1. WIGOS Pre-operational Phase
(Cg-17 & EC-68)
WIGOS Workshop for West Asia
2 - 3 November 2016
(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
Dr. Igor Zahumensky,
WIGOS Project Office, WMO Secretariat

2. Outline WIGOS Cg-17 & EC-68 (WIGOS pre-operational phase) Way forward
Benefits

3. Note: WIGOS is neither … nor …
What is WIGOS?
A framework for integrating WMO observing systems and WMO contributions to co-sponsored observing systems,
… for better planning, operating and delivering observations to meet user needs, to enable more efficient and effective service delivery.
WIGOS includes:
Global Observing System (GOS)
WMO Hydrological Observing System
observing components of:
Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW)
Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW)
(surface-based and space-based sub-systems)
Note: WIGOS is neither … nor …

4. WIGOS Framework At its simplest, the WIGOS framework is about:
Documenting and implementing standard and recommended practices and procedures in making and sharing observations,
Coordination, collaboration and building partnerships for efficiency and effectiveness,
Integration and interoperability in all senses,
Timely delivery of observations that meet user needs in a way they can use them,
Empowering and extending the reach of NMHSs, reinforcing their leadership and building partnerships with contributors & users, … … …

5. Key WIGOS Principle
Key principle of WIGOS - an inclusive approach to the integration and sharing of observations from a diverse range of observing systems, both NMHS and non-NMHS owned, into a composite set of observations to help Members improve their services across all WMO application areas.
Getting value from observations means addressing emerging data challenges and opportunities
Enhance NMHS leadership – standards, network design, network management on behalf of 3rd parties, access to WIS
Lifecycle management also for efficiency, timeliness of access, archiving, tiered network management

6. WIGOS “Integration” Integration across organizational boundaries
Between NMHS-owned and third-party data
Integration across application areas
One measurement, multiply uses
Integration across platforms and systems
Complementarity of surface- and space-based data
Integration in the design phase
Holistic approach to design of WIGOS; space components designed taking into account plans for surface components, and vice versa

7. Trusted & reliable Observations
Quality assured,
Quality controlled,
Well documented (i.e. WIGOS Metadata available),
Compatible,
Timely delivered,
Discoverable, accessible and usable,
Delivering value, i.e. meeting the needs of government, the community, industry and stakeholders

8. Resolution 23 (Cg-17) Pre-operational Phase of the WIGOS
Cg-17 decides that the development of WIGOS will continue during its pre- operational phase in the seventeenth financial period with the aim of having Members benefit from a fully operational WIGOS from 2020 onward;

9. WIGOS Pre-operational Phase
Objective of the WIGOS Pre-operational Phase
To build on and strengthen the WIGOS framework to deliver a fully operational WIGOS in 2020;
To place increased emphasis on regional and national activities;
To develop a culture of compliance with the WMO Technical Regulations (WMO- No. 49) (a critical success factor)

10. WIGOS Pre-operational Phase
Five highest priorities:
National WIGOS implementation
WIGOS Regulatory and Guidance Material
WIGOS Information Resource
WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System
Regional WIGOS Centres

11. Resolution 2 (EC-68) Plan for WIGOS Pre-operational Phase
EC-68 requested Members, the regional associations and the technical commissions to organize their activities so as to realize WIGOS goals and associated outcomes as described in the Plan

12. Decision 30 (EC-68)
WMO Regional WIGOS Centres (RWCs)

13. 1. National Implementation, Coordination & Governance Mechanisms

14. 2. WIGOS Regulatory and Guidance Material

15. WIGOS Technical Regulations
« Shall » (Standard)
« Should » (Recommendation)
Just to mention some of them as examples
(see WIGOS Technical Regulations in: WMO-No (Eng. version: Resolutions 25 and 26 respectively))

16. WIGOS Technical Regulations
Members shall implement and manage their national observing systems in accordance with the provisions laid out in this Volume, Part I, and in Annex VIII (Manual on the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WMO‑No.1160)).
Members shall also perform quality control of observations on a non-real-time basis, prior to forwarding the observations for archiving.
Members should develop and implement adequate quality control processes.
Just to mention some of them as examples
(see WIGOS Technical Regulations in: WMO-No (Eng. version: Resolutions 25 and 26 respectively))

17. WIGOS Technical Regulations
Members shall implement and manage their national observing systems in accordance with the provisions of the Technical Regulations, Volume I, Part I, and the Manual on WIGOS
Members shall continuously monitor the performance of their observing systems.
Members shall implement quality control for all observations for which they are responsible.
Members shall record, retain and make available internationally the observational metadata as specified in the Manual on WIGOS, section 2.5.
… … … … … …
Just to mention some of them as examples
(see WIGOS Technical Regulations in: WMO-No (Eng. version: Resolutions 25 and 26 respectively))

18. WIGOS Technical Regulations
The ”Manual on WIGOS” will be updated in 2019, with two main new elements
Full integration of the Manual on the Global Observing System, which will be retired at that point
New material on the Regional Basic Observing Network (RBON), …, …

19. Guide to WIGOS
more detailed information, best practices and procedures, explanation and examples on how to implement national observing systems …
WMO
Request for sharing by Members those best practices, procedures to be used by others at the Regional / Global levels
The Guide should provide more detailed information, best practices and procedures, explanation and examples on how to implement standard and recommended practices and procedures specified in the Volume I, Part I – WIGOS of the WMO Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49) and Manual on WIGOS into day-to-day operations.
The Guide is intended to be used by managers/supervisors and other technical staff of NMHSs responsible for planning, implementation, performance and operation of national observing systems/networks. These individuals are the target audience.

20. Guide to WIGOS
Initial version of the “Guide to WIGOS”, submitted to CBS-16 (Nov 2016) with guidance material on:
Station IDs,
WIGOS Metadata,
OSCAR/Surface,
Observing Network Design;
More material coming on Regional WIGOS Centers, WIGOS data quality monitoring, AWS, national partnerships, data sharing, national observing strategy, Regional Basic Observing Network, …

21. 3. WIGOS Information Resource

22. WIGOS Information Resource
Completion and implementation of the Portal, OSCAR
Development and implementation of SORT
Priority focus on OSCAR/Surface
Training activities for Members in populating, editing and using OSCAR/Surface
The central piece of the WIR will be a living, robust, modern, electronic inventory of all observing assets within WIGOS, including all relevant metadata and vocabularies. No meaningful network design activities, gap mitigation or resource optimization can take place without such an inventory. Accordingly, the development, operational deployment and operational uptake of OSCAR/Surface is assigned very high priority for WIGOS in the coming Financial Period.
It should be noted that while the initial development of this system is done primarily in collaboration between MeteoSwiss and WMO, the subsequent population of the system with station and metadata information will involve all WMO Members, and that very substantial human and financial resources will be needed to support this.
Subsequent development of the WIR will address the migration and further development of the other two OSCAR databases, the development of the Gap Analysis Module, the Standardization of Observations Reference Tool (SORT), and the WIGOS Web Portal.
WIR has been a significant achievement of WIGOS to date – first time, all relevant information on observing system capabilities available in one place
OSCAR (Observing System Capabilities and Review Tool)
OSCAR/Requirements; pre- operational; run by Secretariat
OSCAR/Space; still evolving; pre-operational, run by Secretariat
OSCAR/Surface; developed for WMO by at team lead by MeteoSwiss; prototype version introduced during Cg-XVII
Gap Analysis Module; in development
WIGOS Portal; operational, will be further developed
SORT (Standardization of Observations Reference Tool); not yet developed; draft specifications are available
Major focus on OSCAR/Surface in conjunction with MeteoSwiss

23. 4. WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS)

24. 5. Regional WIGOS Centres

25. Way forward
Promote WMO culture of compliance with Technical regulations;
Complete the nomination process of the national WIGOS, OSCAR/Surface and WIS focal points, respectively, as soon as possible;

26. Way forward Consider and draft Pilot Projects, e.g. on:
OSCAR/Surface implementation
Data Quality Monitoring
Incident Management
Helping the LDCs of RA II (8 Members)
Consider and draft Pilot Project(s) on establishment of RWC(s)
national
sub-regional

27. Benefits of implementing WIGOS
You will obtain critical knowledge to underpin your planning and decision-making process, and to make informed decisions based on user requirements for future planning purposes,
You will have the best basis for planning of investment in systems, science and people,
You will be able to better meet the user needs and demands in more effective and sustainable way,

28. Benefits of implementing WIGOS
You will be better able to mitigate against and/or adapt to the consequences of a climate change,
You will be better able to report the value and benefits of your work to your government, community and stakeholders,
You will increase reliability of service delivery by reducing the risk of systems failures and outages, …

29. Thank you
Merci