“DRAFT” Phase III Steering Committee & Secretariat Workplan
(January-December 2010)

1-1 – Create a “Marine Planning Advisory Council” comprised of stakeholders to provide advice on marine development and applications to current regulatory authorities.

Objectives: (a) Understanding existing government processes (e.g., public input and transparency in decision-making) and identify opportunities for improvement or enhancement.  (b)Define more clearly the practical aspects of the Advisory Council.  Address the questions that governments had regarding the Advisory Council.

Action: Review of existing government processes (including committees) for public input, transparency and efficiency.  
Details on how the AC would be set up:  - roles and responsibilities
-organize a workshop
-discuss changes in decision-making

Outcome: Greater awareness of government decision-making processes.
Draft of structure (roles & responsibilities) of the AC (what it would look like).

Greater efficiency in existing processes.

1-4 – Develop a process to expand and apply the Community Values Criteria (CVC) derived from consultations

Objectives:  (a) identify next steps to complete and make it functional (e.g. weighted criteria), (b) Identify practical ways of incorporating into existing processes and/or a proposed advisory council, (c) a process for community input (e.g. periodic review), and (d) the applicability of criteria across all activities, and the use of the CVC in management scenario comparison.

Action:  Develop more details on the CVC (e.g. scalability and indicators).
Obtain community input and agreement on the CVC.
Organize a workshop involving provincial and federal permitting agencies to assess the CVC.  How will it be used in decision making? 
How will the CVC be used and updated? 
Review experience and processes from other jurisdictions.

Outcome:  A CVC that reflects community values and can be used to reflect these values in decision making.

1-6 – Create a Communications & Knowledge Transfer Framework, which will enhance current consultation processes and improve public/community participation.

Objective:  Enhance public participation and input into, as well as public knowledge and values and understanding of, government review and decision-making processes. 

Action:  Organize a workshop.  Coordinate the review of options for moving forward (e.g., contract) with a review of existing processes and identification of best potential options.  DFO to continue work on a project on a regional web portal related to integrated management, which could assist with this objective (e.g. use of MRP as a pilot).

Outcome: Recommend an enhanced communication framework/strategy.     

2-1 – Incorporate the use of community planning tools (e.g., local visioning workshops) and science (e.g., ecologically and biologically sensitive areas, zones of influence models) and ecosystem based management tools (e.g., Marine Protected Areas, Zones) to protect critical & unique habitats supported by the public

Objective:  Identify ecologically and biologically significant areas within the marine planning area as a first step towards the identification of unique and critical areas to be considered for protection.  It is acknowledged that economic, social and cultural considerations also need to be included as subsequent steps.
Identify what the community considers as an important area.

Action:  A SC meeting in 2010 with federal/provincial agencies to review the Ecologically and Biologically Sensitive Areas (EBSA) criteria.  Organize a Workshop?

Outcome:  Identification of an inclusive process of defining important, ecologically and biologically significant areas within the planning area and understanding of the identification criteria.

A list of ecologically and biologically significant areas.

4-6 – Provide an updated economic value of marine related resources in the planning area.

Objective:  Update the marine economic value report for New Brunswick (Gulf Region and Bay of Fundy).

Action:  A representative from the SC participates in the oversight of the Request For Proposals.

Outcome: Updated marine economic value report for New Brunswick.