Development Process of the Gulf of Finland Mandatory Ship Reporting System: Reflections on the Methods

This research report describes the development of the IMO- adopted mandatory ship reporting system in the Gulf of Finland (GOFREP) and the methods used. The main aim of this publication was to document the development process of the GOFREP system in such a manner that it can be utilised and further developed by others in the construction of a multilateral maritime traffic monitoring and information system. Furthermore, the description of the GOFREP development history aimed to reflect the system in order to guide its further development. The GOFREP system was jointly developed by Finland, Estonia and Russia and has been operative since July 2004. In this publication the events of the actual GOFREP development are abstracted into five phases. The main objectives of the phases and the main results of each phase are summarised and discussed. The applied methods are also briefly described and the supporting studies reported. The focus of the publication is on the development of the operation, whereas the other objects of the development get less attention. Particularly, the technical development is described rather superficially. The development of the GOFREP system is a good example of a time-pressured complex design task that has remarkable constraints. The six guiding principles of the development identified during the process and the practical methods used are suggested also for other design of maritime systems. This publication clearly indicates the need of comprehensive expert influence and commitment in the process of evolving a traffic management system. The process also highlighted the utmost importance of implementing research as an essential part of developing safety-critical systems.