Download key issues relevant to capacity building for climate services

WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION ________________________ COMMISSION FOR CLIMATOLOGY EXPERT TEAM ON STRATEGY FOR CAPACITY BUILDING FOR CLIMATE SERVICES (CCl­ET­SCBCS) CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b) (29 July 2013) Agenda item: 3 Original: ENGLISH GENEVA, Switzerland, 5­7 August 2013 KEY ISSUES RELEVANT TO CAPACITY BUILDING FOR CLIMATE SERVICES (b) Components of capacity building strategy as considered by the GFCS Capacity Development Pillar (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Institutional (Messrs Jeff Wilson and Patrick Parrish­ WMO Secretariat) Infrastructural ­ It will be opened for discussion in the course of meeting Human resources ­ Input from: a) Dr E. Aguilar, b) Prof. A. Omotosho Competencies and certification­ (Messrs Jeff Wilson and Patrick Parrish­ WMO Secretariat) Summary The capacity development needs as considered for the GFCS implementation fall under the following four areas: (i) Human resource capacity – equipping individuals with the knowledge, skills and training to enable them to generate, communicate and use decision­relevant climate information; (ii) Infrastructural capacity – enabling access to the resources that are needed to implement infrastructure to generate, archive, quality control, communicate, exchange and use climate data and decision­relevant information and products, including on the supply side instruments for observing networks, data management systems, computer hardware and software, Internet access, communication tools, manuals and scientific literature, with similar things on the demand side but potentially much more diverse; (iii) Procedural capacity – defining, implementing and advancing best practices for generating and using climate information; (iv) Institutional capacity – on the supply side, elaborating management structures such as defining the position and terms of reference of NMHSs for climate services, processes, policies and procedures that enable effective climate services, not only within organizations but also in managing relationships between the different organizations and sectors (public, private and community, including international collaboration) with similar requirements on the demand side but once again more diverse. Capacity development actions within the above four areas will support the other pillars so that GFCS, through its Pillars, successfully addresses the four initial priority sectors of Agriculture,
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 2 Water resources, Health and Disaster Risk Management and provides a solid basis for approaching other key thematic areas such as transport, energy, tourism etc. This document includes the following submissions: (i) Institutional (Some discussion points listed by the Secretariat) (ii) Infrastructural – (Some discussion points listed by the Secretariat). (iii) Human resources ­ Input from: a) Dr Patrick Parrish­ WMO Secretariat; b) Dr E. Aguilar, c) Prof. A. Omotosho (iv) Competencies and certification­ (Messrs Jeff Wilson and Patrick Parrish­ WMO Secretariat) (i) Institutional
· In many countries the absence of clear mandates on climate­related issues is a hindrance to the proper functioning of climate services;
· The roles that various institutes should play in a national climate service need to be defined so as to identify authoritative information providers;
· Clearly, NMHSs will play a key role but in some countries improvements in their management structures and procedures need to be implemented first;
· Revised management processes and procedures within these institutions are also required for them to be active participants in the global community;
· Based on the experiences of countries with advanced climate services, essential internal organizational standards are needed to guide governments in developing countries. (ii) Infrastructural
· Existing capabilities under the four categories (Basic, Essential, Full and Advanced) of climate services, and aspects relevant to their enhancement to the next higher categories;
· Over one­third of countries are currently unable to provide much more than the most basic climate services;
· Most countries would benefit from initiatives to construct high­resolution datasets by merging satellite and in situ measurements;
· Data rescue efforts need to be expedited;
· Data and product access through the Internet;
· Global and regional initiatives in support of climate information generation;
· Climate Services Toolkit. (iii) Human Resources
· WMO plays a leading role in coordinating the development of weather and climate scientist skills;
· access to training programmes, technology, manuals, guidance documents, technical papers;
· Training Workshops (CLIPS, ETCCDI, CDMS, DARE, RCOFs, etc.);
· 23 WMO Regional Training Centres, current focus mostly on weather forecasting activities, but can have an expanded scope;
· Training programmes offered by NMHSs of WMO Members;
· Network of cooperating universities and advanced training institutions contribute to the education and training effort.
· Review of the education qualifications, skill requirements and job training required for climate specialists will be necessary;
· Human resources challenges include:
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 3 o New Competencies: New climate functions will require additional competencies in addition to meteorology (e.g. in interdisciplinary sciences, geography, project management, etc.); there will be multidisciplinary training requirements, on applications of climate (tailoring climate information) to key sectors such as agriculture, water resources, health, etc. These activities need joint planning and coordination with user sectors. o Training materials development: The training materials for basic to advanced climate specialties are not yet fully developed; some course modules can be conducted by e­ learning techniques, others will need hands­on workshops. o Recruitment and Retention. The following are some perspectives provided by some members of the ET and WMO Secretariat. (a) Online Education and Training Resources for Meeting Capacity Development Needs By Dr Patrick Parrish ­ WMO Secretariat 1. This section describes some available online resources, particularly those offered by the COMET Program, which could satisfy many aspects of the learning needs for climate services staff, as well as users of climate services. 2. The first step in meeting the human resource development needs for capacity­development for climate services will be to develop the set of common or core competencies required of those working at climate services centres. Once these are in place, an even more challenging task must be faced—the process of identifying or developing education and training resources and opportunities that can bridge any gaps between existing knowledge and skills, and those required by the competencies. One of the most expedient ways of providing the necessary learning opportunities is to examine the available Open Educational Resources (OERs) and to draw from these to begin filling the gaps. This process can be time consuming, as it involves searching for and evaluating the retrieved resources, and then deciding how to best utilize them. However, this effort can be quite small when compared to the task of creating new resources. Additionally, some significant clearing­ houses and developers of repositories of OERs exist that can simplify the task by reducing research time. 3. The COMET Program develops and manages the MetEd website ( https://www.meted.ucar.edu/ ), which offers over 300 substantial learning resources on weather, climate, and other geosciences topics, comprising over 500 hours of learning opportunities. Thirty­ three of these resources are on climate­related topics, and many of these are designed directly to address the knowledge and skills required for providing and using climate information. (See Annex I for this list of resources) Topics include climate variability and oscillations, climatology, climate statistics, climate change, climate models, and climate monitoring. COMET is a cooperative program that receives funding from NOAA, the US Department Of Defense, other US Government organizations, and many international organizations as well. Developing education and training resources in meteorolgy and related disciplines has been its mission for the past 23 years. Its resources are designed for professionals in these disciplines, as well as users of their services, and the general public. As a part of UCAR (University Coorporation for Atmospheric Research), which also hosts NCAR (National Centre for Atmospheric Research), COMET has both education and training goals, and takes great care to offer scientific accuracy and quality learning experiences. Another of its particular strengths is its use of effective instructional graphics and exercises. Its resources are used by professionals and students in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and universities around the world. Many are translated into Spanish and French. The MetEd website offers user record­keeping and assessment
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 4 capabilities, so students that use materials can demonstrate completion of those materials they have used. 4. The MetEd website makes it easy to browse for these resources by providing useful metadata, including descriptions, learning objectives, completion time, and content level. This will make it easy for a working group to examine the relevant resources to narrow down those that could be of use, before more careful review of their contents. One of the distinct advantages offered by COMET to the international community is its policy of openness to reuse of any sort in non­commercial education applications. While COMET maintains copyright on its materials, as long as attribution is preserved, the resources or any portion of them, including graphics, illlustrations, and text contents, are available for reuse. This makes them highly adaptable to meet many needs­­even if portions are deemed not appropriate for a particular audience, whether too advanced or not sufficiently advanced. Even if a single illustration is desired, it can be copied and used in a new educational context. The graphics and animations can be searched for easily via the MetEd site search engine. 5. While MetEd is unique, it is not the only venue for finding useful OERs. For example, UNESCO offers its Climate Change Education (CCE) Clearing House: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading­the­international­agenda/education­for­ sustainable­development/climate­change­education/cce­clearinghouse/ This site offers many useful documents and learning resources on Climate Change. Other resources are offered by international organizations and national centres in various countries around the world. 6. There are many uses to which found OERs can be put to use in creating learning opportunities for GFCS capacity development. COMET resources, in particular, suggest many potential forms of utilization:
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The MetEd website offers associated quizzes for its modules, and the site recording keeping tracks training progress and issues online certificates for successful completion. Individual modules can be assigned when identified as needed by individual for their continuing professional development;
Self­paced courses (collections of modules) can be developed and assigned as desired;
Instructor­led distance learning courses that use the modules as one of the primary sources of learning material can be delivered. This approach has been used successfully by the WMO Hydrology Programme to offer regional training 6 times now. Modules are sent to students on DVDs (or can be done online), quizzes are completed online, and instructors interact with students at a distance via a course management system that offers discussion forums and email communication for questions, further content discussion, and localizing of the content. Written assignments are also required. Such courses can include customized content to the extent desired and possible;
Modules can be used as supplemental learning resources for classroom courses. They might be used for pre­course assignments to build a common based of prerequisite knowledge, or as additional post course assignments. They might also serve to provide classroom activities for individuals or small groups, or be displayed in class to support lectures and other activities;
Finally, they might be decomposed and part of them used to create new OERs, or for use in classroom presentations. 7. In addition to the existing collection of resources on climate topics, COMET is just beginning a 2­year development effort for a course package in Climatology and Climate, covering content as defined in WMO­No. 1083, Sec. 2.3.4 Climatology, in areas such as, Global circulations and climate regimes, Climate variability and climate change, Climate models and climate observations, Climate products and services. This will be designed for potential adoption by
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 5 universities, as well as regional training centers. It is being funded by US National Weather Service via its Voluntary Contribution Programme. It will incorporate existing and newly developed resources. The University of Reading in the UK has run a very successful Statistics in Applied Climatology course for many years (SIAC). Typically participants complete an online course first e­ SICA before undertaking the face­to­face f­SIAC course. Reading are now working with a number of other universities to open this material as OERs for the community to use. Adaptation, including translation, is encouraged as long as the adapted materials also remain open and available for use by others. And outline of this effort is provided in Annex II. 8. A number of US based lectures have recently circulated a white paper examining the option to develop a resource for teaching GIS within Atmospheric Sciences, see Annex III. 9. By defining what are the common or core roles and tasks of personnel providing climate services it is possible to identify the necessary underlying knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable the personnel to carry out their task effectively. Using both of these sets of information will enable the ET to then look at the OER material in Annexes I, II and III and other, yet to be identified, resources for their relevance to supporting the learning needs of personnel carrying out climate services. (b) Perspectives by Dr Enric Aguilar, Center for Climate Change, C3, URV, Tarragona, Spain (with additional inputs from Mr Jeff Wilson, WMO Secretariat) 1. Introduction and background Capacity­development 1 is defined as the process by which people, organizations and society systematically stimulate and develop their capacities over time to achieve social and economic goals, through improvement of knowledge, skills, systems and institution. The importance of capacity­development has been highlighted in the Conference Statement of the World Climate Conference­3, which recommended capacity­development to be included as a key component of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). The Report of the High Level Task Force for the GFCS indicates that the efforts to provide effective climate services globally will only be successful if capacity is systematically developed to enable all countries to manage climate risk effectively. According to Res. 7 of CCl­XV, the strategy for capacity­development should provide a unifying context for a range of capabilities required for providing comprehensive end­to­end climate services of increased societal relevance focusing on development of regional and global support mechanisms for building the capabilities of NMHSs required to play a core role in the implementation of GFCS. The annex to the resolution identifies the implementation of training programs and events, as well as the establishment of the necessary human capabilities to ensure the provision of an interface to best­practice climate products and their interpretation not only by climatologist, but by other users, including policy and decision­makers. This resolution specifically identifies the following items of work for inclusion in the action plan: (a) 1 Review and adapt climate components of the publication entitled Guidelines for the Education and Training of Personnel in Meteorology and Operational Hydrology (WMO­No.258) to suit the new requirements of GFCS for climate information and services, and climate change adaptation as well as climate risk management; [note: WMO­No. 258 will be replaced by WMO­No. 1083 “Manual on the Implementation of Education and The term capacity­building has been replaced with the term capacity­development in this test. It brings some of the CCl­ XV discussions into alignment with current WMO terminology. Capacity­development is more inclusive than the term capacity­building.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 6 Training Standards in Meteorologyand HydrologyVolume I – Meteorology” on 1 December 2013]; (b) Develop a guidelines resource for WMO RTCs in building new climate curricula, including theoretical and practical components, based on the latest edition of the Guide to Climatological Practices (WMO­No. 100), for example, on basic climatology, climate statistics (including extreme value analysis), data representation techniques, data management, data rescue, quality assurance/quality control methods, homogeneity techniques, techniques for empirical and dynamical climate prediction and downscaling, climate change assessment methods and consensus development; (c) Review the current status of requirements and competencies of a climate specialist’s functions and propose an update of these requirements based on the evolving techniques in climate observations and monitoring (land, marine, remote­sensing as well as space­based platforms), climate assessment, workplan, climate predictions and projections; (d) Identify optimal mechanisms for certifying competencies and functions of climate specialists of varying types based on existing similar examples in other WMO­related activities; (e) Promote “training the trainers” activities to spread the training capability across the Regional Training Centres; (f) Provide expert climatologists for short periods to countries willing to set up a National Climate Centre as part of the CCl action plan and capacity­building strategy. Further, it is important that the action plan be developed in close liaison with the relevant programmes and activities within WMO as well as those with partners, to ensure that the capacity building strategy contributes effectively to achieve completeness and consistency of climate services in their functioning as well as uptake. 2. Agents implied in Capacity Development (CD) In the introductory section, CD has been defined and its importance put in context with the GFCS and Res. 7 of CCl­XV. Both highlight implicitly or explicitly the necessity to build capacity over the different agents which are involved in the process of managing, designing, producing, using and taking decisions with climate products and services. Besides, those involved in developing the capacities – educators and trainers – should also have specific knowledge and skills, so they also need CD prepared for and addressed to them. Finally, general public should be instructed on how climate affects their lives and how climate products and services may help in their own day to day. Table 1 highlights the different target groups involved in CD.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 7 Table 1.­ Agents involved in Capacity Development Target group Mission/Needs Educators and Trainers Design the learning cycle and ETR Train Provide Capacity Building to Publication, other agents the Trainers Managers Resource and implement the ETR Train learning cycle Publication; the Trainers Climate service personnel Produce timely, reliable and Competencies for Climatologists best­practices climate services (to be designed); WMO­No. 1083 (replacing WMO­No. 258), WMO­No 100 Climate services users Request and routinely use To be designed, Joint activities climate services in conjunction with the Climate Community with specific information Input from other WMO Technical Commissions Decision Makers Consider inputs from To be designed??; Joint Climatologists and Climate activities with the Climate service users to produce Community; Input from other UN agencies. General Public Be aware of climate influence 3. Main Reference Outreach activities Capacity development strategy for human resources The need to adapt to a changing reality is behind the necessity of building new capacities. According to the PESTLE model, change occurs due to Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental reasons. The implementation of the GFCS and the new challenges imposed by Climate Change and variability, imply PESTLE changes and the consequent CD to cope with them. Developing capacities – as described in the previous section – involves a number of groups. To be effective and to “provide a unifying context for a range of capabilities required for providing comprehensive end­to­end climate services of increased societal relevance” (Res. 7 of CCl­XV), CD should be integrated into a complete learning process, including education, training and resulting in development. A very useful representation of this process (ADDIE process: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) can be found in the ETR­Training Publication (see Figure 1) and is developed in the set of competencies for trainers, including those at managerial level (see Table 2) available via the same resource and concisely stated in the online ETR document “Competency. Requirements for Education and Training Providers for Meteorological, Hydrological, and Climate Services” (http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/dra/etrp/documents/CompetencyRequirements_en.pdf). Thus, a correct strategy for CD for climate services personnel should involve all the groups listed in Table 1 and adopt as a workflow the ADDIE process, ensuring that the “organization” meets the competencies listed in Table 2 and develops the associated procedures. Ultimately each Member has to take responsibility for determining the national requirements for the CD of its climate services personnel. This will take into account the types and breadth of services required nationally and set through the User Interface Platforms, ability of the national climate service(s) to meet these requirements in the long term and the national agreements that are put in place. CCl and other WMO bodies can only provide guidance, it is up to each WMO Member to balance their service level and products with the human, financial and physical resources they can sustain in the longer term.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 8 Table 2.­ Education and Training Competencies. Competencies Who should demonstrate the WMO­CCl­GFCS context competency 1. Analyse the organi­ · Senior staff who have overall Global level: GFCS, ETR, other zational context and WMO Programmes, CCl responsibility for training.
manage the training · Training managers.
Regional level: RCCs, RTCs processes
· Trainers who would benefit from National level: NMHSs and having some awareness of the national climate centres. context in which they are operating.
· People who make decisions about overall Human Res. development strategies. 2. Identify learning needs · Training managers.
CCl­ET­SCSBC, others at CCl, and specify learning · Trainers who would benefit from RCCs, RTCs, NMHSs, EC­Panel outcomes
having some awareness of the on ETR, context in which they are operating.
· People who make decisions about overall Human Res. development strategies. 3. Determine a learning · Senior trainers.
CCl­ET­SCSBC, RCCs, RTCs, solution
· Instructional designers or other others at CCl education specialists.
· Trainers who would benefit from an awareness of types of learning solutions and the factors taken into account in choosing solutions. 4. Design learning · Senior trainers who lead the CCl­ETs, Academia, other activities and produce educational institutions such as, design process.
learning resources
· Instructional designers or other RCCs, RTCs, COMET, IAI, UNFCC: learn, UNESCO, etc. education specialists.
· Trainers who would benefit from an awareness of the issues related to instructional design. 5. Deliver training and · All trainers manage the learning managers. experience
and Academia, other training CCl­ETs, educational institutions such as RCCs, RTCs,. 6. Assess learning and · Training managers and senior CCl­ET­SCSBC, others at CCl, evaluate the training RCCs, RTCs, NMHSs EC­Panel trainers.
process
· Trainers involved in assessment on ETR, all Education and training providers,
procedures.
· Managers of staff identified as having a learning need.
· HR personnel. CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 9 Figure 1: The Learning Process (http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/dra/etrp/documents/CompetencyRequirements_en.pdf) 4. Prospective hints on developing the Strategy for Capacity Development on Human Resources (SCDHR) Organizational Context On a broad sense, one could assimilate the requirements imposed by the implementation of the GFCS as the global organizational context. Documents such as The GFCS High Level Task Force Report (WMO­No 1065) and the Guidelines on Frameworks for Climate Services at the National Level, provide guidance and reference on the Organizational Needs. More specifically, at the national level, capacity should be built in the different WMO Members according to their specific needs. Their human resources must be equipped with the understanding, skills, information and knowledge necessary to generate, communicate and use the climate information and services produced according to their institutional and infrastructural capacity (1, Basic; 2, Essential; 3, Full; 4 Advanced). Interaction with the different groups involved is crucial for better insights on the organizational needs on CD for climate services personnel. In this sense, GFCS has established a series of priority projects (see Table 3) and pilot workshops ( http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/PilotProjects.php, for reference)
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 10 Table 3. GFCS Priority Projects Establish frameworks for climate services at the national level in developing countries Strengthening capacity for disaster risk reduction and early warning Improving communications between the climate and agriculture and food security communities Partnering climate services and water resources management Developing National Climate and Health Working Groups Improving decision­making processes concerning climate­related risks Strengthening regional systems for providing climate services Large­scale data recovery and digitization These and other similar processes conducted by WMO, the GFCS (ex., GFCS regional workshops http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/Reg_WS.php) and other national and international agencies should be strongly considered when designing a SCDHR. Learning Needs, Learning Solution, Learning Activities As a result of the understanding of the organizational context, a set of learning needs for the global provision of climate services can be prepared, starting with a systematic design of competencies required and the expected learning outcomes (see, as an example, WMO 1083) including those expected for climate service personnel, trainers (see Table 2) users and policy­decision makers. These competencies and learning outcomes should be formulated in a way that each individual organization/member can select those their personnel need to achieve. Due to the complex and ever changing organizational context, and the different requirements across the RAs and Members, a simple learning solution is not possible. Currently, climate service personnel working in a meteorological service who must become competent on assessing data quality and homogeneity may download and read: WMO­No 100; WMO­No 1186; the COMET module on Introduction to statistics for Climatology < https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_module.php?id=500>; attend an ET­CCDI Workshop and use the documents and software available at < http://etccdi.pacificclimate.org/software.shtml > and < http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/ccl/opace/opace2/workshop_presentations.php >; self­instruct with peer­reviewed literature (if accessible); and be coached by superiors or mentored by more experienced colleagues at work or from other institutions. This person may even find an academic degree where the topics of interest are formally taught in a classroom or through distance learning. All these formal and informal learning activities as well as many others for the different climate activities, are indeed available and assist those who follow them, but they are neither integrated, nor designed to meet a predefined set of competencies. Without discussing how this should be certificated or not (another topic of interest), the availability of a repository of permanent resources plus regular activities which are labelled to “meet Competence A” would dramatically increase the results obtained in terms of capacity development. Learning delivery and assessment Very often, those in charge of CD activities of climate services personnel are experts more than “educators”. Even when learning activities are designed with very high scientific competence, they may fail if the learning delivery is not produced in an environment that fosters and sustains learning. It is interesting to consider competence 5 (Table 4) of ETR Publication on Training Competences in its full development:
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 11 Table 4.­ Competence 5: Deliver training and manage the learning experience Competency description Classroom and/or distance learning courses are delivered in an environment that fosters and sustains learning. Performance criteria
Create an environment conducive to learning.
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Ensure learning activities are engaging and effective.
Clearly communicate the purpose and expected outcomes of learning activities.
Apply technologies that aid the learning process.
Give feedback and manage and mitigate disruptions to learning. Knowledge requirements Able to understand, explain and/or critically evaluate:
What preparation and decisions need to happen before a learning event.
How to create an environment that supports learning
How to develop the mutual trust and respect between trainer and learners.
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How to give presentations and conduct learning exercises.
How to listen, question and give feedback.
How to deal with conflict. Personnel
All trainers and training managers. An experienced educator surely can think of occasions where a well prepared activity, with adequate contents and adequate expertise to conduct it has failed due to a bad room setting or lack of engagement of the participants or by failing to evaluate the necessary preparations before the event. If these factors are systematically and routinely taken into account in the activity design process, and the whole learning process is assessed against the required competences and learning outcomes, the chances of success, increase. 5. Recommendations
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Take into account the different groups related to the Capacity Development activities: Managers, Trainers, climate services personnel, Climate data Users, Policy and decision Makers;
Approach the Capacity Development for climate services personnel with an ADDIE Approach: Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate;
Design competences for the climate services personnel, the Climate User, the Policy/Decision Maker and the General Public;
Integrate Climate Capacity Development activities into the ET work programme for climate services personnel and prepare a repository of resources to meet different competences, including the review of WMO­Guidance Documents. ·
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Review on­going activities and prepare future events to manage the learning experience and maximize its benefits.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 12 (c) Aspects of human capacity building by Prof. Jerome A. Omotosho (Nigeria) 1. Classes of Training Required – formal and informal (a) WMO may wish to create new classifications and instruction packages for Climate Services equivalents of: (i) (ii) WMO Meteorological Technician (previously known as Class IV. III and II but phased out in 2002); WMO Meteorologist (formerly known as Class I but phased out in 2002); (b) Continuous professional development will be required for the climate services personnel through activities such as workshops, conferences, RCOFs, etc 2. Institutions and Platforms for the various training Levels (a) (b) (c) WMO RTCs – identify for each country/sub­region/region – for Classifications in 1(a) (i) and (ii) and (b) above; Universities – identify for each country/sub­region/region – for level 1(a) ii and (b); Research and similar Institutions (eg. ECMWF, ACMAD, etc.) – for specific user­ defined/targeted requirements/needs. WMO has, in 2011, compiled a preliminary list of institutions running Climate­related curriculum in each Region 3. Development of learning facilities (a) (b) (c) (c) 4. Face­to­face training using normal academic facilities and methodologies; A synchronous use of distance learning courses based around a learning management system, for example the WMO/UKMO e­learning system adaptation and further expansion; Synchronous training such as used by the WMO Virtual Lab for E & T, but for various aspects of climate services; Combinations of the above. Climate Science Services Curriculum The Guidelines on Framework for Climate Services at the National Level recognizes four (4) categories for climate products and services. With these in view, therefore, and to varying degrees, climate curricula for each category must focus on: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Education and training in the climate system, observation, analysis, monitoring, interpretation and forecasting; Education and training in the development and delivering of climate products/services to users; Developing skills in planning, solution development, project management, climate products/services packaging and communication, etc.; Training in new and emerging technologies; Imparting skills in understanding, assessing and managing user needs/requirements as well as user training needs and expectation. The above list is within the competencies to be expected from Categories 1 and 2 and can be performed by WMO Meteorologists and Senior Meteorological Technician Climate equivalents, which could be adequately covered by the RTCs and RCCs (e.g. ACMAD, ICPAC, etc) and Universities (through workshops, short courses or summer schools, etc).
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 13 Advanced/Specialised Training is needed for (i) (ii) Skills in new product development and implementation; Research and practical skills in Numerical Weather and Climate Prediction, including coupled systems and land surfaces processes; (iii) Downscaling and statistical and computational techniques in climate studies/applications; (iv) Climate change detection, monitoring and assessment. The above could be within the competencies of WMO Meteorologist Climate equivalents, after acquiring some of Categories 1 & 2 competencies. Essentially, these should be in the purview of Universities and Research Institutes at national and regional levels 5. National and Regional Requirements (a) (b) (c) (d) 6. New, on­going and emerging requirements for Education and Training; Roles of Regional Associations and NMHS in defining training requirements and climate services needs; Role of RCCs and RCOFs and RTCs; Catering for Sectorial needs (Agriculture, etc). User Education To be formulated at Regional, particularly National and Sectorial levels Who will do this – NMHSs (Climatologists) or the Media? Suggest: better to train a special class of Climate Journalist, comprising a select group of climatologists (trained in communication skills) and professional journalists (trained in climate reporting/interpretation skills). Whatever the choice, such training can be carried out at the RTCs, RCCs (e.g ACMAD, ICPAC, etc). Suggested Curriculum Samples Assuming that only minor amendments need to be made to the curricula of Meteorological Technicians to obtain the curricular for Climatologists at these equivalent levels, suggested amendments to the ETR Guidelines for Meteorologists Climatologists are as follows: A. Undergraduate Level (Climate Science Option) All the “Compulsory Topics in Atmospheric Sciences” should be retained, with new specific development under the “Climate” and “Environment” degree­streams, now making all the courses below compulsory for senior (final year) undergraduate students who would like to specialize in climate science. a) Tropical weather and climate b) Atmospheric chemistry, c) Climate monitoring and prediction d) Urban meteorology and air pollution. Electives could be drawn from: a) Agricultural meteorology b) Mesoscale meteorology and weather forecasting c) Satellite meteorology d) General oceanography and marine meteorology
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 14 B. Post­ graduate Specialization in Climate Science At these levels, students should not only master those aspects for undergraduate students (under the 2011 revised BIP­M) but be more specialized in order to acquire competence to carry out the advanced/specialized duties enumerated in i) – vi) under section 4 above. Thus, it is quite obvious that at this level, climate science will be both inter­ and multi­disciplinary, in other words, the students “amalgam” will most likely consist of graduates of meteorology, climatology, physics, mathematics, computer science, etc. Therefore, the following two separate programs are proposed for these categories of students. 1. Graduates of Meteorology (Straight M. Sc) This category of students would have undertaken all courses under the “Topics in Atmospheric Sciences” for the 2011 revised BIP­M. So the new proposed compulsory courses for climate service personnel are: a) Atmospheric Chemistry b) Climate detection, monitoring and prediction c) Satellite meteorology d) Tropical weather and climate e) Urban meteorology and air pollution f) Boundary layer meteorology g) Economic meteorology, marketing and management h) Numerical methods for mathematical modeling Four new compulsory courses (not in the existing BIP­M) are proposed: i) Climate modeling and downscaling ii) Climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation iii) Computational tools for climate studies iv) Climate, water and Land Electives could be chosen from a) Mesoscale meteorology and weather forecasting b) Biometeorology and human health c) General Oceanography and marine meteorology d) Agricultural meteorology e) General hydrology and hydrometeorology 2. Other Graduates (PGD/ M. Sc) These categories of students are assumed not to have the basic meteorology knowledge for BIP­M and so need to be ‘brought up’ to the level required to understand the complexity of interactions in meteorology and other sciences which produce climate. Therefore, they will need to undertake condensed courses in the “Compulsory Topics in Atmospheric Sciences” for BIP­M, but not in as much detail, before proceeding to the category above. The subject details given above are from Chapter 3 (BIP­M) of the WMO­No. 258 ETR Guidelines. They need to be updated based upon the 2011 revised BIP­M as per WMO Publications No. 1083.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 15 iv) Competencies and certification By Messrs Jeff Wilson and Patrick Parrish­ WMO Secretariat Competencies for climate services personnel Introduction WMO is currently working within a paradigm where emphasis is being placed on results­based outcomes. This shows up across WMO activities and documents in areas such as WMO strategic planning, budgeting and monitoring and evaluation of programmes. In the education and training arena, and in the area of Standards and Recommended Practises, emphasis is being given to the competency of the personnel to carry out particular roles or tasks. That is, can the person do the job / task / role assigned to them? In many ways this is analogous to other parts of the WMO Technical Regulations where Standards and Recommended Practises have been developed for equipment, processes or procedures to ensure that they can also do the job / role / tasks required of them. This paper outlines one approach towards defining competencies for various job tasks or roles for personnel involved in the climate services. This paper is part of a set of four papers for the Commission for Climatology Expert Team on Strategy for Capacity Building for Climate Services, addressing various aspects of the education and training of personnel involved in climate services. The other three papers cover:
· Human Resources Component of capacity development strategy as considered by the GFCS Capacity Development Pillar – Dr Enric Aguilar. High level analysis of target groups and approaches to identifying common roles and tasks of climate service personnel;
· Capacity Building Strategy Component ­ Human Resources – Prof.Jerome A. Omotosho (Nigeria) – Proposing a curriculum for Climatologists. Readers are encouraged to review a similar proposal by Dr Aguilar to the WMO EC Panel of Experts on Education and Training;
· Online Education and Training Resources for Meeting Capacity Development Needs – WMO Secretariat. Background Competencies can be thought of as an integrating framework where a person’s knowledge (from academic and non academic learning), skills and behaviours are brought together in a holistic manner. The competency framework provides a minimum benchmark for the person, their employer and the beneficiary of their work as part of a wider overall quality management approach. By its nature, the competency approach incorporates the need for ongoing continuous professional development. A competency framework can be contrasted to the use of professional qualifications, which instead put emphasis on (usually initial) academic attainment, but are less helpful in demonstrating whether the person or team can deliver the required products or services to a minimum standard. One way to think about competencies versus qualifications is to equate competencies with the question of “can the person do the job” and qualifications with “what classification or title should this person have”. The concepts are not mutually exclusive and some organisations may decide that an academic qualification could be a good proxy for answering the question of whether a person possesses the necessary knowledge to undertake a particular set of tasks or fill a role.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 16 Competencies have already been developed for personnel providing education and training for WMO Members, as well as those providing meteorological services for international civil aviation. Competency frameworks are under development by the Joint Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM), the Commission for Basic Systems (CBS) for weather forecasting, various aspects of Public Weather Services (PWS),for core tasks in the WMO Information System (WIS) and by the Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation (CIMO) for weather observations. As WMO develops the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) it is recommended that a competency based approach is taken for the personnel involved in developing and delivering climate service products and information. These products and information will be developed, produced, quality controlled and communicated by a wide range of personnel with varying skill sets. Some climate services will consist of a handful of personnel whilst others may number in the hundreds. In some cases one person may be responsible for all tasks, while in other situations the tasks will be shared amongst a number of people. A competency based approach to the education, training and assessment of climate services personnel provides organisations with flexibility in how they structure and staff their service, but at the same time sets global minimum recommended practises. Nationally or regionally, WMO Members or groups of Members may wish to set higher standards based upon demands from users and the capabilities for their services. Common job roles or tasks The president of CCl, Dr Tom Peterson, has provided one framework for identifying common job roles or tasks for personnel involved in climate services. This framework separates the roles or job tasks into those related to:
· Working on data – this includes data rescue and recovery , archiving, quality control, data homogenization
· Working with data – provision of time series, statistics, indices
· Predictions – using climate models and other approaches to provide predictions for the future state of the climate system and its elements on different time scales
· Communication ­ communicate climate data, products and information to users and general public It is worthwhile noting that personnel with many different academic backgrounds work across these common tasks with many of them not fitting the “standard” climatologist profile. Thus the competency approach assists Members by avoiding the question of what or who is a climatologist by focussing on the question of whether the person can do the job that they are being asked to carry out. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABoM) have recently been examining the same question and they have identified common job families (see figure 2 p. 36). Other organizations will have, or will develop job families or descriptions to suit their own needs. The descriptions used by Tom Peterson can be mapped into the job families being considered by the ABoM and vice­versa. The ABoM job families are linked to their organisational structure and thus may not suit all organisations. From a WMO perspective it is preferable to have a set of generic job roles or tasks that Members then adapt and expand to the range of services they offer and their organisational structure. It is also important for the ET members to understand that the competencies are for the tasks, not the individuals. Thus for individuals the competencies only relate to those tasks that they personally undertake. They do not have to be competent in all tasks unless they regularly undertake those tasks.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 17 If competencies for climate service personnel were to follow the approach taken by the other WMO Technical Commissions there would be of the order of 5 main competency areas that mirror the common or core job tasks identified by Tom Peterson.
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Common tasks related to working on data,
Common tasks related to working with data,
Common tasks to creating forecast products,
Common tasks related to quality of processes and procedures,
Common tasks related to communication of climate products and information with clients. For each of these areas more descriptive statements would be developed, and finally Members would adapt and adopt these into national competency statements for their services and circumstances. Only the top level (bullet points above) would be entered into the WMO Technical Regulations as Recommended Practices. See Annex IV for examples from the Aeronautical Meteorological Personnel competency statements. Dr Aguilar has some extracts from the competence statements for training personnel in his paper. An initial “straw­man” example for climate services could look like Annex V. Next Steps As indicated in the paper by Dr Aguilar and the paper on education and training resources, developing and agreeing to a first set of climate services competencies will be the next step required. The ETR programme can work with CCl to bring together a selected group of climate services experts with a group from the ETR programme to develop a first draft of competencies for climate services. The discussions from this meeting and from the 2012 EC Panel of Experts on Education and Training will provide good starting material for this discussion.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 18 Annex I The COMET ® Program Modules on Climate Topics (updated July 2013) In addition to the following modules with a focus on climate and climatology, COMET offers hundreds of modules on weather phenomena and their impacts important for climate services personnel to be aware of. COMET is also currently working on two modules of high interest: Introduction to Climate Models and Climate Monitoring from Satellites. Climatology for the Operational Forecaster Climate information can be used as guidance for a range of weather­dependent operations. This module summarizes the Climate Analysis Process, a series of steps for determining which climatological products and data will be most useful for a specified application. The Climate Analysis Process is followed in the context of preparing a climatological brief for a ship deployment across multiple ocean basins. Though the focus is on Department of Defense data sources, including the Advanced Climate Analysis and Forecasting (ACAF) system, information on other sources is also provided. Products from the various sources are used to assemble a final climatological brief relevant to naval operations. Forecasters' Overview of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea This module provides an introduction to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea for weather forecasters. It focuses on major aspects of the geography, oceanography, and climatology. Geography covers major political boundaries, cities, ports, topographical features, rivers, and volcanic areas. Oceanography includes major bathymetric features, mean sea surface temperature and surface salinity, ocean currents, and tidal ranges. Climatology covers the seasonal climatology of jet streams and synoptic weather systems, extratropical cyclones in the Gulf of Mexico, and monthly and seasonal statistics of tropical cyclone activity. Introduction to Climatology This module describes the process of selecting the best available climate projection information and using it to develop “climate­adjusted weather” inputs to be used for modelling climate change impacts. These modelled impacts can be used for planning of future water resources. Specific steps of this process include: 1) Recognizing the general science and terms associated with Atmosphere­ ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs); 2) Making AOGCMs more regionally applicable through bias correction and downscaling; 3) Determining climate change scenarios based on climate projections and selecting specific projections to inform each scenario; and 4) Developing climate­ adjusted weather inputs associated with each climate change scenario. Introduction to Climate Models This module explains how climate models work. Because the modeling of both weather and climate share many similarities, the content throughout this module draws frequent comparisons and highlights the differences. We explain not only how, but why climate models differ from weather models. To do so, we explore the difference between weather and climate, then show how models are built to simulate climate and generate the statistics that describe it. We conclude with a discussion of models are tuned and tested. Understanding how climate responds to changes in atmospheric composition and other factors drives climate research. Climate models provide a tool to understand how processes work and interact with each other. Our intended audience is the weather forecasting community: those who are already familiar with NWP models. Non­forecasters with an interest in weather and climate should also find the module useful. The content is not overly technical and the goal of this module is not to train people to
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 19 develop climate models but to highlight the similarities and differences between weather and climate models. Climate Change and Regional Impacts This short module is an overview of the different effects climate change produces in different regions of the United States. In addition to discussing impacts already being experienced, the module presents information on how climate scientists use specialized models and statistical techniques to estimate how regional climates are likely to change in the future. Climate Change and Sea Level Rise This module looks at how increasing temperatures due to climate change have affected sea level rise and what effects scientist expect in the future, given rising greenhouse gas emissions. The various mechanisms of sea level rise are discussed, as well as the tools and research used to study this topic. The module also discusses how countries and communities are preparing for future increases in sea levels. Climate Change and Extreme Weather This module discusses how a changing climate can also lead to changes in extreme weather events on the local scale. The role of natural variability is also explained. The module describes how climate change can have both positive and negative effects, depending on the situation, location, and the vulnerability of the population. While research on climate change and extreme events is still relatively new, the module discusses what changes scientists think are likely if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Arctic Meteorology and Oceanography Diminishing sea ice has opened the Arctic to navigation and operations like never before. Forecasters are increasingly predicting weather in support of those operations. This module is intended to provide forecasters with a brief introduction to the Arctic, including its geography, climatology, and the forecast problems they are likely to encounter. The module follows a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter on a voyage from Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Islands, to Barrow, on the north coast of Alaska. Various topics are addressed along the way in a series of short, stand­alone lessons. ASMET: 2009 Drought in East Africa The module examines the 2009 drought in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA), focusing on conditions in Kenya. The module begins by reviewing drought conditions in the years leading up to 2009. From there, it examines the seasonal climate forecast for the beginning of 2009 and see what it portends. Satellite products are used to study rainfall performance throughout the year and its impact on the drought situation. Finally, the module describes the climate oscillations that can impact drought in the GHA and identifies patterns that were present in 2009 and contributed to its severity. By the end of the module, weather forecasters and students should have a better understanding of drought and the tools available for its early detection and monitoring. Monitoring the Climate System with Satellites The international science community has identified a set of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) that should be monitored for measuring the climate system, how it is changing, and its likely impact on future climate. Environmental satellites play an important role in this effort. They are uniquely positioned to provide broad, spatially consistent, and continuous global sampling of many of the ECVs. This module explores the benefits of monitoring the climate system with satellites. We begin by reviewing how satellites observe key atmospheric elements and features that are found in a variety
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 20 of climate cycles and are important for studying long­term climate trends. From there, we explore events at the different scales (from seasonal to long­term) and the contributions that satellites make to improving our understanding, monitoring, and prediction of them. Finally, we discuss the challenges involved in monitoring climate with satellites. Among these is the need for continuous, stable, high­resolution, and validated measurements that are coordinated with the world’s satellite operators. Coastal Climate Change As climate changes, dynamic coastal regions are experiencing a wide range of impacts. Sea levels, ocean acidification, sea surface temperatures, ocean heat, and ocean circulation have all been changing in ways unseen for thousands of years. Arctic sea ice melted significantly more during summers in the last 30 years, and storms are intensifying. Coastal ecosystems stand to be damaged, and coasts will likely erode from rising sea levels, intensified storm surges, and flooding that climate change may amplify. Coastal communities will need to prepare adaptation strategies to cope, and many who live or work in coastal regions are wondering what climate change might mean for them. This module provides an overview of the impacts coastal regions are experiencing and may continue to experience as a result of Earth’s changing climate. A video series within the module demonstrates effective strategies for communicating climate science. The Amazon Rain Forest and Climate Change This module discusses global climate change that is occurring largely because of greenhouse gases emitted by human activities, and in particular the impact that tropical deforestation plays in the climate system. It also covers signs of climate change, the current thinking on future changes, and international agreements that are attempting to minimize the effects of climate change. The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN­REDD Programme) is also discussed. Arctic Ecosystems Scientists predict that the climate in most parts of the world will warm dramatically in the next century, with change expected to occur earliest and be most pronounced in polar regions. In light of this, there is an urgent need to understand different aspects of the Earth's climate system, including the role that Arctic ecosystems play in regulating the Earth's climate and how food webs are affected by the changing climate. This module explores the Arctic Ocean ecosystem through interaction with a model that simulates how phytoplankton and zooplankton interact and respond to changes in season, sea ice, and nutrients. Climate Change: Fitting the Pieces Together This module discusses climate change, particularly as it is currently being affected by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases emitted by human activities. It also covers signs of climate change, how scientists study climate, the current thinking on future changes, and what can be done to minimize the effects. Coastal Climate Change As climate changes, dynamic coastal regions are experiencing a wide range of impacts. Sea levels, ocean acidification, sea surface temperatures, ocean heat, and ocean circulation have all been changing in ways unseen for thousands of years. Arctic sea ice melted significantly more during summers in the last 30 years, and storms are intensifying. Coastal ecosystems stand to be damaged, and coasts will likely erode from rising sea levels, intensified storm surges, and flooding that climate change may amplify. Coastal communities will need to prepare adaptation strategies to cope, and many who live or work in coastal regions are wondering what climate change might mean for them. This module provides an overview of the impacts coastal regions are experiencing and
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 21 may continue to experience as a result of Earth’s changing climate. A video series within the module demonstrates effective strategies for communicating climate science. Creating a Local Climate Product Using Composite Analysis This Webcast features Heather Hauser of NOAA/ERH/SSD describing the utility of and introducing the methodology for conducting composite analysis as part of the NWS Climate Services program. This 30­minute presentation is intended to introduce climate focal points to the composite analysis process and will be a useful prerequisite to attending the Operational Climate Services residence courses, where the topic will be explored further. Composite analysis is the foundation of a forthcoming local climate­related product, the "3 Month Outlook of Local El Nino/La Nina Impacts." The El Niño­Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Cycle This Webcast, is an expert lecture by Dr. Vernon Kousky of NOAA/CPC, entitled "The El Niño­ Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Cycle". The presentation covers the identification and global weather impacts associated with both phases of ENSO. This version of the presentation has enhanced graphics and has been modified to include an introduction to the newly established “Operational Niño Index” (ONI). A forecaster who attended the original classroom presentation on The ENSO Cycle had the following to say... “[This lecture was the] best presentation of the workshop! Very comprehensive, from the basics to the more complex issues, easy to follow, and great use of graphics. The presenter did an excellent job of relating the presentation topics to forecasters.” ENSO and Beyond This Webcast, presented by Dr. Marty Hoerling of NOAA/CIRES/Climate Diagnostic Center, discusses the impacts of El Niño and La Niña variability on both North American and tropical weather. The presentation shows that these two phenomena are not simple inverses of each other and that anticipating their varying intensities is key to making successful climate forecasts. Two other ocean impacts that affect North American climate almost as strongly as ENSO are also introduced. A Forecaster's Overview of the Northwest Pacific This module provides an introduction to the northwest Pacific for weather forecasters. It touches on major aspects of the geography, oceanography, and climatology. Geography looks at plate tectonics, topography, and human population. Oceanography examines ocean currents, coastal tidal ranges, and sea ice distribution. Climatology briefly discusses jets streams, distribution of synoptic features, storm tracks of tropical and extratropical cyclones, the fronts, and sensible weather associated with the Northeast and Southwest Monsoons. Introduction to Climatology This module provides an overview of climatology, the study of climate. The module begins by examining the drivers that combine to create the climate regions of the world—from those at the mesoscale (local) level to those at the synoptic­scale (continental) and global­scale levels. Examples include locally dominant winds, air masses, fronts, ocean currents, Earth’s rotation around the sun, and latitude. Each discussion of a climate driver has an ‘example/exploration’ segment, where the information is applied to several cities. The module also examines a scheme for classifying the world’s climate zones, the sources and uses of climate information, and some of its limitations. The module is intended for a wide range of users, from forecasters and scientists to those in business and government as well as the general public—in short, anyone interested in learning about climatology. Some familiarity with basic meteorology is useful although not required.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 22 Introduction to Ocean Models Oceans cover over 70% of the surface of the earth, yet many details of their workings are not fully understood. To better understand and forecast the state of the ocean, we rely on numerical ocean models. Ocean models combine observations and physics to predict the ocean temperature, salinity, and currents at any time and any place across the ocean basins. This module will discuss what goes into numerical ocean models, including model physics, coordinate systems, parameterization, initialization, and boundary conditions. Introduction to Statistics for Climatology The effective use of climate data and products requires an understanding of what the statistical parameters mean and which parameters best summarize the data for particular climate variables. This module addresses both concerns, taking a two­pronged approach: 1) focusing on the statistical parameters (mean, median, mode, extreme values, percent frequency of occurrence and time, range, standard deviation, and data anomalies), defining what they mean and how they are calculated using climate data as examples, and 2) focusing on weather and climate variables, identifying the statistical parameters that best represent each one. The module concludes with a discussion of data quality and its impact on weather and climate products. The module is intended for forecasters and others interested in improving their understanding of the basic statistics used in climate products so they can make better use of climatology products for planning and operational purposes. Basic knowledge of meteorology is beneficial although not required. This module is part of COMET’s Climatology for Forecasters series. Introduction to Tropical Meteorology, Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction, is the first chapter to be published in the Version 2.0 format of the online textbook, Introduction to Tropical Meteorology. The chapter introduces learners to tropical meteorology including various methods of defining the tropics. An overview of energy balance and the global climate system is presented. The role of the tropics in the global energy and momentum balance is presented. Atmospheric structure of temperature and humidity are discussed in terms of latitudinal variability. Pressure ranges and scales of atmospheric motion in the tropics are reviewed. Seasonal and geographic distribution and the diurnal cycle of surface temperature and the influencing factors are examined in detail. Finally, we review tropical air masses and tropical climates. Introduction to Tropical Meteorology, Chapter 5: Tropical Variability Chapter 5, Tropical Variability, is the fourth published chapter of the online textbook, Introduction to Tropical Meteorology. This chapter presents an overview of the major cycles dominating intraseasonal and interannual variability in the tropics. Characteristic atmospheric and oceanic patterns for each oscillation are presented and methods for tracking the evolution of these cycles are described. Observations and conceptual models of equatorial waves are presented. Classical solutions for equatorial waves are outlined and the effects of moisture on the expression of these waves are discussed. Since the tropics are not an isolated region of the globe, the impacts of these cycles on higher latitudes are also explored. In view of the recent interest on the effects of long­term climate variability, the potential role of multidecadal oscillations in modulating these shorter cycles is discussed. Jason­2: Using Satellite Altimetry to Monitor the Ocean Altimeters onboard satellites such as Jason­2 measure sea surface height and other characteristics of the ocean surface. These characteristics are linked to underlying processes and structures, making altimetry data useful for understanding the full depth of the global ocean. This 75­minute module explores major discoveries made possible by altimetry data in oceanography, marine meteorology, the marine geosciences, climate studies, the cryosphere, and hydrology. For example, altimeters have played a vital role in detecting and monitoring sea level rise and its relation to
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 23 climate change. The module also describes many of the practical applications of altimetry data, for example, in hurricane forecasting and monitoring climate events such as ENSO. Finally, the module describes Jason­2, which was launched in 2008, its products and services, and the Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM), of which it is a part. OSTM is a collaboration between EUMETSAT and CNES (Europe) and NOAA and NASA (United States). The Madden­Julian Oscillation Life Cycle This Webcast, is an expert lecture by Dr. Roland Madden, where he describes the important climate­ moderating feature, the Madden­Julian oscillation which is known more commonly as the MJO. The Webcast is presented in five sections and covers the identification and variability of the MJO. He also introduces some of the many global weather impacts that are associated with MJO occurrences. A forecaster who attended the original classroom presentation had the following to say…“This [lecture] was really the best yet! And hearing it from the "father" of the MJO made it so much better. It was so easy for me to empirically relate my years of observing the weather to this cycle. I am convinced this is where we can make the money in the improvement of 2 to 4 week forecasts in the next several years.” Should Synopticians Worry About Climate? This lecture was presented during the ongoing workshops on Climate Variability that are part of the NWS Climate Professional Development Series. During the presentation, Dr. Sardeshmukh presents statistical evidence that demonstrates the impact that climate variability has on weather. The Webcast has an accompanying bibliography and climate glossary. The Science of Global Climate Change and Human Influences This Webcast, recorded in 2003, is an expert lecture by Dr. Kevin Trenberth of NCAR’s Climate and Global Dynamics division. The presentation includes evidence that the atmosphere is changing, discussions on global energy flows and human factors contributing to change, and concludes with predictions for the future. This version of the presentation has enhanced graphics and links to additional resources. One of the students who attended the original classroom presentation on Climate Change commented that, “Kevin thoroughly discussed global warming and what it really is. I now have a better understanding of the problem.” The Role of the MJO in Oceanic and Atmospheric Variability This Webcast, presented by Dr. Klaus Weickmann of NOAA/CIRES/Climate Diagnostic Center, explores the role that the Madden­Julian Oscillation (MJO) plays in global climate variability. The expert lecture is divided into five sections, which give a short overview of the phenomenon, discuss its relationship with sea surface temperatures, compares composite MJO events to individual occurrences, and touches on the ability of models to predict MJO events. Understanding Drought This webcast provides an introduction to drought. It presents the measures and scales of drought and how drought is monitored. It also covers how drought is predicted, the impacts of drought, and provides information about drought­related resources. This content serves as a foundation to learning more about climate variability and operational climate services and prepares users for the national implementation of NIDIS. This module was last updated on Sept 28, 2009. Using Climatological Products in Common Operations This module answers the question, "How can climate data and products from the U.S. Air Force’s climate division (the 14th Weather Squadron) assist Department of Defense (DoD) forecasters in preparing for assignments to new locations and handling requests for specific information?" The 14th Weather Squadron is the DoD’s largest source of climatological data and analysis products and
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 24 offers a standard suite of climate analysis products that are available both as preformatted text and graphics and, increasingly, as customizable products with user­defined variables. This module teaches forecasters, especially those in the U.S. DoD, how to understand and use these data and products in their jobs. This is especially important in areas of the world with little available weather information, where climatology provides the best, if not only, way of determining likely weather conditions to assist in planning and operations. The module contains five scenarios that model using the Climate Analysis Process (CAP). Volcanic Ash: Impacts to Aviation, Climate, Maritime Operations, and Society This module provides information on the impacts of an explosive volcanic eruption to aviation, climate, maritime operations and society. The threats, or impacts, from an eruption vary depending on the eruption style, duration and proximity­­both in distance and altitude­­to the volcano. As you learned earlier, an eruption may bring multiple hazards to urban and rural areas through:
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Lahars (mudflows) and floods
Lava­flow inundation
Pyroclastic flows and surge
Volcanic ash and bomb fallout
Volcanic gases In this module, we'll take a closer look at the impacts that volcanic eruptions, ash, and gases have on Aviation, Climate, Maritime operations, and Society.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 25 Annex II Statistics in Applied Climatology Concept note: A new modular structure for courses in applied climatology Roger Stern, Statistical Services Centre, University of Reading – May 1 st 2013 Background The Statistical Services Centre (SSC) in Reading University has been offering training courses on the analysis of climatic data for many years. Until about 2000 they were offered in Reading University. Frome then until about 2009 they were offered on a regional basis through IMTR (Kenya) and AGRHYMET (Niger). Versions of the training were also given and many other places, e.g. CIMH in Barbados for the West Indies. The training is called SIAC (Statistics in Applied Climatology). From 2005 a version of the training was also provided through e­learning. The preparation of these materials was funded by the Met Office UK and by DFID. This was called e­SIAC. Following the introduction of e­SIAC, the regional training in Kenya was now restricted to those who had already taken the e­learning course. It was therefore reduced to a 3 or 4­week course and called f­SIAC (“f” for face­to­face). The main audience for these courses was staff from the National Meteorological Services (NMSs). The courses provided statistical skills to enable NMS staff to add value to their historical climatic records. This could change the emphasis in their services from one of marketing their primary (e.g. daily) data, to one of marketing their skills. For NMSs that are decentralizing , this is also suitable training for staff based in the individual stations as well as those from other organizations, who also collect climatic data, and would like to make use of the data themselves. Recently the training has expanded further and is now targeted also towards the many potential users of the climatic data. This enables those demanding the data (and analyses) to be able to better specify their needs. One particular group of users is the national agricultural extension services and/or farmers organizations who link directly with farmers and act on their behalf. There are many others. The proposal We propose to expand and update the materials that have been used in both the e­learning and the face­to­face training courses. The new materials will be developed in a Modular structure to enable their easy integration into current training courses, both by Reading, and by many other organizations who also offer (or would like to offer) training in this area. Each Module is divided into 10 topics, with each topic corresponding to about one day of work. Hence each Module corresponds to about 2 weeks of full­time work, which is often used as a 10­credit course. The current e­SIAC is given only through Reading. The second part of this proposal is to provide a wide range of options to enable and promote the “scaling­out” of the resources, so they can be provided by regional and national organizations anywhere in the world. The key to the scaling out is that we propose the components of the new training resources will be developed as Open Educational Resources (OERs). The resources can therefore be shared and used freely by training organizations throughout the world. They would be free to choose to use them as the basis for their own e­learning, or for face­to­ face training or as a mixture (blended learning). The way the new materials are used at Reading would therefore represent one way of utilizing the OERs, with other organizations able to decide on the most appropriate uses for their own purposes.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 26 These training organizations may also adapt (including translate) the training materials as they see fit. The only restrictions are that the adapted materials must also be freely distributed as OERs, and they must be used for educational and not for business purposes. The full use of these training materials would require the training organization to make use of a learning management system (LMS). This is sometimes called a Course Management System (CMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The courses prepared from the Open Educational Resources by the SSC will use the Moodle (https://moodle.org/) system, which is free open source software, but others can be used. As with e­SIAC, the training materials will emphasize modern learning approaches. In particular they will provide resources that promote mastery of concepts, interaction by participants, and also individualized feedback. There are four aspects that we believe are original in this proposal. The original e­learning materials covered a relatively brief introduction, and one block in the widespread use of the methods of analysis of the climatic data was the funds still needed for the face­to­face component. This limited the number of participants. The courses usually involved someone from Reading. The first aspect therefore is the provision of the resources as OERs, so they can be used by any organization that finds they improve their training in this area. The second aspect is the wide range of options we are investigating for the “scaling­out” of the methods covered in the training resources. They are listed on page 4. We have continually had positive feedback on the value of the original e­SIAC courses1 2 . Separately from this proposal, we are in the process of developing an improved and updated version of this Module. We claim that the materials provided in both e­SIAC and in the other courses and materials in this proposal are both comprehensive and imaginative. And they are largely in an area, i.e. statistics, that has proved difficult for many users, in the past. Finally, the proposed materials build on our experience and our work in related areas over the past seven years, and this enables us to propose relatively modest funding. In particular the three initial Modules are all being developed through funding by the Rockefeller foundation, the Met Office UK and the SSC itself. Hence, for these modules, this proposal is only concerned with the steps required for their provision as OERs and hence for the “scaling­out”. The next sections discuss first the proposed modules and then the ideas for scaling­out the materials. The Modules Within the system at Reading we propose to develop three Modules at each of three “levels”. There would initially be a total of six training modules and three that are associated with project work. Level 1: At this first level we propose three Modules that can be taken in any order. Module 1: Climate science Module 2: Statistics Made Simple (SMS) Module 3: Introduction to Statistics in Applied Climatology (SIAC) 2 In the first course of 2013 of e­siac, only 3 participants from agricultural research in Tanzania took the course, despite over 30 being invited. They were sufficiently impressed, that they then promoted the course to their colleagues. In the past 3 weeks, over 40 from Ag. Research and Extension and from Tanzania Met Authority have written individually to request to take the next run.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 27 Level 2: The Level 2 Modules have some level 1 Modules as pre­requisites, though alternatively, staff may already have the skills covered in the Level 1 Modules. Module 1: Getting and exploring climatic data Module 2: Introduction to Statistical Modeling of climatic data Module 3: Simulation modeling These are the six proposed training Modules. Each module is divided into 10 topics. Hence each topic is a day of work. This is not a day plus “homework”, it is a day overall, including the estimated time doing exercise etc. It is a day of work for the “average” participant. Perhaps the fastest/brightest can do the work in half­a­day, while those who are not well prepared, or who work more slowly need 1.5 or even 2 days. That is one of the benefits of e­leaning. Each Topic will include an introductory (one page) note that provides the reason for the topic, the objectives and a brief summary of the content and the tasks. In our existing e­learning courses, each topic also included one or two “flash” presentations. These took the place of a lecture. These will remain but in our new materials this is likely to become an interactive video2. There could then be a mastery quiz. This could be followed by an exercise quiz that is “handed in”, or a requirement to use a forum or some reading, that is followed by a quiz. There may be a formal assignment. Most of these components will also constitute the OERs 3 Level 1 / 2: The proposed project Modules are different, because they are all associated with project work. These modules therefore also provide individual or group supervisory support as participants analyze data from their own country. We have termed them “Level 1 / 2”, because the “project” work, where participants would usually process data from their own country, can start at any time, during the sequence, though usually after at least one of the Level 1 Modules. Module 1: Starting the project Module 2: Supervision during the project Module 3: Writing the project report These Project Modules do not therefore each have the ten topics that are associated with the training modules. There will be some training in Module 1 on the importance of a good project proposal and in Module three on the skills needed to write a good report or thesis. In addition, the volume of work for the participant will depend on the time­scale of their project. These could be an MSc (or other assessed) project, or official consultancy work that the participant has to undertake, and for which they would welcome some support. Scaling out Many organizations provide training in statistics, and students often find it to be a subject they dislike. We expect the provision of the resources used in these courses can enable these organizations to provide improved training. We do not seek to impose any particular way the resources should be used. Instead we propose to provide a range of options. These are all based on the provision of the resources used as Open Educational Resources. What we seek to provide is what might be called “Options by Context”. We describe, below, a number of options for the use of these materials, with the context being the current training and perceived needs by staff in the organizations that might use the materials. 3 This could be a powerpoint presentation with audio, or a demonstration of software with screen shots, or a video with someone talking. It is interactive, because there will be points where the participant has to become involved.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 28 Our argument is that the provision of the OERs is necessary, but not enough on its own. We therefore describe seven options to promote the use of these materials. They are not mutually exclusive: 1) Involve existing and potential partners in the development of the materials and the scaling­out process. The materials are much more likely to be used by those who have some ownership in the development process. We will involve some partners from Kenya and elsewhere, from the start and expect others to become involved during the project. 2) Accreditation. We will work to establish some or all the modules as accredited courses at Reading University. We will also work with partners to support the accreditation of their own implementation. 3) Description of uses of the OERs. Within the OERs we will also provide documents that describe how we have used these materials in both face­to­face and in e­learning courses. We hope that users will add to these documents in the future, by describing how they have used the OERs. 4) Provision of a MOOC and a mini­MOOC. MOOC stands for “Massive Open Online Course”. It is a recent development and is potentially very exciting. A MOOC is free to take. It usually has many participants (can be more than 1000). It has a defined timetable, e.g. Five Topics opened weekly. It includes minimal facilitation and usually also includes peer and self assessment of exercises. We propose to develop and give one MOOC and also one mini­MOOC. 5) Provision of self­study courses. Some of the OERs could be used as self­study materials. These are (usually short) courses that can be taken at any time. They are free to take, but do not provide interaction with other participants (i.e. no discussion forums), nor do they include any facilitation by the host institute, i.e. exercises that require (human) marking cannot be included. We propose to develop at least one self­study course. 6) Training of trainers workshops. We propose a sequence of two training of trainer’s workshops. This sequence is designed for trainers who wish to make use of these resources in their own courses. They may be staff, responsible for training from a National Met Service (NMS), or from a regional centre. Or they may be staff from an institute of higher education. These workshops are for training trainers in how to deliver these and other materials. They are not designed for those who wish to learn the actual subject. That can be done by taking the courses themselves. This training of trainers is proposed to be of two phases. The first phase consists of an e­learning component, followed by a short (one or two week) workshop. This first phase shows how the materials can be used, within the environment of a learning management system, and also some simple ways they can be edited. If organizations do not currently have their own learning management system, then the SSC will offer free hosting on a small scale on its own system. It is possible that WMO (or UKMO) will be also prepared to provide this support. The first phase would not cover more complex editing of the resources, like producing videos or new audios, etc. That would be covered at phase 2 and would only be for those who have acquired their own equipment. Interaction with the trainers between the two face­to­face workshops would also determine who could come for the second one. 7) Integration of these materials within existing courses. We propose a survey, either through a consultancy, or through questionnaires of the existing training in this area, together with ideas for use of these resources. This would be best not done by the SSC, or by Reading University. It could be through the WMO training division. This could be combined with a critical assessment of the resources, and should therefore be by a group that is independent of the production.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 29 Deliverables from the project We propose a two year project and consider the deliverables separately in each year. In Year 1 the first deliverable will be the training Modules in e­learning format, as we use them at Reading. This does not require any funds through WMO, because we have separate funding for the production of each of the three Modules that we propose. This funding is as follows: The materials for the Climate Science Module are being produced by a consortium of seven Universities in East Africa, with coordination through the Walker Institute, Reading University. This is funded by the Rockefeller foundation and the funds are sufficient to produce materials both for face­ to­face and for e­learning. We expect this to be completed by December 2013. The Statistics Made Simple Module was developed by the Statistical Services Centre in 2010 in a shortened form. It was based on an earlier face­to­face course. The SSC has agreed to fund its expansion to the 10­topic format. We plan to complete this work by September 2013. The e_SIAC course already exists, but needs considerable changes to put it into the 10­topic format. This will use just four of the original eight topics, with new materials, from the face­to­face training courses being added. The UK Met Office has agreed to fund this development. We plan to complete this work by July 2013. We will also be working in Reading to have these courses accredited and incorpororated into MSc training courses at Reading. The only funding required for the actual development of the courses above is to enable us to involve partners in the generation and scaling­out of these materials. In year 1 we also plan to specify the Materials needed for the Levels 2 and 3 Modules in detail, and this will require funding. The main funds in year 1 will, however, be for the scaling­out activities. We also need to develop the structure of the OERs and to deliver them for the materials used in the Level 1 Modules. We propose to take part of e­SIAC, concerned with the provision of tailored products, and develop that as a self­study course. We propose to turn, at least part of the Climate Science Module into a MOOC and to deliver it in this form. Reading University has joined a consortium called FutureLearn, (http://futurelearn.com/) which is led by the Open University, UK, and it will probably be delivered within this environment. We are also looking at other possibilities, for example WEPS (https://myweps.com/moodle/). We would also like to develop a mini­MOOC, possibly concerned with the provision of climatic data. A mini­MOOC is equivalent to one or two Topics. We propose to initiate the training of trainer’s workshops and to run the first of these during Year 1 of the project. In Year 2 the first deliverable will be the Modules for Levels 2 and the project Modules. The second will be the associated OERs with their supporting materials. The third will be the completion of the training of trainer’s sequence, together with reports concerning the adoption of the materials. The fourth will be some combination of further MOOCs, or mini­MOOCs or self­study materials, whichever is deemed to be most effective for the scaling­out process.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 30 Proposed Budget The proposed budget is provided separately for the two years. It would be possible to fund just the first year initially. Within the budget we have itemized the different options for scaling out separately, because a reduced budget could be accommodated by omitting some of these options. Proposed budget for year Cost ($000) 1: Item Preparation of level 1 0 materials Preparation as OERs Preparation of self­learning Construction of MOOC Construction of mini­MOOC Training of trainers 27 workshop Comment Already funded 15 6 20 10 Covers SSC costs only. Participant’s costs to be funded separately Funds to include partners Preparation for Year 2 Modules Survey costs 0 25 34 Administration Publicity and communications Equipment and software Server space Contingencies Total 3 5 3 3 15 166
To be funded separately. This is not for SSC CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 31 Annex III DEVELOPING A RESOURCE FOR TEACHING GIS WITHIN THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES CURRICULUM A Synopsis of a Proposed Collaboration J. Greg Dobson University of North Carolina at Asheville Dr Olga Wilhelmi, Jennifer Boehnert, and Kevin Sampson National Center for Atmospheric Research June 2013 Inquiry Contact: J. Greg Dobson, One University Heights, UNC Asheville, Asheville, NC 28804 | 828­251­6973 | [email protected] In recent years, geographic information systems (GIS) and other geospatial technologies have become increasingly important to the atmospheric sciences community, including weather, climate, and hydrometeorology, as well as for societal impact studies. Their use has expanded greatly across both the private and public sectors, including such weather industry organizations as NOAA, NCAR, and The Weather Channel, among many others. Over the last five years, the AMS Annual Meeting has featured special sessions highlighting GIS applications for the atmospheric sciences community. NCAR has hosted multiple specialized workshops furthering this GIS and atmospheric science integration. Esri has supported a Special Interest Group catering to the GIS needs of atmospheric sciences as well as needs of GIS professionals interested in weather and climate data. Meteorologists, for example, within the NOAA National Weather Service have begun using GIS and geospatial technologies for a variety of applications, including data integration, situational awareness, decision support, and information dissemination. As this use and application of GIS and other geospatial technologies continues to expand in the atmospheric sciences sector, especially within NOAA and its many weather and climate programs, the need to introduce GIS to atmospheric science degree­seeking students has become increasingly important. Additionally, meteorologists, climatologists, and other atmospheric science professionals are seeking more exposure to and training in these spatial technologies. However, there is a noticeable lack of not only specific courses that teach the integration of GIS with atmospheric science, but perhaps more importantly the resources, such as lab manuals or published exercises, which demonstrate these concepts. Within our nation’s academic meteorology and other atmospheric science­related departments specifically, very few courses exist that combine the teaching of GIS and geospatial technologies with a weather and climate focus. For the ones that do exist, the published teaching and hand­on resources are limited. Most introductory GIS courses offered within the higher education curriculum are often found within geography and environmental science­related programs, typically offered at the sophomore level. These courses tend to focus on basic GIS principles and theory, through class lecture and lab exercise components. Additionally, the focus of these courses often is to allow students to become proficient with a GIS software platform, typically Esri’s ArcGIS for Desktop software. While these courses can provide a great introduction to the GIS and geospatial fields, their generic and non­ specific atmospheric content can be unattractive to atmospheric degree seeking students and other weather and climate professionals. Moreover, advanced GIS topics including spatial data analysis and 3D visualization, among others, topics which are very relevant to atmospheric applications, are typically reserved for more advanced GIS courses. Usually these advanced topics do not appear until a second or third GIS course, and perhaps are only offered as graduate level courses in some departments. As previously stated, there currently are very few resources available specifically for teaching GIS within the atmospheric sciences curriculum, or in other venues such as workshops or training colloquia. The resources that are available are limited, often consisting of single lab exercises. There
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 32 are no complete published lab manuals or exercise packets for teaching this integrated, comprehensive material. This is a limiting factor potentially preventing such courses from being developed and offered within atmospheric programs. While there are a multitude of texts and lab manual resources available for teaching generic introduction to GIS courses, the need is to provide meteorology and climatology majors and professional atmospheric scientists with a captivating and meaningful set of real­world weather and climate exercises that demonstrate GIS and geospatial concepts along with key fundamental analytical skills. Clearly there is a demand to provide training opportunities that combine GIS and geospatial technologies with atmospheric applications, and perhaps more importantly, there is a need to develop training resources such as lab manuals that can be used in the classroom or workshop environment, or by individuals seeking to learn the content on their own. Additionally, such resources are critical for meteorology and other atmospheric science professors whom may have only had little or no training in GIS and geospatial technologies, but are certainly familiar with weather and climate concepts and simply want to teach these new technologies within their own domain. Therefore, the goal of this collaborative and integrated effort is to provide a complete lab manual resource that would offer a series of exercises that demonstrate how GIS and geospatial technologies can be utilized in atmospheric science applications, again, including weather, climate, hydrometeorology, and societal impacts. The target audience of this resource would be 1) atmospheric science degree­seeking students at the higher education level, 2) atmospheric science professionals enrolled in specialized workshops or training colloquia, and 3) atmospheric science professionals in a self­paced learning environment. Additionally, this lab manual would provide atmospheric science professors with little or no prior GIS experience the opportunity to become familiar enough with GIS and geospatial technologies to offer a course to their students. The proposed “GIS for Atmospheric Science” lab manual would be unique in its design by being separated into three primary sections: Basic GIS Fundamentals, Intermediate GIS, and Advanced GIS Topics. Each section would consist of multiple chapters, with each chapter containing a written introduction to the topic and web links to other resources for further reading, as well as hands­on exercises. The first section, Basic GIS Fundamentals, would be a core section consisting of five chronologically ordered chapters that introduce basic GIS concepts. This section would also rely on a set of core GIS, atmospheric science, and socio­economic datasets for learning GIS tools. The second and third sections, consisting of intermediate and advanced GIS topics, would be designed such that their chapters could be completed in any order, specifically allowing course professors and workshop instructors the opportunity to focus on the chapters and content that they felt would be most appropriate to offer in the given amount of time they had to teach the content (i.e. 15 week semester, 10 week quarter, one or multiple day workshop). Intermediate and advanced topics would include such content as GIS analysis, spatial and raster analysis, using Python for scripting and automation, working with multi­dimensional data, 3D analysis and visualization, web mapping, trends in GIS, Google applications, and open source software. We propose to develop this lab manual, which would be unique in that there are no other GIS lab manuals that combine the basic, intermediate, and advanced topics that this lab manual would cover, in a module­like structure. The idea is to provide an overview of GIS applications for atmospheric sciences and not just train students in the use of a particular software. Finally, all data used in the lab exercises would consist of weather, climate, hydrologic, and socio­economic data, making the content not only interesting but very relevant to atmospheric science majors and professionals. The manual itself and all of the course data will be distributed to the academic community free of charge (i.e. download from the web) or at a nominal fee, if a hard­bound copy is desired. Depending on the resources available, multi­media options will be explored to even further an enhanced learning experience. By offering an integrated teaching resource that demonstrates GIS capabilities for weather, climate, hydrometeorology, and societal impact applications, atmospheric science students and professionals will be better equipped to learn this essential spatial technology.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 33 Annex IV Competency Statement for Aeronautical Meteorological Forecaster Top level statements included in the WMO Technical Regulations An Aeronautical Meteorological Forecaster, A. For the area and airspace of responsibility, B. In consideration of the impact of meteorological phenomena and parameters on aviation operations, and C. In compliance with aviation user requirements, international regulations, local procedures and priorities, Should, 4 in taking into account conditions A to C, have successfully completed the BIP­M 5 and should 6 be able to: 1. Analyse and monitor continuously the weather situation; 2. Forecast aeronautical meteorological phenomena and parameters; 3. Warn of hazardous phenomena; 4. Ensure the quality of meteorological information and services; and 5. Communicate meteorological information to internal and external users. For each of these competence statements there is an expanded statement (commonly known as second level competencies) as below. For competence statements for climate services personnel there will be much more variation in roles and tasks so the competence statements should not be targeted at individuals. See the training competency statements. The second level statements are not part of the Technical Regulations. 1. ANALYSE AND MONITOR CONTINUOUSLY THE WEATHER SITUATION Competency description Observations and forecasts of weather parameters and significant weather phenomena are continuously monitored to determine the need for issuance, cancellation or amendment/update of forecasts and warnings according to documented thresholds and regulations. Performance criteria 1. Analyse and diagnose 7 the weather situation as required in forecast and warning preparation. 2. Monitor weather parameters and evolving significant weather phenomena and validate current forecasts and warnings based on these parameters. 3. Appraise the need for amendments to forecasts and updates of warnings against documented criteria and thresholds. 4 ‘Should’ to become ‘shall’ in a November 2013 amendment of WMO­No. 49, Volume I As defined in the revised WMO­No. 49, Volume I 6 ‘Should’ to become ‘shall’ in a November 2013 amendment of WMO­No. 49, Volume I 7 "Analysis" may be defined as answering the question "what is happening?", and "diagnosis" as answering "why is it happening?"
5 CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 34 Annex V Climate services competencies The provision of climate services within a National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (NMHS) or related services might be accomplished by a variety of skilled personnel, including meteorologists, geographers, meteorological technicians, statisticians, climatologists or climatological technicians, and IT personnel. Personnel in third­party organizations (e.g. universities, international and regional institutions and centres, and private­sector companies) and other providers might also supply products and information for the national climate service(s). This document sets out a competency framework for personnel involved in the provision of climate services, but it is not necessary that each person has the full set of competencies. However, within the following conditions, which will be different for each organization, it is expected that any institution providing climate services will have staff members somewhere within the organization who together cover all the competencies. The Performance Criteria and Knowledge Requirements that support the competencies should be customized based on the particular context of an organization. However the general criteria and requirements provided here will apply in most circumstances. Application conditions A. The organizational context, priorities and stakeholder requirements; B. The way in which internal and external personnel are used to provide climate services; C. The available resources (financial, human, technological, and facilities) and capabilities, and organisational structures, policies and procedures; D. National and institutional legislation, rules and procedures. Competencies 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Collect, quality control and manage climate datasets; Derive products from climate data; Interpret climate products, model output and produce information from them; Ensure the quality of climate information and services; Communicate climatological information to users. Competency 1: Collect, quality control, and manage climate datasets Competency description Climate data, metadata and climate data products are gathered and stored in datasets, quality controlled and assessed for homogeneity. Performance criteria
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Data are collected, missing data or suspect data tagged and recovered and/or corrected where possible;
Metadata is collected and stored;
Past data are rescued and processed for current application in developing historical climate data sets;
Data quality control processes used to identify suspect data;
Data and products are archived and documented for future applications;
Climate data homogeneity is assessed and inhomogeneous data are adjusted, when possible.
CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 35 Knowledge requirements
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Data and metadata collection systems and communication processes
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Technologies required to support data quality control and archiving
Observation instruments and their limitations
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Archival techniques. Personnel who should demonstrate competency
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Staff responsible for the collection of climate data and products
Staff responsible for quality control processes
Staff responsible for data archiving and retrieval. CCl­ET­SCBCS/Doc.3(b), p. 36 Figure 2: Job families for climate service personnel (from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology) Climate Data Services Climate Climate Services Monitoring & Prediction Climate Services Science Climate Services Science Climate Services Operations Climate Services Major Projects Climate Information Climate Management Operations Climate Services Liaison Climate Data Management Records Management Climate Management Climate Management Major Projects Climate Data Management Climate Data Management Digitisation Climate Data Management Systems Development and Monitoring Climate Data Management Quality Control