WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS)

WIGOS Purpose, Objectives, and Aims

Purpose

The purpose of WIGOS is to provide the effective and sustainable organizational, programmatic, governance and procedural structures that will significantly improve the availability, usefulness, quality and utilization of observational data and products through a single focus for the operational and management functions of all WMO observing systems as well as a mechanism for interactions with WMO co-sponsored observing systems.

Objectives

WIGOS will provide the opportunity to better utilize existing and emerging observing capabilities, thus facilitating accomplishment of required changes. In particular, it is expected that WIGOS will:

• Develop strategies to guarantee systems interoperability, including meeting documented standards for data quality of observing systems and instruments;
• Evaluate existing and emerging capabilities before developing, acquiring, and/or deploying new observing systems or sensors, and in the design of cost-effective composite observing systems;
• Develop strategies to satisfy observing requirements of WMO Programmes and international partners through the WMO RRR Process;
• Develop a strategy for the production, editing and management of metadata, including instrumentation/platform and data discovery;
• Promote exploitation of existing platforms and employment of the multi-sensor platform concept to the maximum possible extent; and
• Coordinate the response to requirements, plans and activities with all WMO technical commissions, regional associations and Programmes.

Roadmap for Integration

Cg-XV agreed that planning and implementation of the WIGOS integration process should proceed in phases defined by annual sessions of the EC and it was foreseen that implementation of WIGOS and WIS would culminate at Congress in 2011. To that end an Executive Council Working Group was appointed to ensure oversight, review and direction.

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