Guidance to assessment teams developed by the IPBES task forces

As part of their activities, the IPBES task forces develop guidance on specific topics related to their area of work. These guidance documents are “living documents” and are updated and adjusted continuously based on experience in their application in practice and on evolving knowledge in relevant fields. They are reviewed and approved by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and Bureau within their respective mandates.

Currently available guidance documents include:

(a) The IPBES Data and Knowledge Management Policy, prepared by the task force on knowledge and data in support of all IPBES work programme deliverables

In line with its mandate, the task force on knowledge and data drafted and, upon approval by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and the Bureau at their 14th meetings, in January 2020, published the first version of the IPBES data management policy (version 1.0). The task force revised the policy in September 2020 and published the revision (version 1.1), upon approval by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and the Bureau at their 15th meetings, in November 2020. Most recently, the task force revised the policy to explicitly address the use of Indigenous and local knowledge in IPBES products. In February 2022, at their 18th meetings, the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and Bureau approved version 2.0 of the policy. The most recent version of the IPBES data management policy is available here.

(b) Updated guidelines to support assessment experts in the knowledge gaps' identification process, prepared by the task force on knowledge and data to support the identification of knowledge gaps in IPBES assessments

In line with its mandate, the task force on knowledge and data developed guidance to assessment authors on the identification of knowledge gaps, which was approved by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and the Bureau at their 18th meetings, in February 2022.

 The guidance includes:

• Living guidelines to support IPBES experts in the identification of knowledge gaps within their respective assessments;
• A template for the collection of knowledge gaps.

The guidance is available here.

(c) Methodological guidance for recognizing and working with Indigenous and local knowledge in IPBES, prepared by the task force on Indigenous and local knowledge in support of the implementation of the approach to recognizing and working with Indigenous and local knowledge in IPBES approved by the Plenary in decision IPBES-5/1.

At its 6th meeting in May 2017 the task force on Indigenous and local knowledge under the first IPBES work programme decided that further methodological guidance was needed to support the implementation of the IPBES approach to Indigenous and local knowledge, adopted by the Plenary in decision IPBES-5/1 and set out in annex II to that decision. As work with Indigenous and local knowledge increased during the Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and other assessments, it also became necessary to document progress and lessons learnt. This became a major focus of work for the task force on Indigenous and local knowledge.

The result is the “draft methodological guidance for recognizing and working with Indigenous and local knowledge in IPBES”. The methodological guidance is intended as a resource for co-chairs, authors and technical support units working on IPBES assessments. It is also intended as a resource for Indigenous peoples and local communities wanting to understand how they can participate in IPBES assessments and other processes.

The guidance is considered to be a living document that will evolve as new methods and approaches are developed and piloted during the course of ongoing and future IPBES assessments and other activities. The most recent draft is provided here for reference.

(d) Guidance on how to assess policy instruments and facilitate the use of policy support tools and methodologies in IPBES assessments, prepared by the task force on policy tools and methodologies, in support of authors of “policy chapters” of IPBES assessments

As part of the first work programme of IPBES, this guide was developed by the expert group on policy support tools and methodologies and other IPBES assessment experts. The guide explains how to assess policy instruments and facilitate the use of policy support tools and methodologies in IPBES assessments and addresses the issues relevant in this context.

Following refinement of its content by the task force on policy tools and methodologies, the guidance was approved by the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and the Bureau at their 15th meetings, in September 2020.

The guidance is available here.

(e) Methodological guidance on using the Nature Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth, prepared by the task force on scenarios and models

As part of its mandate, the task force on scenarios and models developed methodological guidance to accompany the foundations of the Nature Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth, which had been welcomed by the Plenary in decision IPBES-9/1. The methodological guidance was further refined by the task force based on comments received during an external Government review and outcomes of a workshop organized by the task force; and subsequently approved by the MEP and Bureau. 

The methodological guidance consists of two parts:

• Part I: The Foundations of the Nature Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth, describing the rationale for, and concepts captured in, the Nature Futures Framework; and
• Part II: A living methodological guidance that introduces the various methods with which the Nature Futures Framework can be used, and points to examples and additional resources for readers who wish to explore further technical details.

The most recent version of the methodological guidance can be found here.