REGIONAL INSTRUMENT CENTRE: REVIEW AND STRENGTHENING

REGIONAL INSTRUMENT CENTRE:REVIEW AND STRENGTHENING Dr Jérôme DUVERNOY Jerome.Duvernoy@meteo.fr

Background • RA IV • Georgetown (Barbados), • San-Jose (Costa Rica), • United States • RA I • Algiers (Algeria), • Cairo (Egypt), • Nairobi (Kenya), • Gaborone (Botswana) • RA V • Manila (Philippines) • Melbourne (Australia) • RA II • Beijing (China) • Tsukuba (Japan) • RA VI • Bratislava (Slovakia), • Ljubljana(Slovenia) • Trappes (France) • RA III • Buenos Aires (Argentina) Visited RIC ; Questionnaire

Terms of Reference • (a) To keep a set of meteorological standard instruments linked with recognized international or national standards and to log their performance and elements of comparison;

Terms of Reference • (b) To assist Members of the Region in calibrating their national standard meteorological instruments or in comparing them with the standard instruments mentioned in (c) below and to keep the Members of the Region and the WMO Secretariat informed on the available standard instruments;

Terms of Reference • (c) To be prepared to certify the instruments' conformity with the standards with reference to WMO recommendations;

Terms of Reference • (d) To organize instrument evaluations and comparisons, following standard methods;

Terms of Reference • (e) To advise Members of the Region concerned on their enquiries regarding instrument performance and the availability of relevant guidance material;

Terms of Reference • (f) To assist WMO in organizing regional symposia, seminars or workshops on the maintenance, calibration and comparison of meteorological instruments by providing laboratory and field installations, as well as assistance with regard to demonstration equipment and expert advice;

Terms of Reference • (g) To keep a library of books and periodicals on instrument theory and practices;

Terms of Reference • (h) To cooperate with other Regional Instrument Centers to provide standardization of meteorological instruments

Classification • Level 1 called Basic level is absolute minimum working level; • TOR a) and g) are satisfied • That means Traceability and Library

Classification • Level 2 called Promotion Level; • c) is also satisfied • That means: able to certify conformity

Classification • Level 3 called Standard Level; • b) and e) are satisfied • That means: assist and advise members (in term of instruments)

Classification • Level 4 called Extended Level; • d) and f) are completed • That means: organize evaluation and symposium…

Classification • Level 5 called Certified Level: • The RIC or the laboratory or the organization is certified or accredited by an external organization against ISO normalization (ISO 9001 or ISO 17 025) • That means: more than needed

RIC CAPABILITIES LEVEL Pressure Temperature Humidity Solar Rain Wind Other RA I Algiers Y Y O Y - Y 2 -> 4 Gaborone Y Y O - - - 2 Cairo Y Y Y Y - - 2 -> 4 Nairobi O Y O O - - - 1 RA II Beijing Y Y Y Y Y Y - 3 (4) Tsukuba 4 RA III Buenos Aires Y Y Y Y Y Y UV (1 )-> 5 RA IV Georgetown Y O O O - - - 1-> 3 (?) San-Jose - - - O Y - - 1 United States Y (?) Y (?) Y (?) Y (?) Y (?) Y (?) Y (?) 5 (?) RA V Manila Y Y - Y - Y - 2 Melbourne Y Y Y Y Y Y ozone 5 RA VI Bratislava Y Y Y - Y Y - 5 Ljubljana Y Y Y Y Y Y Air quality 4 (5) Trappes Y Y Y Y Y Y IR 5 Evaluation

Evaluation

Strengthening Proposals: • laboratory • apparatus • operator • method • policy • cooperation • quality

Proposals • Laboratory • the necessary facilities • laboratory equipment • protected from direct solar radiation • stabilized temperature • Dust, fume, smoke should also be prohibited • The infrastructure should be adapted to the capabilities • and maintained That is including building, workspace, hardware, software…

Strengthening • Apparatus • set of meteorological standard instruments • establish traceability • The systems should be adapted to uncertainty needed • The systems should be adapted to instruments to be calibrated

Strengthening • Staff • qualified managerial • Technical staff with necessary experience

Strengthening • Method • technical procedures It is not necessary to develop its own technical revolutionary method Classical method should be clearly adapted by the staff to the apparatus

Strengthening • Policy • sent to WMO • communicate to the staff • more communication with Members of the Region the customer’s requirement should be determined and expressed. So meetings are organized between RIC and customers

Strengthening • Cooperation • inter-laboratory comparisons

Strengthening • Quality • improvement factor • external assessment

Conclusion • 2 level structure of the RICs: • basic capabilities • full capabilities

Conclusion • Specialization: • e.g., temperature measuring instruments • better utilization of resources and capabilities within a Region

Conclusion • Traceability • national laboratory • another country • RIC

Conclusion • Quality control and quality assurance: • calibration laboratory guide • quality assurance • technical procedure

Conclusion • International standards • ISO 9001:2000 • ISO 17025

Conclusion • Regular assessment • A review of the RICs at each Regional Association session • Assessment by an external body • (certification or accreditation body, WMO…)

Bibliography • [1] : CIMO Expert Team on Regional Instrument Centers, Quality Management Systems and Commercial Instrument Initiatives, Reduced Session 4-7 April 2006.http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/IMOP/reports/2003-2007/ET-RICs_Final%20Report.pdf • [2] : A first review of calibration devices acceptable for Metrology Laboratory. J. DUVERNOY, J, GORMAN, D. GROSELJ. TECO 2006. • [3] : International Organization for Standardization : Quality management systems – Requirements, ISO 9001 :2000

THE END THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

REGIONAL INSTRUMENT CENTRE: REVIEW AND STRENGTHENING