Wg1 workplan

Workplan

Objectives

Please describe the objectives to be achieved during the grant period and their relationship to the goals of the Action as laid down in the MoU or as modified by the Management Committee.

According to the MoU, the initial subtask of WG1 is the review of multifunctional planning issues and the definition of DSS functional criteria. Accordingly, during the first year of the project, for WG1, the main objectives will be:

• Create a Web 2.0 repository where information related to available Decision Support Systems (DSS) present in all COST countries participating in the action.
• In the process of gathering information, create a consensus ontology where the terms used in the decision making process are defined
• Start the process of DSS meta-analysis, by:

- Enumerating different approaches for solving similar problems in Natural Resources Management - Identify common problems in the usage of available DSS, from the process of data gathering, model applicability and DSS implementation and use.

The full process of requirements gathering and analysis of case studies will be the starting point for the following subtask for this working group, scheduled to start later in the current Action development, which is the definition of procedures and guidelines towards good practices in the development of Forest DSS. It is thus fundamental for the adequate accomplishment of this final objective to gather the information provided by the remaining Working Groups, where specificities related to decision making methods, knowledge management and participatory procedures are to be analyzed and processed.

Activities

Three main actions are to be pursued during the first project year to accomplish the proposed objectives. In the first place, the website, based on the Mediawiki platform is to be set and made available for information gathering and general consultation. This web site will require constant maintenance and support, to ensure that all available information can be adequately stored for easy consultation and posterior analysis. The website will be the main repository for storing DSS information as well as ontology definition. The initial website will be online by the end of May 2008.

Secondly a meeting of WG1 members in November 2009 will be instrumental for assessing the outcomes and difficulties of the initial information gathering efforts, and for the definition of policies and strategies to correct or improve the less successful aspects.

Finally a Workshop will be held in April 2009 which will aim to get a shared view on the use of currently available DSS. This workshop will present the outcomes of the project at its current stage, and allow for the presenters to discuss actual problems and difficulties in forest and landscape management practices, application of policies with actual examples and case studies. It is predicted that a hands on approach over selected systems will be made available to all participants

Outputs planned for year

(Including final reports, technical documents, publications and other forms of output.)

The main output predicted for WG1 will be the web repository over a Web 2.0 platform filled by all the WG1 members, containing specific information about Forest DSS in all participating COST countries.

The proceedings of the April 2009 workshop will be published and made available to the Scientific Community.

A final report of the year's activities will be produced for internal use