Developing flexible and adaptive management approaches for regulatory policy making

Description of Services and Relevance

The Parnin Group conducted an evaluation of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) processes to develop federal fishery management actions. The primary objective was to discover innovative and efficient methods for the Council to remain agile and responsive to new and evolving management challenges, particularly those related to climate change.

Our team evaluated the effectiveness of the Council’s current regulatory process, as governed by National statutory requirements and procedures, to identify more efficient processes. To best understand the present state of the organizational and federal fishery management process, we collected input through interviews with key stakeholders and partners, as well as conducting an in-depth analysis of the Council’s typical regulatory development stages and timelines.   The Council’s current timelines for developing actions were benchmarked against the development of similar actions and timelines at two other Atlantic coast fishery management councils. Our recommendations could improve the efficiency and quality of the regulatory decision-making process, decrease future risks, and improve overall community engagement in the work of the Council.

A copy of our final report can be downloaded from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s website under Briefing Materials (Tab 7).

Outcomes and Impacts:

• A comprehensive review of the Council’s regulatory procedures and timelines, its internal policies, and engagement in climate-related activities.
• A “one-stop-shop” compilation of organizational processes, partnerships, and regulatory requirements to clarify the Council process for Council members, partners, and the public.
• Supported the development of an updated and streamlined approach to the regulatory process at MAFMC, highlighting potential time savings of up to 3-4 months in the overall regulatory process.
• Provided 17 recommendations to address areas of improvement, ranging from quick fixes to long-term, systematic updates.
• Identified potential improvements to current approaches for data collection and use, additional means for stakeholder outreach, and improved communication and collaboration with organizational partners.