The GEO User Requirements Approach to Achieving Societal Benefits Gary J. Foley, USA Ellsworth LeDrew, IEEE Maria Dalla Costa, Italy Stuart Salter, Canada

Terms of Reference- GEO User Interface Committee Goal To engage users in the development and implementation of a sustained GEOSS that provides the data and information required within and among the nine societal benefit areas as specified by user groups on national, regional and global scales Also a specific goal to address cross-cutting issues and oversee the Communities of Practice (CPs), ensuring continuity & avoiding duplication.

UIC Objectives Enable GEO to address in a systematic, targeted, focused and comprehensive way the needs and concerns of a broad range of user communities in developing and developed countries, across issues and trans-disciplinary needs, with a particular focus on fostering new or less organized communities. Enable GEO, in the implementation of GEOSS, to engage a continuum of users, from producers to the final beneficiaries of the data and information Facilitate linkages and partnerships between established CPs and new user groups or organizations interested in collaborating.

The GEOSS Architecture Organize this side of the Users and Scientific Communities Served By GEOSS Common Approaches Systems within their Mandates UIC Goal Organize this side of the GEOSS Architecture

GEO TASK US-06-01 Establish a GEO process for identifying critical Earth observation priorities common to many GEOSS societal benefit areas, involving scientific and technical experts, taking account of socio-economic factors, and building on the results of existing systems’ requirements development processes.

UIC Meeting August, 2007 A Process for TASK US-06-01 The User Requirements Gathering Processes Presentation by Dr. Lawrence Friedl User Needs and System Performance Utility (UNSPU) Proposed Functional Specifications Presentation by Dr. Hans-Peter Plag

The User Requirements Gathering Processes A 2-year timeline of US-06-01 activities . How an “Advisory Group” and an “Analyst” will work together to develop the priorities within each SBA. The analyst will be the primary coordinator and organizer of the activity to meet the schedules, and will interact with and utilize the Advisory Group for each SBA. UIC’s Refined Process in nine steps. Explanation that the process “harvests” observation needs expressed in existing documents.

The Nine Steps for US-06-01 1: For each SBA, UIC Members identify Advisory Groups & Analysts who identify/develop the following 2: Scope of topics for the current priority-setting activity 3: Existing documents on observation priorities 4: Analytic methods and priority-setting criteria 5: Priority observational needs from documents & interviews 6: Combine the information & develop a preliminary priorities report 7: Gather feedback on the preliminary report 8: Perform any additional analysis 9: Complete the report on Earth observation priorities

UNSPU Proposed Functional Specifications “WHY?” – The Motivation from 10-Year-Implementation Plan Directions “HOW?” – Some Functional Specifications “WHAT?” – A User-focused Architecture “WHO?” – Filling the database, which could be provider-based, science-based or user-based.

“HOW?” Some Functional Specifications The UNSPU shall have the following database components: Users: registry of GEOSS users groups and classes; Applications: registry of applications using GEOSS observations and products; Quantities: registry of observation quantities and products covered by GEOSS Techniques: registry of observation techniques, including observed quantities, accuracy, resolution, latency, reliability, availability, and status (research, operational); URs: list of quantitative URs for GEOSS products and observations; Performance specifications: list of quantitative specifications of GEOSS performance in terms of observations; Systems: registry of GEOSS components and the techniques available to them; Observation: registry of observations available to GEOSS;

“WHAT?” A User-focused Architecture Earth system ● Quantities User Requirements: ● Users ● Applications ● Requirements ● User <-->Applications <--> = linkages ● Applications <--> Requirements System Performance: ● Techniques ● Observations ● Products Links: ● Observations, Products, and Requirements are linked through Quantities

User Requirements in Support of System Design Output Goal(s) Definition Process Definition Who How Based on What Design Definition Functional Specifications Architecture Collect Information (SBA Teams) Building Infrastructure (ADC) Database Common templates for all SBAs Overarching, cross-cutting Analysis Comparison of products and UR Gap identification Identification of unused data Output: Prioritization Critical observations

1st Round of US-06-01 Projects The CEOS project, the virtual constellation for atmospheric chemistry (CAC), working with UIC to engage users and identify capacity building needs – Leads: Ernie Hilsenrath, Jim Szykman. The IGOS-P Water/Coastal area which has already developed user requirements and plans to engage additional users following the CP model – Lead: Paul DiGiacomo. The early achievement, SERVIR, with special consideration of how to engage users as SERVIR moves to other regions of the world, such as South America & Africa – Lead: The “early achievement” biodiversity project – Lead: D. Muchoney. The new IGOS-P project, IGOL (Land) – Lead: Michael Brady??? Having the Water Cycle CoP interface with the architecture and data management process, another interaction UIC could build upon – lead: Rick Lawford.

THE SPECTRUM OF USERS Earth observations & earth system models From observations Requirements well known Earth observations & earth system models Data-to-Information archiving & services Decision support tool development Decision making Assessment of benefits Earth system scientists and modelers Earth system service providers Environmental process modelers & researchers Policy Makers & Environmental managers Public officials, advocacy groups and the Public To societal benefits Not aware that observational Requirements are even needed

How to Approach Users in the Lower Half of the Spectrum What do they do in their occupation and what does their organization do? Is there a web-site? How would they describe their more important activities? What are those of their organization? What decision-making are they involved in, either directly or indirectly by providing research or decision support tool development? What impact/benefits result or might potentially result from this decision-making, including the expected timeframe of the impact/benefits? Does the organization measure the impacts/benefits?

How to Approach Users in the Lower Half of the Spectrum Does your organization operate a system or systems that collect observational data, either in-situ or remotely sensed? Describe these systems. Are they part of a larger system? What observational data, geographical data, socio-economic data and/or models/forecasts, if any, are used in the decision-making or the indirect support to the decision-making What are the needs for additional information that could improve the decision-making or the indirect support to the decision-making? What regional or international working groups are you a member of or on the mailing list of?

An Example Community of Practice Air Quality & Health The Public

Registering User Types Air & Health CP Examples The Air Quality Managers Air Quality Index operations Air Quality monitoring and regulatory officials Regulated industrial groups Traffic planning & highway management groups Forest & agricultural fire management officials AQ researchers AQ management decision support tool developers The Public Health Officials Public Health outcome officials Hospital & Emergency Room management groups Epidemiologists Medical Practitioners treating sensitive sub-populations Asthma, birth defect and cardiovascular disease researchers

Registering User Applications Air & Health CP Examples Global NO2 monitoring by SCIAMACHY and ROSE model Air Quality Indices PREV'AIR air quality forecasts PROMOTE applications SMOG alerts for AQ episodes, EnviroFlash and APNEE TU Fusion of AOD with ground-based data to provide better PM2.5 information to AQ and health researchers The Public Health Air Surveillance Evaluation (PHASE) Project A Health-based AQ index Long-range Smoke alerts

With the UNUSP databases filled in. What’s Next Completion of the first round of user requirements gathering by August 2008. With the UNUSP databases filled in. Next meetings of the UIC Capetown, November, 2007 Ottawa, April, 2008 Geneva, June, 2008 Washington, September, 2008

The GEOSS Architecture Users and Scientific Communities Served By GEOSS Common Approaches Systems within their Mandates User Requirements Success begins and ends on this side of the architecture

Conclusions For success, The benefits of GEOSS will be realized globally by a broad range of user communities User needs will drive Architecture, Data Dissemination, Capacity Building, etc. Engagement of users in developing countries will maximize their opportunities to derive benefits from GEOSS.

Extra Slides

Communities of Practice A user-led community of stakeholders, from providers to the final beneficiaries of Earth observation data and information, with a common interest in specific aspects of societal benefits to be realized by GEOSS implementation. The Communities of Practice will be self organized and will include stakeholders required to achieve benefits.

Communities of Practice Objectives: Each CP will have slightly different objectives but of necessity there will be common objectives such as: To provide a forum for discussion and to identify, gather, and seek agreement on their particular user community requirements; To identify linkages and opportunities for collaborative strategic and technical projects. Coordinate the target delivery to enable the realization of societal benefits To advise the User Interface Committee, GEO Plenary and all other CPs on matters relating to their particular area of interest or societal benefit.

Development of GEO Communities of Practice The Current GEO Communities of Practice Air Quality and Health Energy: Coastal ecosystems: IGOS-P Forests Geohazards Water Cycle