform work (NGO group). The MSEN could fulfil that role.
• Tools to improve advocacy and look for political opportunities to ensure timing is correct
and maximise opportunity.
• GAP analysis: coordination with other working groups, e.g. It will be important to ensure
that the MSEN doesn’t overlap with WCLINK or SEAFISH CLG, but compliments their work
where possible.

38. Suggested MSEN members
Partner NGO staff from MSEP (WWF, RSPB, WTs, MCS, nef)
Countryside wildlife link (MCZ)
CFP Reform Group (NGOs)
Ocean2012
Other NGOs (Greenpeace, ClientEarth…)
Additional guest presenters or observers could include both Industry and
Government stakeholders, for example:
UK Fisheries Economists / SEAFISH
NFFO / NUTFA / Fisheries Organisations
IFCAs
MMO
CEFAS
Natural England (for English discussions)
CCW / SNH and NIEA for national meetings.
SEAFISH COMMON LANGUAGE GROUP
Academics within the field and other research institutions (e.g. Bridge VNN)
Consultants such as IMM / Eftec