1. Drivers of Change Challenges and Consequences
RA I WIGOS Workshop on AWS Networks
(Windhoek, Namibia, November 2018)
Bernard E. Gomez
(WMO Representative for North, Central and West Africa)

2. Outline
Drivers of Change
Challenges
Consequences

3. Perspective for the coming decade
Objectives of CBR
WMO EC-70
Geneva, June 2018
World Economic Forum Global Risks Landscape

4. Drivers of change (1)
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted in 2015 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Hydromet sector contributes directly to 11 of the SDGs;
Increasing demand for weather-climate-hydrological products and services, due to climate change;
Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in delivering such products and services; 4

5. Drivers of change (2)
Optimized observing network design addressing efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability, and maximum return on the initial investment;
WIGOS and the Global Basic Observing Network and Regional Basic Observing Network;
Evolution of field-based technologies and infrastructure;
Meeting requirements for Quality Management System; etc. …
On WIGOS and the Global Basic Observing Network and Regional Basic Observing Network, more details will be provided by Lars Peter Riishojgaard and Igor Zahumensky, WIGOS-PO 5

6. GFCS Priority Areas
Energy

7. Partnerships
Sustainable Development Goal 17, which reads “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”, recognizes multi-stakeholder partnerships as important vehicles for mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies and financial resources to support the achievement of the SDGs in all countries, particularly developing countries. 7

8. Challenges (1)
To meet the challenges of the future, changes are required. To create a modern, efficient, national observing network that is ‘fit-for-purpose’ to meet Members’ needs for weather, climate, water and environmental information – there is need to rethink the way observations are gathered.
Transition from manual to automated/automatic observations can lead to a discontinuity in climate records and/or a change in scope of meteorological variables if the process is not managed carefully (change management). 8

9. Challenges (2) The most frequent challenges are: limited budgets;
poor/improper initial network-station-equipment design;
poor/improper site selection;
improper installation;
lack of tailored end-to-end systems (from field sensors to products and services to be delivered to users);
lack of technical expertise;
lack of supporting technical infrastructure;
lack of collaboration with agencies/partners to develop a coordinated network of networks 9

10. Challenges (3) Other challenges include:
exploration of opportunities for external/private investment in observing infrastructure/network;
quantification of the cost versus benefits;
subjective/human weather & clouds observations;
the use of proprietary or unsupported software; reduces local flexibility and updating, and often leads to large service costs. Rather than address them, the resulting complexities and management issues increase the already difficult financial, operational and maintenance challenges faced by NMHSs. 10

11. Challenges (4)
NMHSs often lack the in-house programme management, engineering and technical staff required to independently procure integrated observing system that is sustainable, increase NMHS capabilities and build organizational capacity.
For similar reasons, many of the NMHSs often are unable to properly evaluate and suggest viable alternatives to proposed system solutions. 11

12. Basic Challenge
The basic challenge is less about technology, economics or even legal frameworks,
It is more about changing long-established assumptions and accepting new ways of doing business.
New relationships have to be established between public and private parties that do not have a history of working together, building what has been termed ‘a climate of trust’ as the basis for public-private partnerships. 12

13. Basic Challenge - partnerships
Better understanding is needed about the joint business practices and finances behind:
procurement,
installation, and
management of observing systems
by entities other than NMHSs.
It may be that both:
regulations to ensure a free market and
incentives to encourage following best practices
are required. 13

14. Consequences (1)
People (staff resources): reskilling – training; a competency framework;
Network management for sustainability; efficiency & effectiveness; improved quality monitoring, including incident management; improved network maintenance (collaboratively with partners where external capabilities exist, and where appropriate)
A comprehensive review of existing training programmes and of the skills of the necessary technical staff is obviously required.
Any new training programme should be organized according to a plan that is geared to meeting user needs.
Competency framework: more details by Krunoslav Premec 14

15. Consequences (2)
System & tools: remote monitoring with centralized diagnostics
Technology: agility to respond to new and increasing demands
New policies and procedures for the desired direction and to put in place organizational structure and mechanisms, e.g. MoU, that will ensure these policies and procedures are followed. 15

16. Thank you
Merci