Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan — Capacity Needs Assessment & Capacity Development Plan
Client
SeyCCAT — Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust
Region
Seychelles
Year
2024–2025
Areas
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), Ocean Governance, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Capacity Development, Fisheries Management, Stakeholder Engagement
Short Summary
Lead consultant responsible for conducting a national Capacity Needs Assessment and developing a Capacity Development Plan to support implementation of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan (SMSP) and the Marine Protected Areas of Seychelles.
The consultancy assessed institutional, technical and human capacity requirements across government agencies and organisations involved in marine spatial planning, marine protected area management, fisheries management, monitoring, enforcement and ocean governance.
The work resulted in a comprehensive capacity development roadmap with prioritised actions, indicative budgets and implementation recommendations to support long-term implementation of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan.
Key Contributions
- Led the national Capacity Needs Assessment for implementation of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan.
- Assessed capacity needs at individual, institutional and systemic levels across organisations involved in marine governance and MPA management.
- Conducted stakeholder consultations, interviews and institutional assessments with government agencies and key marine sector stakeholders.
- Identified priority capacity gaps related to MPA management, fisheries management, monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS), maritime enforcement and ocean governance.
- Organised and facilitated national stakeholder consultation and validation workshops.
- Developed a comprehensive Capacity Development Plan including prioritised actions, indicative budgets and implementation timelines.
Results & Impact
- Delivery of a national Capacity Needs Assessment for implementation of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan.
- Development of a Capacity Development Plan supporting long-term implementation of the SMSP and associated Marine Protected Areas.
- Identification of priority institutional and technical capacity gaps affecting marine governance and management.
- Contribution to strengthening implementation readiness for one of the world’s largest marine spatial planning initiatives.
Related Resources
1. Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan (SMSP)
Official website of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative, one of the world’s largest marine spatial planning processes and the framework underpinning the national MPA network and ocean governance system.
Link: https://seymsp.com/
2. Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Atlas
Interactive spatial planning atlas used throughout the SMSP process to support stakeholder engagement, zoning design and evidence-based decision making.
Link: https://seymsp.com/outputs/atlas/
3. SeyCCAT – Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust
Official website of the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, the client organisation leading investments in marine conservation, climate adaptation and implementation of the Blue Economy in Seychelles.
Link: https://seyccat.org/
4. Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Unit (Government of Seychelles)
Official government page describing the objectives, governance framework and implementation of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan.
Link: https://macce.gov.sc/environment-department/seychelles-marine-spatial-plan-smsp-unit/
5. The Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Signed into Law (2025)
Official announcement of the adoption of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan into law, demonstrating the long-term impact and implementation of the planning process that your capacity assessment was designed to support.
Link: https://macce.gov.sc/2025/05/20/the-seychelles-marine-spatial-plan-signed-into-law/