Methodology
In January 2002, the Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) initiated a project to develop a cooperative information system to
support fish and wildlife management in the Columbia River Basin.
The project is using a collaborative process involving entities with a
broad array of science, management, decision-making, and public outreach
interests in the region to evaluate current information management
approaches and identify future needs. From this research, a clear
understanding of gaps in the ability of current efforts to meet future
needs will be gained and recommendations for improvement developed. For
the purposes of this project, information is being defined as data and the
products (e.g., reports, summary statistics, and other synthesized
information) generated from the data (see diagram).
The central aspect of this project is working directly with information
users and providers so that we gain a complete understanding of the
drivers behind information management in the Basin, the kinds of
information that are currently being generated (i.e., develop an
information inventory), the efficacy of current information systems in
meeting current needs, information gaps, and features that users would
like to see in a collaborative information system.
Support from these entities is being provided through their
participation in one or more of the following ways:
- participation on a Project Team that is involved in over-seeing
day-to-day project implementation;
- membership in a Coordinating Committee that provides broad oversight
and quality assurance; and/or
- participation in a larger stakeholder group that is being consulted
as part of the requirements analysis.
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is providing
technical support in the requirements analysis phase of this project.
The Project Team meets on a frequent basis and is responsible for
carrying out all aspects of this work. The Coordinating Committee oversees
the work of the Project Team by reviewing products and meeting
periodically to hear presentations, review prototypes, and provide input
and ideas. At present, the Project Team, with Coordinating Committee
oversight, is initiating a thorough evaluation of current information
management programs, including monitoring efforts and related products or
initiatives that are intended to meet the needs and obligations of
organizations in the Basin.
The team also is kicking off a thorough user needs assessment to
determine how well current efforts are meeting intended future goals. To
accomplish these tasks, the team is compiling and reviewing background
materials, facilitating work group meetings, conducting interviews and
focus groups, working with staff to thoroughly understand current
information management efforts, compiling a data inventory, and developing
and distributing a survey instrument. The team is trying to include as
many stakeholders as possible in the investigation process.
Once the background data on current efforts and future needs are
assembled, the team will synthesize and analyze the results. Findings will
be compiled in a detailed report outlining policy and procedural
recommendations on how to improve information management efforts in the
future. These recommendations will be presented at a basin-wide workshop
to enable a wider audience the chance to review the recommendations,
provide input, and validate results.
Ultimately, an improved system of gathering and disseminating Columbia
River Basin data and related information on fish, oceans, wildlife, and
their habitats will result. At this time, preliminary thoughts about a
system include using geographic information systems and web-based
interactivity to link together data and information from a variety of
information providers. Details will unfold as the stakeholder
investigations and work of the Project Team and Coordinating Committee
proceed.
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