Abstract
There is a recognised need to ‘close the loop’ and make better use of post-consent monitoring (PCM) reporting and data to improve assessment processes for offshore windfarm consenting, both in terms of cumulative impact and future project-based assessments. This report presents findings from semistructured interviews with ten stakeholder organisations (a total of 15 interview participants) undertaken from July-September 2024, as part of the Closing the Loop project. The aim of the interviews was to understand some of the procedural and policy barriers to closing the loop within organisations involved in the consenting process (in setting requirements for data collection, managing data, and reviewing assessments), and consider ways to overcome those barriers.
The findings of our study are presented in terms of procedural issues, which includes issues relating to policy, governance, and organisational practices (section 3.1); and issues more directly relating to data management and data management frameworks (section 3.2). Our research identified a range of challenges in accessing PCM reporting and data, and in making use of such data for improving the understanding of the marine environment and improving assessment processes. A key challenge is in the transition from data to evidence to guidance, a complex process that involves many layers of expertise and resource need, and draws on multiple evidence sources, not just PCM data. While many of the challenges to using PCM reporting and data (for reasons other than fulfilling licencing or leasing requirements) are long-standing, our study also identified opportunities to improve procedures and practices facilitate better access to such data.