Assessing barriers to information flow to decision makers in the Great Lakes

Session: 23. - The IJC's Science Advisory Board Review of Current Priorities and Projects

Scott Sowa, The Nature Conservancy, ssowa@TNC.org
Lucinda Johnson, University of Minnesota Duluth, ljohnson@d.umn.edu
Antonette Arvai, International Joint Commission, arvaia@windsor.ijc.org
Matthew Child, International Joint Commission, childm@windsor.ijc.org
David Allan, University of Michigan, Sch. For Environment and Sustainability, dallan@umich.edu
Stephen Cole, Great Lakes Commission, scole@glc.org
Norman Grannemann, U.S. Geological Survey, nggranne@usgs.gov
F. Lickers, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, henry.lickers@akwesasne.ca
David Lodge, Cornell University, dml356@cornell.edu
Chris Metcalfe, Trent University, cmetcalfe@trentu.ca
Carol Miller, Wayne State University, 2154 Engineering Bldg, cmiller@eng.wayne.edu
Kelli Paige, Great Lakes Observing System, kpaige@glos.us
Dale Phenicie, Environmental Affairs Consulting, dkphenicie@mindspring.com
Jennifer Read, Michigan Sea Grant College Program, Samuel T. Dana Bldg., jenread@umich.edu
Jeff Ridal, St. Lawrence River Institute, of Environmental Sciences, jridal@riverinstitute.ca
Christina Semeniuk, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, semeniuk@uwindsor.ca
John Bratton, Limnotech, jbratton@limno.com
Theodore Slawecki, LimnoTech, tad@limno.com
Victoria Pebbles, Great Lakes Commission, vpebbles@glc.org
Michael Polich, Great Lakes Commission, mpolich@glc.org
Samuel Molnar, Great Lakes Commision, smolnar@glc.org

Abstract

There are many Great Lakes agencies and organizations responsible for the collection, management and delivery of data and information related to the general objectives of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). The purpose of this project was to assess the flow of information to decision makers in the Great Lakes, identify barriers to the flow of this information, and provide recommendations to the IJC and the Parties to address these barriers. The goal of our project was to develop and apply methods of assessing and identifying barriers to the flow of information needed to a) assess programs and progress towards GLWQA objectives and b) support resource allocation decisions that seek to help achieve the objectives of the GLWQA.  We identified six major components of information flow and identified many barriers within each of these six components.  Results of this work show that we are doing well to address barriers in certain components, but not others . This presentation will cover the findings from our work and our specific recommendations to the IJC and the Parties for helping improve information flow to Great Lakes decision makers by more equitably investing time and resources to addressing barriers to information flow across all six components.

1. Keyword
decision making

2. Keyword
indicators

3. Keyword
monitoring

4. Additional Keyword
Goal setting

5. Additional Keyword
Information management and delivery

6. Additional Keyword
Ecosystem assessment