3. Project Coordinators

A Project Coordinator is the entity that runs the day-to-day management of a project (monitoring1, recruitment, reporting to Plan Vivo etc.) and, most often, develops the project. Project Coordinators must:

Be an established legal entity that takes responsibility for the project and meeting the requirements of PV Nature for its duration;

Have an in-country presence and the respect and experience required to work effectively with local communities and partners;

Be focused and have the organisational capability and an ability to mobilise the necessary resources to develop the project;

Have the capability to negotiate and deal with government, local organisations & institutions, and buyers of biodiversity certificates; and

Have the ability to mobilise and train participants, implement and monitor project activities, and carry out technical functions.

Project Coordinators should not draw on more than 40% of income from the sale of Plan Vivo Biodiversity Certificates (PVBCs) for ongoing coordination, administration and monitoring costs, except in circumstances where justification is provided to the Plan Vivo Foundation and a waiver formally agreed.

It is fairly common for coordination to be divided between an international and an in-country coordinator, with a clear division of roles and responsibilities between the two parties. This does not, however, affect the benefit-sharing requirement, as at least 60% of the income from the sale of Plan Vivo Biodiversity Certificates (PVBCs) must still reach the participants unless otherwise agreed with the Plan Vivo Foundation.