The Executive Summary can be downloaded here

1.         In adopting the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023 (the SPMS), the CMS Parties in Resolution 11.2 (COP11, November 2014) confirmed the need for “additional inter-sessional work to strengthen the suite of materials to support implementation of the Strategic Plan, including […] a Companion Volume on Implementation for the new Strategic Plan, based on available tools, to provide guidance on implementation of the Plan”.

2.         Chapter 4 of the adopted Plan describes the main areas in which suitable high-level conditions need to be created in order to enable the range of implementation measures required.  These functional headlines cover, in particular: delivery mechanisms, supporting infrastructure and performance assessment.  The chapter includes suggestions to assist governmental and non-governmental actors in translating and integrating the Plan’s global targets into their own specific regional and national contexts.

3.         To accompany and be used alongside the SPMS, the Companion Volume is designed to expand on these aspects and is intended to help both country experts and other stakeholders put in place and execute the necessary means of implementation towards reaching the goals and objectives of the Plan.

4.         Some initial ingredients of the Companion Volume are now presented here, as the beginning of what will become an evolving on-line resource.  This method of presentation allows more flexible and dynamic ways of accessing the material and will allow it to be progressively developed in future.

5.         The Companion Volume has been organised according to the 16 targets in the Strategic Plan to provide structured support towards its implementation.  The presentation in a two-dimensional table furthermore allows it to simultaneously address the functional headings in chapter 4 of the Plan, for each of the Targets. 

Using the matrix

6.         This web-based form can be accessed according to a “matrix”-style menu rather than simply via a single list of contents. The horizontal headings (T1-T16) relate to the 16 targets in the SPMS.  Clicking on any one of these opens a new page dedicated to the individual target concerned, with a blue box at the top containing the text of the target as adopted in the Plan (plus in many cases an additional explanatory note, also from the Plan).

7.         Immediately under this on the same page (in a grey text box), is an amplified interpretation of the change (or another result) that should be expected when the target is achieved.  Following this, again on the same page, is a list of CMS Family instruments, tools and programmes, existing or under development, relevant to the target and relating to each of the functional headings as contained in Chapter 4 of the Strategic Plan. For each of the listed instruments, the content specifically relevant to the target and the functional heading is analysed in more detail in the corresponding individual cell of the matrix (see point 10 below). 

8.         Returning to the master matrix page, the headings (A-G) presented vertically on the left-hand side correspond to the functional headings mentioned above, as follows:

   A - Outreach, promotion and uptake of the Plan

   B - The delivery framework

   C - Key partnerships and other supporting delivery frameworks

   D - Capacity development

   E - Resourcing for biodiversity (including human, technical and financial resources)

   F - Monitoring and evaluation, including indicators, milestones and feedback to the sub-targets, as well as headline measures of success by which overall success of the SPMS may be judged

   G - Reporting on and review of progress at national level and by governing bodies such as the CMS COP

9.         Clicking on any one of these (A-G) opens a new page dedicated to the individual heading concerned, showing a list of CMS Family instruments and tools, existing or under development, relevant to the heading and relating to each of the 16 targets.  This is the same content on these headings as can be seen for each target individually by clicking on the horizontal heading line (T1-T16) of the matrix.  The two possible methods of access to this same material, therefore allow a user to view either:

   - all headings for a given target; or

   - all targets for a given heading.

10.       Clicking on an individual cell of the matrix (blue squares) provides a third method of access, to view text on one specific heading for one specific target. Material provided in individual cells includes notably an analysis of relevant CMS Family instruments, identifying those sections and provisions that are specifically relevant to the target and that functional heading.

Developing the content of the matrix

11.       A principal part of the content of the Companion Volume consists of a filtered identification of instruments, tools and programmes that exist within the CMS Family and are relevant to the target or functional heading in question.  At this stage, these are in a number of cases still presented at a “headline”/”signpost” level, with hyperlinks to documents where applicable.  As work develops, however, it will be possible to mine further into the instruments concerned and to extract/adapt selected elements at a greater level of specificity.  The potential extent of this is a matter for discussion.  Equivalent sources from other MEAs may in due course also be drawn upon.

12.       Work on this will advance between now and COP12, but will also continue thereafter.  The aim is to develop the Companion Volume as a living resource which can be adjusted and expanded as more information and feedback from Parties and other stakeholders becomes available, as new decisions are taken by the COPs/MOPs of CMS Family instruments, and as more guidance is produced.  It is important however in the short term to populate it sufficiently to ensure that Parties and others have the support they need, to make concrete progress towards the pressing targets agreed in 2014.