Developing project proposals taking into regard international standards in project design, coordinating projects, ensuring sound cooperation with project partners
Protected Areas for Nature and People II
Developed and coordinated transboundary conservation related component of WWF’s regional programme (2020-).
Assessing the State of Nature Conservation Systems
Established cooperation with IUCN in implementation of MAVA Foundation-funded project, Towards Strengthened Conservation Planning in South-Eastern Europe (2013-2017). Conducted the assessment of the state of nature conservation systems in South-Eastern European countries (State of Nature Conservation Systems in South-Eastern Europe, Vasilijević et al., 2018). The project aimed to strengthen the implementation of nature conservation standards in the region by supporting the institutional development and creating a regional platform for nature conservation planning.
Hands Across Borders
Established cooperation with the University of Montana in the implementation of Hands Across Borders project (2015-2016). Maja Vasilijević coordinated the development of the capacity development curriculum, conducted the training together with colleagues from WCPA Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group, Kevan Zunckel and Michael Schoon, and was part of the project’s Executive Team. The project was funded by Rotary International and other private donors from USA and Canada.
IUCN WCPA Best Practice Guidelines on Transboundary Conservation
Developed the project proposal, fund-raised and coordinated the project on behalf of WCPA Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group. The project, implemented from 2013-2015, resulted with publishing of the IUCN WCPA Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines, Transboundary Conservation: A systematic and integrated approach (Vasilijević et al., 2015). The project involved collaboration of more than 120 experts from worldwide regions and partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). It was funded by Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) through the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), MAVA Foundation and IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).
The Guidelines, officially endorsed by IUCN Membership during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawai’i in 2016, provide state-of-the-art on transboundary conservation gathered from global experience, including 33 best practice examples from different geographical regions and ecosystems, different protected area management categories, models of cooperation and transboundary arrangements. They have a mandate to assist the practitioners in efficiently designing and implementing the transboundary conservation processes and thus the Guidelines offer the most up to date advice on planning, initiating, managing and evaluating transboundary conservation processes. They also provide a theoretical background to transboundary conservation, with a revised set of Transboundary Conservation Area types and new definitions, and elaborate on transboundary conservation governance.
Environment for People in the Dinaric Arc
Prepared a publication within IUCN/WWF/SNV project, Environment for People in the Dinaric Arc (2009-2012), funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The project aimed at supporting transboundary cooperation in the Dinaric Arc of South-Eastern Europe. The IUCN book, Initiating effective transboundary conservation: A practitioner’s guideline based on the experience from the Dinaric Arc, was co-authored by Boris Erg, Maja Vasilijević and Matthew McKinney. The publication provides an important insight into the planning stage of the transboundary conservation process, guiding the planners in efficiently planning and initiating the process. Maja Vasilijević also authored the Diagnostic tool for transboundary conservation planners that forms part of the publication. The tool was specifically designed to help determine the feasibility for transboundary conservation.
Crossing Borders for Nature
Co-authored and co-edited IUCN’s publication, Crossing Borders for Nature. European examples of transboundary conservation, together with Tomasz Pezold. The publication was developed within IUCN/REC/DEM’s project, Walk on the Wild Side. Building up Capacity and Strengthening Cooperation for the Promotion of Transboundary Nature Conservation along South Eastern European Green Belt, funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN).
Development of an Ecological Network of the Sava River Basin
Cooperated in project development and responsible for coordination. The IUCN project aimed at setting the base for Natura 2000 establishment in countries of the Sava River Basin. It was funded by Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Pin/Matra.
NGO Capacity Building for Cross-Border Conservation in the Balkans
Cooperated in project development and responsible for coordination. The IUCN project was funded by Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCS).
EU LIFE III Life along the Sava
Cooperated in IUCN’s project development.