Task 4

Coordination with Member States authorities and other stakeholders

The consortium will work closely with and consult national authorities and stakeholders represented in relevant Commission expert groups, in particular the following sub-groups set up under the EU Biodiversity Platform :

• The Working Group on Pollinators, and in particular its Task Force on Typical Species under the Habitat Directive, and
  
• The Sub-group on Reporting under the Nature Directives (NADEG).

Within the consortium several team members are also working within these working groups.

Dirk Maes, INBO is a member of the Task Force on typical species and Aidan Whitfield, BCE is a member of NADEG. Simon Potts is part of the Working Group on Pollinators. IEEP will coordinate the information sharing between members of the consortium, with BCE, UNIPD, and UREAD, in regular project meetings to ensure that the information flow between the project team and the Commission expert groups is smooth and timely.

Particular attention will be paid in the first six months to coordinating the information delivery to these groups with the finalisation of the Annex I habitat guidance methods that are being produced by the service contract led by ATECMA, that is also a partner here. Once the Annex I guidance methods are finalised, the communication of information from this research will reference them wherever relevant.

Approach to organising and delivering the consultation workshops

IEEP has a highly experienced team at organising conferences, workshops and other stakeholder convening events for the Commission and other clients.

Organising an online workshop involves careful planning and coordination to ensure a seamless experience for both hosts and participants.

The first step is setting up registration, which requires creating a clear and accessible registration process. This typically involves designing an online form to collect participant details, specifying the date, time, and platform of the workshop (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams), and automating confirmation emails with login instructions and any pre-workshop materials. Depending on the size of the workshop, it’s also crucial to establish a registration cap or create waiting lists to manage participant numbers effectively.

Next, logistics such as scheduling reminders, ensuring reliable technical infrastructure, and coordinating with co-hosts or speakers are key. Setting up the virtual environment includes preparing any necessary slides, polls, breakout rooms, or other interactive elements. It is also essential to test all tech systems beforehand to avoid disruptions.

During the event, moderation is vital to ensure the workshop runs smoothly. The moderator, often someone other than the presenter, manages participant engagement, facilitates Q&A sessions, and handles technical issues, such as managing audio/video settings or troubleshooting any connection problems.

Finally, gathering feedback is critical for evaluation. A post-workshop survey will be sent to participants after each of the online consultation workshop focusing on areas like content quality, presentation effectiveness, technical aspects, and overall satisfaction. Tools like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or built-in platform features can help collect this data efficiently, providing insights that will help improve future workshops.

For each of the consultation events, IEEP will follow this procedure :