June 5th, 2012
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Review basic terms, definitions
Discuss benefits of conducting an INA
Provide overview of INA process
Review each step in INA process and discuss templates
Wrap up, questions & answers
Steve Boutcher
(Burlington, VT)
Wilderness Information Management
Steering Team
• “Information needs assessment”: a structured approach for
determining data collection, storage and analysis needs by first
identifying and prioritizing local management requirements.
• “Data”: are raw, unorganized facts (often measureable,
observable)
• “Information”: is interpreted data
• “Protocol”: A documented set of rules or instructions pertaining
to the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data or
information.
1.
Information
Planning
2.
Data
Collection
3.
Data Storage
& Analysis
4.
Information
Presentation
& Use
lifeform:
tree
species:
spruce
height:
93.1ft.
dbh:
43.6in.
Define
business
requirements
 Identify &
prioritize data
and information
needs
Standard
protocols,
definitions,
codes, methods
Field
data
collection
Spatial mapping
Appropriate
technology
Corporate
info.
systems
Data storage &
QA/QC
Data sharing &
integration
Data
summary
Analysis
Interpretation
Reports
Maps
Performance
measures
Web sites
1. Conducting an INA helps to make efficient use of limited
resources by focusing information management efforts on
most pressing issues
2. Units completing an INA can claim 2-points on Element 9 of
the 10 Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge
3. Provides a structured opportunity to discuss resource
integration and wilderness stewardship with other program
areas – and to engage local line officers
4. Improves position for competing for NFRW and NFIM funding
To develop a process that:
1. Provides focus to data collection, storage and analysis
activities by first prioritizing the information needed to
support the most critical wilderness stewardship decisions;
2. Makes the wilderness manager think through all aspects of
their endeavor before work begins;
3. Encourages integration;
4. Is straight-forward and not overly complex; and
5. Is realistic in terms of time commitment.
Stephen Covey
“7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
People may develop their own process but it should meet
minimum criteria:
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Must be wilderness-wide, at a minimum
Must address full range of issues/concerns
Must address entire life cycle of information needs
INA should be developed by interdisciplinary team
INA should be no older than 5-years
Please share modifications to the process with Steve
Boutcher (sboutcher@fs.fed.us)
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Step 1 – Identify Assessment Area
Step 2 – Identify Issues of Concern and Assign Initial Priority
Step 3 – Define Information Needs for Priority Issues
Step 4 – Assign Priority Ranking to Issues
Step 5 – Build a Realistic Work Plan
Step 6 – Feedback
• Completed Wilderness Threats Matrix
• Wilderness INA Worksheet for each priority issues (with cost
estimates)
• Realistic 5-Year Work Plan
• Step 1 – Identify Assessment Area:
• Conducted for a single wilderness or it can be done for
wildernesses managed as a complex only if the issues are
similar
• An INA should never be conducted for an area less than an
entire wilderness
• Step 2 – Identify Issues of Concern and Assign Initial
Priority:
• Best accomplished by convening representatives from the
various resource staffs as well as line officers
• Modify the threats matrix to represent the issues of greatest
local concern
• Modify the attributes of wilderness character to reflect
specific or place-dependent aspects of a specific wilderness
• Identify the top 3-6 information needs (expressed as an
issue/threat on a specific attribute of wilderness character)
• Step 2 – Identify Issues of Concern and Assign Initial
Priority (continued):
• Assignment of priorities should involve weighing:
• Relative significance of the impact and existing state of
knowledge
• Urgency for management actions and/or the likely
effectiveness of those actions
• Relative workload
• Public issues or concerns (key stakeholders)
• Step 3 – Define Information Needs for Priority Issues:
• Complete a Wilderness INA Worksheet (Appendix B) for
each priority issue, working directly with resource specialists.
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Issue/Threat
Attribute(s) Affected
Question(s) That Need to be Addressed
Data Collection Needs (tabular & spatial)
Data Collection Protocol
Database
Analysis Protocol
Information Products (w/ examples)
Information use
Other Program Areas Involved
Cost Estimate
• Step 4 – Assign Priority Ranking to Issues:
• Working either with the whole interdisciplinary group, or
directly with the line officer, rank the priority information
needs
• Give honest consideration to existing and reasonably
foreseeable staff and funding constraints
• Be aware of opportunities to involve partners and leverage
external funding sources
• Step 5 – Build a Realistic Work Plan (Appendix C):
• Plan should look ahead 5 years and should include:
• Fiscal year
• Issue / information need
• Priority rank
• Specific work items
• Cost estimate
• Possible funding sources
• Timing
• Responsibility
• Step 6 - Feedback:
• Re-evaluate the work plan each year, making adjustments as
needed to either remove items as they are completed, add
new items as experience is gained, or make other
modifications due to changes in resource availability.
• The entire INA should be revisited every 3-5 years to see if
new issues / information needs have emerged, of if other
previously ranked issues have fallen in their importance.