7.1 Introduction: Review and revise the monitoring design

Overview      Introduction     Steps in revisions     Examples of revisions     Results and next steps

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Figuring out how to deal with a breach in the Chignik Weir. Credit Hal Geiger/ADF&G

Figuring out how to deal with a breach in the Chignik Weir. Credit Hal Geiger/ADF&G

                          

Monitoring plans are launched with considerable uncertainty.  They too must be re-examined to insure that they are meeting the original goals and objectives. If they are not, then they should be revised to make them more effective.  In some cases, even the goals and objectives need to be revised. Monitoring plans can be changed and revised for several reasons:

• A change in the monitoring goal
• Recalculation of sample sizes using new information on sample variances
• A need to start or improve coordination with other agencies
  
• A planned transition in monitoring goals
• Improvements in current science and methods, or
• As part of an adaptive management of monitoring that iteratively reviews and revises monitoring plans.

Many of these reasons for revising monitoring plans are very similar to starting a new monitoring plan.  Therefore, you will need to reconsider all steps of the monitoring wheel:

• Identify monitoring goals and objectives
• Design monitoring project
• Collect data
• Manage data
• Analyze and interpret data
• Report results, and
• Review and revise monitoring design.

The final reason for revising a monitoring plan is the ongoing adaptive management that is necessary to improve a monitoring plan. All monitoring plans should have such a process of adaptation.  No matter how well planned, monitoring will need to be modified to improve its performance, generally throughout its lifetime. This adaptive management will consist of:

• Analyzing the monitoring data
• Comparing results of analyses to the monitoring goals and objectives
• Evaluating how well the data meet those goals and objectives, and
• If necessary, revising the monitoring plan to produce data that better meet the plan’s goals. 

Initially, this review will have to occur frequently.  Later when the monitoring should be better defined, the review can be more focused and occur less frequently.  However, some level of review that would consider all seven steps of monitoring design will be necessary at regular intervals throughout the life of the monitoring plan.

The next section will give you more detailed guidance on how to review and revise your monitoring plan.

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