Communication between Policy Makers, Managers, and RME Scientists Communication between Policy Makers, Managers, and RME Scientists

- Question driven monitoring is a start, but not good enough- Who is asking the question, and do they matter?- How are they going to answer the question w/ the monitoring data?- What will result from the question’s answer?

- Question driven monitoring is a start, but not good enough- Who is asking the question, and do they matter?- How are they going to answer the question w/ the monitoring data?- What will result from the question’s answer?

Beyond Monitoring for Monitoring’s SakeBeyond Monitoring for Monitoring’s Sake

What are the priorities?What are the priorities?

What are the spatial scales?What are the spatial scales?

Policy/management and RME timelines may conflict.Policy/management and RME timelines may conflict.

Put more R into RM&EPut more R into RM&E

Entropy!Entropy!

Solution:

• Identify leadership

• Constant attention

• Clarify roles and responsibilities of all participants (e.g. watershed councils, state agencies, federal agencies, etc.)

Solution:

• Identify leadership

• Constant attention

• Clarify roles and responsibilities of all participants (e.g. watershed councils, state agencies, federal agencies, etc.)

Monitoring Dept.

Bean counting trumps analysisBean counting trumps analysis

Solutions:

• Provide adequate staff and resources for analysis and synthesis

• Clear description of interim products and timelines

• Require periodic synthesis document

• Peer review

Solutions:

• Provide adequate staff and resources for analysis and synthesis

• Clear description of interim products and timelines

• Require periodic synthesis document

• Peer review

People do not share wellPeople do not share well

Solutions

• Well funded and well thought out data management and information systems

• Merge protocols when possible

• Coordinate funding

Solutions

• Well funded and well thought out data management and information systems

• Merge protocols when possible

• Coordinate funding

Policy makers are from Mars, RME practitioners are from Venus Policy makers are from Mars, RME practitioners are from Venus

Solutions:• Couples counseling

• Policy makers should not assume that RME staff understand their needs or that adequate data are being collected for decision support• RME staff should not assume that policy makers understand the utility and limitations of the data

Solutions:• Couples counseling

• Policy makers should not assume that RME staff understand their needs or that adequate data are being collected for decision support• RME staff should not assume that policy makers understand the utility and limitations of the data

Decision Makers

Monitoring Staff