Box 10. What are the Country Hydromet Diagnostics? Box 11. GBON monitoring and compliance

Box 10. What are the Country Hydromet Diagnostics?

The CHD are an integrated and operational tool that provides an initial assessment

of the National Meteorological Services, their operating environment, and their contribution to high-quality weather, climate, hydrological and environmental services and warnings. The CHD have been developed by the Alliance for Hydromet Development, spearheaded and technically guided by WMO.

The CHD aim to inform priorities for policy and investment decision-making, in particular guiding the members of the Alliance for Hydromet Development with an initial overview of priorities and indication of weaker areas where investments and further assessments are needed. Through the CHD, developing countries will benefit from better targeted and aligned support as the assessment of maturity levels indicates where additional focus and support is needed.

The CHD are an umbrella tool that integrates existing approaches and data provided by WMO Members and partners. It complements and validates this information through a structured peer review process. The WMO Community Platform provides the primary source of data, and the results of the Diagnostics will be integrated into the platform, adding substantial value to it.

The CHD use peer review as their overarching approach, following examples of other organizations, including the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) process for the peer review of members’ development assistance. As peers, advanced NMHSs from developed and developing countries undertake the Diagnostics, following the tool. This enables coherent and standardized assessments across countries.

The CHD are being developed and implemented through a phased and learning

approach. In the first phase, the prototype was developed by a multi-stakeholder working group. Following the development of the tool, Alliance members partnered with 16 countries42 to road-test it.

The countries – both, those assessing and those being assessed – and Alliance members participating in the road-testing, welcomed the CHD as an effective tool

and process. They were valued as “authoritative” assessments by peers that established the big picture and corresponding gaps and provided a common basis for more detailed assessments and project preparation.43

The tool is now being refined based on the lessons learned from the road-testing. The refined tool will be available in October 2021. Undertaking a CHD will be a mandatory first step of the SOFF Readiness phase.