TAF Reporting Workshop (WKREPTAF)

The TAF Reporting Workshop (WKREPTAF) explored the reporting process for ICES expert groups (with special focus on stock assessment groups) and how this could become simpler, less time consuming, and of better quality. Now that ICES Transparent Assessment Framework tool (TAF) has been in operation for a few years, the workshop focussed on a next step: how to ex-pand this tool to facilitate the reporting process within working groups. The workshop concluded that1. Script-based reports (i.e. markdown) would allow stock assessment groups to automate the process of inserting and formatting tables and figures in the report and hereby saving considerable time to produce good quality reports. For this, there is a need, however, toa) Create a tool that generates markdown-based report templatesb) Create a tool that generates a stock category specific template to be used to submit essential stock data to TAF2. The data to be held within TAF can be documented within the report sections of the current ICES report in a standardized manner. With more data becoming available in TAF, there is the opportunity to more easily link ecosystem considerations and mixed fisheries considerations within stock specific chapters.3. The transition from conventional reporting to script-based reports would benefit from agreeing on standardized stock assessment inputs for TAF.4. The script-based reports open up the opportunity to directly incorporate information from the regional database (RDBES), DATRAS, Stock Information Database and Stock Assessment Graph database (SAG).5. Training in TAF and markdown reporting are essential for the ICES community. With the help of enthusiastic individuals in expert groups, so called ambassadors, ICES can create some real-life examples for others to learn and adapt from.The workshop provided input to the development of TAF and recommends the development of template generating packages to kick-off the use of script-based reporting within ICES as well as to design a training program in TAF, Github and markdown.