3  User Groups

The Ecosystem Indicator Workflow (EIW) program serves a diverse community of users with different technical capabilities, responsibilities, and objectives. User groups were identified through stakeholder workshops, requirements gathering activities, market analysis, and community engagement planning.

The user groups described below represent the primary audiences for workflow development, testing, adoption, and long-term sustainability.

ID	User Type	Description	Primary Interaction
UG01	Ecologist / Conservation Scientist	Subject-matter expert responsible for defining ecological concepts, ecosystem boundaries, diagnostic mechanisms, and indicator variables. Typically familiar with ecosystem classification systems such as the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology and ecosystem assessment frameworks. Technical skills vary considerably.	Defines workflow scope; identifies indicator requirements; reviews assumptions; validates indicator outputs; contributes ecological expertise throughout workflow development.
UG02	Student / Early-Career Researcher	Learner and emerging practitioner using workflows as educational and skill-development resources. Often has limited experience with ecosystem indicators, reproducible workflows, or scientific programming.	Participates in training; runs demonstration workflows; contributes testing and documentation feedback; develops workflow skills through worked examples and guided exercises.
UG03	Environmental Manager / Technical Practitioner	Operational user applying ecosystem indicators to support ecosystem management, conservation planning, monitoring programs, natural resource management, restoration activities, or environmental assessments. May work in government, NGOs, Indigenous organisations, or consultancies.	Executes workflows or uses workflow outputs to support management decisions; provides feedback on usability and operational requirements; contributes use cases and validation examples.
UG04	Environmental Policy Analyst / Reporting Officer	User of ecosystem indicators for policy development, environmental reporting, ecosystem accounting, State of the Environment reporting, biodiversity monitoring, and compliance obligations. Typically consumes workflow outputs rather than running workflows directly.	Accesses indicator outputs, reports, metadata, and provenance records; evaluates indicators for policy and reporting purposes; identifies emerging reporting requirements.
UG05	Environmental Consultant / Assurance Practitioner	Professional user applying ecosystem indicators within environmental consulting, auditing, sustainability reporting, ecosystem accounting, and nature-related disclosure activities. Includes organisations supporting TNFD and related reporting frameworks.	Uses workflow outputs and methods to support client assessments; adapts workflows to project-specific requirements; contributes implementation feedback and industry use cases.
UG06	Data Scientist / Technical Analyst	Technical practitioner who applies, adapts, and extends workflows for research, monitoring, and assessment purposes. Typically uses R, Python, GIS tools, and statistical workflows.	Runs workflows using new datasets; adapts workflows for new ecosystems or assessment purposes; performs data preparation and quality assurance; develops new workflow components.
UG07	Research Software Engineer (RSE) / Workflow Developer	Technical specialist responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining, and documenting workflows. Develops reproducible computational methods, modular workflow components, and software infrastructure.	Develops workflow code; manages repositories; implements FAIR practices; maintains software environments; contributes documentation and workflow standards.
UG08	Data Provider / Data Custodian	Organisation or individual responsible for generating, managing, or publishing ecosystem and indicator datasets. Includes government agencies, monitoring programs, research infrastructures, and repository managers.	Provides authoritative datasets; supports metadata and provenance requirements; advises on data quality, limitations, licensing, and update schedules.
UG09	Platform Administrator / Research Infrastructure Provider	Technical personnel responsible for workflow deployment, hosting, security, interoperability, performance, and long-term infrastructure support. Includes providers of cloud, HPC, and research infrastructure platforms.	Deploys workflow environments; manages containerised infrastructure; supports interoperability, authentication, monitoring, and operational sustainability.
UG10	Science Communicator and Trainer	Translates ecosystem indicator outputs and methods into accessible formats for diverse audiences (educators, outreach officers, training coordinators). Strong in communication/pedagogy; may have limited technical background.	Converts outputs into plain-language summaries, visuals, and training materials; bridges technical developers (UG06/UG07) and non-technical users (UG03/UG04); gathers feedback to improve accessibility.