Structure and Focus of the Technical Guidance

1. Outcome

After reading this Circular, you will understand how the Technical Guidance on Ocean Accounting is organised, the meta-structure that each circular follows, the production process for circulars, and the publication cadence. You will know the standard structure for new circulars and the conventions for versioning, stability classification, and dependency tracking. This Circular serves as a standalone reference for authors, editors, and users of the Technical Guidance.

2. Requirements

None.

3. Organisation of the Technical Guidance

3.1 Section Structure

The Technical Guidance is organised into seven sections:

3.2 Circular Numbering

Each circular is identified by: TG-[Section].[Number]

• TG-0.1: Technical Guidance, Section 0, Circular 1
• TG-3.9: Technical Guidance, Section 3, Circular 9
• TG-6.13: Technical Guidance, Section 6, Circular 13 (Freshwater-Marine Interaction Accounting)

The 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; minor increments reflect editorial improvements.

3.3 Stability Classification (Badges)

Each circular carries a stability badge indicating its relationship to underlying standards. See TG-0.5 Navigating the Technical Guidance for full details. Summary:

4. Circular Meta-Structure

All circulars follow a standard structure to ensure consistency and predictability for readers. This section specifies the template for circular authors.

4.1 YAML Frontmatter Specification

Every circular begins with machine-readable YAML frontmatter:

---
id: TG-X.Y                    # Required: Circular identifier
title: "Circular Title"       # Required: Full title
badge: Applied                # Required: Core | Applied | Emerging
version: "1.0"                # Required: Major.Minor version
status: Planned               # Required: Planned | Draft | Completed
prerequisites:                # Required: List of prerequisite circular IDs
  - TG-0.1
  - TG-X.Z
enables:                      # Optional: List of circulars this one enables
  - TG-A.B
toc: true                     # Optional: Enable table of contents (default: true)
---

Field definitions:

4.2 Metadata Display Block

Immediately after the title, include a metadata table for reader reference:

<div class="circular-meta">

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Circular ID** | TG-X.Y |
| **Version** | 1.0 |
| **Badge** | Applied |
| **Status** | Completed |
| **Last Updated** | Month Year |

</div>

Note on Last Updated: Manually maintained by the author at publication time; not sourced from frontmatter.

4.3 Standard Section Structure

Standard Circular Template (Sections 1--4, 6)

# Circular Title

<div class="circular-meta">
[Metadata table]
</div>

## 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 Tables

Note 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 and Acknowledgements and References shift to Sections 5 and 6 respectively.

Case Study Template (Section 5)

Section 5 circulars use an adapted structure for country/regional case studies:

# Case Study: [Country/Region]

<div class="circular-meta">
[Metadata table including Focus field]
</div>

## 1. Outcome
[What readers will achieve]

## 2. Requirements
[Prerequisites]

## 3. Country/Regional Context
[Geographic, institutional, policy context]

## 4. Implementation Approach
### 4.1 Institutional Arrangements
### 4.2 Data Sources
### 4.3 Methods Applied

## 5. Accounts Developed
[Description of accounts compiled]

## 6. Decision Applications
[How accounts informed policy]

## 7. Lessons Learned
### 7.1 Successes
### 7.2 Challenges
### 7.3 Recommendations

## 8. Acknowledgements

## 9. References

## Appendixes

Note: 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)

Section 0 circulars have unique structures appropriate to their purpose:

• 0.1 General Introduction: Extended conceptual content with figures
• 0.5 Navigating: Primarily visual/tabular (dependency graphs, pathways)
• 0.6 Glossary: Definition list format organised alphabetically
• 0.7 QA Principles: Reference document format with standards citations

Any Section 0 circular not listed above follows the Standard Circular Template defined in this section.

4.4 Section Content Guidelines

Section 1: Outcome

Purpose: State what readers will achieve by reading this circular.

Guidelines:

• 1-2 paragraphs maximum
• Use active voice: "Readers will understand..." or "This circular enables..."
• Be specific about the capability or knowledge gained
• Reference the policy or technical context if relevant

Example:

This Circular provides guidance on compiling asset accounts for ocean accounting, including both physical and monetary accounts for individual environmental assets (natural resources) and ecosystem assets. Readers will understand how to structure opening and closing balance sheets, record changes during the accounting period, and link asset accounts to flow accounts.

Section 2: Requirements

Purpose: List prerequisites so readers can assess their readiness.

Guidelines:

• List prerequisite circulars with hyperlinks
• Use the standard format: **[TG-X.Y Title](/path)** -- brief description
• Include any non-circular prerequisites (e.g., knowledge of specific tools)
• "None" is acceptable for entry-point circulars

Example:

This Circular requires familiarity with:

- **[TG-0.1 General Introduction to Ocean Accounts](/circulars/section-0/0-1-general-introduction)** -- for the conceptual framework
- **[TG-0.2 Overview of Relevant Statistical Standards](/circulars/section-0/0-2-standards-overview)** -- for SEEA EA ecosystem condition methodology
- **[TG-3.1 Assets](/circulars/section-3/3-1-assets)** -- for ecosystem extent and condition accounts that feed indicators

Section 3: Guidance Material

Purpose: The core content of the circular—methods, procedures, explanations.

Guidelines:

• Use hierarchical subsections (3.1, 3.2, 3.1.1, etc.)
• Include worked examples where applicable
• Reference international standards (SEEA, SNA) with specific paragraph numbers
• Use tables for structured information
• Include figures/diagrams for complex concepts
• Cross-reference related circulars

Section 4: Limitations and Considerations (Optional)

Purpose: Help users understand caveats, uncertainties, and risks of misapplication.

Guidelines:

• Include when the methodology has significant limitations or assumptions
• Not required for every circular—use when genuinely helpful
• Flexible length—a few paragraphs may suffice
• Cover: data quality caveats, methodological limitations, common misinterpretations, edge cases

Example topics:

• "This method assumes stable ecosystem condition; in rapidly changing systems, more frequent assessment may be needed."
• "Valuation results should not be used for cost-benefit analysis without additional adjustment for..."
• "The classification may not capture traditional use categories relevant in some Pacific Island contexts."

Section 5+: Acknowledgements and References

Acknowledgements:

• List authors with affiliations
• List reviewers
• Note any adapted content sources

References:

• Use footnote format for in-text citations
• When no in-text citation anchors are present (e.g., in meta-circulars with no empirical claims), a numbered reference list is acceptable as an alternative
• Group references at end
• Include DOIs or stable URLs where available

5. Page Length Guidance

Page counts refer to rendered PDF A4 pages at default styles, approximately 500 words per page. These are guidance targets, not enforced limits.

These are guidelines, not strict limits. Prioritise clarity and completeness over brevity.

6. Version and Revision Policy

6.1 Version Numbering

Format: v[Major].[Minor]

• Major version (v1.0 → v2.0): Substantive content changes

  • New standards incorporated (e.g., UNSC adoption of SEEA-Oceans)
  • Significant methodological corrections
  • Structural reorganisation

• Minor version (v1.0 → v1.1): Editorial improvements

  • Clarifications based on user feedback
  • Added examples or worked problems
  • Typographic corrections
  • Updated cross-references

Note on publication version: The version field in the YAML frontmatter reflects the public publication version, not the internal pipeline draft count. Pipeline drafts (e.g., draft-v4, draft-v6) are production artefacts only; the publication version is reset or confirmed by the Secretariat before a circular moves to Completed status.

6.2 Revision Policy

• All circulars undergo annual review to assess whether updates are needed
• Core circulars are updated only when underlying standards change
• Applied and Emerging circulars may be updated based on implementation experience

6.3 Superseded Versions

• Superseded versions will be archived; URL scheme to be confirmed
• The current version always appears at the canonical URL

7. Production Process

7.1 Circular Development Workflow

Table 7.1.1 below summarises the full per-circular review lifecycle for the Second Edition.

Internal 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

Circulars are published on a rolling basis following Expert Panel review; publication frequency varies by batch.

• Priority circulars may be fast-tracked
• Updates to existing circulars published as needed

7.3 Review Standards

Table 7.3.1 below summarises the criteria the Technical Expert Panel applies when reviewing circulars.

8. Dependency and Prerequisites

8.1 Dependency Tracking

Dependencies are tracked in two ways:

1. YAML frontmatter: prerequisites and enables fields in each circular
2. Prose requirements section: Human-readable list with hyperlinks

The prerequisites field and the prose Requirements section (Section 2 of each circular) must be kept synchronised. The enables field is machine-readable only and has no prescribed prose counterpart.

8.2 Dependency Principles

Table 8.2.1 below summarises the four dependency principles.

8.3 Dependency Graph

See TG-0.5 Navigating the Technical Guidance for the visual dependency graph showing relationships between all circulars.

9. Cross-Cutting Themes

Cross-cutting themes and their treatment across circulars are catalogued in TG-0.5 Navigating the Technical Guidance Section 8. Authors should ensure consistency with the treatments described there. Key threads include:

10. Acknowledgements

This Circular has been approved for public circulation and comment by the GOAP Technical Experts Group in accordance with the Circular Publication Procedure.

Authors: [To be confirmed]

Reviewers: [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.