What can climate services learn from theory and practice of co-production?

Co-produced climate services are increasingly recognised as a means of improving the effective generation and utilisation of climate information to inform decision-making and support adaptation to climate change, particularly in developing countries. There is a rich literature outlining the theoretical and conceptual evolution of co-production, and experiences of it in a variety of decision contexts – in different sectors and at different scales. However, the extent to which the producers of climate services have engaged with this literature varies. Reflecting the emerging interest and application, particularly in developing countries, this paper reviews the co-production literature to distil some key principles to inform climate services. Whilst we aim to be neither comprehensive nor prescriptive, these principles can inform a normative and pragmatic approach to co-produced climate services. A co-produced climate service product should be decision-driven, process-based and time-managed. The process of co-producing a climate service should be inclusive, collaborative and flexible. Illustrations are also provided of how these principles may be engaged in practice. Evaluation of these emerging examples will help further inform co-production of climate services. Keywords: Co-production, Climate services, Developing countries, Science-society relations, Post-normal science, Producer-user relation

Scoping, options analysis and design of a ‘Climate Information and Services Programme’ for Africa (CIASA): literature review

DFID is considering a new programme on climate information and services in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), building on existing initiatives and a providing a step change in the use of climate information to support poverty reduction and promote socio-economic development. As part of the scoping for the design of the Climate and Information Services for Africa programme (CIASA), this report provides a short literature review on user needs, gaps and potential intervention options. It adopts the structure of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS, see Section 1) with individual sections on ‘Users’, ‘User Interface Platforms (UIPs)’, ‘Climate Services Information Systems’, ‘Observations and Monitoring’, ‘Research, Modelling and Prediction’ and ‘Capacity Development’. The review identified a number of gaps in climate services, which were then considered alongside other evidence in a synthesis report and for the design of intervention options. The literature review found that the requirements of users of climate information are demanding relative to current levels of provider capacity in Africa (Section 2, Section 7). Needs are differentiated across a wide range of users working across decision time- and geographic scales (Section 2). Climate services should be reliable in terms of accuracy, robust in terms of operational delivery, relevant in terms of content and format and accessible in terms of channels of communication and language employed. To deliver the best possible climate services, at scales down to sub-national, synthesis of a wide range of information from global, regional and national centres is required together with the means for effective two-way communication. The appropriate operational hardware and expertise, institutional linkages, data exchanges (Section 4) and institutional capacity (Section 7) require development to facilitate this synthesis and a reliable operational service

Scoping, options analysis and design of a ‘Climate Information and Services Programme’ for Africa (CIASA): Final report

There have been many initiatives to strengthen weather and climate information and services across Africa in the last decade or so, with numerous valuable outcomes. However, it is commonly observed that availability and uptake of information and services is still relatively low and that this represents a threat to social and economic development. The “mainstreaming” of weather and climate information into decision making is recognised to be a multi-disciplinary process involving components that include, inter alia, climate science and information services, translational science (developing appropriate communication approaches and delivery channels) as well as issues of governance to incentivise service delivery and use (as, for example, exists for weather services to the aviation sector). Considerable research has been conducted to improve capabilities in some aspects of these individual components, including pilot projects, generally of sub-national scale, to improve interaction and mutual understanding between climate information providers and users. The UN-led Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) is now providing important guidance for new programmes and fostering and promoting government recognition of the benefits of climate services. However, there has as yet been no major large scale Africa-focussed initiative to comprehensively address the various barriers to progress in an integrated way and to consider also their interactions and dependencies. There is a growing consensus that this lack of a holistic approach lies behind currently limited progress in uptake of weather and climate services. The need for an innovative, holistic approach forms the central motivation behind DFID’s consideration of a new intervention – Climate Information and Services for Africa (CIASA1). CIASA aims to achieve a step change in use of weather and climate information in Africa by addressing, at scale and in an integrated and coordinated way, the very diverse barriers to uptake and use of weather and climate services. Current planning is for a 4-year programme (as Phase 1 and including inception) disbursing £35 million to operational and research investments. It is anticipated that further phases of CIASA may follow. In November 2014 DFID procured a Met Office-led team to scope, analyse options and support design of the CIASA programme. The team comprised weather and climate experts from the UK and Africa as well as representatives from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and experts in the fields of climate communication and development. This report presents the results of the scoping study and summarises DFID’s selection of preferred intervention options for Phase 1. The CIASA scoping comprised three main phases. Firstly, the Met Office-led Scoping Team developed a set of evidenced-based options for intervention themes and activities, working from DFID guidance in the scoping Terms of Reference and from the Inception meeting. Secondly, the Scoping Team worked together with DFID and other partners to refine the intervention options identified, develop a programme outline, raise options for a regional focus and to consider appropriate mechanisms of delivery and governance for the programme. In the third phase DFID conducted a formal appraisal, independent of the Scoping Team, to select preferred options for region, delivery and governance. Working on DFID selections, the Scoping Team then developed a draft framework for programme monitoring and evaluation