Report on the Review of Regional Meteorological Services PCCR, NIUE 14 March 2011

1. Report on the Review of Regional Meteorological ServicesPCCR,NIUE14 March 2011 dean solofa pi-gcos sprep

2. origins • 2007 12th Regional Meteorological Services Directors meeting (Cook Islands) • WMO Mission to Fiji (per WMO Congress 2007) • SIS Leaders Summit 2007 directive • 2008 PIFS-coordinated Review of Sustainable Delivery of Meteorological Services in the Pacific Islands Region • 2008 Pacific Forum Islands Leaders meeting called for SPREP-coordinated Review of Regional Meteorological Services

3. 2009 Review of Regional Meteorological Services • key text of Pacific Island Forum Leaders, in their annual communiqué: • …call on SPREP to urgently carry out a comprehensive review of regional meteorological services, reporting intersessionally to Leaders as soon as practicable on all options, including building on existing arrangements and consideration of other service providers.

4. process • Donor engagement • Terms of Reference negotiations/design • Recruitment of Consultants • scope of work, expertise required • Checklist of ongoing processes and partners • SPREP Council meeting, WMO view, Forum Secretariat groupings/role, SOPAC SPREP mandates, plus US, Australia, NZ support

5. Bruce Chapman – Team Leader. Institutional strengthening expert, experience with regional mechanisms and regional organizational structures. Former SPREP Pacific Futures Manager, former FFA Deputy Director. Mr. Bikenibeu Paeniu – Economist. Former economist with PIFS, former PM of Tuvalu. Mr. Robert Brook – Meteorologist. Former Deputy Director, Bureau of Meteorology, Australia. Mr. Atunaisa Kaloumaira – Disaster Risk Management expert. Former DRM and CHARM Adviser at SOPAC. Former Senator, Fiji Parliament. Review Team

6. process • Review Team • Draft Work Plan with Secretariat • Make Update reports • Provide Draft Final report • Deliver Final Report • Methodology • Country visits (KI, FJ, WS, VU, NZ, AU, US) • Questionnaire (all others), teleconferences • sought in particular high-level meetings with Fiji Government in discussion of FMS regional met services • total budget USD$155k

7. key issues • 3 major areas identified with opportunities • 1. RSMC Nadi – Fiji Meteorological Services • recruiting and retaining skilled and experienced staff; staying updated with technology and equipment • provides additional services (aviation + marine) plus national services and support for some SIS • increased calls for additional support to other national services; disaster management, hydrology, seismic monitoring, climate information and prediction • Findings are that FMS problems have to do with • institutional structure • history of the organization • relationship with other Pacific neighbor NMHSs

8. key issues cont’d • 2. Regional Support and Coordination • Team found need for stronger regional mechanism to provide a: • forum for addressing regional issues for meteorological services • clear line of reporting for NMHS directors • mechanism for channeling support to develop capacity in PICs • coordination role for both NMHS Directors themselves as well as for development partners – particularly to provide for a coordinated regional approach for • training • purchase and maintenance of equipment • capacity building • vehicle for sustainable financing and resource mobilization

9. key issues cont’d • 3. Strengthening National Meteorological Services • NMHSs need to raise profile of meteorology within own government systems • Some need clear sense of national role and how it fits in wider national and regional picture • Expectations of service from Fiji (FMS) and potential consideration of other service providers also needs clarification

10. recommendations • Summary • 10 recommendations in total along 10 title headers, further split into 3 categories • regional coordination & support (3) • strengthening national meteorological services (2) • regional specialized meteorological services (5) • Each recommendation includes rationale and references to main report findings • Next steps also included

11. recommendations cont’d • Recommendation 1: That a Regional Desk for Pacific National Meteorological Services be established as described in section 9.2. • Recommendation 2: That key development partners review their donor/support policies to provide surety of ongoing support for Pacific island NMSs, given their critical role in the safety, security and sustainable development of Pacific Island Countries and Territories.

12. recommendations cont’d • Recommendation 3: That a donor/development partner forum be scheduled in association with the annual meeting of Regional Meteorological Services Directors, to align donor investment with regional needs and promote donor coordination. • Recommendation 4: That Pacific Island Governments assign greater importance to the work of NMSs by mainstreaming them into their respective overall policy and decision-making processes; as well as according NMSs greater share in the allocation of budgetary resources.

13. recommendations cont’d • Recommendation 5: That development partners support NMSs‘ contribution in the development and implementation of national action plans being developed by PICs so that the work of the NMS and other linked fields (such as hydrology, disaster risk reduction and climate change) can be integrated. • Recommendation 6: That the FMS be constituted as a stand-alone entity of the Fiji Government as described in section 9.1

14. recommendations cont’d • Recommendation 7: That the Fiji Government maintain its commitment to provide resources that enable FMS to fulfill its role as RSMC Nadi, in association with development partners. • Recommendation 8: That development partners continue to provide support to FMS through its transition and under its new organizational structure.

15. recommendations cont’d • Recommendation 9: That Pacific Island Forum Leaders call SPREP initially to provide a 2010 interim report on the FMS restructuring progress and subsequently call for an annual report from the Pacific Desk (as per Recommendation 1) focusing on the sustainable delivery of meteorological services including the capacity of FMS to meet its RSMC commitments over the approaching cyclone season. • Recommendation 10: That FMS develop bilateral agreements with other national meteorological services to which it provides services.

16. next steps • Pacific Desk • i. There needs to be an early decision on which organization will host the Pacific Desk, so progress towards its establishment can be made. • ii. Once the host organization is identified, it should develop a full project proposal for funding the Desk. The review team suggests that project development funding should be provided for this phase, to avoid burdening the host agency with additional tasks without additional resources. • iii. In parallel with (ii.) above, seed funding should be provided for the early recruitment of a Desk Coordinator who can initiate the work of the Desk as soon as is feasible.

17. next steps cont’d • Specialised Regional Services • iv. To ensure that Forum Leaders have up-to-date information, the review team proposes that SPREP be asked to provide a report on the status of the Fiji Meteorological Service restructuring process (refer also Recommendation 9). • v. The report from SPREP (in iv. Above) will provide a basis for identifying any appropriate specific support to Fiji Meteorological Service that may support the transition. • vi. Development partners are encouraged to positively consider any support that will assist the process and assure the success of the restructured organization.

18. policy advice process • Report circulated to Policy Oversight Group (POG), SPREP Members • Comments on Final Report in by • teleconference of Policy Oversight Group • Final policy paper endorsed between SPREP Secretariat, Policy Oversight Group, PIFS • Submission of final policy paper to PIFS reporting process • Presentation of policy paper to CROP Heads meeting, PPAC , FOC, Leaders meeting

19. priority needs of PICTs? • a quick distinction made • The Review of Regional Meteorological Services focused on services of that nature and the long term risks and sustainability issues involved. Hence the recommendations are: • institutional focused with regional support underscored

20. RMSD priorities • A categorization of raised needs • Stemming from Regional Strategic Action Plan for the Development of Meteorology 2000-2009. • Observing Systems • Telecommunications • Infrastructure • Applications of Meteorology and Climatology • Climate Change and Variability • Capacity Building and Technology Transfer • Disaster Management • Strategic Planning and Organizational Matters

21. Observing Systems • Support for work of GCOS TSP • PI-GCOS, PI-GOOS, Pacific HYCOS • Telecommunications • RANET and Telecommunications Committee (LRIT, EMWIN etc.) • MTSAT and GOES satellites • LRIT and WAFS, ICS systems • Application of Met/Climate • QMS + ICAO Identified Deficiencies • PEAC & ICU & PICPP • Climate Data Archival/Databases/Data Access/Climate Change Trends and Projections (currently via PCCSP) • Training (new initiatives with UNDP coordinated South-South Cooperation) • Education Training & Cap Building • Technician Training • Meteorologist and Dependant Forecaster training and supplementary courses • Tropical meteorology Meteorologist training from Meteo-France • WMO + others training programmes

22. SPREP role • Review has highlighted regional coordination needs (improvement and new activities) • Existing role provides much of current framework but needs a lot of strengthening • Suggested Pacific (Regional Support) Desk works with internal revision of role for supporting meteorology work area • Platform approach (for partnership) is focus of way forward for SPREP • strategies developed, initial partnerships in place plus some in review and renewal and plans in place for attracting more

23. Progressing Review Outcomes • Pacific Desk • regional coordination mechanism drafted and under implementation • donor roundtable to be convened in Suva, April tabling an implementation plan for Pacific Desk and later for regional strategy • Pacific Meteorology Council – formation endorsed by SPREP Meeting, for oversight and guidance to Pacific Desk • Regional Strategy 2011-2020

24. vinaka vakalevu