Portal
What defines the portal
The portal will serve as a guide and central hub for consolidated information and data on biodiversity monitoring in Germany. It offers orientation, improves access to a continually growing and up-to-date knowledge base, and provides a clear overview with a nationwide perspective.
The content is well-structured, interconnected, and thematically modular and contextual – meaning it can be flexibly combined and placed into context based on subject matter. Users can navigate the knowledge network according to their professional needs and find content, expertise, and contact persons within the monitoring community. A smart search function helps locate not only internal content but also relevant external information efficiently and clearly. In addition, the portal provides professional services – such as educational and informational materials, tools, and practical aids.
By the end of 2026, the basic system will provide the foundation for bundled knowledge, metadata and processed data products. At the same time, the portal invites experts, authorities, researchers, and interested parties to actively participate in its development. Its expansion is incremental and and user-driven, with the aim of offering genuine added value to the community and beyond. The result is a portal that thrives on the community – and is made for it.
Background and mandate
Information and data are often dispersed across various sources and difficult to find. The need for a web-based information and networking portal for biodiversity monitoring in Germany was already outlined in the General concept (2021) for the National Monitoring Centre. The portal is also embedded in the National Strategy on Biological Diversity 2030 (NBS 2030), under Measure 6.2.4 in the action area “Digitalisation, Data and Research”.
Key issues
As a central element, the portal will support the Monitoring Centre and the wider monitoring community. A key issues paper defines the goals, framework, and priorities for the portal’s design and content development, ensuring alignment with community needs in creating a national biodiversity monitoring information and networking platform.
Summary of key points
Key content-related aspects for designing the information and networking portal are:
- Information on current monitoring activities is available on the platform, as well as specialised information such as methodological standards, mapping instructions, reports and scientific publications.
- All relevant and available (meta-)data and information on nationwide biodiversity monitoring can be found and accessed via the platform.
- Biodiversity and monitoring data can be filtered and retrieved via various applications and are illustrated in the form of maps and graphics.
- Information on selected topics of biodiversity monitoring is provided in a form suitable for the target group, for example in the form of articles, videos and infographics.
- The portal serves the exchange between the different stakeholders in biodiversity monitoring.
- Needs-based tools and formats are provided to support those involved in biodiversity monitoring.
Strategic vision
To create a comprehensive strategic vision, mission, core goals (action areas), and sub-goals were defined. Additionally, guiding principles, values, and unique selling points were established to steer portal development.
The mission of the portal is to combine the following functions:
- Guide: It provides orientation and an entry point into biodiversity and monitoring topics in Germany, answering related questions.
- Service provider: It supports members of the monitoring community in implementing the objectives of nationwide, cross-habitat biodiversity monitoring.
- Knowledge hub: It aggregates and connects information, data, and results from German biodiversity monitoring efforts for professionals and interested users alike.
- Communicator: It promotes visibility for the work of all involved in Germany’s biodiversity monitoring community and the National Monitoring Centre
These five core action areas form the basis for the portal’s operational goals and measures:
- Pooling knowledge – Integrating information and data
- Access to metadata – Standardising information and data
- Professional services – Providing methods and tools
- Results presentation – Publishing analyses and interpretations
- Networking – Fostering cooperation between stakeholders
Target group
The information and networking portal is designed to serve authorities, professional societies, associations and volunteers, academia and researchers, citizen science actors, and the interested public alike. Effective collaboration across Germany relies on enabling participants to exchange knowledge efficiently. This allows existing synergies to be harnessed.
In the early stages, the focus is primarily on the needs and dialogue within the monitoring community.
Timeline
In the initial phase, the content concept for the portal was developed. In 2024, the requirements and use cases were gathered through a comprehensive survey among biodiversity monitoring stakeholders.
In the upcoming phases, the concept will be further specified and technically implemented. By the end of 2026, the basic infrastructure for the digital system will be completed, and subsequently expanded with additional content, functionalities, thematic modules, and interfaces. Development is intended as a flexible process, responsive to changing needs and conditions. Currently, detailed content planning is underway: topics are prioritised, a roadmap and workflows for content creation are being developed. Meanwhile, the technical concept is being drafted to inform the upcoming implementation tender.
Members of the monitoring community and committees of the Monitoring Centre are closely involved in the development process. Participatory formats, such as the Cooperation Workshop launched in 2025, as well as online surveys, interviews and test runs, support the exchange of sustainable data and knowledge.
Content concept (Phase 1)
The first phase (2023–2025) lays the foundation for the portal’s content.
Milestones
Key milestones of the initial phase:
Key factors influencing the success of the portal are described after a trend and environmental analysis. This includes evaluating opportunities, synergies, goal conflicts, challenges, and risks. The initial unique selling points of the portal become apparent.
Stakeholders and users are surveyed regarding their needs and the value added by the portal. Initial content priorities are established.
Specific requirements are developed based on use cases.
A clear intention, including key messages for the portal, is defined. In addition, the vision, mission, core and sub-goals, as well as unique selling points and success factors, are formulated.
The content concept for the portal is elaborated, including recommendations for core functionalities, system architecture, and a timeline and capacity plan for implementing the basic version of the portal.
Results
Findings from trend and environmental analyses, needs assessments, and use case development form the basis for further portal development.
In addition to analysing the stakeholders and potential user groups, the portal's relevant subject areas were identified and described. These include politics, legal and regulatory framework conditions, information technology, cooperation options, science and society.
In addition, selected existing websites relevant to the Monitoring Centre's portal were analysed with regard to possible interfaces, functionalities and necessary differentiations from other portals, for example.
Essential questions for the further portal conception were derived in each case and will be taken up in the further process. Some fundamental questions are raised repeatedly, for instance:
- What niche does the portal occupy?
- How will it be used? How will it be different from existing initiatives?
- Should it be everything? Information AND data AND networking portal?
More than 800 people from the biodiversity monitoring community took part in the Monitoring Centre's survey on portal development, conducted between February and March 2024. Of these, 523 completed the full questionnaire.
Our aim is to create a portal that is user-friendly and provides relevant services in a reliable and sustainable way. The primary objective of this survey was to gather the general preferences and initial requirements of potential users for the content of a national biodiversity monitoring portal.
The respondents represent a wide range of professionals and interested parties from associations, academia, government, business and the general public. This diversity is reflected in the wide range of needs expressed, providing us with valuable insights into the diverse requirements of future users. First results are shown in the figures below. The interim report will provide more detailed results.
In parallel to the survey, requirement assessment workshops and interviews were conducted to further define and refine the use cases. Through this process, over 200 user stories and best practice suggestions have already been collected. A wide range of needs were identified, which can be grouped into the following overarching categories:
- Provide access to data and filters
- Providing an overview of monitoring programmes
- Improve data quality and provide metadata
- Highlight collaborators and promote networking among stakeholders
- Evaluate data quality and usability
- Provide curated materials and information
- Develop APIs and standards
- Link existing structures
- Enable data contributions while maintaining data sovereignty
The following key messages emerged from the needs analysis for the further content development of the information and networking portal:
- The portal should serve as a central hub for biodiversity monitoring by the monitoring community.
- The portal should provide direction, highlighting the "biodiversity data and expert information scattered across different institutions".
- The requirements and assumptions from the initial concept of the Monitoring Centre are validated by the needs assessment.
- In addition to access to curated data and knowledge via the portal, which was mentioned by almost all participants, a (complementary) offer of active networking opportunities was mentioned less frequently.
- There is a high demand for information on monitoring activities and their stakeholders, as well as for consolidated findings, in particular from nationwide monitoring programmes.
- In a first basic version, consolidated information on existing data (where it is located, how to access it) is more important than direct access to raw data.
- A powerful search and filter facility is essential.
- Users expect scientific content on biodiversity status, trends and actions.
- High data quality and timeliness are critical.
- International information relevant to biodiversity monitoring in Germany should be integrated.
- National and international cooperation is important, with strategic partnerships playing a key role.
- Analytical tools are expected in the portal.
- A step-by-step development of the portal is recommended, starting with a lean basic system that already provides significant added value.
- From a technical point of view, the portal needs to enable exchange with other stakeholders and access to data and information. Standards and open interfaces should be used to achieve this.
The main findings from the development of use cases for the further design of the information and networking portal are as follows
- Use Cases and User Stories: 130 use cases were developed based on user stories gathered from the needs assessment within the monitoring community and grouped into 13 functional areas (API, Operation, Data Entry, Expert Introduction, Main Application, Content Editing, Educational and Informational Materials, Monitoring Activities, User Community, User Management, (Raw) Data, Search/Information and Events).
- Prioritisation: The use cases are divided into three priority levels: core version, future extensions and those outside the current focus.
- Prioritisation criteria: Important criteria for prioritising use cases include benefit for the user, alignment with the Centre's objectives, representativeness, complexity, frequency of user requirements mentioned during the analysis, and cost of implementation.
- Core functions of the basic version: The key functions for the first version of the portal are the main application (interface, landing page, navigation) and the search/information functions.
- Key content themes: Detailed, filterable overviews of monitoring programmes, networking within the monitoring community and publication of results are the key themes for the initial content of the portal.
- Modular architecture: The functional areas mentioned in point 1 will be integrated into modules to allow a step-by-step expansion of the portal.
- Interface designs: High fidelity mockups (interface designs) have been created for key pages such as the home page, search page, detail page and a data story.
- Non-functional requirements: Key non-functional requirements such as intuitive user navigation, clear interfaces, portal performance and accessibility have been outlined in initial designs.
- System architecture defined: The first draft of the system architecture includes clearly defined user groups, a breakdown of system components and external systems.
- External integration: Interfaces for import and export with external systems require technical and legal clarification, which will be further defined as the project progresses.
Building on the existing target vision, a strategic target vision for the portal was developed. This encompasses the current situation, the mission and vision, as well as the strategic fields of action with their corresponding objectives. In addition, the strategic principles, values, and unique selling points of the portal were defined. The outcomes of the strategic target vision are:
- the definition of its key elements,
- the finalised strategic target vision of the portal, and
- the target matrix tool.
A summary of the clearly defined strategic target vision is available for download on this website.
The concept outlines the infrastructural and organisational prerequisites for implementation. It defines an initial baseline system and sketches out possible extensions in future development stages. The results confirm the framework established in the preliminary concept and highlight the broad, mandate-independent support of the community for the portal. Collaboration with similar initiatives is a key prerequisite for success. Significantly expanded and strongly interlinked content will provide an improved service compared with the Monitoring Centre’s existing web offering.
The key thematic components of the baseline system are summarised here:
- Filterable overviews of monitoring programmes and stakeholders
- Visualisation of reporting obligations, sampling frameworks, and data flows of nationwide monitoring programmes
- Interactive mapping applications
- A comprehensive, cross-database, indexed search function
- Visualised pilot projects with processed data and workflows for the community
- Presentation of ongoing processes and products of the Monitoring Centre
- An expanded events calendar and news ticker
Project Support Working Group
A Project Support Working Group has been established to support the development of the Portal. This group contributes its expertise to the portal development process and advises the Monitoring Centre. It provides methodological recommendations, highlights relevant constraints and gives feedback on structural and strategic aspects. In addition, the group provides expert advice on the technical direction and framework.
Key messages for the development of the basic system:
- The portal's role as providing direction and central hub is top priority.
- Focus on up to date, relevant content and best practice. Key topics: background information, overview of monitoring programmes and stakeholders.
- Quickly develop the basis system with the most essential features and content. Implement first, optimise later - avoid lengthy analysis phases and feedback loops.
- Recommendation: Stop collecting more requirements and focus on the first core issues.
- Develop (internal) prototypes for specific aspects.
Systematically keep content up to date and network to ensure regular updates and inclusion of current issues.
Communicate clearly and early on the content, goals, roadmap and value of the portal - both internally (within BfN, committees) and externally (monitoring community).
- Clear definition of responsibilities: Head office of the Monitoring Centre, BfN, external service providers.
- Establish editorial workflows.
- A dedicated, small portal team with defined roles and decision-making processes will minimise editorial complexity and enable rapid response to changes.
- Start testing immediately (technical test environment, ideally in-house).
- Document decision processes: Create an Architectural Decision Record (ADR) to document what was decided, when and how (path decision documentation).
Events – inspiration and exchange for the biodiversity portal
From forums to workshops – these formats bring members of the monitoring community together to shape and inspire the portal collaboratively.
On 18 and 19 November 2024, the Monitoring Centre hosted the third forum on ‘Application and Research in Dialogue’ in Leipzig. Under the motto “People.Knowledge.Data – Connecting for Biodiversity”, more than 70 experts from research, administration, professional associations and voluntary organisations discussed the key requirements for a biodiversity portal for Germany. The published documentation summarises key ideas, discussion results and recommendations for action.
On 15 May 2025, the Monitoring Centre hosted the first cooperation workshop on ‘Nationwide Biodiversity Monitoring’. Over 60 experts discussed key requirements for data management and information transfer for the planned portal. Among other things, they agreed on the structured collection and presentation of nationwide monitoring programmes in a revised form, the recording of data flows and initial pilot projects for the visualisation of monitoring data (‘data stories’). In addition, requirements such as metadata standards, taxonomic harmonisation and legally compliant framework conditions were identified. In future, the Monitoring Centre will provide networking and support tools via the portal.
Reports and documentation
The reports published here present proposals for the content concept of the biodiversity monitoring community’s portal. They serve as input for the project’s continued development and are not intended as final or comprehensive plans. Some topics were not yet fully addressed in the current project phase and will require further discussion and refinement. Based on these reports, the project team will conduct further adjustments to meet the specific needs of the biodiversity monitoring community. The final version of the portal may therefore differ from what is presented here. Publication of these documents is intended for transparency and documentation purposes.