6.1 Day One and Day Five Conference Plenary Sessions

For each themes the evaluation included a question regarding the usefulness of the session’s theme content, the mix of topic addressed, and the opportunity for discussion. Figures 5 shows the range of ratings given for the Conference themes discussed on Day One and figure 6 shows the ratings for the theme presented during the Day Five plenary session. While the majority of the respondents found both the usefulness of the themes and the mix of topics to be quite good, numerous respondents (24) contended that the presentations attempted to cover too much and as a result were rushed. In relate comments some respondents recommended shorter presentations and more time for discussion during the plenary sessions(9).

6.2 Day Two workshops on Principles of Environmental Enforcement

Eleven workshops were presented on Day Two using seven case studies. Three of the studies were presented in more than one session because of the number of participants interested in those cases. The participants were asked to evaluate each workshop according to the following criteria: Ability to apply principles of environmental enforcement in a realistic setting; quality of the workshop materials; usefulness of contents and usefulness of the technical support package. Table 4 shows the evaluation for each case study. Most respondents found the format of these workshops to be valuable for exploring the principles of environmental enforcement. Although comments varied by workshop and session, there were several observations that were made by respondents from all workshops. A number of respondents (20) commented that the studies were too compressed and too much to handle in one day and others recommended that the facilitated presentation not be as structured and allow more time for discussion and sharing of experiences (14). An additional suggestion was made that the workshops were more beneficial to participants who were attending these conferences for the first time(5).

6.3 Day Three Regional Workshops and Institution building (UNEP)

Seven regional meetings were held on Day Three and continued on Day Five. Many respondents felt that these were the most valuable sessions of the conference. Comments on the meetings varied by region. In several of the meetings, a number of the respondents felt initially that the goals were unclear (17) but as the meeting progressed many respondents reported that the discussions were very good and informative (22 ). Also, several respondents reported that the setting and format of the meetings were somewhat restricting (31) but that the participants were able to set a more workable framework and the discussions became successful. Other respondents noted that some of the regions had already established networks while others were just beginning the process and so suggested that the formats and discussions be tailored to the individual region (8). Numerous respondents recommended that the efforts started in the meetings be continued and regional meetings or other networking activities be undertaken before the next Conference (25).

Table 4

Respondents reported that in several meetings the lack of time prevented the inclusion of the UNEP workshops within the regional meetings, however those who did attend the workshops reported favorable reactions. Some respondents commented that, as in the case of the Principles of Environmental Enforcement workshops, these workshops were more beneficial to participants attending the conference for the first time. Figure 7 represents the ratings of those who evaluated the UNEP workshops.

6.4 Day Four Special Topic Workshops

Fourteen Special Topic workshops were presented in two sessions on Day Four. Many respondents who completed this section of the evaluation form noted that the workshops were valuable and discussions were good (12). Figure 8 shows the overall percentage ratings for "very good" to "excellent" given by respondents who evaluated the Workshops. Table 5 gives a breakout of the responses by workshop. Some respondents found the session very good and well directed, while others felt the facilitators could have been more responsive to the individuals in the workshops. Several participants, commenting on the short duration of the workshops suggested that materials could be prepared and handed out in advance (9). Additional comments included the recommendation that the workshops be less general and address more concrete examples (7) and the observation that the diversity of experience and regional make-up of the workshop participants impacted the flow of the workshop and more depth could be achieved with a more homogeneous group (8).

The participants were asked to evaluate the displays and exhibits provided at the conference. These included computer exhibits, databanks, videos, and regional country information. Numerous participants felt that the exhibits were both informative and interesting, and they provided a good exchange of information (90). Fifty-six respondents commented favorably about the computer display and forty-four commented favorably about the videos. Seventy-three respondents praised the country information. Some respondents felt that the exhibits were dominated by Europe and the US (8) and others and suggested that efforts be made to solicit displays from a greater number of countries. Another suggestion (6) was to assign a staff person to man the exhibits (6) and answer questions.

The majority of the respondents lauded the efforts of the Conference staff, calling the conference extremely well organized (33) and in some cases the best of this size they had attended. The respondents were very pleased with the accommodations and enjoyed the location, cultural events, and the food. Respondents also commented that the program was very intense and would have benefited from an afternoon off for sightseeing, networking or relaxation (18). Additional comments included the recommendation that there be more contact with the Executive Planning Committee and staff (3) and that E-mail access be available (1).

There were several specific requests for subjects to be covered at the next Conference. These included:

• Illegal Ocean dumping (1)
• Criminal investigations (2)
• Implementation of international agreements and treaties(4)
• Endangered Specie(1)
• ISO 14000 (4)

Other suggestions for future conferences were more general. These included the following:

• Working groups for participants with similar problems (not necessarily in the same region) (9).
• Subjects and workshops that are tiered in terms of experience so that participants who have been to the conferences before can attend more specific workshops, while the more basic ones are still available for first time participants (15).
• Programs with a regional focus (33); nine participants suggested that regional meetings be held before the next conference.
• Programs and presentations that are more technical and realistic in nature (rather than theoretical and "teachy") (15).
• Subjects and workshops specifically geared to developing countries (10).
• Workshops that deal with industry problems and how to address industry’s interests (7); three respondents suggested that more industry representatives attend the conferences.