Conservation practitioners gathered in Maputo from 22 to 24 October 2026 to train as WIO-COMPAS assessors, taking an important step towards making professional certification more accessible to Portuguese-speaking marine conservation professionals in the Western Indian Ocean.
The three-day training brought together five candidate assessors: Rodolfo Cumbane of Nautilus; Deidre de Vos of WIOMSA; Eduardo Videira of WWF Mozambique; Alice Costa of Rare Mozambique; and Marcos Pereira of the Likhulu Foundation.
The training was led by WIO-COMPAS moderator Lawrence, with support from Marcos Pereira, who also serves as the WIOMPAN Mozambique Country Chapter Leader. Marcos has been a driving force behind efforts to strengthen regional engagement with WIO-COMPAS and expand opportunities for Portuguese-speaking practitioners to participate in the programme.
Recognising the people behind marine conservation
Effective marine conservation depends on the people who manage and care for ocean spaces. Across the Western Indian Ocean, rangers, field officers, managers and community practitioners bring years of practical experience to their work—from monitoring habitats and conducting patrols to working with communities and responding to complex management challenges.
Yet much of this knowledge is gained on the job and may not be reflected in formal qualifications. The Western Indian Ocean Certification of Marine Protected Area Professionals programme, WIO-COMPAS, provides a way to recognise the knowledge, skills and experience that practitioners have developed throughout their careers.
WIO-COMPAS uses a competency-based approach: candidates demonstrate what they know and can do against defined professional standards. This includes learning gained through formal training, practical work and other forms of experience. The process also helps practitioners identify areas for further professional development.
For Portuguese-speaking professionals, access to assessment in a familiar language is an important part of ensuring that they can demonstrate their experience fully. Developing a cohort of assessors who can work in Portuguese is therefore a step towards making the programme more accessible in Mozambique and across the region.
Preparing assessors for a rigorous and supportive process
During the training, the candidate assessors explored the principles that underpin WIO-COMPAS, including the recognition of prior learning and the importance of fair, valid and consistent assessment.
They worked through the competencies and standards used at Levels 1 and 2 and considered how different kinds of evidence can be used to assess a candidate’s abilities. Practical exercises included reviewing applications, assessing written work and participating in a simulated patrol exercise. The group also discussed scoring, moderation and how to provide constructive recommendations for professional development.
The training highlighted the role of the assessor in both maintaining the integrity of the certification process and supporting candidates to present evidence of their competencies. Portuguese-language training materials, competency standards and guidance supported the sessions.
Strengthening a regional network of professionals
The Maputo training contributes to a wider effort to strengthen the people and institutions responsible for marine protected and conserved areas across the Western Indian Ocean. By building local assessment capacity, WIO-COMPAS and WIOMPAN are working to broaden participation in professional certification and support greater recognition of the practitioners whose work is essential to effective marine conservation.
The training also reflects the contribution of WIOMPAN’s country chapters in connecting regional opportunities with national priorities. Through his leadership of the Mozambique chapter and his work with the Likhulu Foundation, Marcos Pereira has helped champion this work and strengthen connections between Mozambique’s conservation practitioners and the wider WIO-COMPAS community.
