Collaborative and coordinated management is necessary for successful ecosystem
management, especially in marine ecosystems that cross jurisdictional lines. Agencies at
the state and federal level recognize the need for effective institutional relationships. The
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) identified collaborative and
coordinated management as a priority in its 2011 Final Management Plan and
Environmental Assessment. To reach its goal of achieving effective collaborative and
coordinated management, OCNMS commissioned an external assessment of its
institutional relationships. This assessment consisted of a literature review of standards
for measuring collaboration in natural resource contexts, interviews with OCNMS staff
and current key institutional partners, and a survey of individuals, organizations and
tribes that work with OCNMS. The assessment determined that OCNMS has built a
strong foundation for collaboration through two collaborative forums, projects and
policies that address important issues for partners, and positive interactions between
partners and OCNMS staff. Individuals feel they are working on issues important to their
organizations and for the most part they value opportunities to share their priorities and
learn about emerging issues, and they appreciate the efforts of OCNMS staff. Individuals
in the network of relationships represent a wide range of institutions with different
expectations for engagement and different criteria for what characterizes successful
collaboration. OCNMS has complex and sometimes strained relationships with the four
Coastal Treaty Tribes. OCNMS also faces challenges commonly found in other
collaborative processes – constraints on individuals’ time, shortages of funding and staff
support, communication challenges, and divergent goals among individuals. Still, the
relationships have enabled notable accomplishments that include regulations to protect
marine resources, joint projects related to research and education, and a ready network
for communication and feedback.