Implementing a National Framework for Climate Services: Understanding Progress, Challenges, and Future Opportunities

The development, delivery, and use of climate services at the national level require significant interaction among stakeholders, including government, civil society, the private sector, technical partners, and donors. A National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) aims to coordinate, facilitate, and strengthen collaboration among national institutions to improve the development, delivery, and use of science-based climate predictions and services to inform decision-making in climate-sensitive socioeconomic sectors. The NFCS concept was first recommended by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) with the launch of the Global Framework for Climate Services in 2012. Since then, many countries worldwide have been establishing and implementing an NFCS, supported by a set of Step-by-Step Guidelines (WMO). This study examines global progress in NFCS implementation and seeks to understand barriers to implementation. It then asks what has proved successful in different contexts and proposes improvements to guidance and support mechanisms based on this success. The findings are the result of a qualitative assessment, based on interviews and discussions conducted as part of the revision of the WMO Step-by-Step Guidelines for Establishing a National Framework for Climate Services.
Significance Statement

National Frameworks for Climate Services aim to coordinate the development, delivery, and use of climate information for decision-making at the national level. The purpose of this article is to examine global progress in the implementation of such frameworks and to understand barriers to this process based on experiences in different countries. It also asks what has proved successful in different contexts. It is important to understand progress and share learning between countries to support more countries in having well-coordinated climate services. This in turn helps avoid duplication, confusion, and gaps in provision of climate information, resulting in higher quality services, better decision-making, and more efficient use of public and private funding.