Terms of Reference

Organisations in the Tracking Mammals Partnership have signed a Declaration of Intent, setting out the main purposes and commitments of the Partnership. The TMP works to clearly defined Terms of Reference, for the Partnership, the Steering Group that manages the Partnership and the Volunteer and Data Management Group.

1. Declaration of Intent

We the undersigned have agreed, on behalf of our respective organisations, to work co-operatively together, through the Tracking Mammals Partnership, in order to:

Provide good access to up-to-date and reliable information on the status of UK mammals to all potential users;
Involve a wider public and harness their enthusiasm and commitment, as we wish to improve the quality and quantity of information collected.

We are committed to:

Setting up co-ordinated, nationwide networks of volunteers to carry out surveillance and monitoring, enabling us to deliver distribution and population trend information on all UK mammals;
Developing, where possible, standardised survey designs and methods to facilitate information exchange;
Working towards improving data availability, at agreed levels, through the National Biodiversity Network;
Disseminating information on the status of UK mammals individually and collectively through the Tracking Mammals Partnership website and through periodic reports.

Organisations in alphabetical order

Bat Conservation Trust: Amy Coyte, Chief Executive
Bristol University: Professor Stephen Harris, School of Biological Sciences
British Association for Shooting and Conservation: John Swift, Chief Executive
British Deer Society: Mark Nicolson, Chairman
British Trust for Ornithology: Professor Jeremy Greenwood, Director
Central Science Laboratory: Professor Mike Roberts, Chief Executive
Countryside Council for Wales: Roger Thomas, Chief Executive
Deer Commission for Scotland: Nick Reiter, Chief Executive
Deer Initiative: Simon Booth, Executive Director
Defra: Ben Bradshaw MP, Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries
English Nature (now known as Natural England): Dr Andy Brown, Chief Executive
Environment Agency: Barbara Young, Chief Executive
Environment and Heritage Service: Angela Smith MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Northern Ireland
Forestry Commission: Dr Peter Freer-Smith, Acting Chief Executive, Forest Research
Game Conservancy Trust: Teresa Dent, Chief Executive
Joint Nature Conservation Committee: Deryck Steer, Managing Director
The Mammal Society: Michael Woods, Chairman
People's Trust for Endangered Species: Dr Valerie Keeble, Chief Executive
Royal Holloway University of London: Dr Paul Bright, School of Biological Sciences
Scottish Natural Heritage: Dr Ian Jardine, Chief Executive
Welsh Assembly Government: Carwyn Jones AM, Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside
WildCRU, University of Oxford: Professor David Macdonald, Director
Wildlife Trusts: John Everitt, Director of Conservation

The Declaration was signed in 2003, and since that time two organisations have joined the Partnership:

Queen’s University, Belfast

Defence Estates

2. Terms of Reference for the Tracking Mammals Partnership

There is a requirement for the UK government, under the Habitats and Species Directive and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, to obtain detailed information on the status and changing status of UK mammals. In order to provide this information, the JNCC and other organisations with a particular focus on or interest in mammal species are setting-up a surveillance and monitoring network across the UK.

The JNCC has distinguished between surveillance of mammals, which consists of repeated counts designed to detect changes in the abundance of individual species, and monitoring of mammals, whereby repeated counts are carried out in conjunction with collecting other data designed to discover the causes of changes in abundance and the effects of particular actions.

Both surveillance and monitoring information are used by different sectors to plan their activities and to take appropriate action. Some examples of sectors that require mammal abundance information are biodiversity conservation, agriculture, forestry and hunting or game interests. While the uses and interpretation of information may be different in each case, sharing the costs of acquiring a common pool of data will make efficiency savings and should increase beneficial collaboration between different users of mammal abundance information.

The main aims of The Tracking Mammals Partnership are:

To develop and promote a co-ordinated approach to the surveillance of all resident British mammal species.

To raise awareness of species in need of more detailed monitoring and management.

To raise awareness of the general public to the status of British mammals and the importance of surveillance and monitoring.

To provide a cohesive framework for the various mammal organisations in the UK.

Secure resources necessary to deliver long-term surveillance/monitoring.

The main objectives of The Tracking Mammals Partnership are:

To assess the distribution and abundance of all resident British mammal species to gain baseline data on populations.

To assess trends (+/-) in the distribution and abundance of all resident British mammals to defined levels of precision.

To provide standardised survey design to allow for comparison of data collected in different surveys.

To co-ordinate collection of survey data to agreed data standards, with analysis and interpretation of the results to provide information on changes in distribution and abundance of UK mammals.

To make surveillance and monitoring data more widely accessible and available, while recognising data management issues, including confidentiality and data protection.

To provide the ability to link the surveillance information obtained with that obtained from other surveys, e.g. habitat, climate, pollutants etc. This will provide an overall integrated monitoring network across the UK giving not only distribution, abundance and population trend information on British mammals but also links, at a UK level, to possible causal factors in changes in distribution and abundance.

To report regularly on the changing status of UK mammals, via publications and the Internet, on behalf of the Partnership. Partnership reporting will concentrate upon giving summary population and/or trend statistics nationally or regionally, with suitable contextual information to aid understanding. Detailed reporting in relation to particular issues or problems will remain the responsibility of individual participating organisations (and others).

These aims and objectives will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Jessa Battersby, 23 July 2002.

Reviewed and amended by TMP Steering Group, 6 October 2005.

Reviewed and amended by the TMP Steering Group 6 November 2007.

3. Terms of Reference for the Tracking Mammals Partnership (TMP) Steering Group

Aims and objectives

The TMP Steering Group has been established by organisations in the UK who wish to bring about improved surveillance and monitoring of wild mammal populations for a variety of purposes. These purposes include obtaining improved scientific knowledge, conservation, game interests, pest control and to fulfil international obligations. Initially, the Steering Group will concentrate upon terrestrial and freshwater mammals, but marine species are not excluded from the remit of the group.

Surveillance is here defined as repeated counts or standardised observations of mammal abundance over time using a method that enables changes in numbers to be detected with known precision, while monitoring includes measurement of other variables that enable interpretation of changes in abundance. Monitoring may also include elements of measuring abundance against particular target numbers (for example, targets set for conservation or pest control purposes). Surveillance and monitoring are complementary activities that are often best carried out in an integrated way within the same project, although they may be separately funded by different organisations.different organisations.

Membership of the Steering Group

The membership currently comprises representatives of the following organisations: Bat Conservation Trust, Bristol University, British Association for Shooting and Conservation, British Trust for Ornithology, British Deer Society, Central Science Laboratory, Countryside Council for Wales, Deer Commission for Scotland, Deer Initiative, Defence Estates, Environment Agency, Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland), Forestry Commission, Game Conservancy Trust, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, The Mammal Society, Natural England, Peoples' Trust for Endangered Species, Queeen’s University Belfast, Royal Holloway University of London, Scottish Natural Heritage, Welsh Assembly Government, The Wildlife Trusts and WildCRU, University of Oxford.

Members of the Steering Group will represent the views of their respective organisations to the best of their ability, but it is recognised that in some circumstances it will be difficult or impossible for members to obtain a mandate from their organisation. The members of the Steering Group also represent a wider range of organisations and individuals (including volunteer recorders) who wish to see mammal surveillance and monitoring securely established in the UK.

Meetings of the Steering Group

It is envisaged that theSteering Group will meet once a year to agree joint and collaborative working on projects of mutual interest, to share knowledge and experience about mammal surveillance and monitoring, to seek funding for additional projects, to work with other organisations and individuals to establish better mammal surveillance and monitoring, and to participate within the National Biodiversity Network to share data and information on mammals with others. The JNCC will act as Secretariat for the Steering Group and produce agendas and records of the meetings subject to approval by the Group.

The Steering Group is a forum whereby the participating organisations seek to achieve their joint aims and objectives through collaborative working. As such, it is envisaged that decisions will be made through discussion and consensus.

Scope of joint working

The scope of joint working will include, but not necessarily be confined to, the following themes:

Repeat surveys (typically annual) of a mammal species, or groups of species, using a defined method to achieve consistent results.

Collecting data and information on the extent and quality of habitats and habitat features of significance to mammals.

Providing summary statistics on the distribution and abundance of mammal species and how this changes over time for the purposes outlined in aims and objectives above.

Using the data, information and summary statistics to publish regular accounts of the state of UK mammals, interpreted according to available environmental information and other factors affecting the recruitment and/or mortality of each species.

Through a working-group of TMP organisations, finding ways of accessing additional resources for long-term surveillance.

Ways of working

In order to achieve the aims and objectives and establish the scope of joint working, the participating organisations will fund separately or jointly projects to be carried out by themselves and/or contractors to deliver the data and information required. The Steering Group will have an advisory and co-ordinating role in establishing and overseeing these projects.

The Steering Group will communicate its activities via websites, publications and at meetings, with members using material produced by the group as a basis for promoting the joint activities. Each participating organisation will retain the first option to communicate results from work carried out and/or funded by that organisation. In addition, the planned establishment of a title and logo, to encompass joint activities promoted by the Group, will enable the member organisations to publicise and promote effectively the results of their individual and collective projects, with the aims of building support for mammal surveillance and monitoring, and hence fulfilling the shared aims and objectives of the members. The use of the title and logo will be agreed by the members, and subject to a simple set of rules designed to encourage their consistent use alongside the titles and logos of the member organisations.

Ian McLean, JNCC, June 2001

Amended by Jessa Battersby, 1 September 2004

Reviewed and amended by TMP Steering Group 6 October 2005

Reviewed and amended by TMP Steering Group 6 Novemebr 2007

4. Terms of Reference for the Tracking Mammals Partnership (TMP) Volunteer and Data Management Group

Aims and objectives

The TMP has been established by organisations in the UK who wish to bring about improved surveillance and monitoring of wild mammal populations for a variety of purposes. A Steering Group, consisting of members of all partner organisations has been set up to oversee the management of the partnership and agree major decisions. There are seventeen schemes currently operating within the auspices of the TMP, engaging several thousand volunteers to collect the data and covering thousands of 1km squares across the UK. The Steering Group has, therefore, agreed the need for a sub-group to be set up to deal with the complex issues of managing volunteer networks and the large datasets derived from existing and potential surveillance schemes.

Membership of the Volunteer and Data Management Group

The membership of this group comprises mainly those organisations in the partnership that are running surveillance schemes and engaging volunteers and therefore collecting and managing the data. It also includes organisations that have a major interest in ensuring the data collected and the results of data analysis are more widely disseminated, such as CEH/NBN Trust and JNCC. The membership therefore currently comprises representatives of the following organisations:

Bat Conservation Trust, British Deer Society, British Trust for Ornithology, Central Science Laboratory, Game Conservancy Trust, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, The Mammal Society, NBN Trust, People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Queen’s University Belfast, Royal Holloway University of London, The Wildlife Trusts and WildCRU, University of Oxford, although others in the Partnership are not excluded, should they wish to participate.

Members of the Volunteer and Data Management Group will represent the views of their respective organisations to the best of their ability, but it is recognised that in some circumstances it will be difficult or impossible for members to obtain a mandate from their organisation. The members of the Volunteer and Data Management Group (VDM) also represent a wider range of organisations and individuals who wish to see mammal surveillance and monitoring securely established in the UK, including others in the TMP and volunteer recorders.

The VDM is a forum whereby the participating organisations seek to achieve their joint aims and objectives through collaborative working. As such, it is envisaged that decisions will be made through discussion and consensus.

It is envisaged that the VDM will meet twice a year. The TMP coordinator will act as secretariat for the group and produce minutes and organise meetings as required.

Main aim of the group

To improve and enhance, wherever possible, the joint working of the TMP in relation to managing volunteers and data.

Scope of the Volunteer and Data Management Group

The group will share experience and expertise regarding volunteer and data management.

The Group will discuss and progress work in the following areas:

All aspects of managing volunteer networks including: recruitment, training and retention of volunteers; providing feedback; producing guidance to volunteers and others on survey methods; species identification; health and safety issues; and validating volunteer effort. This will include consideration of regional recruitment problems and how they might be overcome.

All aspects of data collection and management including: standardising survey methods; data collection methods (paper, web-based, email etc.); data collation and reporting; and making data more widely available, e.g. through the NBN Gateway.

Assessing the best stratification to use when analysing and reporting the results and the most appropriate sources of data.

These Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually.

Jessa Battersby (Tracking Mammals Partnership co-ordinator)

19 September 2005