This checklist is for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) to self-assess progress with respect to climate services implementation and identify areas where support is needed. The checklist refers to the Country-focused results based framework for WMO contribution to the GFCS approved by the 68th WMO Executive Council (abridged report pp. 82-92).
The checklist consists of “YES/NO” self-assessments as to the degree to which actions have been taken or outputs generated.These actions or outputs are grouped into the categories of:
·        Governance
·        Basic Systems
·        User Interface
·        Capacity Development
·        Provision and Application of climate services 
·        Monitoring and Evaluation.

Within each grouping, actions or outputs are listed under the “Basic, Essential, Full, Advanced” headings. Ideally simultaneous actions will be taken in all categories, moving from left to right, from “Basic” to “Advanced”.

Key next steps, where such actions or outputs have not been completed, may be candidates for further effort and/or technical support.  Please review each section and select the option that applies by checking the respective box (YES or NO).
Objective: Institutional, technical, financial, and human resources mobilized for climate services planning, implementation and results monitoring targeting climate-sensitive national priorities

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* 1. Country

GOVERNANCE
Does the NMHS in your country participate in the identification of climate-sensitive national development priorities in:

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* 2. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement

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* 3. National Adaptation Plan (NAP)

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* 4. National Development Policy or Strategy

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* 5. National Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Strategy

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* 6. National sectoral policies and strategies (e.g. food security, health, etc.):

Has the NMHS in your country participated in the capacity assessment of key stakeholders (including NMHSs and NHSs) by:

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* 7. Identifying key stakeholders for improving climate-related outcomes in priority sectors (UIPs - User Interface Platform - focused on GFCS - Global Framework for Climate Services - priorities: health, agriculture and food security, WRM - Water Resource Management, energy, DRM):

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* 8. Identifying key climatic factors of socio-economic significance at the national levels, establishing baseline knowledge based on capacity assessments and co-define with stakeholders climate information needs for sectoral decision-making at national level:

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* 9. Identifying feasible climate services for meeting priority needs and capacity needs/requirements for their development and delivery:

Does the NMHS in your country participate in the implementation of national plans/frameworks (e.g. NAPs or national action plans) by:

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* 10. Verifying status of and consulting/supporting development and/or implementation of NAP and other plans listed in point 1 above reflecting priority needs:

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* 11. Co-developing national action plan for climate services (if appropriate, depending on status of/prospects for NAP) in response to priority needs:

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* 12. Establishing institutional mandates for providing climate services as well as for using climate services, with the aim to mainstream efficient and well-informed climate risk management practices at all levels:

Has the NMHS in your country undertaken resources reviews of relevant ongoing and planned partner projects by:

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* 13. Consulting lists of planned or ongoing major adaptation (and mitigation) investment programmes (GEF - Global Environment Facility, GCF - Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, PPCR - Pilot Program for Climate Resilience, development banks, RECs - Regional Economic Commissions):

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* 14. Jointly meeting with national government Ministries/Departments and their counterpart(s) major international organizations (UNDP – United Nations Development Programme, IFIs – International Financial Institution, WFP – World Food Programme, FAO - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, WHO - World Health Organization etc.) as necessary to articulate NMHS needs to support development decisions:

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* 15. Negotiating access to financing from ongoing programmes and/or contributing to the development of new proposals to address identified needs:

Does the NMHS in your country participate in national planning, coordination, information sharing and monitoring structures by:

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* 16. Identifying/establishing/engaging in an appropriate national governance mechanism to ensure coordination for climate services (there may already be one for NDCs, NAPs, DRM, etc.):

BASIC SYSTEMS (observing networks, data, data management, monitoring, and forecasting systems)
Note: see Table 1 on categorization of NMHSs
Adequate observing networks, data, data management, monitoring, and forecasting systems:
Note: The capabilities are incremental by moving from left to right columns in the table (i.e. competencies related to the category “Essential” include the ones related to “Basic” etc.)

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* 17. Establish an internal management structure to integrate all basic systems into a functioning observing system:

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* 18. Establish national requirements for observational needs to support climate services:

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* 19. Perform gap analysis by matching observational needs against existing national capabilities:

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* 20. Develop national observing strategy for weather and climate in order to address identified gaps:

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* 21. Aware of GCOS - Global Climate Observing System - climate monitoring principles:

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* 22. Adhere to GCOS climate monitoring principles:

Observing networks:
Note: This section refers to the assessment of observing networks in the context of climate services

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* 23. BASIC

  YES NO
Operate and maintain adequate national observing systems, in support of the weather-related  application areas of the WMO Rolling Review of Requirements:
Develop complete inventory of existing national observing systems and their metadata by completing and updating national entries in OSCAR - Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review Tool/Surface:

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* 24. ESSENTIAL

  YES NO
Undertake to improve station density based on established and known national requirements:
Improve observations through compliance with WIGOS regulatory and guidance material: 
Observing network delivers against ECVs  - Essential Climate Variables:
Formal partnership agreements established with external (non-NMHS) entities operating third party; observing networks under guidance on minimum set of requirements for use in local climate services:

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* 25. FULL

  YES NO
Adoption of long- term strategy for managing observing network and change, including relocation of stations, establishment of automated observations meeting climate observation requirements/standards, and protection  of long-term observing stations:

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* 26. ADVANCED

  YES NO
Improve and strengthen national observing network based on national observing strategy, the relevant Regional WIGOS - WMO Integrated Global Observing System, Implementation Plan and the EGOS-IP:
Data and data management:

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* 27. BASIC

  YES NO
Collect and store data and metadata in relational databases  (OSCAR/Surface):
Conduct data rescue:
Apply quality control to processes to climate data:
Conduct data management including weather forecasting and warnings, quality assurance/quality control, using Quality Management Framework principles:
Apply when necessary spatial temporal interpolation to ensure data continuity:
Create, archive and document climate datasets of the appropriate length, time resolution and units:
Assess climate data homogeneity and adjust inhomogeneous time series where possible:
Comply with the standards set and the recommendations made by WMO:

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* 28. ESSENTIAL

  YES NO
Historical as well as real time observations in the atmosphere, the oceans, over land and ice of the ECVs prepared by GCOS and partners for climate purposes, exchanged freely for use in RCCs for at least one Global Surface Network site:
Adopt well documented strategy including vision and operating manual for ensuring security, integrity, retention policy  and technology migration for data archival process and systems:
Register data in WIS - WMO Information System:

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* 29. FULL

  YES NO
Ensure all further observations are accumulated into time series: 
Identify additional required data that can be accessed from regional and global sources:
Document and register rescued and non-rescued data in the WMO-GFCS I-DARE - International Data Rescue - portal:
Use Data Management Systems that are compliant with WMO Specifications as recommended by the Commission for Climatology:

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* 30. ADVANCED

  YES NO
Identify and engage research to improve data availability:
Monitoring:

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* 31. BASIC

  YES NO
Identify and retrieve adequate climate data from different sources to generate climate products:
Compute basic climate products, such as World Weather Records, Climatological Standard Normals , and other basic statistics i.e anomalies, standard deviations, percentiles contingency tables, etc.:

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* 32. ESSENTIAL

  YES NO
Compute Climate Indices and derived products for the monitoring of climate change and climate extremes  using ETCCDI - Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices  (and other tools such as iTacs for example) and NCMP approach:
Generate generic monitoring products (i.e. drought monitoring, climate watch, etc): 
Compute sector-specific Climate Indices and other sector oriented climate products:
Create value-added products, such as graphics, maps and reports to explain climate characteristics and evolution, according to the needs of specific sectors such as health, agriculture, water and disaster management:
Comply with the standards set and the recommendations made by WMO:
Register in WIS operational climate monitoring data and products that  are recommended by WMO  for regional or global climate monitoring activities:
Apply QMS - Quality Management - principles: 

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* 33. FULL

  YES NO
Apply multi-variate statistical analysis to provide space-time distribution of climate patterns and identify statistical relationships across multiple variables:
Create integrated, continually updated data product time series, e.g. combining satellite observations and reanalysis with station data:
Produce gridded data sets based on peer-reviewed techniques and complying with WMO recommended practices:
Generate and manage consistent and systematic information on Extreme Weather and Climate Events complying with the WMO recommended practices: 

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* 34. ADVANCED

  YES NO
Identify and engage research to improve monitoring and related products:
Publish regular,  quality controlled authoritative information on the status of climate relevant to policy making for climate adaptation:
Simulation of past climate and generate model-based analysis and Reanalysis:
Statistical and dynamical down-scaling, using advanced empirical techniques and regional climate models:
Maintain, update regularly and make available for global access  high quality peer-reviewed ECV datasets and document  the underlying uncertainty assessment:
Forecasting systems:

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* 35. BASIC

  YES NO
Participate in RCOFs – Regional Climate Outlook Forums:
Disseminate climate outlooks provided by GPCs -Global Producing Center of WMO, RCCs and RCOFs:

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* 36. ESSENTIAL

  YES NO
Create value-added products, such as graphics, maps and reports to explain climate forecasts and climate model information:
Develop and/or provide monthly, seasonal and longer scale climate predictions, using both empirical and dynamical approaches:
Generate value-added forecast products for national scales based on RCC and GPC products:
Conduct and/or contribute to RCOF sessions:
Register forecasting products in WIS:

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* 37. FULL

  YES NO
Generate sub-seasonal and seasonal forecast products:
Run climate models within the adequate domain and with adequate parametrization and scenarios:
Downscale climate prediction and projection products:
Interpret annual to decadal climate prediction products:
Coordinate RCOFs and NCOFs - National Climate Outlook Forums and assist users in forecast interpretation:

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* 38. ADVANCED

  YES NO
Evaluate the performance of climate models output and quantify the associated uncertainties:
Run Global and/or Regional Climate Models (sub-seasonal to decadal and longer):
Locate, select and retrieve climate forecasts and climate models output generated by Regional Climate Centers, Global Producing Centers and other institutions to complement self-produced climate products:
Provide large scale data resources as input to modeling, research, applications, etc.:
Host GPCs/RCCs:
Guide/lead process improvement studies for RCOFs and NCOFs:
Create future climate projections using different scenarios:
Apply statistical and geo-statistical analysis, including downscaling/calibration, to monitor the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of model output:
Develop tailored products for decision support in priority sectors:
Apply recalibration procedures to model outputs:
Make skill assessments publicly available:
Identify and engage research to improve forecasting and related products:
USER INTERFACE
Decision support tools and systems (identified, designed and improved, including any necessary research):

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* 39. Identify the top five most prominent sectoral users groups (list in the order of priority):

  1 2 3 4 5
Agriculture and food security
Disaster risk reduction
Energy
Health
Water
Other

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* 40. BASIC

  YES NO
Interact with users, to meet requests (for basic climatology questions):
Assist users to interpret/use climate predictions and products:
Get periodic feedback from users on the usefulness and effectiveness of the information, products and services provided (including through NCOFs):
Establish effective relationships and communication channels with users:

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* 41. ESSENTIAL

  YES NO
Interact with users to identify their requirements for, and provide advice on, climate information and adequate and viable products for their application:
Conduct and evaluate user satisfaction on a regular basis (e.g. meetings, surveys):
Revise climate services and the means of communication based on user feedback:
Develop and apply in partnership with users applications to facilitate the understanding and use of existing climate products and services:

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* 42. FULL

  YES NO
Co-design and co-develop products with users:

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* 43. ADVANCED

  YES NO
Work with sector-based research teams to develop applications models (e.g. to combine climate and agriculture information and produce food security knowledge products):
Jointly (with sector-based research teams) develop software and product suites for customized sector-specific climate products:
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
Capacity development services:

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* 44. Identify a source of and invest in  capacity development assistance and training to support the capacity development needs emerging from the other activities (see section 4 in Governance):

  YES NO
Neighbouring or other NMHS for basic education and cross-discipline operational training:
RTC - Regional Training Centre, Education and/or Research Universities/institutions/organizations:
RCC:
GPC:
Other:
Involve users, if possible, from the other sectors in training events:
PROVISION AND APPLICATION OF CLIMATE SERVICES
Decision-support products and services (established or strengthened):

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* 45. BASIC

  YES NO
Data services (unless prohibited under current mandate and legislation): 
Access remote sensing and reanalysis products (i.e. EUMETCast):
Weather forecasting products:
Conduct basic climate diagnostics and climate analysis (staff will have some proficiency in climate statistics, or be able to reliably use statistical software (e.g. Climate Database Management System)):
Basic statistics (graphs, counts, etc.) on extremes, frequency of occurrence, spatial means for temperature (Max, Min, Mean), precipitation, relative humidity, evapotranspiration, thunder days, sunshine duration, cyclones, climatological normal, etc:
Regularly conduct NCOF sessions:
Conduct climate watch programmes and disseminate early warnings:

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* 46. ESSENTIAL

  YES NO
Climate monitoring products:
Targeted dissemination of climate products to priority sectors (i.e. those based on data; regional and national climate monitoring products if available; seasonal outlooks provided by RCOFs and RCCs): 
Generic seasonal forecasts:
Update/Improve/Develop products and services based on users’ feedback and requirements:

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* 47. FULL

  YES NO
Sub-seasonal forecasts: 
Tailoring of  products received from RCCS and in some cases GPCs for national applications:
Tailored seasonal forecasts (to address user needs): 

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* 48. ADVANCED

  YES NO
Climate change projections: 
Helpdesk function: 
Provide products that can directly be plugged-in decision support tools including for policy development: 
Diversified channels of communication used to disseminate climate products (e.g. radio, social media):
Provide products relevant to neighbouring or other countries:
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Monitoring of benefits resulting from climate services:

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* 49. BASIC

  YES NO
Identify climate sensitive user sector outcomes and associated variables to measure them i.e. disaster losses, crop yields, hydropower:

Identify sources of this information:

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* 50. ESSENTIAL

  YES NO
Establish ongoing monitoring systems for documenting user outcomes:
Establish baselines of sectoral outcomes for continuous evaluation of climate services:

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* 51. FULL

  YES NO
Socio-economic analysis of cost-benefits of climate services conducted in collaboration with users:

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* 52. ADVANCED

  YES NO
Investment plans of climate sensitive sectors based on results of socio-economic  analysis of cost-benefits of climate services:

Policy response as an outcome of the results of the socio-economic analysis of cost-benefits of climate services:

- Table 1. Categorization of NMHSs (Source: Commission for Climatology Guidelines for NMHSs on capacity development for climate services)

- List of acronyms:
DRM – Disaster risk management

ECV – Essential climate variables

EGOS-IP – WMO Implementation plan for the Evolution of Global Observing Systems

ETCCDI – Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices

FAO – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization

GCF – Green Climate Fund

GCOS – Global Climate Observing System

GEF – Global Environment Facility

GFCS – Global Framework for Climate Services

GPC – Global Producing Centre of WMO

I-DARE - International Data Rescue

IFI – International Financial Institutions

iTACS – Interactive Tool for Analysis of the Climate System

NAP – National Adaptation Plan

NCMP – National Climate Monitoring Products

NCOF – National Climate Outlook Forum

NDC – Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement

NMHS – National Meteorological and Hydrological Service

OSCAR – Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review Tool

PPCR – Pilot Program for Climate Resilience

QMS – Quality management system

RCC – Regional Climate Center of WMO

RCOF – Regional climate outlook forum

RECs – Regional Economic Commissions

RTC – Regional Training Center

UIP – User interface platform

UNDP- United Nations Development Programme

WFP – World Food Programme

WHO – World Health Organization

WIGOS – WMO Integrated Global Observing System

WIS – WMO Information System

WMO – World Meteorological Organization

WRM – Water resource management

- Global Climate Observing System climate monitoring principles:
(Revised Reporting Guidelines as agreed by the UNFCCC at Bali, December 2007, decision 11/CP.13)
Effective monitoring systems for climate should adhere the following principles

- References:
1) High Level Task Force Report -  Climate Knowledge for Action: A Global Framework for Climate Services: http://library.wmo.int/pmb_ged/wmo_1065_en.pdf

2) WMO Capacity development strategy and implementation plan: https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/dra/CDS.html

3) Commission for Climatology Guidelines for NMHSs on Capacity Development for climate services (ref: Table 2, p 31)
 
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