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Terms of Reference

The Services and Forecasting Systems Coordination Group, in close collaboration with Commission for Basic Systems, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), Global Ocean Observing System, Global Climate Observing System, Disaster Risk Reduction and other subsidiary bodies and related experts, shall:

1. Keep under review and ensure the effectiveness, coordination and operation of the Services work programme, including performance with respect to timeliness, standards, quality and relevance to established user requirements
2. Through the assembly of requirements identified by specialist service groups, and other Programme Areas of JCOMM, provide advice on Services and Forecasting Systems Programme Area activities that need to be changed, implemented or discontinued
3. Develop and enhance interfaces to representative user groups to monitor the strength and weaknesses of existing Services and Forecasting Systems Programme Area activities
4. With the concurrence of the Co-presidents of JCOMM, establish and create expert teams, Task Teams, Demonstration Projects and appoint Rapporteurs, as appropriate, to undertake the work of the Services and Forecasting Systems Programme Area
5. Ensure effective coordination and cooperation with groups and bodies in the area of service provision, including other Programme Areas of the Commission, other WMO Commissions (e.g. Commission for Basic Systems. Commission for Hydrology) and agencies such as IMO and IHO
6. Assess and recommend capacity development tools/systems in accordance with identified requirements
7. Identify and maintain the requirements for in situ and satellite data and information for metocean applications and services and monitor its implementation

Membership

The Membership of the Services Systems Coordination Group is selected to ensure a range of expertise and to maintain an appropriate geographical and gender representation, for the priority areas of metocean services, and will include:

1. Services and Forecasting Systems Programme Area coordinator (the SFSPA Chairperson)
2. Vice-Chairpersons for: Metocean Services Regulatory Material, WMO Systems, IOC Ocean Systems, Quality Management and Competency
3. Chairperson of the Worldwide Metocean Information and Warning Service (WWMIWS) Committee
4. Chairpersons of four expert teams under the Programme Area
5. Chairpersons of Task Teams (including Task Team for Marine Competency, and Task Team for Weather, Climate and Fisheries), as required and/or determined by JCOMM, for the Teams’ lifetime
6. Chairpersons of the CIFDP Project Steering Group, for the Group’s lifetime
7. Experts nominated and selected by JCOMM, on the priority areas of the metocean services identified by WMO and IOC

Additional experts representing the range of priority activities of the Programme Area may be invited as members, as appropriate, on a self-funded basis.

Representatives of other JCOMM programme areas and of other expert bodies may be invited as appropriate, with the concurrence of the Co-presidents, and in general with no resource implications to JCOMM.