OAC and SAC Perspectives on Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan Performance

In 2013, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) undertook an assessment of the 2009 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan (Plan) in preparation for a Plan Amendment. As one phase of the Plan Assess- ment process, MA CZM coordinated with SeaPlan to conduct semi-structured interviews with members of the Massachusetts Ocean Advisory Commission (OAC) and Massachusetts Ocean Science Advisory Council (SAC) to assess their perspectives on Plan performance. Interviewers from SeaPlan’s assessment team contacted advisors and asked questions about the Plan, focusing on the Plan’s development process, the Plan’s implementation and recommendations for a fu- ture amendment to the Plan. The assessment team coded and analyzed responses to identify perspectives and insights held by OAC and SAC members. Overall, OAC and SAC members were very satisfied with the CZM staff’s competency to develop the 2009 Plan and the staff ’s administrative execution. OAC and SAC members appreciated the focused effort to produce a quality plan specific to Massachusetts’ habitats, economy, and stakeholders. Results of this assessment, coupled with a review of the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan conducted by CZM, provides valuable context and insight for the plan amendment process.