IMCS Network Approach to Capacity Development
Capacity development is the work of strengthening the people, systems and institutions that deliver fisheries MCS, compliance and enforcement. For the IMCS Network, it is not a single activity. It is a connected set of efforts that build practitioner capability, support member agencies and organisations, and contribute to a stronger global community of practice.
Our capacity development work includes:
Professional development programmes that support practitioners over time, such as Wavemakers, the Network's flagship programme for emerging professionals.
Online learning through the IMCS Network Learning Portal, which hosts courses, reference materials and applied resources that members can use at their own pace and adapt to their context.
Workshops and applied exercises that the Network develops, co-designs or contributes to, grounded in real cases and operational decision making.
Peer exchange across the membership, including the Tuna Compliance Network and the Pan-Pacific Fisheries Compliance Network, where practitioners learn from each other and work through shared challenges.
Resources and guidance developed for the field, such as inspection manuals, technical briefs and reference materials that support consistent practice across regions.
Why this matters
Fisheries MCS, compliance and enforcement capacity development only works when it is practical, contextual and designed to change practice. Too much training globally is donor driven, presentation heavy, repetitive, and disconnected from follow up. Surface-level training does not allow participants to engage deeply with content, apply it to their job duties, or retain information beyond the training event. This wastes limited time and funding for both the participants and the trainers and can undermine trust.
The IMCS Network’s role is to strengthen practitioner capability through learning that is needs driven, applied, and demonstrably useful.
Our Aspiration
The IMCS Network will be the trusted global reference point for fisheries MCS, compliance and enforcement capacity development. We will shape a consistent standard for quality and relevance, connect efforts across regions and partners, and build learning approaches that reduce duplication, strengthen local ownership, and lead to measurable improvements in practice.
Principles
| Principle | What it means in practice |
| Needs driven and member grounded | We only engage where there is a clearly defined operational need, shaped by member priorities and real world constraints. We start with task and gap analysis before any design decisions are made. |
| Active learning only | We do not support passive learning environments. If an activity is primarily presentation based, we will either reshape it into active learning or we will not participate. IMCS Network engagement must involve applied learning methods such as scenarios, simulations, case based problem solving, and structured peer exchange. |
| Designed for real world application | Learning must reflect operational realities, legal context, institutional roles, and constraints. We prioritise real cases and practical decision making over abstract concepts or generic tool demonstrations. |
| Prepared participation | Participants should arrive ready to engage. Where there is an in person component, it should be supported by pre engagement materials that build a shared baseline and enable more advanced applied work during live sessions. |
| Alignment and duplication | The Network actively reduces duplication by connecting training efforts across organisations and regions, and by promoting shared approaches, shared resources, and complementary roles. |
| Diverse expertise and representation | Capacity development should reflect the community it serves. We diversify trainer perspectives, centre practitioner experience, and avoid defaulting to Western-led delivery models. |
| Follow up and measurable impact | Training without follow up is not capacity development. We require proportionate impact measurement and agree that follow up will focus on changes in practice, not only participation or satisfaction. |
The IMCS Network Check
When a member or partner requests capacity development support, we assess:
Is there a clearly defined operational need and intended change in practice?
Does the training clearly define learning outcomes and is the material designed to ensure success or achievement of these outcomes? If not, can we influence it?
How will alignment be ensured and duplication avoided across existing efforts?
Is the approach grounded in real cases and local context?
What preparation is required before any live engagement?
What follow up will demonstrate impact?
This helps us assess how we will engage, who we need to connect with and infom design, delivery and follow-up of any capacity development work that we do.
Want to work with the IMCS Network or learn more, please email us at connect@imcsnet.org
