Social, Economic and Cultural Overview and Assessment for Ocean ...

with a LOMA; however they were selected because they illustrated specific approaches
or lessons learned that could be useful to a SECOA.
This report outlines the methodology used in the review and provides a summary and
analysis of the main findings, as well as general observations and evaluations of the case
studies. A companion document provides an in-depth review of each of the report’s 16
case studies, with each case study portfolio presented using a uniform format.
Overall, the case studies may also be seen as falling into two main groups in terms of the
approach taken. Some were nested within a larger analytical framework and/or planning
process; in these cases, our analysis involved reviewing the framework first, to
contextualize and describe how the case study fits into the “bigger picture”, before
examining the case study itself. For another set of case studies, socio-economic
assessments were carried out, not necessarily as a component of a national integrated
planning process, and based on their own unique framework or methodology. In all cases,
the objectives, project duration, funding source (where applicable), data description and
methodology used for data collection and analysis are examined.
Among the limitations faced by the review team was the diversity within and across the
case studies (in terms of planning phase, location, objectives, etc.) which made
comparisons, “measuring success” and identifying “best practices” difficult. The time
factor also constrained a more in-depth analysis and inclusion of other case studies.
Given that there were very few examples that the team could draw on as “a good example
of a SECOA at a LOMA scale”, the team spent some time defining the parameters and
constraints of this review, in consultation with Fisheries & Oceans staff and a consultant,
and drawing on information provided by a set of experts.
As a final point concerning the approach used in this report, we note that the analysis of
the case studies (as described in the companion document) include discussions of
potential strengths and limitations of each case study, which include assessments both by
those involved in the case studies themselves, and as interpreted by the present authors
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