EVALUATION

these standard procedures, but considers the need to train all field staff involved in data
gathering to have a common understanding of these procedures for accurate and consistent
application.
Objective B: Progress in Implementation
As noted above, ECOFISH is on track in delivering its six key results. The achievement rates of
these key results at midterm are significant, and most targets are likely to be achieved during
the project life. Substantive works in the areas of livelihood and economic development to
reduce fishing pressure and provide alternative income to fishing households are still in
progress, such as, operating profitable enterprises, and revenue and sustainable financing
schemes for LGUs, which the project needs to pay priority attention to in the remaining period
of implementation.
FishR and BoatR: ECOFISH Project catalyzed the national implementation of FishR and BoatR,
which is now being continued under BFAR’s leadership. More importantly, FishR facilitates
accounting of total fishery force of the country in relation to fish harvest, which has direct
implications to a national support program for fishers and for policy making purposes. In
support of FishR, the project has successfully introduced the TV White Space technology in
partnership with DOST-ICT Office, BFAR, Bohol Provincial LGU, and Microsoft Philippines,
leading to the prestigious P3 award received by ECOFISH Project in 2015.
EAFM Benchmark Data: The benchmark data on EAFM verified by the project based on
LGUs’ self-assessments showed a total of 19 of LOP target of 30 LGUs that achieved EAFM
Level 2 status. However, field verifications showed that not all benchmark criteria were met to
support some claims for scoring Level 2 status, such as, multi-institutional collaboration, gearspecific
management, and revenue measures established, to cite a few. A more acceptable set of
data qualifiers needs to be developed to apply the scoring system in a more consistent manner
in support of LGUs’ claims of their achievements towards EAFM Level 2 status.
Right Sizing: These 19 LGUs are on track to demonstrate the right sizing of fishing effort in
line with the results chain indicated in the TOC. “Right sizing” was a coined by the project to
promote the concept of finding the balance between the ecological capacities of MKBAs and
fishing activities in the area. Presently, the project is developing a strategy to incorporate this
concept as the core of the fisheries management plan for the inter-LGU collaboration. This
particular work is in progress, as the project has just started this during the first two quarters
in Year 3 of implementation. Furthermore, the project also needs to focus on the remaining 11
LGUs to reach EAFM Level 2 status in order to meet its LOP target.
Objective C: Challenges in Implementation
While the basic assumptions regarding the extent and conditions under which ECOFISH
Project interventions will achieve the key results related to the 10 percent increase in fish
biomass are empirically feasible and practically oriented, the assumptions related to the 10%
increase in the number of people with new or better employment are not definitive because
substantial interventions are still underway at midterm. One of the remaining bottlenecks for
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