ABPmer was appointed by Welsh Government to support the development of practical indicators to monitor implementation of the Welsh National Marine Plan and its effectiveness. Such development is an important element of marine planning as part of an adaptive management process.

ABPmer drew on its practical experience of other UK and European marine plan implementation processes and extensive knowledge of Welsh data to develop 25 recommended headline indicators covering the breadth of marine plan policies and SEA monitoring indicators.

The indicators were developed using a marine plan logic model which identified linkages between plan objectives and policies and resultant activities, outputs and outcomes.

In developing the indicators we sought to ensure good coverage of the initial actions expected to be taken to implement the WNMP, while recognising the need to track the real world outcomes that marine plan policies and objectives are trying to influence.

The draft recommendations were presented at a marine planning workshop and feedback incorporated into the final indicators.

ABPmer is a recognised thought leader in marine planning, with extensive experience of strategic and sectoral planning. We are regularly called to support national planning processes across the UK, Ireland and internationally, and undertake applied research studies to support implementation.