The ASCLME project is driven at policy and strategic level by a Project Steering Committee (PSC) which comprises a core membership including one representative from each project member country and one representative each of:

• the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP)
• the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
• the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
• the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
• the Nairobi Convention
• the project managers of the regional sister projects SWIOFP and WIO-LaB
• the Regional Coastal Management Programme of the Indian Ocean Countries (ReCoMaP)

Somalia has special status as a country observer.
Additional observer members may be agreed to by the PSC core membership. This could include donor agencies providing co-finance (e.g. France, Norway) and technical agencies (e.g. NOAA, FAO).