climate working group 2008 retreat review of the draft noaa strategic plan for a national climate...

Climate Working Group 2008 Retreat

Review of the draft NOAA Strategic Plan for a

National Climate Service

Vail, ColoradoJune 23-26, 2008

Antonio J. BusalacchiAntonio J. BusalacchiESSIC, University of MarylandESSIC, University of MarylandChair, Climate Working Group Chair, Climate Working Group

NOAA SABNOAA SAB

Purpose: To assemble a representative group of experts and stakeholders that will examine a long-range view of what a climate service should be and provide a productive and critical assessment of the draft NOAA Strategic Plan for a National Climate Service and a National Climate Service partnership. The review is expected to result in a written critique and set of recommendations addressing:

• The purpose and justification of such a service• Expectations for the difference it will make in informed

decision making• How we design and invest in scientific programs• NOAA’s role and leadership capabilities• Critical dependencies that the Service should build in

order to succeed (e.g. what does the Service need from the US Climate Change Science Program/Global Change Research Program (CCSP/GCRP))

Review Team MembersReview Team Members Eric Barron, Chair, UT/Austin - NCAREric Barron, Chair, UT/Austin - NCAR Susan Avery, WHOISusan Avery, WHOI Virginia Burkett, USGSVirginia Burkett, USGS David Carter, Dept. Natural Resources, DelawareDavid Carter, Dept. Natural Resources, Delaware Heidi Cullen, Weather ChannelHeidi Cullen, Weather Channel Jim Kinter, COLAJim Kinter, COLA Ron McPherson, AMSRon McPherson, AMS Ed Miles, U. WashingtonEd Miles, U. Washington Kelly Redmond, DRIKelly Redmond, DRI David Robinson, RutgersDavid Robinson, Rutgers Peter Schultz, CCSPPeter Schultz, CCSP Chris West, OxfordChris West, Oxford

The Committee Commends NOAAThe Committee Commends NOAA

For its efforts to promote a national For its efforts to promote a national climate serviceclimate service

For its efforts within NOAA to For its efforts within NOAA to organize climate servicesorganize climate services

For recognizing the importance of For recognizing the importance of global change to societyglobal change to society

Message from Workshop Message from Workshop ParticipantsParticipants

The potential of a Climate Service is The potential of a Climate Service is enormousenormous

The scope of a truly successful The scope of a truly successful Climate Service exceeds that of the Climate Service exceeds that of the draft Strategic Plan draft Strategic Plan

Added noteAdded note

Review Committee ProposesReview Committee Proposes

Deliberate pro and con analysis of more Deliberate pro and con analysis of more than one model for the service – Report: than one model for the service – Report: Options for a national climate serviceOptions for a national climate service

Developed through tiger teams (5-8 Developed through tiger teams (5-8 people - diverse representation) and a people - diverse representation) and a coordinating committeecoordinating committee

Must address a series of principles based Must address a series of principles based on this workshopon this workshop

Suggested report formatSuggested report format

Options for a National Climate Options for a National Climate Service (address at least 4)Service (address at least 4)

Create a national climate service Create a national climate service federation that would determine how to federation that would determine how to deliver climate services to the nationdeliver climate services to the nation

Create a non-profit corporation with Create a non-profit corporation with federal sponsorshipfederal sponsorship

Create a national climate service with Create a national climate service with NOAA as the lead agency with NOAA as the lead agency with specifically defined partners andspecifically defined partners and

Expand and improve weather services Expand and improve weather services into weather and climate services within into weather and climate services within NOAANOAA

Examine Options Guided by a Examine Options Guided by a Series of Principles or ObjectivesSeries of Principles or Objectives

Serve to develop products and information that Serve to develop products and information that will promote a variety of societal benefits will promote a variety of societal benefits includingincluding• Improve prediction and projection capabilities on the Improve prediction and projection capabilities on the

time scales that contribute to societal benefittime scales that contribute to societal benefit• Promote a better understanding of how climate change Promote a better understanding of how climate change

and variability can promote an improved understanding and variability can promote an improved understanding of other environmental components of other environmental components

• Improve decision-making capabilities in particular Improve decision-making capabilities in particular sectors and regionssectors and regions

• Engender new natural and social science capabilities Engender new natural and social science capabilities that may have large expected and unexpected benefit, that may have large expected and unexpected benefit, and and

• Promote improved federal, state and regional adaptation Promote improved federal, state and regional adaptation and mitigation strategies and policies. and mitigation strategies and policies.

• Promote a more informed citizenryPromote a more informed citizenry


Reflect the full range of users, ranging Reflect the full range of users, ranging from those who can define their needs and from those who can define their needs and are ready to make use of specific are ready to make use of specific information to those who have limited information to those who have limited experience and for which the utility of experience and for which the utility of climate information is not yet clear. climate information is not yet clear.

Address the full range of time scales of Address the full range of time scales of interest to society without artificial or interest to society without artificial or arbitrary divisions based on days, weeks, arbitrary divisions based on days, weeks, months, years or decades.months, years or decades.


Promote the extension of climate Promote the extension of climate information to climate system information information to climate system information so that the fundamental problems so that the fundamental problems associated with the climate system and associated with the climate system and the diverse regions (e.g., the coastal the diverse regions (e.g., the coastal region) and sectors (e.g., ecosystems, region) and sectors (e.g., ecosystems, water, human health, agriculture, energy, water, human health, agriculture, energy, insurance, social and economic insurance, social and economic infrastructure, national security, etc.) can infrastructure, national security, etc.) can be addressed.be addressed.

Support problem-based assessments and Support problem-based assessments and improved decision-making that are on improved decision-making that are on global, regional, sectoral, and integrated global, regional, sectoral, and integrated scales.scales.


Create a science-based and research-supported Create a science-based and research-supported capability that ensures that information is capability that ensures that information is accessible, includes data, interpretation and accessible, includes data, interpretation and integration, promotes communication and integration, promotes communication and education, and promotes innovation and education, and promotes innovation and interaction.interaction.

Create an active community of interaction that Create an active community of interaction that promotes the 3-way involvement of researchers, promotes the 3-way involvement of researchers, users, and climate information providers that is users, and climate information providers that is engaged throughout the process from planning, engaged throughout the process from planning, execution, assessment, and improvement and execution, assessment, and improvement and involves the active use of the information within involves the active use of the information within the service.the service.


Recognize, incorporate and promote Recognize, incorporate and promote a “cascade” of roles extending from a “cascade” of roles extending from nationally-provided and vetted nationally-provided and vetted products, to defined roles of mission products, to defined roles of mission agencies, to a variety of interfaces agencies, to a variety of interfaces with users (including regional with users (including regional interfaces such as RISAs and state interfaces such as RISAs and state climatologists to the private sector), climatologists to the private sector), to the active engagement of a wide to the active engagement of a wide range of users.range of users.

Examine Options Guided by a Examine Options Guided by a Series of Principles or objectivesSeries of Principles or objectives

Recognize that there are significant Recognize that there are significant foundations required for a robust foundations required for a robust climate service underpinned byclimate service underpinned by• A robust climate observing systemA robust climate observing system• High spatial resolution climate system High spatial resolution climate system

prediction and projection models with prediction and projection models with demonstrated skilldemonstrated skill


Ensure that climate services are Ensure that climate services are integrated with active research with integrated with active research with feedbacks that will directly impact the feedbacks that will directly impact the generation of new climate service generation of new climate service capabilities and climate services, and in capabilities and climate services, and in turn, can directly influence research turn, can directly influence research directions. directions.

Include specific mechanisms to entrain Include specific mechanisms to entrain successful products into the operations successful products into the operations and capacity of the serviceand capacity of the service

Suggested Report FormatSuggested Report Format

1 page executive summary (elevator 1 page executive summary (elevator speech)speech)

Part 1. Why a climate service is Part 1. Why a climate service is neededneeded

Part 2. The definition of a climate Part 2. The definition of a climate service service

Part 3. How it should be implementedPart 3. How it should be implemented Part 4. How success will be judgedPart 4. How success will be judged

Part 1. Why a climate service is Part 1. Why a climate service is neededneeded

articulate the case for urgency and the potential benefits of articulate the case for urgency and the potential benefits of the climate service. the climate service.

6 to 10 compelling examples of how climate services will 6 to 10 compelling examples of how climate services will produce actionable outcomes (use workshop examples) produce actionable outcomes (use workshop examples)

Select examples with a range of benefits, with specific Select examples with a range of benefits, with specific examples of how the service will examples of how the service will • Improve prediction and projection capabilities on the time Improve prediction and projection capabilities on the time

scales that contribute to societal benefitscales that contribute to societal benefit• Promote a better understanding of how climate change and Promote a better understanding of how climate change and

variability that can promote an improved understanding of variability that can promote an improved understanding of other components of the environmentother components of the environment

• Change the decision-making capability in particular sectors, Change the decision-making capability in particular sectors, • Engender new science capabilities that may have large Engender new science capabilities that may have large

expected and unexpected benefit, and expected and unexpected benefit, and • Promote improved federal, state and regional adaptation and Promote improved federal, state and regional adaptation and

mitigation strategies and policies.mitigation strategies and policies.• Promote an informed citizenry Promote an informed citizenry

Part 3. How it should be Part 3. How it should be implemented.implemented.

Examine pros and cons of the four optionsExamine pros and cons of the four options Examination presented in context with the Examination presented in context with the

principles and objectives principles and objectives State a path forward from each of the four State a path forward from each of the four

options. options. Define an evolution from targeted user groups, in Define an evolution from targeted user groups, in

which effective interaction can promote which effective interaction can promote significant success to a broader and more significant success to a broader and more comprehensive program in which the potential is comprehensive program in which the potential is not yet fully recognized.not yet fully recognized.

Propose options for the organizational structure of Propose options for the organizational structure of the service including leadership, integration of the service including leadership, integration of partners, and budget authority.partners, and budget authority.

Part 4. How success will be Part 4. How success will be judged.judged.

The report should incorporate The report should incorporate defined success criteria for each defined success criteria for each option, including input, output, option, including input, output, outcome and impact metricsoutcome and impact metrics

CWG Request of the SABCWG Request of the SAB

Endorse the CWG Review Report on Endorse the CWG Review Report on the draft NOAA Strategic Plan for a the draft NOAA Strategic Plan for a National Climate ServiceNational Climate Service

Advise NOAA on the needed next Advise NOAA on the needed next steps toward the development of steps toward the development of climate services based on the climate services based on the recommendations of the CWG recommendations of the CWG Review Committee.Review Committee.

climate working group 2008 retreat review of the draft noaa strategic plan for a national climate...

Documents