Global Framework for Climate ServicesIBCS MC-3/Doc. 7.4

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL BOARD ON CLIMATE SERVICES

Submitted by:Chair of the

Management Committee

Date: 2813.X.2015

THIRD SESSIONGeneva, Switzerland, 26–28 October 2015

Original Language: English

Status: ApprovedDraft 1

AGENDA ITEM 7: KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES

ITEM 7.4: COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

SUMMARY

DECISIONS/ACTIONS REQUIRED:

Review the specific communication activities proposed for 2016 and provide guidance for further enhancing the communication of the GFCS.

CONTENT OF DOCUMENT:

The Table of Contents is available only electronically as a Document Map*.

* In MS Word 2007 or 2003, go to “View” > “Document Map”, or click on the “DocMap” button on the “WMO Tools” toolbar. In MS Word 2010, go to “View” > “Navigation Pane”. In MS Word on a Mac, go to “View” > “Navigation Pane”, select “Document Map” in the drop-down list on the left.

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APPENDIX A: DRAFT TEXT FOR INCLUSION IN THE GENERAL SUMMARY

7. KEY AND STRATEGIC ISSSUES (AGENDA ITEM 7)

7.4 Communication strategy (agenda item 7.4)

7.4.1 The Management Committee recalled that at its first session it had approved a communication strategy with a specific workplan for the period January 2014 to July 2015. The Committee acknowledged the strong support that the GFCS Office has received from the WMO Communications and Public Affairs Office (CPA) in implementing the Communication Strategy. In particular CPA has supported and led the production of GFCS videos, has facilitated outreach through press releases and social media, and has provided support for the re-design and implementation of the GFCS website. The Committee further acknowledged the support that the GFCS Office has received from Technical Departments and Regional Offices in the WMO Secretariat who have largely contributed to awareness-raising efforts globally by highlighting GFCS and its importance and achievements in relevant meetings. The Committee welcomed with appreciation the fact that Members of the Partners Advisory Committee contribute in a variety of ways to the communication strategy. In this regard, the Committee noted that further coordination and collaboration is needed to maximize those efforts.

7.4.2 The Committee noted that effective implementation of the communication strategy requires appropriate human resources in the GFCS Office. In this regard, the Committee encouraged IBCS members to second communication officers to support implementation of the activities contained in the communication strategy of the GFCS.

7.4.3 The Committee was pleased to note that in 2016 the approved communication strategy will continue to be implemented with a focus on upgrading the GFCS website, developing a GFCS Help Desk, conducting targeted campaigns to raise political awareness and support to the GFCS, production of materials for the GFCS website, GFCS newsletter, WMO bulletin and partners’ publications, and development of case studies. As part of these efforts, the following activities will provide opportunities for targeted advocacy:

a. ‘GFCS Adaptation Programme in Africa’: The Norwegian-funded national projects in Tanzania and Malawi provide some of the strongest evidence for international support for GFCS and for “GFCS in action”. The GFCS in collaborating with the Government of Norway and CICERO will produce appropriate material to raise awareness of these projects and activities.

b. Capacity development events such as Regional and National Outlook Forums that now also include specific user focused workshops (such as the Water forums following the South Asian Seasonal Outlook Forum - SASCOF) are promoted at the national and/or regional level through press releases, Facebook and Twitter. In this context the Environment Canada funded ‘Programme for Implementing GFCS at the national and regional scales’ is launching a three phased communications campaign to highlight the benefits of seasonal outlooks to decision makers in Small Island Developing States. This will also support the SIDS programme adopted by WMO Members at the Seventeenth Session of the World Meteorological Congress (Cg-17).

c. GFCS regional consultation meeting for Indian Ocean Small Island Developing States (Mauritius, 23-25 November 2015) constitutes an opportunity to advocate the GFCS. WMO information officers take part in these meetings or receive briefs which are communicated through the media.

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d. UNFCCC COP 21 (Paris, France, 30 November-11 December 2015). Members of the Partners Advisory Committee are arranging a variety of side events.

e. UNFCCC SBSTA events recur on a yearly basis and allow for the inclusion of climate services matters into the reports. In addition GFCS side events have been organized at SBSTA meeting.

f. ‘Adaptation Future 2016 – Practices and solutions’, an initiative to be launched by the European Commission, allows for specific sessions on climate services (in cooperation with other partners, see www.adaptationfutures2016.org).

g. The Intergovernmental expert group on defining indicators for the Sendai Framework on DRR plays an important role in facilitating the inclusion of specific terminology on climate services.

h. The WMO-WBG-USAID have recently published a book on socioeconomic benefits of climate services. Dissemination events of the publication facilitate wide-spread awareness raising on this topic.

i. The Nairobi Work Programme which organized regular meetings in various countries offers an opportunity to share experiences and lessons learned among UN Agencies as well as lessons from national experiences.

j. Various PAC Members have indicated specific sessions or side events at their intergovernmental meetings, such as the FAO council or the WHO General Assembly. Through these Climate Services are more widely known across the partner communities.

7.4.4 The Committee discussed the overall strategy and made the following comments:

Communications can playn a key role in resources mobilizations. Specific material targeted to specific audiences would go further in mobilizing resources than general material and so their production should be considered;

Clear articulation of the role of the GFCS in filling current gaps in climate services and in supporting development agendas such as agenda 2030 is essential to gather support and resources for the GFCS;

The GFCS Office should inform Members and partners of the availability of advocacy materials such as the videos and e-tutorial produced recently and planned events through the GFCS newsletter;

Attempts could be made to reduce the number of key messages which are contained in the communication strategy. The messages should be simple and articulate the benefits of the GFCS.

The Russian Federation offered to support the translation of GFCS material into Russian. The United States of America offered to assist with the review and development of communications material. In addition, the Committee recommended that GFCS material be translated in all WMO languages.

Given that Energy as been approved as a priority area of the GFCS, it should be included in the communications material.

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[Comments…]

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APPENDIX B: PROGRESS REPORT FOR INFORMATION –

NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL SUMMARYMONITORING AND EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GFCS

REFERENCES:

ABRIDGED FINAL REPORT WITH RESOLUTIONS OF SEVENTEENTH SESSION OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL CONGRESS, GENEVA,

(25 MAY–12 JUNE 2015), WMO-NO 1157.ABRIDGED FINAL REPORT WITH RESOLUTIONS OF THE SECOND

SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL BOARD ON CLIMATE SERVICES (IBCS-2), GENEVA, 12–14 NOVEMBER 2014, WMO-NO. 1149.

ABRIDGED FINAL REPORT WITH RESOLUTIONS OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF THE

INTERGOVERNMENTAL BOARD ON CLIMATE SERVICES, GENEVA, 14 NOVEMBER 2015, WMO-NO 1154.

ABRIDGED AND FINAL REPORT WITH RESOLUTIONS OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL BOARD ON CLIMATE

SERVICES (IBCS-1), GENEVA, 1–5 JULY 2013, WMO-NO 1124.ABRIDGED FINAL REPORT WITH RESOLUTIONS OF THE FIRST

SESSION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL BOARD ON CLIMATE SERVICES, GENEVA, 15–

17 JUNE 2014, WMO-NO 1144.ABRIDGED FINAL REPORT WITH RESOLUTIONS OF THE

EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL CONGRESS, PART I (GENEVA, 29–31 OCTOBER 2012), WMO-NO. 1102.

ABRIDGED FINAL REPORT WITH RESOLUTIONS OF SIXTEENTH WORLD METEOROLOGICAL CONGRESS (GENEVA, 16 MAY–3 JUNE

2011), WMO-NO. 1077.THE REPORT OF THE HIGH-LEVEL TASKFORCE FOR THE GLOBAL

FRAMEWORK FOR CLIMATE SERVICES. GFCS WEBSITE (HTTP://GFCS.WMO.INT/)

Background

“Activate climate knowledge”

Communication Strategy for the

Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)

...............................................

Table of contents:I. Introduction....................................................................................................................3II. Goals of the Global Framework for Climate Services............................................................3III. Goals of the Communication Strategy.............................................................................4IV. Characterizing the Target Audiences...............................................................................4V. Delineating activities........................................................................................................5

1) Raise awareness 52) Build partnerships 63) Secure funding 74) Promote implementation 8

VI. Defining the Tools (summary)........................................................................................8VII. Monitoring and evaluating performance...............................................................101010VIII. Identifying and managing risks...........................................................................1111111IX. Delivering the right messages..............................................................................121212X. Annex:..........................................................................................................................15

A. Tools Explicit 15

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I. INTRODUCTION

Living with, and adapting to, climate variability and change is an everyday reality. Society has always had to deal with climate variability, including extreme weather and climate events, but the assumption of past climatic and socio-economic conditions is no longer valid. The combined effects of climate change and of increasing vulnerability and exposure to hazardous conditions due to migration, infrastructural development, and changing land use present unprecedented challenges to all its inhabitants.

Many countries are attempting to address these challenges through the development of climate service capabilities (Box 1). To be successful, climate services should involve:

Products – generating and making available a set of historical, real-time, and prospective products about climate variability and change and their impacts; and,

Support – providing assistance in the interpretation of those products and in the identification of a sensible set of decision options;

Feedback – communicating between users and providers so that ways of improving the products and support can be identified on an on-going basis.

Effective climate services will facilitate climate-smart decisions that will reduce the impacts of climate-related disasters, improve food security and health outcomes, and enhance management of water resources, for example.

The success of the GFCS is dependent on international and national support. Building sustainable partnerships will be key for the delivery of the Framework. Partners will be necessary to support the framework, in technical activities on the ground and in transmitting the message of the added value and benefits of climate services and the framework itself as well as through financial backing. Partners need to be gained by clearly demonstrating the advantages they will have by joining forces in the framework. Conversely, using the momentum of successful, collaboratively designed implementation activities will entice further partners to engage. Continuously promoting and communicating the advantages, benefits and successes of the framework and its implementation will be crucial.

In this strategy, we consider the timeframe from the creation of the GFCS Office in Mid 2011 to the end of the first implementation phase of the GFCS in 2015.

II. GOALS OF THE GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR CLIMATE SERVICES

In the first two (six) years of its implementation the Framework will be aiming to deliver on the following objectives:

Technical committees relating to the use of climate information established between the World Meteorological Organization and 4 (8) other UN Agencies or NGOs.

5 (25) countries with established frameworks for climate services at the national level. Functioning User-Interface Platforms established in at least one of the four priority areas in

5 (25) countries.

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10 % (30 %) of those countries currently with only basic climate service capacities, strengthened to essential capacities. All countries to be supported by Regional Climate Centres within 6 years.

III. GOALS OF THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

In support of the Frameworks objective these initial four core goals will be pursued:1. Continuously raise awareness about the needs, usefulness and benefits of the

Framework to Partners, Members, funding agencies and users;

2. Gradually develop sustainable partnerships and foster a sense of ownership with the lead UN Agencies and NGOs of the priority areas and identify a selected few non-traditional WMO partners, i.e. from think-tanks, philanthropic organizations and user communities to successfully deliver the Framework;

3. Attract and, if possible, secure sustainable funding for the administrative expenses of the framework and the activities of the Implementation Plan by demonstrating the added value the activities and the framework have;

4. Promote the implementation of all activities set out in the Implementation Plan including the adoption of Frameworks for Climate Service at the national level and communicate success stories as they arise (inter)nationally.

Figure 1: Schematic overview of the 4 strategic goals of the communication strategyIV. CHARACTERIZING THE TARGET AUDIENCES

UN Agencies – underpin the GFCS with the user perspective of Climate Services and are critically important to the successful and sustainable implementation of the GFCS.

WMO Members/Governments – will be heavily involved in the implementation of the GFCS and therefore need to be engaged early on, particularly through the constituent bodies such as the Intergovernmental Board, its substructures, Technical Commissions and Regional Associations.

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Support the adoption

& implementation

of GFCS

Raise awareness

Buildpartnershi

ps

Attract funding

Promote implementati

on

Community/sector specific practitioners – underpin the GFCS with the user perspective and are critically important to the successful and sustainable implementation of the GFCS.

Country’s Permanent Missions to the UN or similar – should aid in conveying the messages of the GFCS to national governments in order to gain the support of these countries for the long term and sustainable implementation of the GFCS.

Private sector – should be engaged primarily but not exclusively as users of climate services in the priority sectors and predominantly through their “umbrella” organizations. Note that at the national level, some private company may also serve as the provider of climate services as well as facilitators of new technology that would facilitate the production and delivery of services.

Funding agencies – are critical to underpin the necessary capacity building efforts with financial support. Their buy-in can also encourage further widespread support to the framework by governments.

Research communities, academic institutions and “think tanks” - Academic institutions can both serve as users and providers of climate services by advancing science and developing tools. Engaging them early on to enhance synergistic interactions with the Met Community will be crucial.

Media support is critical – engagement with both UN media groups and communication departments of the NMHSs should occur. National and local media shall be engaged through the help of governments.

End Users. Messages about the need for and benefits of GFCS have to filter down to community based groups, schools, etc. through the use of in-country support.

V. DELINEATING ACTIVITIES

1) Raise awareness

Clearly communicating the need for, and benefits of, climate services and the Framework itself to all stakeholders is crucial. Stakeholders need to be given concrete examples of ‘what’s in it’ for them to gain their trust, ensure buy-in and encourage ownership that will lead to sustainable partnerships. Raising awareness and vetting interest is therefore the crucial first step for this communication strategy.

Success stories need to be conveyed as soon as partnerships, seed funding, pilot projects and primary implementation approaches occur on the ground. These shall fuel further interests creating a domino effect, enticing further partnerships, more funds and increased implementation.

Media, including new media will be used to advocate the benefits of using climate information and the utility of the Framework to potential beneficiaries, users and user organizations according to their needs and available capacities. At best, key messages and information material should be formulated in consultation with representatives of user

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organizations and the other components of the Framework in order to deliver user driven messages vs. the traditional provider driven ones.

A clear and distinctive brand should be created that relates to the UN as a whole and the climate and meteorological community in particular. After careful deliberations all material should have the same ‘look and feel’ and should be intuitively delivering the message of the Framework.

The potential of the communication departments of the WMO Members should be capitalized on and their active involvement in delivering the framework’s messages should be encouraged. Guidance and support to facilitate effective user engagement in the projects, particularly in developing countries, should be provided to undertake these tasks at regional and national levels. Efforts in introducing climate literacy to the general public in schools and other educative fora is strongly encouraged and guidance material should be developed in collaboration with the according agencies.

Media partners throughout the UN, National Meteorological Services and other organizations will be approached to aid in the widespread delivery of the message. Their support will be sought also for the linkage with national and local media to support the documentation of in country and regional activities, providing thus the human face to the otherwise abstract actions.

2) Build partnerships

The success of the GFCS is dependent on building partnerships. These partnerships are manifold but need to, first of all, cater to the WMO Members. Gaining their trust and support is the basis for the GFCS to be implemented. Secondly, partnerships with other U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) represent the view of the global users of the Framework. Whilst the initial focus is on the ownership and engagement of the broader UN family, the Framework should also provide an opportunity for new partnerships – for instance the Business and Private sector, philanthropic organizations including Foundations with an interest in sustainable development and climate related issues, and private sector companies which need climate services. Lastly, sustainable partnerships with the major donors, such as the World Bank or the Regional Development Banks, are crucial for the implementation of the large capacity development activities envisioned under the framework.

GFCS should use conferences, seminars and workshops as a platform to engage with partners demonstrating collaboratively the need, usefulness and benefits of the collaborative framework for better food security, water resources management, more effective disaster risk reduction and more tailored health strategies. Strongly demonstrating the need for ownership and investment in the Framework through success stories will ensure its long-term achievements.

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GFCS communication activities should build on the momentum before and following large international events such as Rio + 20 and the UNFCCC COPs to promote the message that climate services will contribute to sustainable development and adaptation. Governing body sessions of partner agencies should also be used to sensitize user audiences about the Framework and induce buy-in from the relevant parties. A summary of the major governing body sessions and internationally significant events has been produced in Annex 2. WMO can capitalize on holding the chair of UN-Water to promote GFCS with stakeholders in the water sector.

Besides traditional one-on-one high level meetings the involvement of experts in those institutions is encouraged. This can be achieved through targeted user consultation meetings, their engagement in the drafting and reviewing of the GFCS Implementation Plan documents and other outreach material as well as through specific cross-institutional projects. Communicating the successful implementation of collaborative projects and their respective accomplishments of the goals set out in the framework will induce further appreciation of the framework, show the owned respect towards the partners and encourage further engagements.

3) Secure funding

Currently, most countries do not provide more than basic climate services, including such items as design, operation and maintenance of national observing systems; data management including QA/QC; development and maintenance of data archives; climate monitoring ; oversight on climate standards; climate diagnostics and climate analysis; climate assessment; dissemination via a variety of media of climate products based on the data; participation in regional climate outlook forums and some interaction with users, to meet requests and gather feedback. In order to enhance the countries capacities to deliver more advanced climate services that are specifically tailored to the user’s needs, sustainable funding streams will be imperative.

Making the case that climate services will increase the predictability and preparedness towards hydro-meteorological hazards and associated disease and food security problems will aid in persuading funding agencies. Concrete cost-benefit analyses and demonstration project that clearly show the added value of empowered climate service providers will further support the ongoing economic foundation.

At the same time, the added value of having the Framework with its Secretariat and Intergovernmental Board needs to be demonstrated in order to obtain continuous financial support. The success of the global framework will be intricately linked to its success at the national and regional level and will be measured accordingly. Communicating the amounts and scopes of activities that are being provided and financed is imperative in order to honor the donors and demonstrate the growing interest.

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4) Promote implementation

The success of the global framework will be primarily linked to its successful implementation at the national and regional level and will be measured accordingly.

Efforts towards the active promotion of successful climate services and the implementation of frameworks on a national level should be led hand in hand with the implementing organizations or institutions and the GFCS Secretariat. Case studies, lessons learned and pilot projects are among the prime example of such initiatives. Using these, in turn, as success stories will engender further engagement by nations, partners and funders.

Communicating and advertising successful implementations through global channels, such as the UN Communications Group, as well as on a national level through leveraging the communication efforts of the NMHSs, will in turn raise awareness and further attract partners to engage and funding to be secured.

VI. DEFINING THE TOOLS (SUMMARY)

Below is a visual summary of the suggested tools to be used in each activity. They are presented as work breakdown structures. Explicit descriptions of each tool can be found in the Annex. Workplans of each activity have been produced but are not shown here.

Raiseawareness

ProduceInformation package

PrepareGuidance material

Use Online Media

Websitehttp://www.wmo.int/gfcs/

Events page(http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/calendar_en.php )

Social mediaGoogle Grouphttp://www.wmo.int/gfcs/group

Fact sheet on needand benefitshttp://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/flyers.php

Fact sheetson sectorial benefitsKey messagesStandard pptAudio visuals

Book on best practices and lessonslearnedhttp://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/casestudies_en.php

Document about Frameworksof ClimateServices at the National levelGuidance on introducingclimateliteracyat the national level

Makeuse ofpartners

Communication teams at NMHSsUN Communications GroupUN Information CentersCommunication departmentsof Partner UN AgenciesMedia in generalBranding

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Buildpartnerships

Organizemeetings

Write& reviewdocuments

EncourageTechnical collaborations

ImplementationPlan &GovernanceStructureAnnexes & ExemplarsFact sheetson sectorialbenefits

Inter-agency technicalwork demonstratingthe benefitsof climateservicesPilot projectson Frameworksfor ClimateService at the National level

Consultation meetings on all pillarsand piorityareasCollaborative sideeventsat international meetingsHigh level meetingsBriefings for UN-MissionsConsultation meetings at the national and regional level

Attractfunding

EncourageAdministrative funds

EnticeImplementation funds

Circular lettersto MembersVerbal communications atgoverningbody sessionsHigh level one-on-one communications

Circular lettersto MembersVerbal communications atgoverningbody sessionsHigh level one-on-one communications

ImplementationPlanExistingsimilar initiatives Co-financingwithotherAgenciesNon-traditional partners

ImplementationPlanExistingsimilar initiatives Co-financingwithotherAgenciesNon-traditional partners

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PromoteImplementation

EncourageImplementation

AdvocateSuccessstories

Dialogues to foster senseof ownershipDemonstrationpilot projectsat the national, regional and global levelFacilitatethe use of guidance material

At WMO governingbody sessionsAt Partner Agenciesgoverningbody sessionsAwarenessraising tools

VII. MONITORING AND EVALUATING PERFORMANCE

The communications strategy will evolve as the Framework is implemented. The objectives, target audience and tools defined in the Implementation Plan of the GCFC set out the initial aspects of the Framework’s communication strategy for the early stages of the Framework’s implementation. These should all be reviewed on an on-going basis, making revisions as early successes and challenges are identified. In general, an overall revision should be made every 6 months.

All activities are being monitored through the existing coordination, implementation and oversight mechanisms such as the Project Oversight Board of the GFCS and the Management Committee.

Below, a selected list of suggested monitoring and evaluation terms: Web statistics, analytics and trends (tri-monthly) (i.e. traffic, number of adherents to

group, rate of increase, etc.)

Webpage structure and content general revision (yearly or when appropriate)

Amount of printed and distributed publications (yearly)

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Quality of messages of information material (half yearly)

Feedback electronically and in print on all material and processes (continuous)

Interest and requests on guidance material (yearly)

Number of countries implementing Frameworks for climate Service at the National level (yearly)

Quality and quantity of the implementation and use of guidance material (yearly) (number of projects, updated case studies)

Quantity and quality of engaged communication groups (half yearly)

Amount of non-WMO media reflecting GFCS (monthly)

Quantity and quality of engaged partners, funding agencies, Members (yearly)

Number of international meetings/side events organized in collaboration with Partners (half yearly)

Number of interagency projects and technical cooperation (yearly)

Amount pledged to the GFCS trust fund (quarterly)

Amount of pledges through VCPs (tri-monthly)

Total value of collaboratively coordinated projects (half yearly)

VIII. IDENTIFYING AND MANAGING RISKS

Risk Likelihood Impact Mitigation

Uncoordinated overlap with other initiatives

H Would destroy the message of non-duplication and will scare donors off.

Be aware and pro-actively engage with those initiatives without imposing on them

Similar messages from sources other than Met Community (i.e. Climate Service Partnership, Academic Institutions)

M Loss of credibility. Loss of authoritative voice.

Find a common and clear definition of climate services

Strong branding that will clearly identify the origin of the message

Conflicting messages from within Met Community

H Create confusion towards partners and donors

High interaction with communication departments/teams in Met Offices

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Sense of a too WMO-centric approach – damage relationship with partners

H Will scare partners off Seek the active engagement of partners in the review of documents and implementation of activities. Search for opportunities of clarifying dialogues.

Members fear the interference with their national sovereignty

H Lack of engagement Produce goals and objectives that will not interfere with national mandates. Communicate these clearly through all channels.

Countries do not want to implement Frameworks for climate Service at the National level

M Will counteract with the goals set in the implementation plan

Clearly communicate the benefits of such a framework at the national level to countries.

Donors will not feel enticed to pledge Why?

M Will lead to the termination of the initiative

Provide donors with cases that show socio-economic benefits to the framework. This includes cost-benefit analyses.

Raise expectations beyond the achievable

M Will lead to the termination of the initiative

Have realistic goals and objectives and communicate them through all channels.

IX. DELIVERING THE RIGHT MESSAGES

The messages to the target audiences need to articulate how science-based climate information is needed to inform decisions that are affected by climate variability and climate change. The messages need to demonstrate the economic and/or societal benefits of such information. They should link with current political discourse on adaptation and major development goals.

Messaging should aim to translate scientific or technical information into formats readily understood in the language, personal and cultural experience of the recipients. In all communications, use should be made of the appropriate media to take account of the needs and preferences of various user groups, of cultural differences, etc. While traditional methods will be used, advantage should be made of popular new methods such as social networks.

Messaging should focus not on pessimistic scenarios of climate change but rather on stories that illustrate the positive and practical impact of climate services for different users such as subsistence farmers, coastal communities, town planners and structural engineers. Progress in the

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accuracy and usefulness of weather forecasts has reaped big socio-economic dividends – rewards from progress in the development and application of climate predictions will be potentially even greater.

Key messages on GFCS:

1. The GFCS is a collaborative effort of the UN, led by WMO, to support climate smart decision making for sustainable development.

2. The GFCS promotes the use of climate smart decision making to improve the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable to climate change and variability.

3. The GFCS empowers climate service providers at the national, regional and global level to develop their capacities further.

4. The GFCS enables users of climate services to play an active role in their design, delivery and implementation leading to better informed and better suited decisions on the ground.

5. The GFCS encourages nations to form cohesive platforms enabling the active exchange of views and opinions, needs and requests for tailored climate services.

6. The GFCS advocates the cross- and interdisciplinary collaboration between government agencies, private companies and research institutions to foster dynamic dialogues and the delivery of effective and efficient climate services.

7. The GFCS promotes collaborative problem solving efforts at the regional and global levels by learning from others hence reducing costs and duplications.

8. The GFCS advocates for the open and free exchange of climate and other data relevant for the development and delivery of climate services.

9. The GFCS ensures the long-term success of major infrastructure investments for climate observation, storage and delivery facilities through cooperation with partners and the commitment of the national governments to the Framework.

10. The GFCS opens avenues for the operational production, delivery and use of climate services from innovative research and private industry initiatives.

11. The GFCS interacts robustly with the international donor community in order to provide the basic capacities for the national production, delivery and application of climate services.

12. The GFCS cooperates with WMO Members and partners to promote their success and advances.

13. Strengthening Weather and Climate Services will promote sustainable economic development and build resilient societies in Small Island Developing States.

14. Weather and Climate Services contribute to safer communities.

15. Weather and Climate Services contribute to healthy, productive and resilient oceans/seas.

16. Weather and Climate Services contribute to improved agricultural planning and management.

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17. Weather and Climate Services contribute to advance renewable energy.

18. Weather and Climate Services contribute to reduce the impact of diseases.

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X. ANNEX:

A. Tools Explicit

1.) Raise Awareness

Strengthening brand recognition of the Framework is crucial. It will build up a ripple effect so that communications are spread outwards from the Framework by different stakeholders and actors in a dynamic and interactive fashion which will then gain its own momentum.

Use Online Media:

o Website: (http://gfcs.wmo.int/ ). It will serve as a platform to disseminate information on events (past and future), provide online material that can be used at diverse events and allow the public to voice their opinion about the GFCS in general, its performance, goals and outcomes. The site will include the use of video and photo essays to illustrate the practical benefits of climate services.

o Social media: Initially WMO Facebook and Twitter activities will promote the GFCS, prior to it gaining its own identity and structure. Social media is more interactive and proactive than the web and is an excellent vehicle for reaching new audiences and spreading news about GFCS among those who are not traditionally part of the WMO community. Social media is also a useful tool for gaining feedback from user groups, especially at local community level. Social media is also an excellent way of communicating with the U.N. system. Social media tools are successfully used by some UN organizations (such as WFP, UNICEF) for fund-raising.

o Google Group: Groups can facilitate the exchange of ideas and opinions between all stakeholders (http://www.wmo.int/gfcs/group). They also provide an easy way to update stakeholders on current activities and events.

o Newsletter: A tri-monthly newsletter highlighting the major progresses made, will be placed on the webpage as a pdf and will be sent to all adherents of the GFCS Google Group.

Prepare print and online media information:

o Fact sheets on the need for and key benefits in sectors such as food security, water, disaster risk reduction and health.

o A detailed explanation of why GFCS is regarded as necessary and why so much effort is being made internationally to bring it to life quickly.

o 10 Key messages in the form of a Q&A.

o A standard presentation that explains the importance and relevance of GFCS.

o Supporting audio visual information.

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o More use of video and photos from all stakeholders should be made to illustrate the practical benefits of climate services, with emphasis on the human angle to bring alive the relevance and importance of the Framework.

Prepare guidance material:

o The publication of a book on best practices and lessons learned in the production and dissemination of Climate Services (Climate ExChange). This will be presented at the User Conference preceding the Extraordinary Congress and an opportunity will be given to some authors to present their cases in public.

o A document describing the key steps to implementing Frameworks for Climate Service at the National Level which will build the foundation for the User Interface Platform.

o Together with the lead international organization on education produce a guidance document on how to mainstream climate knowledge into school curricula.

Make use of partners

o Publicize the Framework among United Nations Information Centres around the world to ensure that the Framework is integrated into strategic communications on climate-related issues, as well as on food security, water, disaster risk reduction and health. This includes giving recognition to the Framework in various United Nations themed Days and Years to multiply the impact of communication activities.

o Reinforce ties with communications focal points in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services / United Nations country offices to ensure that the Framework is featured in national communications campaigns. Provide supporting material for this and encourage feedback from focal points on potential local uses of climate services. Encourage stakeholders to provide people-centred audio-visual material that can be used to promote the Framework.

o Strengthen relationships with networks of television and radio weather presenters who command wide respect among large audiences and foster training and awareness activities to transform them from weather presenters to climate broadcasters and educators

o Increase awareness among media of the practical importance of climate services and foster partnerships with media associations, especially in developing countries.

o Use of newspaper articles, opinion pages, letters to editors and blogs to increase awareness of climate service potential and the role of the Framework.

o Several key stakeholders (such as the World Health Organization, UN-Water, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Federation of Red

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Cross and Red Crescent Societies) have very dynamic social media policies which should be supported with relevant content. Many National Meteorological and Hydrological Services also have strong social media presence and a unique relationship with their domestic audience, which can be supported with relevant content and endorsements;

2.) Build partnerships

Organize meetings

o Collaborative consultation meetings1 within the five pillars of GFCS including partner organizations relevant to the four priority areas

o Coordinate high level meetings between WMO and relevant agencies and institutions

o Organize regular briefings for the Geneva based Missions

o Collaborate with the stakeholder community in the preparation and delivery of presentations on the Framework and its progress at international events

o Organize consultation meetings for the users of the Framework at regional and national level.

Write and review documents

o Encourage all stakeholders to write and review the Implementation Plan and associated documents (Annexes &Exemplars)

o Engage user agencies in the preparation of sector specific media communications

Encourage technical collaboration

o Induce inter-agency projects at the technical level that demonstrate the benefits of climate service to the user community

o Pilot projects demonstrating the process for the implementation of Frameworks for Climate Services at the national level (West Africa, Asia).

3.) Attract funding1 The Implementation Plan development depends heavily on the input of the User Sectors to identify the activities to be undertaken under each of the Pillars. Consultations with partners and key organizations in each of the identified priority sectors about the production, availability, delivery and application of climate services is an invaluable input into ensuring the sustainability and ownership of the Framework. More than 40 agencies and over 300 practitioners in the different pillars and priority areas have attended the meetings that were held (August to December 2011), among which nearly 100 experts have consequently volunteered to contribute to the writing and reviewing of the Draft Implementation Plan.

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Encourage pledges for the administrative functions of the GFCS

o Encourage Members to support the administrative functions of the GFCS. This will probably be carried out through the GFCS Trust Fund and nations are free to ‘tag’ their contributions to certain activities. Circular letters have been mainly used for this as well as verbal encouragements at governing body sessions.

Encourage pledges for the implementation of the GFCS

o Encourage Members to pledge their support for the compendium of activities for the WMO led activities of the GFCS.

o Piggy-back on existing initiatives such as the PPCRs of the World Bank or ClimDev Africa.

o Encourage all stakeholders to participate financially in the implementation of the GFCS on a project basis. These are preferably on a joint basis where collaborations from several sides, i.e. governments, donors and agencies will be carried out.

o Reach out to business associations and Chambers of Commerce at international, regional and national levels, as well as large international and national companies who need climate services and are capable of assisting fund raising efforts.

4.) Promote implementation

Encourage Implementation of the framework

o Through dialogue, foster a sense of ownership among stakeholders to ensure the long-term viability and success of the Framework;

o The implementation plan should clearly encourage countries to implement the framework in particular the Frameworks for Climate Services at the National level. Implementation should be facilitated through previously prepared guidance material and demonstration pilot projects (i.e. West Africa projects).

o Regional workshops, the creation and empowerment of Regional Climate Centers and further guidance material should be carried out to facilitate the creation of frameworks of climate services at the regional level (i.e. Caribbean and South East Asia).

Advocate the success stories to others

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o Use governing body sessions of WMO to advocate success stories of climate service at the national, regional and global levels.

o Use governing body sessions and high level meetings of other Agencies to promote the success of GFCS.

o Use major international events and conferences to promote and advocate for GFCS.

o Use awareness raising tools for the promotion.

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