Following the release of the new NBN Strategy 2015-2020 in July 2015 the NBN Secretariat has begun work to facilitate its implementation through delivery of the NBN Action Plan 2015-2020. That Action Plan will be published in the very near future and sets out how the Network will deliver the five aims of the NBN Strategy.
The NBN Secretariat proposes that eight working groups be established. They will tackle actions identified as priorities by Network members in the recent round of consultation. The full list of actions, ranked by order of commitment from Network members, can be viewed here. These groups will run as long as they are needed and others may be established in due course to achieve other aspects of the action plan.
The eight working groups to be established in the near future are as follows:
1. Quality control and verification
2. Mobilising historic data
3. Biological recording online
4. Improving biological data flows
5. Increasing use of our data
6. Captivating and engaging people
7. Network support and development
8. Strategy for the UK Species Inventory
The NBN Secretariat and Natural History Museum are now preparing a scoping report and terms of reference for each of these groups. Those documents will be circulated to all those who recently expressed interest in participating in actions falling within the remit of each group. A first meeting will then be organised to bring each of these teams together. There may be overlap between some of these groups but that will be addressed as and when it arises.
Less interest was shown in some high priority actions in the draft Action Plan (e.g., Strategic Aim 5 on Network support and development) and in those cases the NBN Secretariat will take the lead. Additionally, most actions under Strategic Aim 4 (Data infrastructure) are being addressed through existing systems and processes such as the Gateway Project Group, the Gateway User Group, and similar groups for the Atlas of Living Scotland. Much of the infrastructure work underpins the delivery of other aims so other working groups may also address this important area.
There is no obligation to be involved in the delivery of the NBN Action Plan, even if you have previously expressed an interest in participating, but all contributions will be valued. Please contact us if you have yet to tell us you want to be involved. Roles and responsibilities within each group will be decided once they are established. More details of the eight working groups are provided here.
Working Group 1: Quality control and verification
This working group will focus on increasing verification capacity in the UK to ensure quality control, through the use of NBN Record Cleaner rules and other tools, and to provide the ability to distinguish between data of varying quality. It will also focus on supporting the current network of verifiers, ensuring they have the resources and equipment they need. Finally, there will be a focus on succession planning.
This group will focus on the following actions:
• 1A.1 Increase verification capacity through establishment of a UK Verification Network to share best practice, celebrate success and recruit
• 1A.6 Maintain and improve NBN Record Cleaner rule sets and identify quality of records across all NBN systems
• 1E.4 Establish taxonomic group mentoring schemes
• 3A.3 Attract new generations of biological recorders and motivate to increase recording and share data
Working Group 2: Mobilising historic data
A work programme focused on mobilising historic survey data is already underway. This includes development and promotion of online, citizen data capture systems to support volunteers in the digitisation of historic datasets. As a precursor to establishing a working group the NBN Secretariat has organised a free, one-day crowdsourcing data capture summit on Friday 25 September 2015 to be held in Manchester. This will bring together all those interested in using crowdsourcing to mobilise historic records. More information on this free summit and how to register can be found here
Once established, this group will focus on the following action:
• 1B.3 Develop a UK strategy for mobilising historic survey data and secure resources for historic data digitisation and mobilisation.
Working Group 3: Biological recording online
This working group will focus on supporting, maintaining and improving online recording in the UK. This includes a focus on setting standards for recording systems, record verification, avoiding duplication, ensuring security of data curation, providing for interoperability of systems and ensuring that online infrastructure meets user needs. Finally it will ensure efficient data flows are occurring.
This group will focus on the following actions:
• 1A.7 Prepare an online recording strategy for the UK to ensure system consistency and standardisation
• 1A.9 Support sharing of biological data by ecological consultants (already being progressed with NBN Secretariat, CIEEM and ALERC)
• 4A.2 Secure investment in UK infrastructure for biological data management
• 4B.2 Increase the interoperability of NBN Trust member data systems, tools and infrastructure
Working Group 4: Improving Biological Data Flows
The NBN Secretariat will shortly release a Request for Tender for a research initiative exploring Network data flows. The project will focus on completing a time and motion exercise on all current data flows, traffic lighting data flows for all biological recording schemes and systems with the aim to identify blockages and potential solutions, and create a data flow ranking system.
The results of this project will inform the direction of a Data Flow Working Group that will focus on the following actions:
• 1C.1 Develop an agreed and simplified data flow model for the NBN family to ensure efficient and effective data flow at all spatial scales
• 1C.2. Accelerate data flow through NBN systems by publicising the data flow model, establishing data flow agreements and creating a data flow tool to track records through the system
Working Group 5: Increasing the use of our data
This working group will examine how to increase use of biological data, with an additional emphasis on ensuring the infrastructure is fit for efficient data use. The scope for this group will include all biodiversity data services, tools and platforms. Areas of interest for this group will include: hackathons, data visualisation, use of Atlas of Living Australia platform, and tools such as qGIS, rNBN and NatureNearMe amongst others.
This group will focus on the following actions:
• 2A.5 Improve data interrogation and visualisation tools through: workshops with user groups, user-centred design, and interactive collaborative events such as hackathons
• 2C.2. Demonstrate how biological data can be applied and visualised
• 1B.4 Develop strategy for tackling recording bias, search effort and certainty of ID. Promote value of negative records and increase negative record data holdings
• 2A.1. Regularly assess data user needs and continuously improve the user interfaces of NBN products
• 2D4. Provide and use forums for discussion of user needs
• 2A.7 Provide users of NBN systems with a customised profile that can be saved
• 2C.8 Develop a new NBN data access framework
• 2B.3. Publish case studies to demonstrate how data are being used
• 2D.2. Provide data interpretation, analysis and visualisation services to meet NBN user needs
• 2C.2. Develop a spatial portal to integrate species and ecosystem data with environmental layers
Working Group 6: Captivating and engaging people
This working group will coordinate delivery of Strategic Aim 3. The NBN Secretariat has already begun delivering this aim through activities such as: the inaugural NBN awards, redesign of the NBN website, rebranding the NBN newsletter, and a research project on recorder motivation and demographics.
This group will focus on the following actions:
• 1E.1. Develop and support learning programmes and systems for biodiversity identification
• 1D.1 Increase feedback to recorders (e.g., through creation of a UK Recorder Newsletter and through use of automated natural language generation)
• 3A.2 Promote biological recording and the benefits of sharing data to everyone interested in the UK’s biodiversity
• 1D.3 Promote, develop and provide resources for recorders (handbooks, publications and tools)
• 3A.3 Attract new generations of biological recorders and motivate to increase recording and share data
Working Group 7: Supporting and developing the Network
This work will be coordinated by the NBN Secretariat, and will be focused largely on actions that relate to the efficient running of the NBN Secretariat and the support and growth of the Network. The existing systems and processes of the NBN Secretariat (e.g., the NBN Board of Trustees and Finance Management Committee) may mean a formal working group is not required.
This group will focus on the following actions:
• 5A.6 Deliver a programme of training and events to support the network
• 5B.2 Raise the profile and awareness of the NBN and promote the benefits of being a NBN Trust member
• 5C.1 Promote the NBN Strategy as the vehicle for collaboration over biological data collection, sharing and use
• 5C.3 Develop sustainable business models for delivery of the NBN work programme (including national to local levels)
Working Group 8: UK Species Inventory
This working group will be led by the Natural History Museum in partnership with all organisations that expressed an interest in the development of a future strategy for the UK Species Inventory. This work will focus on the development of this important register. The inventory is central to online recording, data flows and verification so this work will influence many of the other working groups.
This group will focus on the following actions:
• 1A.10 Develop a strategic approach to maintain the UK Species Inventory as the primary organisms register in the UK.
Involvement in the NBN Action Plan
As mentioned above, there is no obligation to be involved in the delivery of the NBN Action Plan, even if you have previously expressed an interest in participating, but all contributions will be valued. Please contact us if you have yet to tell us you want to be involved.