JCOMMOPSJCOMM Observing Program Support Centre

M. BelbeochDBCP #27

September 2011Geneva, Switzerland

• JCOMMOPS is involved with the implementation of the main global in-situ observing systems, including:

– DBCP (data buoy cooperation panel): Drifting and moored buoys in the high seas and tropical moorings, misc. platforms

– Argo: Profiling floats

– SOT (ship observations team) : SOOP, ASAP, VOS

– OceanSITES: Deep ocean time-series reference stations

JCOMMOPS is now “firmly established as a major support facility for operational ocean observing system.”

JCOMM co-presidents, 2009

Reality is more modest …

JCOMM Observing Program Support Centre

The JCOMM Observing Programme Support Centre, on behalf of JCOMM, aims to:

• monitor and evaluate the performance of the networks

• assist in the planning, implementation and operations of the observing

systems

• act as a clearing house and focal point on all programme aspects

• assist in data distribution on the Internet and GTS

• encourage cooperation between communities and member states

• relay user feedback on data quality to platform operators

• provide technical assistance and user support worldwide

• develop synergies between observing systems (GOOS)

Coordination Monitoring

AssistanceCooperation

Focus on prog. essential before integration

JCOMM Observing Program Support Centre

Infrastructure: office, staff

• JCOMMOPS, hosted by France (CLS/Coriolis), has recently been renewed, with extended mandate to integrate more components of Observing System

• JCOMMOPS comprises two Technical Coordinators (IOC employees), a senior scientist, an I.T team:

– Mathieu Belbeoch JCOMMOPS developmentThe Argo Profiling Float programmeThe Ship Observations Team

– Kelly StrokerThe Data Buoy Cooperation PanelThe OceanSITES Program

– Yves Desaubies (1/4 time)Scientific Coordination (Ifremer contribution)

– EFT. I.T. resource (~2 ½ time software engineers)Students on work experience (an intern has joined the centre for 2 years)

New DBCP TC welcome!Involvement in JCOMMOPS development will be crucial

Part-time activities are not fully compatible with “focus”Difficult to get “team spirit” with I.T. (more sub-contracting)

JCOMMOPS Budget

5

k$ Member States contributions into JCOMMOPS

via IOC/WMO trust funds(cash)

Host contribution

(in-kind)

Full JCOMMOPS operating

budget/year

HostCommitments

for JCOMMOPS expansion(in-kind)

Personnel 220 30 250

Mission 45 10 55

Infrastructure 75 170 245 100

Total 340 210 550k$

JCOMMOPS Budget: ~650 k$/year

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To be noted special contributions:

1) JCOMMOPS Services 45k$

2) IOC

- 0.3 FTE secretarial support (mission organisation, + WMO)

- 50k$ end biennium funding (software, development, hardware)

Software, training

Development OOPC/OSMC/JCOMMOPS (Ocean indices)

Purchase of floats/drifters (UN tagged, communication

campaign).

JCOMMOPS Budget: ~600 k$/year

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Argo DBCP SOT OceanSITES Host contribution

(k$ in-kind)

Full JCOMMOPS operating

budget/year in k$

Personnel 120 100 30 250Mission 20 20 5 10 55Infrastructure 15 15 15 30 170 245Total 155 135 20 30 210 550k$% over total budget

28 24 4 6 38 100%

Thanks to CLS for the substantial in-kind support (75%) and faultless support in all other activities (IT, Ship charter, etc)

Infrastructure: budget

2011 Expenses Incomes

In k$ 2011 DBCP ARGO SOT OCEANSITES JCOMMOPS

Logistic -30 15 15

I.T. software/hardware -10 5 5

One-off increment for GIS

-30 15 15

I.T. full time resource -30 30

JCOMMOPS Chartering Services

45

TOTAL -100 35 20 15 30 45

BALANCE 45

Infrastructure: budget

2012 Expenses Incomes

In k$ 2012 DBCP ARGO SOT OCEANSITES JCOMMOPS POGO, others ?Logistic -30 15 15I.T. software/hardware

-15 7.5 7.5

I.T. full time resource

-30 30

Ship Logistics Coordinator

-80 20 15 40 25

JCOMMOPS Services

?

TOTAL -155 22.5 22.5 15 30BALANCE ?

• Operations and Logistics (recruit ships, charters for deployment or retrieval or pilot projects, to assist programmes where needed and create new logistics to fill gaps or address piracy/vandalism issues; assist in recovering instruments at sea or found by third parties)

• Technical support and expertise (on platforms, self training with time at sea, deployment methods, technology transfer, etc)

• Metadata and information (gather, integrate and maintain all ship metadata useful for those operations with JCOMMOPS I.S., develop appropriate tools and service, seeking, identifying deployment opportunities for the deployment of instruments from ships)

• Communication (serve this information to the community regularly, document and communicate on activities, develop relational network)

• International cooperation (partnerships, clearing house, training workshops, donor programmes, assist as appropriate with national, regional, international initiatives, ...)

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Ship Logistics CoordinatorA transversal JCOMM Activity

• Full time:– Support for SOT (30%)– Support for deployment opportunities services (30%)– Support for operations, cooperation, CB, training (30%)

• Funding sources diverse enough to make the position viable:– JCOMMOPS charter service (Argo)– SOT – Science Coordinator– USA

• DBCP is invited to participate and help securing the budget• Pilot experiment in 2012/2013 with host support (CLS)

– ToR– Evaluation

Ship Logistics Coordinator

Infrastructure: office, staff

• JCOMMOPS Strategy Paper

– Budget

– Deliverables

– Performance

• JCOMMOPS meeting in Toulouse in November

Þ Proposals for the future

Þ Advanced Service

Þ Core Service

Þ Basic Service

Priorities

• Finalize the strategy paper (JCOMM IV)

• Establish the position of Ship Logistics Coordinator and develop further cooperation across the obs. system elements, in particular regarding operations at sea (ship time and deployment opportunities)

• develop a new generation of integrated web tools and services (on-going and long run activity). Catalogue/Specifications will be available first.

• Strengthen the I.T. team (.75 EFT in practice)

• Renew the MoU with France (Ifremer) to become a “Programme Office” according to UNESCO guidelines – Almost Done! IOC Exec. Sec. to meet with French Ambassador. MoU ready.

• Find new resources (firstly from host country) and eventually from European mechanisms and cooperate with new programmes (gliders, GO-SHIP, etc) by proposing services

Conclusion

• JCOMMOPS is at a cross-road– 2 Focal points are not sufficient to deliver proper services to 4

programmes– Common resources are still limited (arrangements with hosts have

reached their limit, in a context where new telecoms are emerging)

• JCOMM and its support centre is the way forward …… but without proper cross-programme means it will fail achieving the integration of its services

– If the I.T. support team strengthened (to become « dedicated »)– If the Ship Champion position is set up – If the hosting country makes an effort (Coriolis)

Thank you belbeoch@jcommops.org

JCOMMOPS is optimist in serving the JCOMM/GOOS component, with a team close to be complete, successful experiments, and foundations of the infrastructure strengthened, a decade of enhanced integrated services is in sight

JCOMMOPS is rounding a new cape…

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