REGIONAL INSTRUMENT CENTRE: REVIEW AND STRENGTHENING Dr Jérôme DUVERNOY

2 Background  RA I –Algiers (Algeria), –Cairo (Egypt), –Nairobi (Kenya), –Gaborone (Botswana)  RA II –Beijing (China) –Tsukuba (Japan)  RA III –Buenos Aires (Argentina)  RA IV –Georgetown (Barbados), –San-Jose (Costa Rica), –United States  RA V –Manila (Philippines) –Melbourne (Australia)  RA VI –Bratislava (Slovakia), –Ljubljana(Slovenia) –Trappes (France) Visited RIC ; Questionnaire

3 Terms of Reference  (a)To keep a set of meteorological standard instruments linked with recognized international or national standards and to log their performance and elements of comparison;

4 Terms of Reference  (b)To assist Members of the Region in calibrating their national standard meteorological instruments or in comparing them with the standard instruments mentioned in (c) below and to keep the Members of the Region and the WMO Secretariat informed on the available standard instruments;

5 Terms of Reference  (c)To be prepared to certify the instruments' conformity with the standards with reference to WMO recommendations;

6 Terms of Reference  (d)To organize instrument evaluations and comparisons, following standard methods;

7 Terms of Reference  (e)To advise Members of the Region concerned on their enquiries regarding instrument performance and the availability of relevant guidance material;

8 Terms of Reference  (f)To assist WMO in organizing regional symposia, seminars or workshops on the maintenance, calibration and comparison of meteorological instruments by providing laboratory and field installations, as well as assistance with regard to demonstration equipment and expert advice;

9 Terms of Reference  (g)To keep a library of books and periodicals on instrument theory and practices;

10 Terms of Reference  (h)To cooperate with other Regional Instrument Centers to provide standardization of meteorological instruments

11 Classification  Level 1 called Basic level is absolute minimum working level; –TOR a) and g) are satisfied  That means Traceability and Library

12 Classification  Level 2 called Promotion Level; –c) is also satisfied  That means: able to certify conformity

13 Classification  Level 3 called Standard Level; – b) and e) are satisfied  That means: assist and advise members (in term of instruments)

14 Classification  Level 4 called Extended Level; –d) and f) are completed  That means: organize evaluation and symposium…

15 Classification  Level 5 called Certified Level: –The RIC or the laboratory or the organization is certified or accredited by an external organization against ISO normalization (ISO 9001 or ISO )  That means: more than needed

16 Evaluation RIC CAPABILITIESLEVEL PressureTemperatureHumidit y SolarRai n WindOther RA I AlgiersYYOY-Y 2 -> 4 GaboroneYYO--- 2 CairoYYYY-- 2 -> 4 NairobiOYOO---1 RA II BeijingYYYYYY-3 (4) Tsukuba 4 RA III Buenos AiresYYYYYYUV(1 )-> 5 RA IV GeorgetownYOOO---1-> 3 (?) San-Jose---OY--1 United StatesY (?) 5 (?) RA V ManilaYY-Y-Y-2 MelbourneYYYYYYozone5 RA VI BratislavaYYY-YY-5 LjubljanaYYYYYYAir qualit y 4 (5) TrappesYYYYYYIR5

17 Evaluation

18 Strengthening Proposals:  quality  policy  operator  method  apparatus  laboratory  cooperation

19 Proposals  Laboratory –the necessary facilities –laboratory equipment –protected from direct solar radiation –stabilized temperature –Dust, fume, smoke should also be prohibited –The infrastructure should be adapted to the capabilities –and maintained That is including building, workspace, hardware, software…

20 Strengthening  Apparatus –set of meteorological standard instruments –establish traceability –The systems should be adapted to uncertainty needed –The systems should be adapted to instruments to be calibrated

21 Strengthening  Staff –qualified managerial –Technical staff with necessary experience

22 Strengthening  Method –technical procedures It is not necessary to develop its own technical revolutionary method Classical method should be clearly adapted by the staff to the apparatus

23 Strengthening  Policy –sent to WMO –communicate to the staff –more communication with Members of the Region the customer’s requirement should be determined and expressed. So meetings are organized between RIC and customers

24 Strengthening  Cooperation –inter-laboratory comparisons

25 Strengthening  Quality –improvement factor –external assessment

26 Conclusion  2 level structure of the RICs: –basic capabilities –full capabilities

27 Conclusion  Specialization: –e.g., temperature measuring instruments –better utilization of resources and capabilities within a Region

28 Conclusion  Traceability –national laboratory –another country –RIC

29 Conclusion  Quality control and quality assurance: –calibration laboratory guide –quality assurance –technical procedure

30 Conclusion  International standards –ISO 9001:2000 –ISO 17025

31 Conclusion  Regular assessment –A review of the RICs at each Regional Association session –Assessment by an external body (certification or accreditation body, WMO…)

32 Bibliography  [1] : CIMO Expert Team on Regional Instrument Centers, Quality Management Systems and Commercial Instrument Initiatives, Reduced Session 4-7 April RICs_Final%20Report.pdf  [2] : A first review of calibration devices acceptable for Metrology Laboratory. J. DUVERNOY, J, GORMAN, D. GROSELJ. TECO  [3] : International Organization for Standardization : Quality management systems – Requirements, ISO 9001 :2000

33 THE END THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION