Structure and Focus of the Technical Guidance
1. Outcome
1After reading this Circular, you will understand how the Technical Guidance on Ocean Accounting is organised, the meta-structure each circular follows, the conventions for versioning, stability classification, and dependency tracking, and the production process for circulars. This Circular is a reference for authors, editors, and users of the Technical Guidance.
2. Requirements
1None.
3. Organisation of the Technical Guidance
3.1 Section Structure
1The Technical Guidance is organised into seven sections:
| Section | Title | Circulars | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Concepts, Definitions and Front Matter | 8 (TG-0.1—0.8) | Foundational materials: conceptual framework, standards, glossary, QA principles |
| 1 | Using Ocean Accounts in Decision-Making | 11 (TG-1.1—1.11) | Policy applications: how accounts inform planning, finance, and management |
| 2 | Indicators | 13 (TG-2.1—2.13) | Indicator methods: deriving decision-relevant metrics from accounts |
| 3 | Accounts Compilation | 15 (TG-3.1—3.15) | Core methodology: building accounts tables from data sources |
| 4 | Data Methods | 12 (TG-4.1—4.12) | Data methods: collection, processing, quality assurance |
| 5 | Geographic and Thematic Case Studies | 12 (TG-5.1—5.13; 5.12 reserved) | Implementation examples from partner countries |
| 6 | Thematic Methods | 14 (TG-6.1—6.14) | Deep-dive methods for specific ecosystems and sectors |
3.2 Circular Numbering
1Each circular is identified by: TG-[Section].[Number]
- 2TG-0.1: Section 0, Circular 1
- 3TG-6.14: Section 6, Circular 14 (Marine and Coastal Tourism Accounting)
4The version number is recorded in the circular’s YAML frontmatter as a separate version field (e.g., version: "2.0"). Major increments reflect substantive content changes, whilst minor increments reflect editorial improvements.
3.3 Stability Classification (Badges)
1Each circular carries a stability badge indicating its relationship to underlying standards. See TG-0.5 Navigating the Technical Guidance for full definitions. Summary:
| Badge | Meaning | Update Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Based on adopted international standards (2025 SNA, SEEA CF, SEEA EA) | Only when standards are formally revised |
| Applied | Interprets standards for ocean context; stable but may evolve | Annual review cycle |
| Emerging | Addresses topics where standards are still developing | Updated as standards crystallise |
4. Circular Meta-Structure
1All circulars follow a standard structure to ensure consistency for readers. This section specifies the template for circular authors.
4.1 YAML Frontmatter Specification
1Every circular begins with machine-readable YAML frontmatter:
---title: "Circular Title" # Required: Full titlecircular_id: TG-X.Y # Required: Circular identifierbadge: Applied # Required: Core | Applied | Emergingversion: "1.0" # Required: Major.Minor versioncircular_status: Draft # Required: Draft | Completed | Plannedlast_updated: Month Year # Required: e.g. May 2026prerequisites: # Required: List of prerequisite circular IDs (empty array [] if none) - TG-0.1 - TG-X.Zenables: # Optional: Circulars this one enables - TG-A.B---2Editorial fields only. The block above is what a circular author writes. Each page also
carries platform frontmatter — project, visibility, status, content_type, brand,
sidebar_category and sidebar.order — which the /new-page skill sets and authors do not
hand-edit.
3status and circular_status are different fields. status is the platform publish gate
(working or published) and governs whether a page is built at all. circular_status is the
editorial state (Draft, Completed, Planned) shown in the metadata table. A page can be
status: published and circular_status: Draft at the same time — that is the normal state for
a circular out for consultation.
4Note on badge: See Section 3.3 for stability classification definitions. Note on publication version: The version field reflects the public publication version, not the internal pipeline draft count. Pipeline drafts (e.g., draft-v4, draft-v6) are production artefacts only, and the publication version is confirmed by the Secretariat before a circular moves to Completed status.
4.2 Metadata Display Block
1The site renders a metadata table automatically from YAML frontmatter (circular_id, version, badge, circular_status, last_updated). Authors do not hand-write the display block in the markdown body.
2Required frontmatter fields for the metadata table:
circular_id: TG-X.Yversion: "1.0"badge: Applied # Core | Applied | Emergingcircular_status: Draft # Draft | Completed | Plannedlast_updated: Month Year # e.g. May 20263Note on Last Updated: Manually maintained by the author at publication time.
4.3 Standard Section Structure
Standard Circular Template (Sections 1—4, 6)
# Circular Title
## 1. Outcome[What readers will achieve -- 1-2 paragraphs]
## 2. Requirements[Prerequisites with hyperlinks to other circulars]
## 3. Guidance Material### 3.1 [Topic]### 3.2 [Topic]...[Core methodology -- bulk of content]
## 4. Acknowledgements**Authors:** [To be confirmed]**Reviewers:** [To be confirmed]
## 5. References[Footnotes or bibliography]
## Appendixes (if needed)### A. Worked Example### B. Sample Code### C. Detailed Tables1Note on numbering: Acknowledgements is always second-to-last and References always last, numbered consecutively after whatever Guidance content is present. An optional “Limitations and Considerations” section may appear between Guidance Material and Acknowledgements, in which case it becomes Section 4, whilst Acknowledgements and References shift to Sections 5 and 6 respectively.
Case Study Template (Section 5)
1Section 5 circulars use an adapted structure for country/regional case studies:
# [Country/Region]
## 1. Outcome## 2. Requirements## 3. Country/Regional Context## 4. Implementation Approach### 4.1 Institutional Arrangements### 4.2 Data Sources### 4.3 Methods Applied## 5. Accounts Developed## 6. Decision Applications## 7. Lessons Learned### 7.1 Successes### 7.2 Challenges### 7.3 Recommendations## 8. Acknowledgements## 9. References## Appendixes2Note: This template has not yet been validated against compiled Section 5 drafts. Authors should cross-check against TG-5.x working drafts when available.
Front Matter Template (Section 0)
1Section 0 circulars have unique structures appropriate to their purpose:
- 20.1 General Introduction: Extended conceptual content with figures
- 30.5 Navigating: Primarily visual/tabular (dependency graphs, pathways)
- 40.6 Glossary: Definition list format organised alphabetically
- 50.7 QA Principles: Reference document format with standards citations
6Any Section 0 circular not listed above follows the Standard Circular Template.
4.4 Section Content Guidelines
| Section | Purpose | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Outcome | State what readers will achieve | 1-2 paragraphs; active voice; specific capability or knowledge gained |
| 2. Requirements | List prerequisites | Hyperlinked circular IDs with brief description; “None” if no prerequisites |
| 3. Guidance Material | Core methods and explanations | Hierarchical subsections; cite standards with paragraph numbers; tables and figures for complex content |
| 4. Limitations (optional) | Caveats and misapplication risks | Include when methodology has significant limitations; flexible length |
| Acknowledgements | Authors and reviewers | List with affiliations |
| References | Citations | Footnote format for in-text citations; numbered list acceptable when no in-text anchors present |
5. Page Length Guidance
1Page counts refer to rendered PDF A4 pages at approximately 500 words per page. These are guidance targets, not enforced limits.
| Section | Typical Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Section 0 (Front Matter) | Variable | 0.1 and 0.5 are longer by design |
| Section 1 (Decision-Making) | 4—6 pages | Conceptual + examples |
| Section 2 (Indicators) | ~4 pages | Methods focus |
| Section 3 (Accounts Compilation) | 6—8 pages | Detailed methodology |
| Section 4 (Data Methods) | 4—6 pages | Practical procedures |
| Section 5 (Case Studies) | 8—12 pages | Full treatment |
| Section 6 (Thematic Methods) | 6—8 pages | Ecosystem/sector deep-dives |
6. Version and Revision Policy
6.1 Version Numbering
1Format: v[Major].[Minor]
- 2Major version (v1.0 → v2.0): Substantive content changes — new standards incorporated, significant methodological corrections, structural reorganisation
- 3Minor version (v1.0 → v1.1): Editorial improvements — clarifications, added examples, typographic corrections, updated cross-references
6.2 Revision Policy
- 1All circulars undergo annual review to assess whether updates are needed
- 2Core circulars are updated only when underlying standards change
- 3Applied and Emerging circulars may be updated based on implementation experience
6.3 Superseded Versions
1Superseded versions will be archived, with the URL scheme to be confirmed. The current version always appears at the canonical URL.
7. Production Process
7.1 Circular Development Workflow
1Table 7.1.1 below summarises the full per-circular review lifecycle for the Second Edition.
| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| Expert loop triage | Issues raised against each draft are triaged (immediate-fix, verification-needed, user-input-needed) and recorded in expert-loop-inventory.md. |
| Draft compilation | A new draft is compiled applying all closed/fixed resolutions; each draft has a paired revision log. |
| Director review | The draft undergoes a director-level pre-panel quality gate; findings logged in director-review-vN.md. |
| Director fixes | Actionable director-review findings are applied to the draft. |
| Domain expert panel review | New issues raised are logged in domain-expert-panel-review-vN.md and feed the next expert loop cycle. |
| Publication | Approved circular published with DOI assignment. |
2Internal production uses an extended expert-loop / director-review / domain-expert-panel pipeline. Details are documented in project tooling and are not part of this public-facing circular.
7.2 Publication Cadence
1Circulars are published on a rolling basis following Expert Panel review, with publication frequency varying by batch. Priority circulars may be fast-tracked, and updates to existing circulars are published as needed.
8. Dependency and Prerequisites
8.1 Dependency Tracking
1Dependencies are tracked in two ways:
- 2YAML frontmatter:
prerequisitesandenablesfields in each circular - 3Prose requirements section: Human-readable list with hyperlinks (Section 2 of each circular)
4The prerequisites field and the prose Requirements section must be kept synchronised. The enables field is machine-readable only and has no prescribed prose counterpart.
8.2 Dependency Principles
| Principle | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Explicit prerequisites | Only list circulars that are genuinely required. |
| Minimal dependencies | Avoid unnecessary prerequisites that create barriers. |
| Bidirectional tracking | When adding a prerequisite, update the enables field of the prerequisite circular. |
| Foundational circulars | Explicit listing of foundational circulars (e.g., TG-0.1) is recommended even when transitively covered; omit only for mid-chain intermediaries. |
8.3 Dependency Graph
1See TG-0.5 Navigating the Technical Guidance for the visual dependency graph.
9. Cross-Cutting Themes
1Cross-cutting themes are catalogued in TG-0.5 Navigating the Technical Guidance Section 8. Authors should ensure consistency with the treatments described there. Key threads include:
| Theme | Thread |
|---|---|
| Spatial methods | 0.1 (BSU concept) → 3.1 (spatial asset delineation) → 4.1 (remote sensing) → 6.x (ecosystem-specific) |
| Monetary valuation | 1.9 (safe usage principles) → 3.1—3.2 (general methods) → 6.x (context-specific) → 5.x (case studies) |
| Uncertainty | 0.7 (QA principles) → relevant methods circulars |
| Governance | 1.1—1.2 (decision-making entry points) → 3.7 (governance accounts) → 5.x (all case studies) |
| Traditional knowledge | 0.1 (conceptual framing) → 3.6 (traditional knowledge accounts) → 5.x (case studies) |
| Sub-national applicability | 3.11 (sub-national accounts) → 5.x (case studies, where applicable) |
10. Acknowledgements
1This Circular has been approved for public circulation and comment by the GOAP Technical Experts Group in accordance with the Circular Publication Procedure.
2Authors: [To be confirmed]
3Reviewers: [To be confirmed]
11. References
- 1
GOAP. (2024). Discussion Paper: Modular Structure for GOAP Technical Guidance (internal working paper, GOAP Secretariat, not publicly distributed). Global Ocean Accounts Partnership.
- 2
United Nations. (2025). System of National Accounts 2025. United Nations.
- 3
United Nations. (2021). System of Environmental-Economic Accounting—Ecosystem Accounting. United Nations.
- 4
UNECE. (2019). Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM), Version 5.1.