As part of the SECWEB 2.0 project, the RCGs Secretariat is leading the development of new digital tools and improvement of existing ones aimed at optimising coordination, communication, and the overall functioning of the Regional Coordination Groups (RCGs). The project, co-funded by the European Union through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), seeks to strengthen the digital infrastructure supporting the RCGs community and to provide long-term, user-oriented solutions.
To identify the most urgent needs, the RCGs Secretariat launched a network-wide consultation through a questionnaire in October 2024 that received 70 responses from 22 EU Member States and the European Commission. The analysis of this input helped to define the priorities for new and improved tool as well as evaluate participants’ interest in collaborating in the co-design process.
The development of a platform for managing Recommendations and Decisions was identified as the highest priority, followed by the upgrading of the RCGs website. Other tools such as the e-Calendar, Event Registration System, e-Library, Stakeholders’ Database and a Tool to facilitate consultation processes were also considered important but are planned for later development stages.
The co-design process has been built around the following three main pillars to ensure broad participation and user ownership:
- Interactive working group sessions were accomplished for each specific tool, where participants provided feedback through interactive presentations.
- A collaborative virtual workspace was established enabling permanent access to the process documents by all the group members.
- A guideline document was shared and is kept as a living document to keep track of updates and feedback from the participants.
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This flexible, fully reported and inclusive approach, combined with inputs from ISSG meetings and other RCGs’ related events, aims at ensuring that the new tools align with real operational needs of the network.
The project is now entering the technical development phase, where the validated functional specifications from the co-design sessions get translated into working tools.
The co-design process under SECWEB 2.0 reflects the RCGs commitment to collaboration, transparency and and the user-driven development approach of this initiative, involving RCGs participants from the beginning. This all reinforcing the role of the RCGs in supporting the sustainable use of marine resources across the European Union.
More information
For further information, or to get involved in the co-design process, please contact the RCGs Secretariat at secretariat@fisheries-rcg.eu.
SECWEB 2.0 project is co-funded by CINEA under the call Improving scientific knowledge to strengthen the science-basis of management decisions under the Common Fisheries Policy (EMFAF-2023-PIA-FisheriesScientificAdvice).