A Review of the Alaska Interagency Electronic Reporting System with and Emphasis on Costs and Benefits to Stakeholders

The goal of this project was to review and evaluate the costs and benefits of moving from legacy reporting systems in Alaska to the Interagency Electronic Reporting System (IERS), also known as elandings. The report provides: 1) a summary of the IERS as well as the “legacy” systems that it replaced; 2) a qualitative description and summary of the costs and benefits that have been realized through the implementation of the IERS; and 3) a review of progress in achieving programmatic goals of the IERS that were initially specified by the partner agencies; and 4) areas were stakeholders feel IERS or regulations that guide the program’s structure could be improved.

The IERS is an interagency project involving the three agencies that manage commercial fisheries in Alaska: Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). Documenting the costs and benefits will enable both the state and federal governments to assess the returns on their investments in the IERS.

Northern Economics, Inc. A Review of the Alaska Interagency Electronic Reporting System (IERS) with an Emphasis on Costs and Benefits to Stakeholders. Prepared for NMFS Alaska Regional Office and Alaska Department of Fish and Game. September 7, 2015.