Data and Information Management Technical Working Group

Data and Information management is a new aspect of COWRIE's work. The provision of all environmental data and information collected as part of developers' site investigations and environmental impact assessments is a condition of The Crown Estate's Agreement for Lease and Lease. Developers are required to provide the data and information so that it can be brought together in a comprehensive Data and Information Management Plan (DIMP). This is a unique and innovative approach to environmental data and requires specialist expertise as the DIMP must be sustainable in the long term (with some Round 2 leases being 50 years in length). The DIMP will also incorporate new data and metadata produced by the COWRIE environmental research projects. The COWRIE Board tendered a contract for this work and the successful contractor is Geodata Institute. A Technical Working Group has been established with experts from a range of organisations with specialist expertise in the field of data management:

• Marine Biological Association (MBA)
• ABP Mer
• Geotek (providing link to the DTI's Strategic Environmental Assessment programme)
• 2 industry specialists
• The Crown Estate (Science and Research Manager)

Dr Carolyn Heeps is the COWRIE Board Director responsible for Chairing this group and Nature Bureau provide administrative support.

The Working Group will provide advice to the Data management Team and will provide the high level governance for the DIMP project. It will also identify and implement any additional work required to support the DIMP implementation.

The Group held its first meeting in October 2005 and will be hosting a Data and Information Workshop on December 5th for invited participants representing Offshore Windfarm Developers and their environmental and data consultants. Further details will be made available on this website and directly to relevant parties.

Download the Data and Infomation Management Plan here.