Mangroves for the Future,fas 3, 2014-18 Mangroves for The Future, phase 3, 2014-18 - Mangroves for The Future, phase 3, 2014-19 Mangroves for the Future (MFF ) was formed in 2006 primarily to support the countries around the Indian Ocean in restoring mangrove forests that were damaged by the tsunami in 2004. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will host the MFF. Basic values ??and characteristics of the MFF are: Partnerships between different stakeholders ; Focus on people: Policy Relevance and Investment-oriented . Mangrove forests remains a trademark for the program, and a significant part of the business, but MFF has gradually evolved into more and more work on all coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass beds , and more. The program strives for a balance between preserving ecosystems and to support local people in to use these for their livelihood in a sustainable manner. Two independent reviews of the MFF has concluded that the program is run effectively and achieve its goals.

MFFs activities in the member states is governed by a " National Strategic Action Plan" , NSAP , which is developed and owned by the countries themselves. NSAP controls the direction of the small-scale project that is the core of MFFs business. Through systematic monitoring , learning and evaluation of these projects results are collected, disseminated through reports , MFFs website etc. channels. Some results have been used by countries in the development of policies and regulations . The information is also shared between the member countries. The regional work within the MFF has been strengthened during the ongoing phase 2 , including through a special project facility for regional projects. During the planned Phase 3 regional efforts will be expanded as well as knowledge creation and dissemination. Another significant initiative is a more systematic approach to and collaboration with private sector. During Phase 3 , the intention is that countries' own contribution should be increased , especially for projects in their own country.

MFF operates in ten countries from Pakistan in the west to Indonesia in the East. IUCN Regional Office in Bangkok is Agreement partner and coordinates MFFs activities in member countries and regional work . Mangroves for the Future (MFF) bildades år 2007 framförallt för att stödja länderna runt Indiska Oceanen i att återställa mangroveskogarna och andra kustnära ekosystem som skadades av tsunamin 2004. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) och United Nations Development Program (UNDP) delar på värdskapet för MFF. Grundläggande värden och kännetecken för MFF är: Partnerskap mellan olika aktörer; Fokus på människor; Policyrelevans och Utvecklingsorienterat. Mangroveskogar är fortsatt ett varumärke för programmet, och en betydande del i verksamheten, men MFF har gradvis utvecklats till att mer och mer arbeta med alla kustnära ekosystem såsom korallrev, sjögräsängar, mm. Programmet strävar efter en balans mellan bevarande av ekosystemen och att stödja lokalbefolkningen i att nyttja dessa för sin utkomst på ett hållbart sätt. Två oberoende granskningar av MFF har kommit fram till att programmet drivs effektivt och uppnår sina mål.

MFFs verksamhet i medlemsländerna styrs av en "National Strategic Action Plan", NSAP, som tas fram och ägs av länderna själva. NSAP styr inriktningen av de småskaliga projekt som är kärnan i MFFs verksamhet. Genom systematisk uppföljning, lärande och utvärdering av dessa projekt fångas resultat upp, sprids via rapporter, MFFs hemsida, workshops, m.fl. kanaler. Vissa resultat har använts av länderna i utveckling av policies och regelsystem. Informationen delas också mellan medlemsländerna. Det regionala arbetet inom MFF har stärkts under den pågående fas 2, bl a genom en speciell projektfacilitet för regionala projekt. Under den planerade fas 3 kommer det regionala arbetet att utökas liksom kunskapsuppbyggnad och -spridning. En annan signifikant satsning är ett mer systematiskt närmande till och samarbete med näringslivet. Under fas 3 är avsikten också att ländernas egna bidrag ska utökas, framförallt till projekten i det egna landet. 

MFF är verksamt i tio länder från Pakistan i väst till Indonesien i öst. IUCNs regionala kontor i Bangkok är Sida´s avtalspart och koordinerar MFFs verksamhet i medlemsländerna och det regionala arbetet.

Exempel på resultat från MFF Fas 2:
- Vietnam: Lokala projekt har resulterat i ökade inkomster från hållbart vattenbruk, alternativa inkomstkällor, eco-turism, kvinnor engagerade i samförvaltning av en marin nationalpark etc.
- Thailand: MFF projekt har bidragit med underlag till utveckling av lagstiftning för administrativ decentralisering (bl a lokalt inflytande inom förvaltning av ekosystem). 
- Sri Lanka: Kvinnor i fiskebyn Kalpitiya odlar, förädlar och säljer framgångsrikt Aloe Vera produkter. Konceptet har replikerats i andra delar av landet.
- Högre utbildning inom Integrerad fysisk planering av kustområden (ICM). 50 deltagare från offentlig förvaltning och NGOs.
- Resilience Approach Platform utvecklad och testad i tre MFF-länder.

En portföljanalys har genomförts i enlighet med Sidas (EKOADM:s) tolkning av regleringsbrevets villkor om att undvika att teckna större och/eller längre avtal mot slutet av en strategiperiod eftersom det är EKOADM på Sida som ansvarar för hur regleringsbrevet ska tolkas. Nuvarande strategi löper ut under 2015. Målet att minst 50 respektive 75 procent av nuvarande årsvolym (200 MSEK) skall vara ointecknat ett respektive två år efter det att strategin löper ut, uppfylls. Den föreslagna insatsen har sista utbetalningsår 2018 och avtalsslut under 2019, vilket överensstämmer med EKOADM:s tolkning av villkoret gällande hur långt in i framtiden en utbetalning kan genomföras och avtal sträcka sig efter strategiperiodens slut. Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is a regional, partner-led independent programme, implemented by International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The programme focuses on protecting, rehabilitating and promoting sustainable use of coastal and marine ecosystems and improving living conditions for poor coastal communities in Asia. The initiative started as a disaster response programme working in the six countries which were mostly hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and has slowly evolved into a resilience-building programme for coastal communities.
During the three implementation phases, the programme has expanded thematically and geographically. Finally, it included 11 countries, the most recent member country, being Myanmar.
Since its conceptualization, MFF vision has been "Healthy coastal ecosystems for a more prosperous and secure future for coastal communities." Its vision has been supported by the following mission statement: "To promote healthy coastal ecosystems through a partnership-based, people focused and policy relevant approach that builds and applies knowledge, empowers communities and other stakeholders, enhances governance, secures livelihoods, and increases resilience to natural hazards and climate change." 
The outcome objective is: “The resilience of ecosystem dependent coastal communities is strengthened”
Output 1: Knowledge generated, disseminated and applied for sustainable management of coastal ecosystems • Strengthening information base • Enhancing access to and sharing of knowledge at national and regional levels • Promoting effective use of knowledge including best practices
Output 2: Key stakeholders empowered to engage in decision-making in support of sustainable management of coastal ecosystems • Building awareness and capacity of civil society and private sector • Supporting multi-stakeholder fora • Promoting sustainable livelihoods
Output 3: Coastal governance enhanced to promote integrated and inclusive management • Strengthening capacity of national and regional governance institutions for integrated coastal management • Engaging with key business sectors to promote sustainable business practices • Promoting co-management and similar participatory natural resource management mechanisms
There are four principles underlying MFF programmatic activities. • Policy-relevant: supporting national legal and policy frameworks • People-centered: Assisting local communities in livelihood development • Partnership-based: Seeking to meet the needs of all partners • Investment-oriented: Recognizing coastal ecosystems as valuable natural infrastructure
The MFF has designed a “Soft Governance Structure”  to create a strong ownership, accountability and transparency at local, national an regional level.  At the regional level, the MFF Regional Steering Committee (RSC) provides strategic leadership for policy change and advocacy. The RSC has also established a Management Committee to facilitate decision- making on strategic programme implementation between the annual RSC meetings.
Besides this, within each member country a National Coordination Body (NCB) has coordinated MFF activities at national level. The NCBs are comprised by different Ministries at national and local level, civil society organisations, including NGOs, academia and private sector representatives. Each NCB is being assisted by small national MFF secretariat within the country office of either UNDP or IUCN.
In order to promote increased engagement among stakeholders and deliver concrete results, the programme has developed several modalities: (Project Grant Facilites) to support the implementation of the programme. The Small, Medium, Regional and the Facility for Private Sector Engagement and have all been developed to facilitate, accelerate and kick- start initiatives that directly would benefit the population in coastal areas as well as regional knowledge learning.
Due to the drivers of change and the complex challenges the coastal communities are confronting in their daily life, a resilience approach was developed to improve MFF capacity to respond to the needs of communities. The resilience approach has in dialogue with Sida been adapted and includes gender perspectives and a rights based approach as well as a conflict perspective. Issues such as poverty reduction, property rights and resource tenure, are issues that have been addressed in the programme.   
MFF has both target direct and indirect target groups.
The direct target group/ / beneficiaries are men and women, living in poor coastal communities in in Asia, who are directly dependent on marine ecosystem for their livelihoods and whose security is threatened due to degradation of the environment, pollution and the effects of climate change.
The indirect target groups/ enablers of change are Ministries, Private Sector, Civil Society and Academia which are involved directly or indirectly and responsible for overall planning and decision-making as regard the coastal development and coastal conservation etc.
The programme has been co- financed by Sweden, Norway and Denmark.