Strengthening Skills for Community-Driven Project Design for Coral-Positive and Sustainable Initiatives

August 21, 2025
A group of people standing and listening attentively in a bright, casual meeting room.

 

Fuvahmulah City, Maldives – 18 August 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Maldives, through the Maldives RREEF Project, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, and the Business Center Corporation, successfully convened the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) Small Grants Proposal Writing Workshop from 16–18 August 2025 in Fuvahmulah City.

A woman in a teal hijab attaches a pink sticky note to a wall filled with colorful notes.

 

The workshop brought together civil society organizations from Addu and Fuvahmulah Cities, strengthening their capacity to design and implement community-driven projects that foster coral-positive action and promote sustainable livelihoods.

A woman points at a flowchart on paper while two men listen attentively.

 

Over three days, participants enhanced their skills in:

  • Aligning proposals with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Integrating inclusive perspectives into project design
  • Project cycle management and problem analysis
  • Conservation and management of protected areas
  • Stakeholder analysis and integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)
  • Developing work plans and budgets
  • Communication planning and monitoring & evaluation integration
  • Ensuring project sustainability and linking to business planning
  • Proposal writing and evaluation techniques
A man in sunglasses speaks with a microphone next to a flowchart on a wall.

 

By equipping local NGOs and community-based organizations with these essential skills, the workshop paves the way for innovative, locally-driven solutions to safeguard coral reef ecosystems while enhancing community resilience and economic opportunities.

This initiative forms part of UNDP Maldives’ commitment, together with partners, to harness local leadership and action for the protection of coral reefs—one of the Maldives’ most valuable natural assets and a vital foundation for sustainable development.