Working Group 3: Dissemination, Customisation & Communication

Task 3.1 - Dissemination within the COST-Action network & to scientific external audience. Traditional methods were used to disseminate AIM-COST ACTION activities and outputs - primarily a dedicated Website (www.aimcostaction.org). This contained a wide range of content including but not limited to formal Action documents (objectives, meeting presentations, minutes), details of participants, outputs and publications, downloads, links to other relevant networks and projects, factsheets, news and events and a science blog.

Task 3.2 – Customisation: guidelines for surveillance/control and for modelling outputs. This overarching task consists of 2 subtasks, as follows: T3.2a Surveillance and control guidelines: as set out above, existing guidelines for surveillance and control are not widely or consistently used at the national level and require customisation to local conditions. This task disseminated guidelines developed by WG1 and 2 to a range of stakeholders to solicit feedback and enable appropriate revision. T3.2.b Mapping and Modelling Outputs. Maps are powerful dissemination and advocacy tools – “a picture is worth a thousand words”. They can also be, if inadvertently, misleading. They may not map the right parameter (e.g. presence or absence rather than abundance); they may provide the wrong level of detail (e.g. km vs. administrative unit level); they may use inappropriate designs or simply be too complicated. The specific question to be addressed in this task is how to optimise existing mapped outputs for end users. The WG activities, therefore, focused on the detailed customisation and translation of technical products for each defined user group, through: i) A WS to consult representative producers and users to identify dissemination needs (e.g. what information should be disseminated and to whom, what methods to use, who is responsible for the dissemination, and feedback loops should validate usability); ii) an STSM for preparation of dissemination guidelines; iii) presentation of the draft guidelines to Users at dedicated session during AC, for feedback; iv) Incorporation of feedback / guideline finalisation.