RAVI-17/INF.3.6(1), p. 7
World Meteorological OrganizationREGIONAL ASSOCIATION VI (EUROPE)
Seventeenth Session
Geneva, 7 to 9 February 2018 / RAVI-17/INF.3.6(1)
Submitted by:
Secretary-General
2.I.2018
ongoing dialogue on PUBLIc-PRIVATE ENGAGEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL WEATHER ENTERPRIsE
References
· Report of the three special panels on creating a “Global weather and climate ready society”, Future Weather Enterprise, WMO World Weather Open Science Conference (WWOSC-2014)
· Resolution 67 (Cg-17), WMO Guidance on partnership with the private sector
· Decision 73 (EC-68), Cooperation between the public and private sectors for the benefit of society
· Decision 61 (EC-69), Public–private engagement: A road map to the Eighteenth World Meteorological Congress
Background
For the last four years there has been an intensive dialogue between the stakeholders of the so called “international weather enterprise (IWE)” and the related subject of “public-private partnership (PPP)” or “public-private engagement (PPE)”. This discussion could be traced through four major events:
(a) WMO World Weather Open Science Conference (WWOSC-2014), Montreal, Canada, 16-21 August 2014
During this event, a two-day special session, co-sponsored by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS), focused on enhancing collaboration across the weather enterprise to benefit societies worldwide. The three Panel discussions involving experts from the five sectors of the Weather Enterprise (Public, Private, Academic, NGO and Meteorological Societies) resulted in collecting a wealth of ideas from different perspectives of panelists. Given the scope of the challenges and opportunities within the weather enterprise, the WMO was encouraged to engage in the analysis of the suggestions contained in the report of the session and come up with a prioritized list of recommendations and time frames required to move forward effectively.
(more information: https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/bulletin/future-of-weather-enterprise-1)
(b) Seventeenth WMO Congress, Geneva, 25 May–12 June 2015
Congress discussed the Future role of the private sector in meteorology (agenda item 9.6). Congress highlighted the different, and at times, complementary roles and responsibilities of NMHSs, academic institutions, research and technological agencies, and the private sector. Congress agreed that closer interactions between the public and private sectors could stimulate innovation and facilitate cross-fertilization, ultimately benefitting the achievement of the WMO Strategic Plan and Expected Results. Congress noted that WMO has a unique opportunity to initiate this interaction and emphasized that inaction may limit the benefits to be derived for the users. In its Resolution 67 (Cg-17) Congress requested specifically “the regional associations and the technical commissions to investigate the opportunities and challenges related to partnerships with the private sector, developing guidance and advice which includes identifying opportunities for dialogue with the private sector in their workplans, documenting positive and constructive examples of partnership, identifying existing relevant WMO principles, policies, guidelines and standards that require consideration and advise the Executive Council accordingly, to help both the public and private sectors to avoid conflicts and encourage cooperation”. Congress also requested “the Executive Council to guide the development and monitor guidance material and advice to support effective engagement between the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and the private sector and report on the implementation of the present resolution at regular sessions of the World Meteorological Congress”.
(more information: https://library.wmo.int/opac/doc_num.php?explnum_id=3138, pp. 216 - 217)
(c) Sixty-eighth Session of the Executive Council, Geneva, 15–24 June 2016
During EC-68 a Special Dialogue on the Complementary and Cooperative Contributions of Public and Private Sector Institutions to Meteorology and Hydrology was conducted. The dialogue session included speakers and panellists from both public and private sector stakeholders (see the dialogue summary in the attachment to this INF document). EC formulated a set of 18 Key Issues to be addressed in developing policies and principles for engagement. The results of the special dialogue and guidance for its continuation were summarized in the Decision 73 (EC-68).
(more information: https://library.wmo.int/opac/doc_num.php?explnum_id=3166, pp. 232 - 237)
(d) Sixty-ninth Session of the Executive Council, Geneva, 10–17 May 2017
Following the directions given by Cg-17 and EC-68, the EC-69 session continued the discussions on public-private engagement and adopted Decision 61 (EC-69) Public–private engagement: A road map to the Eighteenth World Meteorological Congress. EC reinstated that the PPE was of high importance for the Members and that “WMO can provide a neutral platform for fostering constructive dialogues among all the parties, taking into consideration the differences amongst its Members”. EC discussed the approach to be undertaken in furthering the dialogue with the private sector and agreed:
(1) That there is some urgency to better equipping NMHSs, through WMO, to engage actively and positively with private sector organizations, not least to ensure that essential national mandates, including the importance of a single authoritative voice in relation to safety of life and property are sustained;
(2) That in accordance with the aims and purposes of the Convention of WMO, a policy framework on public-private engagement would be beneficial to the Organization and should be prepared for consideration and approval at the next World Meteorological Congress (Cg-18);
(3) That early engagement between WMO and key representatives of the private sector, such as the HMEI, as well as other relevant stakeholders, including academia, to explore areas for collaboration and to obtain feedback on the evolving policy framework would be beneficial and would assist its further development and implementation for net public benefit;
EC-69 endorsed a draft Policy Framework for Public-Private Engagement which was annexed to Decision 61, and requested its completion by EC-70. WMO president and the presidents of the regional associations were requested to play an active role in this action. In addition, EC-69 endorsed a work programme on the subject of PPE and IWE until Cg-18 in June 2018 with the understanding that Congress will consider an appropriate policy act thereof.
(more information: https://library.wmo.int/opac/doc_num.php?explnum_id=3645, pp. 283 - 292)
Recent developments and follow up of Cg and EC resolutions and decisions
To ensure the accomplishment of the tasks agreed by Cg-17, EC-68 and EC-69, and meet the expectations of Members in this regard, Secretary-General engaged additional resources to work on the PPE: a consultant has been hired (Mr John Hirst, UK) and one secretariat staff member has been relocated to deal with the subject (Mr D. Ivanov, former Chief, Aeronautical Meteorology Division).
Recent events:
World Bank GFDRR GWE Seminar, Washington DC, 28 November 2017
A Global Weather Enterprise (GWE) Seminar was organized by the World Bank Group in collaboration with the WMO and facilitated by the American Meteorological Society. Participants from across the public, private and academic sectors were invited to the Seminar to discuss the opportunities and risks associated with the future of the GWE. The rationale for the Seminar was based on the understanding that the Global Weather Enterprise was going through a major structural change due to: rapid development of technologies; public-sector funding being under pressure; the needs of the society requiring more accurate and reliable hydro-meteorological information to protect people and property from increasing hazards and climate change. All these factors suggest that the Global Weather Enterprise should grow substantially over coming years.
The engagement of the World Bank in the GWE dialogue is based on the recognition of the importance of the sector for strengthening resilience and adaptation to climate change. Therefore, the World Bank has significantly increased its support to national meteorological and hydrological services in developing countries. Since 2010 the World Bank hydro-met portfolio increased from 25 projects with total funding $270 million to 67 projects with funding reaching $900 million. Still it is not enough and we believe that larger scale and more efficient engagement between the public and private sectors is essential, and inclusion of academia in this process is critical too.
WMO participated in this dialogue with its mandate of the global authoritative organization specializing in weather, climate and water. It was highlighted that the WMO permanent representatives are appointed by the governments to represent the interest of their countries including the private sector. The success of WMO has been based on free exchange of high quality standardized observations and of scientific and technical know-how worldwide. WMO is interested in playing a leading role in engaging private sector providers of observations and services in its activities. This engagement is expected to speed up within the coming months and years.
AMS-2018 WMO side event on IWE
The AMS-2018 event was organized as a follow up of the WB Seminar (November 2018). The event was hosted by the WMO Secretary-General and moderated by Jack Hayes (AMS). There were more than 50 participants from the public sector (NMHS), private sector and from academia institutes. The purpose of this short meeting (2 hours) was to identify obstacles for successful collaboration and engagement between the IWE sectors.
Among the key issues identified by the two recent meetings were those related to:
· Observational data and its access (policies and practices);
· Partnership models;
· Financing of basic networks (and in general);
· Acceleration of the use of advanced technology;
· The need for clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of the sectors;
· The “authoritative voice” of NMHSs;
· The PP engagement focused on improving access to critical information by LDCs and SIDS;
· Mechanisms for engagement of private and academia sectors in the WMO standard-making and decision-making processes;
· Need to develop a code of ethics for all IWE stakeholders.
Enhanced working arrangements
The dialogue between the public, private and academia sectors could be facilitated if all sectors are adequately represented at international level. Currently, the Association of Hydro-Meteorological Equipment Industry (HMEI) is best positioned as organization of private sector companies. While its members in the past were predominantly equipment manufacturers, some of the major service provider companies (like, Accuweather, Panasonic Weather Solutions) are also HMEI members nowadays. The cooperation between the WMO and HMEI has a long history and it is believed that it would also support the PPE process; an update of the working arrangements between the WMO and HMEI is envisaged in this regard.
WMO will continue cooperating with other organizations representing the private sector, such as the International Association of Broadcast Meteorologists (IABM). Recently, we have been contacted by the International Forum of Meteorological Societies (IFMS) with a proposal for establishment of formal working arrangements; this proposal is being considered for submission to EC-70 in June this year.
Concerning the academia sector, one of the tasks is to identify appropriate representation for the dialogue and discussion in the IWE context.
Activities planned by EC-70 and Cg-18
To ensure the follow up of the Decision 61 (EC-69), several tasks are considered as a priority:
· Conduct a global survey with Members’ PRs on the status of PPE at national level – to establish a baseline and inform EC-70 and Cg-18 decisions; it is planned to launch the survey by second half of February;
· Collaborate with the WB GFDRR in organizing the InterMet Asia GWE event (10 April 2018, Singapore);
· Finalize the PPE Policy Framework for consideration by EC-70;
· Collect inputs from all RA sessions planned until Cg-18 on the PPE and IWE subject; identify main concerns and risks from NMHS’s perspective;
· Collect and promote good practices and win-win solutions based on PPE;
· Organize a WMO event (in collaboration with WB and HMEI) on the International Weather Enterprise in the 4Q of 2018 (based on the plans for a “Madrid+10” event);
· Prepare draft guidance material for consideration by Cg-18.
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Attachment: 1
ATTACHMENT
Annex 1 to Decision 73 (EC-68)
SUMMARY OF THE SPECIAL DIALOGUE ON THE COMPLEMENTARY AND COOPERATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR INSTITUTIONS TO METEOROLOGY AND HYDROLOGY
EC-68 recognized the importance of this timely and initial dialogue at international level between public and private sector stakeholders, and that the respective strengths of the public and private sector vis-à-vis the provision of weather, water, and climate services could be complementary and reinforcing.
The dialogue reinforced the important role of Governments that have the ultimate responsibility to keep citizens safe from natural hazards and that they generally assign this responsibility to its NMHS to act as the “authoritative voice”. However equally, it was also recognized that private sector contributions play an important role in supporting the entire value chain in meeting this responsibility in addition to provision of tailored services to users in support of economic and environmental goals of Governments and other stakeholders.
The Council further observed that with globalization, there were instances where multi-national companies were creating forecasts and services in countries, which could be at odds with the authoritative forecasts and warning provided by the NMHS that could lead to confusion among the public and other stakeholders, increasing the risks to public safety. WMO, through a set of agreed principles and policies, could play a major role in facilitating the PPP at regional and local levels and establishing “rules of engagement”, especially with respect to warning services.
EC members recognized that NMHSs are now in an accelerated changing environment in terms of technological advances and the increasing demand for more and more diverse services from increasingly sophisticated and capable users. While basic research is, as a rule, the domain/responsibility of the public sector, the widespread application of technologies, especially those from the rapidly growing field of media, data, communications and computing, often developed by the private sector, are required to meet the responsibility Governments are placing on the NMHSs. This may be representing a paradigm shift for both how public and private sectors operate and serve the end users of their services.
Both the public and private sectors operate in a rapidly changing business landscape. Technological advancements and related trends like “big data” and “crowd sourcing”, the appearance of commercial observing networks, data and service providers, the affordability of digital technology, all are game changers that require rapid adaptation and changing behaviours from both the NMHSs and the private sector. In this dynamic, the private sector may contribute by accelerating the uptake of technological innovations, and be able to assist NMHSs in providing more efficient, attractive and accessible personalized services. NMHSs will benefit in working with private sector partners to introduce those innovative methods into their own operations. There are many opportunities for optimization and efficiency through integration of networks, computing power and service delivery through use of social media, etc.