A Roadmap to the Establishment of a Yorkshire & Humber Ecological Data Network

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This study recommends a “roadmap” to the efficient delivery of regional ecological data in Yorkshire and  the Humber region. It is based on wide consultation with stakeholders and independent expert opinion.

The report describes the current situation within the region and outlines a number of options for developing an ecological data network in the region. Whilst the report considers the resource implications of these options, detailed costings have been omitted from this document, and will be presented in a supplementary business plan.

The report concludes with a proposed roadmap, based on careful evaluation of all of the options against criteria derived from the stakeholder opinion. The roadmap details a programme for its implementation. The preferred phases are sequential so that each can be implemented in response to the demand for regional data. The proposed phases of the roadmap are as follows.

• Phase 1 – The harmonisation of existing ecological data provision across the region to form a dispersed network of Local Record Centres.
• Phase 2 – The integration of the existing centres by means of sharing the existing or emergent resources currently under development by Local Record Centres. This will create an electronically linked dispersed network of Local Record Centres and allow the establishment of a virtual Regional Record Centre.
• Phase 3 – The optimisation of regional resources through the planned replacement of the current generation of IT resources with a future shared IT facility.

The report suggests that consensus is built through the collaboration of the Yorkshire & Humber Biodiversity Forum (YHBF) data network working group and a yet to be established Local Record Centre (LRC) consortium.

It is suggested that the YHBF data network group brokers a meeting with the LRCs to initiate this process and develop consensus from the grass roots. The report recommends that a range of funding streams are secured, including support for regional data provision through a “wide area” service level agreement between regional stakeholders, to provide an agreed level of service and an undertaking on the part of participating LRCs to participate in competitive tendering for regional data projects under the auspices of the consortium.