WP 2: Strategic Goals, Metrics, and Indicators

Overview
Task 2.1
Task 2.2
Task 2.3
Kickoff Meeting
WS1: Metrics
WS3: EV Workshop

Overview

WP 2 aims to define the strategic goals to be considered in the frame of ConnectinGEO (based on GEOSS Strategic Targets, SDGs, and planetary boundaries). For these goals, indicators will be established that measure progress towards these goals. Essential variables (EVs) will be identified that are required to quantify these indicators, and it will be determined how these EVs can be extracted from observations. WP 2 has three tasks:

  • Task 2.1: Strategic goals.
    Based on international agreements on SDGs, and scientific understanding of planetary boundaries of the safe operating space for humanity, and consistent with GEOSS Strategic Targets, this task is:
    • Developing an integrated list of strategic goals.
    • Defining the metrics to measure progress towards the goals by identifying a set of indicators.
    • Organizing a workshop to that discuss metrics and its quantification (including the SDGs) (see http://www.gstss.org/2015_Norfolk_3rd).
    • Populating the Socio-Economic and Environmental Information Needs (SEE IN) Knowledge Base (formerly User Requirements Registry) with information on the strategic goals and the metrics.
    • Defining a process for monitoring progress towards the strategic goals.
  • Task 2.2: Essential variables.
    This task is contributing to the formulation of lists of EVs required to reinforce the related knowledge body and to quantify the metrics (indicators defined in Task 2.1) for selected communities. In GEO, some SBAs are currently discussing SBA-specific sets of EVs and they are implemented in the (SEE IN) Knowledge Base. The goal is to identify an integrated set of EVs balanced between different SBAs that can support a prioritization of EO networks. The task is
    • Organizing an internal project meeting about the current status of the EVs and determine how to make progress.
    • Organizing an initial workshop about EVs with representatives of all SBA (see http:/www.gstss.org/2015_Bari). The aim is to share experiences between communities that already have EV defined with others that are in the process of doing it.
    • Contributing to develop drafts of SBA-specific EVs for Carbon, Health and Pollution, Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Energy, Disasters and Oceans.
    • Populate the "SEE IN Knowledge Base" (formerly URR) with an integrated set of EVs.
    • Generate scientific literature about the EVs.
  • Task 2.3: Observation specifications and requirements.
    • Develop observation specifications for all EVs that would meet the requirements to quantify the indicators defined in Task 2.1.
    • Develop a measure to use the EVs and their relevance to the indicators for prioritization.
    • Define how the EVs can be extracted from observations and measurement information.

Deliverables of these tasks will become available here in due time.

Task 2.1 organized a workshop (WS1) focusing on the process that leads from accepted societal goals and targets to the metrics defined by indicators and from there to the identification of EVs. This workshop was organized in cooperation with the GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholder Network (GSTSN) and took place on March 23-25, 2015 in Norfolk, VA, USA. The workshop documentation is available at http://www.gstss.org/2015_Norfolk_3rd.

Task 2.2 organized an internal project meeting on EVs to determine the approach to EVs in the context of ConnectinGEO. This meeting was held in conjunction with the EGU meeting in April 2015 in Vienna. An open workshop (WS3) is organized to take place on June 11-12, 2015 in Bari, Italy. See here for more details.

Task 2.3 will use the outcomes of Tasks 2.1 and 2.2 to develop observation specifications that would meet the requirements to quantify the indicators defined in Task 2.1 for the EVs identified in Task 2.2. The Task also will aim at the development of a measure that utilizes the relevance of EVs and indicators for prioritization. In many cases, EVs are not directly equating to specific observations, and procedures to extract the EVs from combinations of observations needs to be developed.