National Observing
Strategy and National
WIGOS Implementation
Plan
WIGOS Workshop for West Asia
2 - 3 November 2016
(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
Dr. Igor Zahumensky,
WIGOS Project Office, WMO Secretariat
Key Role of NMHS
• Key integrating role at the national
WIGOS implementation for:
strengthening and integrating
national observing systems,
building national partnerships,
providing national leadership on the
implementation of GFCS and other WMO key
priorities, and
ensuring the ongoing delivery of the fit-forpurpose reliable & trusted observations.
Trusted & reliable Observations
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Quality assured,
Quality controlled,
Well documented (i.e. WIGOS Metadata
available),
Compatible,
Timely delivered,
Discoverable, accessible and usable,
Delivering value, i.e. meeting the
needs of government, the
community, industry and
stakeholders
Role of Members
 Implement and operate
their observing networks
and systems in
accordance with the
WMO Technical
Regulations (WMO-No.
49)
Role of Members
 Develop their National
Observing Strategy
and National WIP;
 Establish national WIGOS governance,
coordination and implementation mechanisms;
 Nominate national WIGOS focal points and
OSCAR/Surface focal points;
 Coordinate their WIGOS implementation with the
implementation of WIS and other WMO key
priorities;
Observing Strategy - What we will do
Purpose of National Observing Strategy

The purpose of the Nat. Obs. Strategy is to guide
activities of Members, but mainly NMHS as the
national Leader over the next period. It will:
 enable NMHS to deliver on its mission in a
responsive, effective and efficient manner.
 recognize NMHS as a strategic national asset
that contributes to national security, principal of
which are transport, food, water, energy and
health (Key Pillars of GFCS) in addition to
being vital to sustainable development, climate
change mitigation and adaptation, and disaster
risk reduction
Two basic steps in National Implementation
1. Development of a National Observing
Strategy (the example can be found at:
https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/wigos/docu
ments/Principal_Docs/OSS_eBook.pdf) and
2. Development of a National WIGOS
Implementation Plan (N-WIP), building on
the National Observing Strategy
National Planning
• It reflects a national situation, requirements of
user community with a goal to meet national
service needs,
• It links NMHS with their national partners for
increased integration and open sharing of
observations, incl. those from non-WMO
sources
National WIGOS Planning

First step of the WIGOS Planning: to understand:
 What does it mean to implement a WIGOS
concept of integration, partnership, data
sharing, culture of compliance, etc.in “our”
(NMHS) national approach to observations?
 What are future strategic requirements, needs
and priorities in front of “us” (NMHS)?
 What are the steps to put the national WIGOS
Framework in place?
 What is the purpose of N-WIP?
N-WIP activities
• N-WIP will help Members:
• To establish appropriate governance and
coordination systems,
• To build the relationships and partnerships
that will help expand and share their
national and regional observations to
meet needs across relevant disciplines
and communities,
“WIGOS Ready” level
1) OSCAR/Surface: completed WIGOS
metadata of all observing stations across all
WIGOS components for which observations
are exchanged internationally;
2) WIGOS metadata compliance achieved;
3) WIGOS Station Identifiers: implemented;
4) WDQMS: national process for acting on
quality problem information received from
the WDQMS in place;
“WIGOS Ready” level
5) National WIGOS governance,
coordination and implementation
mechanisms established;
6) Nominate national WIGOS focal points and
OSCAR FPs;
7) WIGOS implementation coordinated with the
implementation of WIS and other WMO key
priorities.
Conclusion
 NMHS should (must):
 be prepared
 take the lead
 be proactive
 feel commitment
 feel ownership
 be visible
 be an example
N-WIGOS-FP TORs
1. Take, on behalf of their respective Permanent Representative,
the lead in communications on WIGOS with the WMO Secretariat
(WIGOS Project Office and WMO Regional Office) and the
WIGOS related constituent bodies of the respective Region;
2. Monitor and report on the status of the national WIGOS
implementation, taking into account guidance from ICG-WIGOS
and the WIGOS Project Office of the WMO Secretariat;
3. Report to the WIGOS Project Office on issues and challenges
that might impact the implementation of WIGOS in the country
and seek its advice;
4. Identify and follow-up on WIGOS-related training and capacity
development needs; Participate in relevant WMO meetings in the
capacity of a national “Rapporteur”, as required.
N-OSCAR/Surf-FP TORs
1. Liaise with the National WIGOS FP in the country/territory to
ensure that all the operators of the relevant observing systems
in the country/territory are aware of OSCAR and ready to make
the required metadata routinely available to OSCAR;
2. Coordinate user account creation in OSCAR for the people
accredited, to manage within OSCAR the relevant metadata
from the country/territory;
3. Promulgate the WMO Technical Regulations relevant to
OSCAR, as well as the guidance and training materials for an
adequate use of OSCAR;
N-OSCAR/Surf-FP TORs
4. Make all efforts to ensure that all accredited users of OSCAR
are well trained to make the right use of the editing tools
available in OSCAR;
5. Promote, in collaboration with the WMO Secretariat and in
compliance with the required standards, the use of automatic,
or semi-automatic, machine-to-machine transfer of information
for insertion/updates of metadata within OSCAR, from the
relevant observing systems of the Member country/territory;
6. Work closely with the established Regional WIGOS Centre
(RWC) of the region/subregion;
N-OSCAR/Surf-FP TORs
7. Upon request, provide the Secretariat and the RWC with an
overview of the country/territory WIGOS metadata status in
OSCAR;
8. Take, without any delay, actions in order to correct any
erroneous and/or missing metadata identified in OSCAR,
regarding the Member country/territory observing systems;
9. Collaborate with the relevant WMO working bodies and the
Secretariat to perform the critical review and gap analysis at
national and regional levels, using the OSCAR/Analysis tool.
Thank you
Merci
www.wmo.int/wigos