Community engagement events for National Marine Plan 2: analysis and synthesis
This report presents findings and recommendations offered by contractors Howell Marine Consulting (HMC) to support the Marine Directorate in development of the National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2).
3 Data gathering and analysis methods
A selection of data was provided by the Marine Directorate to HMC for review, this included a series of: word, excel, pdf, jpeg and powerpoint files with summaries and notes from all community engagement events carried out by the Marine Directorate in relation to the NMP2.
In addition to analysis of the engagement event findings, a member of the HMC project team attended two stakeholder events: one in Aberdeen and one in Carlisle (both in March 2025), to observe data collection processes, take notes on the discussions, and gain first-hand insight into the stakeholder engagement process.
Following receipt of the data collected from the stakeholder events by the Marine Directorate team, HMC analysed the data and categorised the findings according to the five objectives provided by the Marine Directorate as shown below:
Objective 1
Specific feedback on area-based perspectives and priorities for NMP2 development.
Objective 2
Build capacity and understanding in communities around marine planning and improved awareness and understanding of NMP2, process of development and opportunities to engage.
Objective 3
Community-informed decision-making and wellbeing and access. Understanding different area-based priorities for these aspects.
Objective 4
Collect insight on how NMP2 proposed policy intent can deliver for communities and potential effects on wellbeing and access to the sea.
Objective 5
Identify how communities feel they could be involved in decision-making in marine planning.
The structure of this report is based around the project’s key objectives, which have been grouped under the following headings:
- Priorities for NMP2
- Capacity and outreach
- Wellbeing and access
- Community involvement
For objective one, any variations or similarities in regional/area-based perspectives on event attendees’ priorities for NMP2 have been documented in section four.
The key findings section has been structured around the NMP2 PPS, specifically the policy ideas identified in the accessibility and wellbeing section. Structuring the findings in this way informed objectives three and four; allowing for a clearer connection between the insights gathered from the engagement events, and the policy approach outlined in the PPS. Recommendations for the ongoing development of NMP2 have been provided in section six, which relate to the policy approach in NMP2 and the associated engagement.