WIO-COMPAS offers three levels of certification for MPA professionals based on their work experience and proven performance capabilities. Each level addresses a unique set of skills that contribute to the effective management of MPAs. Professionals can be certified at multiple levels to reflect their diverse areas of expertise and performance.

Level 1~ Marine Field Operations
Level 1 is designed for the professional who performs practical functions and has responsibility for the day-to-day management of an MPA such as engaging communities and enforcing laws, and who has basic administrative responsibilities.

Ideal candidate: equivalent of an MPA Ranger, Officer or Marine Field Operator, operating within an MPA

Examples of experience could include:

•   Providing input to development of site workplans and implementing aspects of those and management
plans
•   Active involvement in compliance and enforcement activities, practical habitat management/conservation,
monitoring, budget management of tasks or workplan elements
•   Direct interaction/communication with local residents, resource users, visitors, staff, volunteers, contractors,
and local media
•   Supervising and providing on the job skill building through guidance, mentoring and support to junior
personnel, volunteers and contractors
•   Producing routine reports and local media articles

Level 2~Site Management
Level 2 is designed for the professional who is performing management, supervisory and administrative functions and responsibilities, principally at the site level, but may also cover a number of adjacent MPAs.
Ideal candidate: an MPA Manager, Assistant Manager, Site Manager, Senior Warden or Section Ranger

Examples of experience could include:

•  Developing management plans and supervising their implementation
•  Providing input into organizational policy
•  Engaging in management planning and review, supervising practical management/conservation activities, monitoring and evaluation, negotiating with partners and contractors etc., fundraising from local/national sources, developing and managing budgets
• Directly interacting/communicating with local community and resource user groups, researchers/ institutions, local partner and co-management organizations (including local and national non-governmental organizations/NGOs, local municipalities and government departments), staff, volunteers, contractors, and local/national media
•  Training/mentoring staff
•  Producing plans, reports, media articles, funding proposals

Level 3~Strategy, Policy and Planning
Level 3 is designed for the professional performing high-level management, planning, strategy and policy development, and administrative functions and responsibilities.

Ideal candidate: Involved at a senior level in the management of a suite or network of MPAs or marine coastal zones including MPAs, Conservation Director, Head of Division/Department or Director.
Examples of responsibilities include:
•   Developing  and/or  reviewing  organizational  strategies  and  policies  and  supporting  development  of
management plans consistent with these
•   Providing input to national (and international) policy development
•	Being actively involved in policy development and review; supervising development of management plans and policy; negotiating with national and international partners; fundraising from national/international sources; developing and managing organizational level budgets
•   Directly  interacting/communicating  with  national  and  international  partners  including  government
departments, UN agencies, international NGOs, and national and international media
•   Involvement in broad-scale marine and coastal management Programs such as Integrated Coastal Zone
Management and Large Marine Ecosystem initiatives.
•   Producing media articles/academic papers, reports for partners and funding agencies, and media articles

Table 2. Summary of the seven competence areas with sample competences from each certification level (L1, L2, L3).