1. 8th Programme Board Meeting
Draft
Outcomes and Actions
8th Programme Board Meeting
31 January – 1 February 2018

2. 2018 priorities reinforce and build on 2017 progress
Session 1
USA Lead Co-Chair
2018 priorities reinforce and build on 2017 progress
Continue to achieve results on GEO Engagement Priorities.
Implement the Commercial Sector Engagement Strategy.
Strengthen the GEO Membership Base.
Engage International Development Agencies and Multilateral Development Banks.
Mobilize Resources for the GEO Secretariat.

3. Preparing for 2018 Plenary and the 2019 Ministerial
Session 1
USA Lead Co-Chair
Preparing for 2018 Plenary and the 2019 Ministerial
GEO Secretariat / Work Programme Assessments
Secretariat evaluating work plan and resource allocations.
Programme Board insight into breadth/content of Work Programme.
Preparations for 2019 Ministerial Summit
Address progress mandated in 2015 Declaration.

4. Session 1
Secretariat Director
Messages
ExCom placing trust in PB to to ensure a scientific and programmatic robust WP, looking to PB for guidance.
Leverage coordination work done by POs.
Focus should be on appropriate level (up): what is being accomplished, or not, and why.
Should not be afraid to discuss thorny issues.

5. Session 1 Roundtable of introductions. Agenda approved.
Review of 7th PB meeting, 41st and 42nd ExCom, GEO-XIV Plenary.
Action: Secretariat to update PB ToR on website [2 Feb].

6. WP support for Policy Initiatives
Session 2
WP support for Policy Initiatives
Paris Climate Agreement
GEO should leverage political connections to ensure uptake of data and information by governments.
Global coordination of in-situ measurements an issue – there is no terrestrial equivalent of CEOS.
Action: Paris Agreement subgroup to reformulate concept note [8th PB meeting]. SEC: A. Obregón

7. WP support for Policy Initiatives
Session 2
WP support for Policy Initiatives
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
Want to make sure WP responds robustly to Sendai Framework.
Build on work GEO already doing with UNGGIM, UNISDR (GAR 2019).
James Norris virtual secondment from UK to Secretariat for Disaster Resilience.
Sendai Framework subgroup formed.
Action: subgroup to define its terms of reference. [9th PB meeting]. SEC: J. Norris
Membership: Australia, China, Ghana, Norway, UK, CEOS, COSPAR, ESA, IAG, IUGG, MRI, OGC.

8. WP support for Policy Initiatives
Session 2
WP support for Policy Initiatives
Sustainable Development Goals
Successful side-event held at GEO-XIV.
Good connections established with Flagships and Initiatives.
Continuing on ad hoc basis.
Work on indicators applicable also to goals and targets.
EO4SDGs continuing pilot projects demonstrating EO support for select indicators.

9. WP support for Policy Initiatives
Session 2
WP support for Policy Initiatives
Land Degradation Neutrality Initiative
More than data access: UNCCD relying on convening power of GEO and demonstration of end-to-end activities.
Country parties are very concerned about burden of reporting, want to respond to multiple conventions, as well as national level.
LDN proposal well-received, will be added as CA while implementation plan is developed.
Proposal to revise WP acceptance cycle to ongoing basis.

10. WP support for Policy Initiatives
Session 2
WP support for Policy Initiatives
Emerging Successes
Messages to PB – Need help with:
Resourcing.
Outreach to developing countries.
Validation, finding margins of error, maintaining time series, continuity of Landsat and Sentinel, harmonization of high resolution layers.
Finding synergies to avoid duplicating work.

11. Leveraging Regional GEOSS Initiatives
Session 3
Leveraging Regional GEOSS Initiatives
RGI Subgroup ToR reformulated
alignment of RGIs with GEO priorities, and across WP.
identify gaps (lack of specific activities on capacity building, or Infrastructure and Transport Management SBA).
activate communications among RGIs to share lessons learned to contribute to regional/local decision making etc. by EO.
linkage of global Initiatives/Flagships with regional implementation.
Co-chairs:
Japan (Hiroyuki Muraoka)
South Africa (Imraan Saloojee)
Action: subgroup to organize telconference with RGI leadership [30 March] SEC: D. Cripe

12. Monitoring WP Implementation
Session 4
Monitoring WP Implementation
PB endorsed the current directions on WP monitoring.
Work Programme Monitoring Subgroup formed.
Action: Subgroup to convene organizational teleconference, report to PB [9th PB meeting]. SEC: C. Larlee
Membership: France, Ghana, Norway, South Africa, CEOS, ESIP, MRI.

13. Session 4
GEO Symposium
Survey: general interest in GEO community to hold Symposium, convening those who may not usually attend Plenary.
Potential Topics:
Commercial Sector Engagement
Capacity Building
Paris Climate Agreement
PB Roundtable
Engagement priorities
New technologies
Citizen Science, Economic/social science linkages, Indigenous knowledge (tbd)
GEO Symposium: June 2018, Geneva
Climate talks on afternoon of 12th including: policy portion (SBSTA, UNFCCC), current response (CEOS, GCOS), other linkages (IUGG).

14. Identifying WP opportunities for Commercial Sector
Session 5
Identifying WP opportunities for Commercial Sector
Commercial Engagement Strategy being followed.
GEO offers opportunity to engage with the right people around the world in an efficient manner.
Engage with select stakeholders (e.g. transportation) to gather information on problems yet to be solved, dialogue with CS how to solve.
One way of approaching CS is through philanthropy (good for image).
Users stories will be part of communications toolkit, communications network (open to accepting new membership), blog. Lots happening around user stories – value of EO as well as GEO.
Action: Secretariat to inventory list of CS involvement in GEO activities. [9th PB meeting].

15. Sustainable Earth Observations
Session 6
Sustainable Earth Observations
WP does not adequately address:
integration of in-situ and satellite observations.
coordination of in-situ observations.
Sustainable EO Subroup formed.
Action: subgroup to define its terms of reference. [9th PB meeting]. SEC:
Membership: Australia, Canada, Japan, UK, CEOS, COSPAR, IOC, IAG.

16. Session 7 Next Steps and Wrap-up Haigh Issues
General satisfaction at level of knowledge retention (revisit at 9th PB mtg). Codifying knowledge is key.
Would be helpful to have search function on webpage to find topics quickly.
How is GEO considering gender balance the implementation of EO services (topic for 9th PB agenda).
Informational teleconference should be scheduled after Plenary, to bring new members up to speed.
Communications Strategy has been developed.
Message should be reinforced that GEO supports not only SDG indicators, but also targets.
Next reports to ExCom, Plenary will cover all aspects of SDG support (targets as well as indicators and goals.
WP monitoring subgroup to examine links with user groups.

17. Session 7 Next Steps and Wrap-up PB Plan of Work
GEO Symposium June 2018
Paris Climate Agreement Workshop 13 June 2018
9th PB meeting June 2018.
AfriGEOSS and European Workshop dates changed.
Review panels established for LDN (Ghana lead) and SAON (IEEE lead) proposals; drafts due 28 February.
Action: Secretariat to set Doodle poll for dates and location of 10th PB meeting (late August – mid September time frame).
PB asked to fully consider Ghana and China proposals.

18. PB draft 2018 plan of work 2018 PB Timeline Action / Milestone
(Nov 2017)
Election of PB co-chair and PO observer
31 Jan-1 Feb
8th PB meeting (Geneva). Topics: mandate issue; trends in observing systems; Plenary follow-up; GEO Symposium feedback; regional GEO engagement plan of action.
15 Feb
Secretariat call for GEO WP proposals/modifications; 15 Jul deadline
15 Feb-15 Aug
PB review of WP proposals/modifications
8-9 Mar
PB report to 43rd Executive Committee meeting
25-27 April
AfriGEOSS Symposium
11-13 Jun
GEO Symposium
13 Jun
Paris Agreement workshop
14-15 Jun
9th PB meeting
15 Jul
Deadline for WP modifications from community
18-19 Jul
PB report to 44th Executive Committee meeting
6-10 Aug
AmeriGEOSS / Americas Caucus meeting
31 Aug
1st consolidated draft of WP
? Sep
10th PB meeting
European Projects Workshop
15 Sep
Call for PB nominations (new/renewed); 15 Oct deadline
25 Sep
Final draft of GEO WP update circulated (18 Sep to USA Lead Co-Chair)
? Oct
Asia-Pacific Symposium / AO Caucus meeting
31 Oct-1 Nov
GEO-XV Plenary (Kyoto), acceptance of WP
PB draft 2018 plan of work