“Concept note on a methodological approach to define priorities for monitoring biodiversity”

This concept note presents a user-centered approach to establish priorities for biodiversity monitoring. The methodology involves a recurring survey process designed to align monitoring efforts with stakeholder needs.

Supply and demand framework

Priorities are determined based on user needs, categorised by a “supply and demand” framework into five areas: assessment, awareness, management, research, and economy & finance.

Five main uses of biodiversity monitoring information (supply perspective)
Five main uses of biodiversity monitoring information (supply perspective)
Five main uses of biodiversity information (demand perspective)
Five main uses of biodiversity information (demand perspective)

Survey-based approach

  • Survey design
    • Simple: The survey proposes closed-ended questions with a 6-point scale (0-5) for priority ranking, along with an option to provide additional comments.
    • Specific: It focuses on six combinations, with separate sections for marine, freshwater, and terrestrial realms, and further breakdowns by species and habitat/ecosystem.
    • Stratified: Information on respondents’ backgrounds (e.g., organization type, location) is collected to account for potential biases in the analysis.
  • Data analysis:
    • Frequency analysis: Used to analyze closed-question responses and identify priorities.
    • Text mining: Applied to open-ended comments to identify emerging topics.
    • Weighted analysis: Accounts for potential biases based on respondent characteristics.
  • Deployment:
    • Two-step process: A broad initial campaign through Biodiversa+ and partner networks is followed by targeted reminders to ensure diverse stakeholder participation.
    • Continuous process: The survey should be conducted periodically (every 2-4 years) to update priorities and reflect evolving user needs.

Benefits and perspectives

    • Relevance: This approach ensures biodiversity monitoring aligns with actual user needs.
    • Adaptability: It provides a dynamic framework for addressing changing priorities.
    • Collaboration: It fosters a coordinated European approach to biodiversity monitoring.
    • Engagement: It encourages active participation from a wide range of stakeholders.

By prioritising user input and adapting to changing needs, this methodology could facilitate coordination between national hubs and the future European Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre (EBOCC) in establishing and aligning priorities.

Concept note on a methodological approach to define priorities for monitoring biodiversity
Five main uses of biodiversity monitoring information (supply perspective)
Five main uses of biodiversity monitoring information (supply perspective)
Five main uses of biodiversity information (demand perspective)
Five main uses of biodiversity information (demand perspective)