EC-68 outcomes on WIGOS, p. 1
OUTCOMES FROM EC-68 RELATED TO
WMO INTEGRATED GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM (WIGOS)
Decision 30(EC-68)
WMO Regional WIGOS Centres
THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL,
Recognizes the critical role that Regional WIGOS Centres (RWCs) will play in advancing operation of WIGOS andproviding regional coordination, technical guidance, assistance and advice to Members and regional associations;
Recognizes that the Regions differ and that such differences will need to be taken into account in establishing and operating RWCs that address the specific Members’ needs and circumstances of the respective Region;
RecallsResolution 23 (Cg-17) – Pre-operational phase of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System, deciding that one of the highest priorities for the WIGOS pre-operational phase will be concept development and initial establishment of Regional WIGOS Centres;and Resolution 8 (EC-67) – Inter-Commission Coordination Group on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (ICG-WIGOS), requesting ICG-WIGOS to develop a concept for the establishment and further development of regional WIGOS centres in each WMO Region;
Having examined the Concept Note on establishment of WMO Regional WIGOS Centres developed by ICG-WIGOS,
Endorses the Concept Note on establishment of WMO Regional WIGOS Centres (thereafter referred to as “RWC Concept”) as provided in the Annex to thisdecisionas generalguidance to regional associations outlining the basic principles and providing a clear specification of mandatory and optional functions;
Urges regional associations and Members to familiarize themselves with the RWC Concept;
Urges Members to actively participate in the implementation of the RWC;
Requeststhat consideration be given by regional associationsand Members to, wherever possible, building RWC functions into existing WMO centres as an alternative to establishing new centres;
Requests presidents of regional associations to consider specific solutions for establishing and operating RWCs in their respective Region and to invite them to share their findings with ICG-WIGOS-6 (2017);
Requests ICG-WIGOS to provide Members with detailed guidance on RWCs, their capabilities, establishment and performance evaluation.
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Annex: 1
Annex to Decision 30(EC-68)
Concept note on establishment of WMO Regional WIGOS Centres
Background
Many WMO Members are already now requesting guidance and support for their WIGOS implementation efforts. It is clear that such support can be provided more efficiently and effectively via a regional support structure rather than through direct interaction between the WMO Secretariat and individual Members. A network of Regional WIGOS Centres (RWCs) is needed to assist WMO Members in their endeavour to successfully implement WIGOS at the national and regional levels.
There is a clear understanding that the Regions differ and that the generic concept described below will have to be adjusted further in order to address specific needs, priorities, challenges and available technical and human resources of the respective Region.
Purpose
Under the governance and guidance of the management group of the respective regional association and with the support of relevant regional working bodies, the overall purpose of the RWCs is to provide support and assistance to WMO Members and Regions for their national and regional WIGOS implementation efforts.
Basic Principles
WMO should, wherever possible,encourage the existing WMO regional centres to carry out the new activities, thus ensuring optimization of technical and human resources. Already existing structures and mechanisms should be considered when implementing WIGOS at the regional and national levels, including their potential roles in RWCs. Every effort must be made to avoid any duplication with responsibilities and functionalities of already existing WMO Regional Centres; instead, possible synergies with them must be exploited.
Existinggeographic, cultural and linguistic differences within each WMO Region must be taken into account in determining the appropriate establishment and models of operation of RWCs. Therefore, the respective regional association must decide on its own mechanism for how to establish its RWCs with clearly specified Terms of Reference in line with guidance by ICG-WIGOS,reflecting its needs, priorities and existing capabilities and facilities. The relevant WIGOS working body in the Region (generally the Regional Task Team on WIGOS) should be involved in the process of establishing the RWC and have general oversight once it has become operational.
Links to other WMO entities
The RWCs will work closely both with the WMO Secretariat (including Regional Offices) and with their respective regional working bodies to ensure efficient and effective implementation of WIGOS. The RWCs will liaise with relevant existing WMO Centres, in particular with the Regional Instrument Centres (RICs), Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) and Regional Training Centres (RTCs) regarding all WIGOS related activities in the Region.
Functionalities
Basic functions of the RWC must be regional coordination, guidance, oversight and support of WIGOS implementation and operational activities at the regional and national levels (day-to-day level of activities).A number of mandatory and optional functions are specified.
Mandatory functions
The proposed mandatory functions are directly linked with two of the priority areas of the WIGOS Pre-operational Phase (2016-2019):
1.Regional WIGOS metadata management (work with data providers to facilitate collecting, updating and providing quality control of WIGOS metadata in OSCAR/Surface);
2.Regional WIGOS performance monitoring and incident management (WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System) and follow-up with data providers in case of data availability or data quality issues.
Optional functions
Depending on available resources and regional needs, one or more optional functions may be adopted, e.g.: (a) assistance with the coordination of regional/sub-regional and national WIGOS projects; (b) assistance with regional and national observing network management; and (c) support for regional capacity development activities.
Implementation options and roadmap
In principle, each Member of any given Region should be covered by anRWC which will be responsible for providing WIGOS support. The RWCs may be implemented either centrally, at an overall regional level where a Member or a consortium of Members provide support for the entire Region, or at sub-regional level, e.g. aligned with the natural geographic or linguistic boundaries existing within the Region.
RWCs may be implemented either as monolithic entities, with a single Member taking on the responsibility for the entire set of required functionalities, or as virtual Centres, in which a consortium of Members share these responsibilities between them under the overall coordination of a lead organization.
The following key items with milestones are proposed in the Plan for the WIGOS Preoperational Phase:
(a)Establishment of one or more Regional WIGOS Centres in pilot mode from 2017,
(b)Operational phase of initial Regional WIGOS Centres beginning mid-2018,
(c)Establishment of Regional WIGOS Centres covering all WMO Regions by 2019.
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EC-68 outcomes on WIGOS, p. 1
Resolution 2 (EC-68)
PLAN FOR THE WIGOS PRE-OPERATIONAL PHASE 2016-2019
THEEXECUTIVE COUNCIL,
Recalling:
(1)Resolution 23 (Cg-17) – Pre-operational phase of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System,
(2)Resolution 8 (EC-67) – Inter-Commission Coordination Group on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System,
(3)Resolution 10 (EC-64) – WMO Integrated Global Observing System Framework Implementation Plan,
Noting further:
(1)The final report of the fifth session of the Coordination Group and its recommendations on implementation of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS), including the development of the Plan for the WIGOS pre-operational phase 2016-2019,
(2)That WIGOS, as a foundational element supporting all WMO priorities, can assist in improving the integrated operations of Members and in building productive partnerships that will benefit improving weather, climate, water and relevant environmental services including GFCS implementation,
Adopts the Plan for the WIGOS pre-operational phase 2016-2019, as contained in the Annex to the present resolution;
Requests:
(1)Members, the regional associations and the technical commissions to organize their activities so as to realize WIGOS goals and associated outcomes as described in the Plan;
(2)The Commission for Basic Systems and the Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation to provide the technical lead in WIGOS pre-operational activities;
(3)The Inter-Commission Coordination Group on WIGOS to keep the Plan under regular review, and to update and report the progress in the implementation of the Plan to the Executive Council, and to submit a report to the Eighteenth World Meteorological Congress;
(4)Members to continue to provide resources, including through the WIGOS Trust Fund and/or seconded experts, to help support the implementation of WIGOS, in particularto assist withthe operational deployment of OSCAR/Surface, and to support the translation of all WIGOS guidance material and user manuals into all official WMO languages;
(5)All Members to liaise with non-meteorological organisations who already transmit oceanographic related information to JCOMMOPS to make more frequently available (4 times day) the MET-Ocean data from these platforms. NMHS’s may be able to help in the assignment of WIGOS identifiers to these stations.
Requests the Secretary-General:
(1)To provide the necessary assistance and Secretariat support, particularly to the Members and regional associations especially to Developing Countries and Least Developed Countries,for the further development of WIGOS through its pre-operational phase, within available resources;
(2)To consider allocating resources from the regular budget for the continued development of OSCAR/Surface in order for the system to incorporate adequate provisions for all WIGOS components;
(3)To motivate Members to contribute the necessary resourcesfor making the WIGOS technical tools, namely the OSCAR databases, in particular OSCAR/Surface , and the WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS)available.
(4)To initiate the planning – including the necessary allocation of resources – for the development of WIGOS tools in all WMO official languages, and for the long-term operational sustainability of OSCAR as a core WMO information resource for all Members;
(5)To consider allocating resources to the development of the “Standardization of Observations” Reference Tool (SORT);
Invites the partners to participate in relevant implementation activities as specified in the Plan.
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Annex: 1
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Note:This resolution replaces Resolution 10 (EC-64) - WMO Integrated Global Observing System Framework Implementation Plan, which is no longer in force.
Annex to Resolution 2 (EC-68)
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
WMO INTEGRATED GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM
(WIGOS)
PLAN FOR THE WIGOS PRE-OPERATIONAL PHASE 2016-2019 (PWPP)
Version 1.0
EC-68 outcomes on WIGOS, p. 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The implementation of the WIGOS Framework has reached a level of maturity where WIGOS is enabling the further development and deployment of its component systems. With the key initial building blocks of the WIGOS Framework in place by the end of 2015, the prerequisites are available for a WIGOS Pre-operational Phase (WPP). However, there remain gaps and challenges that will need to be addressed during the next phase of WIGOS in order for the system to be fully operational from 2020.
The development of WIGOS will thus continue during its Pre-operational Phase in the seventeenth financial period (2016-2019), building upon and adding to those key building blocks of the WIGOS Framework that have already been implemented, while gradually shifting the emphasis from the global level toward implementation activities at the regional and national levels.
This document describes the rational for the WIGOS Pre-operational Phase, its intended outcome in terms of a fully operational WIGOS in 2020, and the main activities that will take place in order to achieve this outcome, structured along five main priority areas, namely:(1)National WIGOS Implementation;(2) WIGOS Regulatory and Guidance Material;(3)WIGOS Information Resource;(4) WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System; and (5)Regional WIGOS Centers.
EC-68 outcomes on WIGOS, p. 1
PLAN FOR THE WIGOS PRE-OPERATIONAL PHASE 2016-2019
(PWPP)
CONTENT
1. / INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND2. / KEY DELIVERABLES AND OUTCOMES OF WPP
3. / PRIORITY AREAS
4. / ACTIVITIES
5. / CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
6. / COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH
7. / GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTION OF THE WIGOS PRE-OPERATIONAL PHASE
8. / MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF WPP IMPLEMENTATION
9. / RESOURCES
1.INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The implementation of the WIGOS Framework has reached a level of maturity where WIGOS is enabling the further development and deployment of its component systems. With the key initial building blocks of the WIGOS Framework in place by the end of 2015, the prerequisites are available for a WIGOS Pre-operational Phase (WPP). However, there remain gaps and challenges that will need to be addressed during the next phase of WIGOS in order for the system to be fully operational from 2020.
According to the decision made by Cg-17 the development of WIGOS will thus continue during its Pre-operational Phase in the seventeenth financial period (2016-2019), building upon and adding to those key building blocks of the WIGOS Framework that have already been implemented, while gradually shifting the emphasis from the global level toward implementation activities at the regional and national levels. The goal is to have Members and their partners benefit from a fully operational system from 2020 onward.
The highest priorities for the WIGOS Pre-operational Phase are: (1) National WIGOS implementation; (2) WIGOS Regulatory Material complemented with necessary guidance material to assist Members with the implementation of the WIGOS technical regulations; (3)Further development of the WIGOS Information Resource (WIR), with special emphasis on the operational deployment of the Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review (OSCAR) databases; (4) Development and implementation of the WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System; and (5) Concept development and initial establishment of Regional WIGOS Centres.
Special priority will be given to those activities that will assist Members in developing and implementing their national WIGOS plans, with a special focus on the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States where the needs are the highest. High priority will be further given to strengthening the capacity of these countries, through the provision of guidance on best practices and procedures in the area of integration of automatic weather stations in their observing networks.
An important underlying issue is the need to implement sound practices, policies and capabilities within individual meteorological institutions in relation to the lifecycle management of data, to ensure that Members are able to manage their observations and data efficiently and effectively, to extract the value from the data in support of their services, and to integrate observations and data from diverse platforms and from external sources. In order to assist Members in meeting these challenges, and especially to extract the greatest value from their investment in designing and operating their national observing systems, the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) and the WMO Information System (WIS) are placing a key focus on effective lifecycle management of data and on building effective data partnerships as part of the WIGOS Preoperational Phase.
Central guidance provided by ICG-WIGOS and support provided by the WIGOS Project Office will continue to be important. However, during the Pre-operational Phase, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) are expected to take on more of the responsibility for WIGOS. In particular, they are expected to become the key integrators at the national level, both by strengthening their own observing systems according to the guidance provided by the WIGOS framework, and by building national partnerships and providing national leadership based on their experience in the acquisition, processing and dissemination of observational data for environmental monitoring and prediction purposes.
The Plan for the WIGOS Pre-operational Phase (PWPP) will guide the development of WIGOS over the coming four years, especially at the regional and national levels and will assist in defining priorities and targets.
2.KEY DELIVERABLES AND OUTCOMES OF WPP
The work to be undertaken in the 2016-2019 financial period is defined by the goal of having WIGOS become fully operational from 2020. What a fully operational WIGOS implies can be considered from the following two perspectives:
(i)Expected deliverables: Which elements must be completed, and what are the necessary operational functionalities; and
(ii)Expected outcomes: What is the expected impact of WIGOS, and in particular, what are the expected benefits to the WMO Members.
2.1 Deliverables
By the time of Congress-18 in 2019, the WIGOS framework will have been completed, encompassing:
(a)WIGOS Regulatory Material: completed and complemented with necessary guidance material to assist Members with the implementation of the WIGOS technical regulations;
(b)WIGOS Station Identifiers; technical issues resolved and new system adopted; policy for issuing IDs defined, adopted by Members and implemented;
(c)WIGOS Information Resource fully implemented and used routinely by Members; WMO Publication No. 9, Volume A, Observing Stations and similar station inventories fully replaced by OSCAR/Surface;
(d)WDQMS concept tested and consolidated. Observational data quality monitoring practices and procedures defined, incorporated in the WIGOS Regulatory Material and WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System implemented;
(e)Regional WIGOS Centres established and functional with a special focus on Regions where the need is high;
(f)Enhanced regional and national coordination, and governance mechanism and methodologies/guidance for incorporating observations across all WIGOS component observing systems (WMO and partners): implemented and used by Members;
(g)Regional Basic Observing Network (RBON) concept implemented and Regional Basic Synoptic Network (RBSN)/ Regional Basic Climatological Network (RBCN) retired;
(h)Design capability to help identify gaps in global, regional and national observing systems in context of user needs, issues, etc. developed;
(i)Vision for WIGOS in 2040, reflecting how new and more efficient observing solutions will be provided to Members with an appropriate balance between space-based and surface-based observing systems.