Time to dive deep and explore the project’s structure: the project is divided in Work Packages, and in this case 5 WP have been identified and a dedicated partner is in charge for each one.

• WP 1 is dedicated to the Coordination and Management of the project: it is great to have so many international contributors from all kinds of cultural and institutional background but this also represents a great challenge in terms of facilitation. This includes the coordination of many experts, the exchange of data and information, the constant interface with national institutions in charge of planning procedures and the representatives of the EU commission. Furthermore many workshops, meetings and events have to be organized to enhance the flow of knowledge among countries.  Who is in charge of it? CORILA from the Serenissima of course! You can find more information about this important Italian consortium on the partners’ page or by visiting their website www.corila.it.
  
  
• WP 2 is where the planning action happens, the participating countries present solutions to enhance MSP processes both at national and international level. It is important to keep in mind that countries are at different stages of planning and coordination has to take in consideration also this fourth dimension. Tasks 1 to 6 have been conceived so that partners may develop MSP experiences, some of them on a regional scale while others will influence national approaches. Task 2.7 represents a moment for sharing the results of such experiences. The partner in charge of this task is the French Office for Biodiversity, you can discover more on the partners’ page or on www.ofb.gouv.fr.
  
  
• WP 3 is another quite technical step because it deals with data: MSP is a process that relies on scientific evidence and is built on data to efficiently fuel the planning process. In this Work Package there are 6 tasks for which most of the partners will provide an upgrade of the current data use at national or local level. Moreover a common knowledge catalogue will be built and shared among the partners. The Italian institute CNR-ISMAR, with a long tradition in marine research and MSP is surely a great responsible partner for this WP. You can visit www.ismar.cnr.it to find out more about its history and current work.
  
  
• WP 4 deals with cooperation among EU countries and with third countries. Only three tasks have been identified but they are fundamental; the identification of main issues that can be addressed in a transboundary way, the reinforcement of collaboration between member countries and the identification of mechanisms to enable joint efforts on planning procedures with non-EU countries with whom we share the Mediterranean Sea. Different workshops and events are planned within this WP to enhance coordination and consultation procedures. Best practices will be studied and put into practice. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography is entitled with this delicate and essential mission, you can explore their website at www.ieo.es/es/. 
  
  
• WP 5 is all about Communication and Dissemination towards other experts and the citizens, because all the hard work and extensive results issued from the other WPs need to be disseminated to achieve their full potential. At the same time, a correct communication will be able to engage with stakeholders that are vital to MSP processes. Thirdly, policy makers will be empowered with knowledge and scientific evidence that may benefit their choices and  eventually, this is also an occasion to increase public ocean literacy and knowledge about MSP.  The University IUAV of Venice by means of the Planning Climate Change LAB is putting great effort to meet the expectations of the project partners and the audience. You can find out more about these institutions at www.iuav.it and www.planningclimatechange.org/en.