Navigating the Technical Guidance

TG-0.5 Section 0: Concepts, Definitions and Front Matter Core Draft TG-0.5 Core Draft Section 0 Section 0: Concepts, Definitions and Front Matter

Circular ID	TG-0.5
Version	0.12.0
Badge	Core
Status	Draft
Last Updated	September 2026

Circular TG-0.5 · Section 0: Concepts, Definitions and Front Matter · 1 September 2026

Navigating the Technical Guidance

Helps readers identify the circulars relevant to their role, understand the dependency structure, and select an appropriate reading sequence.

Version

0.12.0

Status

Draft

Stability

Core

Last updated

September 2026

Responsible officer

Dr Jordan Gacutan

Drafting

AI-assisted drafting from GOAP Secretariat source materials; source list to be published at the close of consultation.

Contents

1. 1. Outcome
2. 2. Requirements
3. 3. Structure Overview
   1. 3.1 Stability Classification (Badges)
   2. 3.2 Version Numbering
4. 4. Edge Mapping: Framework to Circulars
5. 5. Audience Pathways
   1. 5.1 Policy Executive
   2. 5.2 National Statistician
   3. 5.3 Ecosystem Analyst
   4. 5.4 Blue Finance Practitioner
   5. 5.5 MSP/MPA Practitioner
   6. 5.6 Social Scientist
   7. 5.7 Implementation Coordinator
   8. 5.8 Research Frontier
   9. 5.9 Sub-National Planner
   10. 5.10 Indigenous and Community Practitioner
6. 6. Thematic Entry: Finding the Circular for Your Ecosystem or Sector
7. 7. Dependency Graph
8. 8. Quick Reference: All Circulars
9. 9. Acknowledgements

About this circular

Recommended citation

Navigating the Technical Guidance (2026) (GOAP Technical Guidance on Ocean Accounting, TG-0.5, v0.12.0). GOAP Secretariat. https://guidance.oceanaccounts.org/circulars/section-0/0-5-navigating/

© 2026 Global Ocean Accounts Partnership. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Helps readers identify the circulars relevant to their role, understand the dependency structure, and select an appropriate reading sequence.

Version

0.12.0

Status

Draft

Stability

Core

Last updated

September 2026

Responsible officer

Dr Jordan Gacutan

Drafting

AI-assisted drafting from GOAP Secretariat source materials; source list to be published at the close of consultation.

Read first

TG-0.1 General Introduction to Ocean Accounts

Download PDF Download HTML Word (DOCX) Present Cite Build a reading path to here

This draft is open for comment

Select any sentence to comment on it — the form opens with the passage already filled in, and you need no account. Using a keyboard, press Tab to a paragraph marker and Enter. Comments close Friday 13 November 2026.

How to comment, what we do with it, and what we publish

1Framework Position

2A reader’s guide to the full Technical Guidance. This circular maps TG-0.1 to specific circulars and provides role-based reading pathways. Read after TG-0.1.

3Not sure where to start? Use Find the right circular: guided question flow, faceted topic browser, or free-text search.

1. Outcome

1Readers will identify the circulars relevant to their role, understand the dependency structure, and select an appropriate reading sequence.

2. Requirements

1Essential prerequisites:

• 2TG-0.1 General Introduction to Ocean Accounts — for the conceptual framework and the Ocean Accounts Framework structure

3. Structure Overview

3.1 Stability Classification (Badges)

1Each circular carries a stability badge. Full definitions and update triggers are in TG-0.4 Section 3.3.

Badge	Meaning	Example
Core	Based on adopted international standards (SNA, SEEA)	TG-0.1, TG-0.6
Applied	Interprets standards for ocean context; stable but may evolve	TG-3.1, TG-6.1
Emerging	Addresses topics where standards are still developing	TG-3.5, TG-6.5

3.2 Version Numbering

1Version numbers appear in each circular’s frontmatter version field. Full revision policy is in TG-0.4 Section 6.

4. Edge Mapping: Framework to Circulars

1Edges from TG-0.1 Figure 0.1.2 mapped to their primary circulars. Edges E3, E4, and E11 are bidirectional.

2Abbreviations: FG1 = Focal Group 1: Ocean Economy; FG2 = Focal Group 2: Ocean Society; FG3 = Focal Group 3: Intermediate Ecosystem Services; SG1 = Supporting Group 1: National Accounts (SNA framework); SG2 = Supporting Group 2: Social Conditions; SG3 = Supporting Group 3: Ocean Environment and Ecosystem. Full definitions in TG-0.1 Section 2.

Edge	Direction	Description	Primary Circular(s)	Relevant pathways
E1	FG1→SG3	Pollution/residuals from economy to environment	3.4 Flows econ→env, 2.7 Pollution flows	5.2 National Statistician, 5.3 Ecosystem Analyst
E2	FG2→SG3	Pollution/residuals from society to environment	3.4 Flows econ→env, 3.5 Social accounts	5.2, 5.6 Social Scientist
E3	FG1↔SG1	Monetary flows between assets and economic sectors	3.1 Assets, 3.3 Economic activity	5.2, 5.4 Blue Finance
E4	FG2↔SG1	Social activities ↔ SNA assets	3.5 Social accounts	5.6 Social Scientist
E5	FG1→SG2	Economic contributions to social conditions	3.5 Social accounts, 3.3 Economic activity	5.2, 5.6
E6	FG2→SG2	Social activities to social conditions	3.5 Social accounts, 3.7 Governance	5.6, 5.7 Implementation Coordinator
E7	SG2→FG1	Social assets enabling economic flows	3.7 Governance, 3.3 Economic activity	5.6, 5.7
E8	SG2→FG2	Social assets enabling social activities	3.5 Social accounts, 3.7 Governance	5.6
E9	SG3→FG1	Ecosystem services to economy (SEEA)	3.2 Flows env→econ, 2.4 Ecosystem goods/services	5.2, 5.3, 5.4
E10	SG3→FG2	Ecosystem services to society	3.2 Flows env→econ, 3.5 Social accounts	5.3, 5.6
E11	FG3↔SG3	Intermediate ecosystem services	3.2 Flows env→econ, 2.1 Biophysical indicators	5.3, 5.2

5. Audience Pathways

1Ten archetypes below with core sequences and extensions. For an interactive match, use Find the right circular. A Corporate Sustainability pathway (ESG/TNFD/CSRD) is under development.

5.1 Policy Executive

1Audience: Ministers, senior government officials, heads of agencies

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
0.1 General Introduction	0.1 → 1.0 Ocean Accounting and the Blue/Ocean Economy (the framing circular for Section 1) → relevant 1.x (policy context) → one 5.x case study	Delegate detail to technical staff

---

5.2 National Statistician

1Audience: NSO compilers, official statisticians building ocean accounts

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
0.1 General Introduction	0.1 → 0.2 → 3.1 → 3.2 → 3.3 → 3.4	4.1 → 4.2 → 4.3 (data methods); 2.x indicators for validation; 3.5—3.8 for expanded account types

2Note: Focus on TG-3.1—3.4 before adding social or thematic modules.

---

5.3 Ecosystem Analyst

1Audience: Technical staff measuring ecosystem assets, condition, and services

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
0.1 → 3.1 Assets	0.1 → 3.1 → 3.2 (env→econ flows) → 2.4 (ecosystem goods/services)	1.9 Valuation, 5.x cases

---

5.4 Blue Finance Practitioner

1Audience: Development banks, fund managers, sovereign debt offices, impact investors

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
1.7 Multilateral Finance	0.1 → 3.1 → 3.2 → 1.9 → 1.7 → 1.8	5.2 Belize, 5.6 Maldives, 5.5 Indonesia, 2.6 Investment indicators

2Why this sequence: TG-3.1—3.2 establish the asset and flow accounts. TG-1.9 explains how to translate these into monetary values relevant to finance. TG-1.7—1.8 then demonstrate how those values inform multilateral and project-level instruments.

---

5.5 MSP/MPA Practitioner

1Audience: Spatial planners, marine park managers, coastal zone managers focused on spatial tools

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
1.2 MSP	0.1 → 1.2 → 1.3 (MSM/MPAs) → 3.1 (assets) → 4.1 (spatial data and remote sensing)	6.1 Coral Reefs, 6.2 Mangroves — select thematic circulars matching your ecosystem type; 2.4 Ecosystem goods/services; 5.3 Fiji, 5.9 Vanuatu, 5.5 Indonesia

---

5.6 Social Scientist

1Audience: Researchers on livelihoods, equity, governance, traditional knowledge

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
3.5 Social Accounts	0.1 → 3.5 → 3.6 (traditional knowledge) → 3.7 (governance) → 2.3 (livelihood dependencies)	2.8 Climate indicators, 1.4 Sustainable Ocean Planning

---

5.7 Implementation Coordinator

1Audience: Country project managers, NSO leads, inter-ministerial task force chairs

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
0.8 Readiness Assessment	0.8 → 0.1 → 4.7 (data coordination) → 3.8 (combined presentations) → relevant 3.x	1.10 (national planning), 5.x case studies

---

5.8 Research Frontier

1Audience: Academics, methodologists extending ocean accounting state of the art

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
0.2 + “Emerging” circulars	0.1 → 0.2 → all “Emerging”-badged circulars	Contribute to new emerging methods

---

5.9 Sub-National Planner

1Audience: Provincial and municipal planning officers, sub-national resource managers

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
3.11 Sub-National Accounts	0.1 → 3.11 → 3.8 → 1.2 (spatial planning decisions)	2.1 Biophysical indicators, 6.2 Mangroves, 6.1 Coral Reefs, 5.4 India, 5.5 Indonesia

---

5.10 Indigenous and Community Practitioner

1Audience: Traditional resource managers, community leaders, Indigenous data custodians, organisations working on Indigenous data sovereignty

Entry Point	Core Sequence	Extensions
3.6 Traditional Knowledge	0.1 → 3.6 → 3.5 → 1.3 (MPA/governance decisions)	2.3 Livelihood dependencies, 3.7 Governance, 5.3 Fiji, 5.9 Vanuatu

2Note: Not all sections are equally relevant to community-level practitioners: concentrate on the circulars above. Case studies from Fiji and Vanuatu demonstrate Pacific context applications.

6. Thematic Entry: Finding the Circular for Your Ecosystem or Sector

1The pathways above start from a reader’s role. Most compilers arrive the other way round — with a mangrove belt, a port, a fishery or a litter problem already in front of them — and need the thematic method first. Section 6 is the entry point for that route, and each of its circulars names the generic circulars it sits on.

If your subject is	Start at	It cross-refers to
Coral reefs (photic, M1.3)	6.1 Coral Reef Accounting	3.1, 4.1, 4.8, 4.9, 2.4
Mangroves, saltmarsh, deltas	6.2 Mangrove and Coastal Wetland Accounting	3.1, 4.1, 4.8, 4.9, 2.8
Seagrass meadows	6.3 Seagrass Ecosystem Accounting	3.1, 4.1, 2.1, and 6.2 for carbon pricing
Kelp forests, rocky reefs	6.4 Kelp Forest and Temperate Reef Accounting	3.1, 4.1, 2.1, 3.6
Open ocean, migratory stocks	6.5 Pelagic and Open Ocean Accounting	3.1, 6.6 for jurisdiction, 6.7 for stocks
Deep sea, ABNJ, seabed minerals	6.6 Deep Sea and ABNJ Accounting	3.1, 3.10, 2.10
Wild-capture fisheries	6.7 Fisheries Accounting	3.1, 3.9, 4.10, 4.11, 1.5
Aquaculture	6.8 Aquaculture Thematic Methods	3.9, 3.4, 4.3, 6.7
Offshore energy, decommissioning	6.9 Offshore Energy Thematic Methods	3.10, 3.4, 1.2
Shipping and ports	6.10 Maritime Transport and Ports	3.3, 3.4, 2.5, 2.8
Seawalls, ports, coastal works	6.11 Coastal Infrastructure Accounting	3.1, 4.1, 4.3, 2.9
Marine litter and plastics	6.12 Marine Litter and Plastics Accounting	3.4, 2.7, 2.10, 2.11
Catchments, estuaries, nutrients	6.13 Freshwater-Marine Interaction Accounting	3.2, 3.4, 3.11, 6.2
Coastal and marine tourism	6.14 Marine and Coastal Tourism Accounting	3.3, 2.5, 2.6
Restoration and nature-based solutions	6.15 Ocean Accounting for Nature-based Solutions	3.1, 2.4, 6.11, and the ecosystem circulars

2Two cautions apply to this route. A thematic circular is not a substitute for the generic one it sits on: it assumes 3.1 Asset Accounts or 3.3 Economic Activity has been read. And where two thematic circulars can record the same entry, the boundary statement at the head of each names the owner — read both before compiling either.

3Not every marine ecosystem has a circular in this edition. The M1 shelf types other than M1.1, M1.2, M1.3 and M1.6, together with M1.4 shellfish beds and reefs and the MT1 shoreline biome, have no dedicated circular; compile them under 3.1 with condition variables selected under 4.8 and 4.9, and document the departure.

---

7. Dependency Graph

1Figure 0.5.1 illustrates the full prerequisite network across all active circulars. Nodes are coloured by section, and directed edges record which circulars depend on or enable others.

Figure 0.5.1 Prerequisite network of 69 active circulars across six sections; nodes coloured by section. Source: TG circulars frontmatter prerequisites: and enables: fields, snapshot 2026-06-01 across src/circulars/section-{0,1,2,3,4,6}/.

2Foundation chain: TG-0.1 → TG-0.2 → TG-0.5 (this circular). TG-0.1 is the universal entry point.

3Accounts compilation chain: TG-0.1 + TG-0.2 → TG-3.1 → TG-3.2 → TG-3.3 → TG-3.4. TG-3.5—3.8 extend from this core.

4Decision-making chain: TG-0.1 → Section 1 (accessible after TG-0.1). Section 2 indicators typically require TG-3.1 for context.

5Data methods chain: Section 4 supports Section 3. Read it in parallel with or after TG-3.x.

6Case study and thematic methods: Sections 5 and 6 draw on Sections 3 and 4. Read them after the relevant compilation circulars.

7TG-0.7 and TG-0.8 may be read independently at any stage.

8. Quick Reference: All Circulars

1For a complete, up-to-date listing of all circulars with badge, status, and dependencies, see the Circulars Overview. Use Find the right circular for guided topic and audience-based navigation.

9. Acknowledgements

1Authors: [To be confirmed]

2Reviewers: [To be confirmed]

Review this circular as a whole

Commenting on a passage tells us what to change. This tells us how the circular is landing — and because everyone is asked the same three questions, your answers can be counted alongside every other office's. Answer as few as you like: one judgement and nothing else is a complete and useful return. Closes Friday 13 November 2026.

This is in addition to commenting on individual passages, not instead of it — select any sentence to do that. What we record and publish.

Is the guidance clear as written?

Could a compiler in your office follow it without asking us what it means?

Clear Mostly clear Ambiguous in places

Could your office apply this with the data it has?

We would rather know that a method is out of reach than publish one nobody can use.

Yes With difficulty No Not applicable to us

Does it sit correctly against the standards and your national practice?

SEEA, the SNA, and whatever your own accounts already do.

Aligned Partly It departs

In your own words (all optional)

Where does it depart from the standards or from your practice? Anything essential missing? Other remarks on this circular as a whole

About you

Submit anonymously

Full name * Email * Organisation

Country / region I would like my contribution recognised in the consultation record

Leave this ticked and your name and organisation appear in the list of consultation respondents. How contributors are named.

I understand my review may be published in the consultation record, that my email address is never published, and that my review is never published beside my name. *

Submit review

Cite this circular

Navigating the Technical Guidance (2026) (GOAP Technical Guidance on Ocean Accounting, TG-0.5, v0.12.0). GOAP Secretariat. https://guidance.oceanaccounts.org/circulars/section-0/0-5-navigating/

BibTeX

@techreport{goap_tg_0_5_2026,
  title = {Navigating the Technical Guidance},
  institution = {Global Ocean Accounts Partnership Secretariat},
  series = {GOAP Technical Guidance on Ocean Accounting},
  number = {TG-0.5},
  year = {2026},
  version = {0.12.0},
  url = {https://guidance.oceanaccounts.org/circulars/section-0/0-5-navigating/}
}

© 2026 Global Ocean Accounts Partnership. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. Consultation drafts are not adopted GOAP guidance.