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Module Course Materials
4 1 Introduction and learning objectives

9-12 December, 2013 Relevant and accessible information based on sound knowledge and facts is a cornerstone

of integrated environmental assessment. Without a strong evidence base government,
civil society and the public at large are not in a position to make informed decisions that
take essential environmental and human well-being issues into account.

By the time you begin to develop data and indicators, you will likely have gone through
the processes of planning the IEA, identifying lines of responsibility, clarifying key issues and
identifying target audiences. Data development is an integral part of the implementation
of integrated environmental assessment.

This training module is a practical guide to information tools, with emphasis on monitoring,
data and indicators. Key concepts, techniques, benefits and constraints are explored in
areas of monitoring, data collections, indicator and indices and analysis, through readings,
exercises and examples.

At the end of this course you will:

? understand the roles and uses of data, indicators and indices in integrated
environmental assessment;

? Know how to develop strategies for collecting and validating data;

? understand how indicators and indices are developed and used;

? be able to analyze indicators and indices based on outcomes; and

? be able to communicate and present statistical and map-based data visually.

2 Developing data for integrated environmental assessment

Knowledge gained from data is fundamental to our understanding of environmental
issues, as well as for communicating information to policy-makers and other groups in
society. In the context of management, what gets measured gets addressed. The flow of

10 Monitoring, Data and Indicators