Science Policy Interface

Ecosystem based and cross-border marine spatial planning and ocean governance requires a very broad array of different types of knowledge and expertise – both scientific and practical. This implies developing new knowledge and sharing it across fields and borders and also requires skills in process management and collaborative learning. Providing up-to-date knowledge input and a structured process for sharing and learning is the central focus of Work Package (WP) 4 Science Policy Interface.

WP 4 supports the overall learning process in the project and links it across the five thematic learning strands; it facilitates, observes and documents the learning internally and provides science input and feedback to the learning strands. WP 4 also bridges project activities to science and policy-making beyond eMSP through regular outreach and networking throughout the project and through the development of practical final products.

Scientific Advisory Board

Scientific input and advice through a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), consisting of appointed science fellows and other interested researchers associated to the five learning strands. The SAB meets regularly throughout the project in a process synchronised with the progress of the learning strands. It is chaired and facilitated by Nordregio, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The SAB links project activities within the learning strands to project internal and external scientific expertise, thus assuring scientific reflection on the work. It also provides external scientific quality assurance and linkages to the science community.

Capacity Building

Capacity building in collaborative learning methods by facilitating and mentoring the learning strands to apply and test a “communities of practice approach” in their work (link). Training and mentoring is provided on a regular base through RVO and Nordregio, supported by the SAB.

Documenting the Learning Process

Facilitating and documenting learning and self-reflection within and across learning strands by observing, documenting and discussing the development of learning and knowledge sharing and within and across learning strands in meetings of both learning strands and overall project through members of the SAB, not the least Nordredio and SYKE.

Efficient Knowledge Sharing

Features for knowledge sharing in MSP: discussing knowledge sharing for MSP across boundaries and sea basins on a general level in terms of needs, gaps and appropriate sharing platforms and repositories. This part of the work is coordinated by HELCOM and SHOM.

Synthesis and Final Results

Final products on learning strand topics and cross-cutting themes implies distilling popular general conclusions and recommendations on the results from the learning strands and on how to develop and maintain communities of practice in the field of MSP and on the role of climate change in MSP and the EU Green Deal, and possibly other emerging topics. Project insights will be translated into targeted products such as policy briefs, story maps, videos and events such as workshops and a final conference and scientific papers. The syntheses and final production process are led by Nordregio, the Gdansk Maritime Institute and SYKE, in collaboration with science fellows and learning strands.