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The development of this strategic plan began in May, 2004, but built upon the structure and process began with Florida Sea Grant’s first five-year plan in 1996. In the current cycle, a meeting was held with the FSG statewide extension faculty, who were asked to take the leadership in developing various sections of the plan along with FSG management. This meeting and subsequent ones were used to review the 2002-05 strategic plan and its priorities. A request was also sent to the campus coordinators to solicit research faculty volunteers who were interested in participating in or commenting on the priorities for 2006-09. About 30 research faculty representing 10 participating institutions volunteered.
Each leader was asked to involve the research faculty and the appropriate agency personnel and industry stakeholders in the development of each section of the plan. FSG management provided oversight and provided the overarching components of the plan. Priorities for each goal area were developed from May to November, 2004. The draft plan was then completed and sent to the campus coordinators for final review, comment and approval.
The following table provides a summary of the process used for each goal area. Over 300 people provided direct input into the strategic plan by the time it was completed; hundreds more provided indirect input through county advisory committees. The process was tailored to best fit each goal area.
Goal Area |
Process; May to November, 2004 |
1. Biotechnology |
Faculty and industry workshop at BioFlorida meeting in Boca Raton |
2. Fisheries |
Statewide mail survey of faculty, agency and industry. |
3. Aquaculture |
Statewide mail survey of faculty, agency and industry. |
4. Seafood Safety |
Workshop of faculty in Gainesville and meeting with industry advisory committee in Orlando |
5. Waterfront Communities |
Web-based survey of faculty, agency and industry |
6. Ecosystem Health |
Position paper and requested review of faculty, industry and agency |
7. Coastal Hazards |
Survey and workshop at Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association annual conference in Naples |
8. Graduate Education |
Update and analysis of graduate student support and workshop with Campus Coordinators in Ft. Lauderdale |
9. Marine Education |
Statewide survey of marine education groups and teachers. Extension advisory committees and focus groups. Input from agency information officers, and collaborators in the public and private media. |
The priorities in this plan will be used in the FSG call for 2006-07 research proposals issued in early January, 2005; for 2008-09 proposals two years later; and to guide the FSG extension and communications programs. Extension priorities also benefited from input during the UF extension focus group process and through the advisory committees of off-campus FSG extension faculty.
The priorities in this plan are subject to programmatic review and revision. Priorities that are addressed by a research project during 2006-07 will not be included in the call for 2008-09 projects. Priorities that require an extension or communications effort are evaluated through annual extension focus group meetings and through input of local and statewide advisory groups. Specific work tasks conducted through research, extension and communications in response to the strategic plan priorities are outlined in the two-year implementation plans that will be developed during the four-year strategic plan period. Annual work plans will be developed and evaluated each year across the entire Florida Sea Grant program. New priorities that may emerge during the four-year strategic plan are addressed through the use of program development funds, and through the seeking of extramural funds (outside of Sea Grant) until the priorities can be integrated into the next strategic plan.
Florida Sea Grant also employs an exit strategy concept to determine when priorities have been addressed and/or a problem solved. The exit strategy for each goal area is listed in the two-year implementation plan along with performance indicators that can be used to measure when it is time to exit a goal area or individual task within the area.
The plan was also created within the context of the National Sea Grant strategic plan, “Sea Grant in the New Century, 2003-08 and Beyond,” which defines the overall Sea Grant issues at the national level. It also considered the updated NOAA strategic plan for 2005-10, “New Priorities for the 21 st Century.” The plan also reflects priorities and opportunities as outlined in the report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, “An Ocean Blueprint for the 21 st Century,” delivered to the President in September, 2004.
The National Sea Grant strategic plan defines 11 theme areas. Florida Sea Grant participated in the development of those areas and the nine Florida Sea Grant goal areas in this plan contain the elements of the national theme areas important to Florida. Florida Sea Grant also participated in the ongoing long-range planning effort of UF/IFAS Extension, “Preparing for Challenges and Changes of the 21 st Century,” as it updated statewide goals and focus areas, most recently for 2004-07.
NOAA has adopted four overarching research mission goals for 2003-08. They are 1) protect and restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through ecosystem-based management; 2) understand climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability to plan and respond; 3) serve society’s needs for weather and water information; and 4) support the nation’s commerce with information for safer, efficient and environmentally sound transportation. NOAA has also identified five common strategies: 1) monitor, describe and track earth’s changing systems; 2) understand and describe natural systems; 3) assess and predict natural systems; 4) engage, advise and inform stakeholders; and
5) manage coastal and ocean resources.
The National Sea Grant’s 11 theme areas and national priority areas fit within NOAA’s mission goals and strategies, as do Florida Sea Grant’s goals. The following table makes the links evident.
FSG Goal Areas |
Corresponding National SG Theme or Priority Area |
NOAA Mission Goal |
NOAA Mission Strategy |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Biotechnology |
Biotechnology |
X |
|
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|
X |
X |
X |
X |
Fisheries |
Fisheries; Fisheries Extension |
X |
|
|
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
Aquaculture |
Aquaculture |
X |
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
X |
|
Seafood Safety |
Seafood Science and Technology of Gulf of Mexico Oyster Program |
X |
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
X |
|
Waterfront Communities |
Coastal Communities and Economies; Urban Coasts |
X |
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
Ecosystem Health |
Ecosystems and Habitats; Aquatic Invasive Species; Harmful Algal Blooms |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Coastal Hazards |
Coastal Natural Hazards; Digital Ocean |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
Graduate Education |
Marine Aquatic Science Literacy |
NOAA cross-cutting priority |
Marine Education |
Marine Aquatic Sciences Literacy |
NOAA cross-cutting priority |
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