Priority setting in a virtual world: Lessons learned from a multi-agency sediment budget workshop

Abstract:

Gulf Islands National Seashore, located on the Gulf of Mexico coast, is managed by the National Park Service but has stakeholders from state and local governments, and NGOs. In recent years the Seashore has experienced significant sediment loss, sparking the need for a workshop to develop a prioritized list of sediment research and data needs. A planned in-person workshop was rapidly converted to a 2 day virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Activities taken to adapt the workshop to a virtual format occurred during the pre-workshop period, the workshop execution, and the post-workshop period. Before the workshop, facilitators designed a presentation template to ensure that each presenter clearly articulated the research and data needs identified by previously completed individual studies. Presentations were collected and merged prior to the workshop, and a facilitator advanced slides. This saved time and avoided the technical issues typically encountered when presenters are required to pass the share screen baton. Next, all participants were asked to login to the meeting platform to test the technology the day prior to the workshop, allowing participants to become familiar with the technology. Finally, all participants were asked to complete a pre-workshop survey on sediment research and data needs. During day 1, a series of presentations was followed by results from the pre-workshop survey and a participant discussion ensued. Workshop organizers incorporated survey results feedback into a second survey which the participants took at the end of day 1. On day 2, results from the second survey were presented, discussed, and research needs were refined. Final amendments were made to the survey to include feedback from day 2, and at participants were asked to complete a final survey at the end of the workshop. The adaptations taken to convert this workshop to a virtual format required creativity and were time intensive for the workshop organizers. Particularly, the iterative nature of the surveys required organizers to work through lunches and late into the evening as they incorporated survey results feedback into each subsequent survey. With these adaptations, workshop organizers generated a comprehensive set of sediment data and research needs that will improve the management of Gulf Islands National Seashore.