Capacity Development Principles

WCRP implements numerous activities supporting research efforts across the spectrum of the programme. These include acquiring, analyzing and interpreting observations, developing coupled and Earth system models for projections and prediction, and synthesizing and assessing collective knowledge for use by decision-makers. Education and capacity development are critical to the success of this entire effort, because without intellectual leadership and scientific and technical knowledge, these efforts cannot succeed.

The objectives of WCRP Capacity Development are to:

  • stimulate bottom-up initiatives for climate research and applications, corresponding to the Grand Challenges and focused on providing improved products that are of service to society;
  • help build regional and global capabilities for sustainable activities by WCRP groups and projects;
  • facilitate the required learning environment and build on existing networks and structures to ensure continuous and future leadership for climate science and applications.

With no priority implied by the order, WCRP pursues Capacity Development under these principles:

  1. The primary objective of WCRP Capacity Development is to empower long-term achievements in climate research. WCRP shall promote data and knowledge sharing at all stages of Capacity Development activities.
  2. In the same context, WCRP promotes current and future leadership in climate research. WCRP Capacity Development shall make particular efforts to support and engage early career researchers, encouraging cross-disciplinary exchange in Earth system science.
  3. WCRP encourages a bottom-up approach, and stimulates the initiatives for climate research and applications made by the global research community.
  4. WCRP Capacity Development aims to fill gaps and coordinate efforts across the programme, avoiding overlapping at all levels. It is highly desirable that efforts for global and regional activities are coordinated in a harmony so the complementary benefits are clearly demonstrated for the areas covered by WCRP activities.
  5. At the regional level, WCRP’s approach shall be on the basis of science topics and motivations that correspond to the specific requirements of regions, rather than geographical distribution. WCRP, through the general guidance of the Joint Steering Committee (JSC), is to encourage activities promoting an array of opportunities that are useful for specific regional requirements to develop capacity for climate research.
  1. WCRP Capacity Development activities shall include means of monitoring, evaluation, and assessment of progress as well as evolving requirements of the respective research community.
  2. WCRP Capacity Development activities should correspond to research requirements for improved climate services, and strive for relevance, sustainability, efficiency, and focus.
  3. Specific activities to improve research capacity shall be implemented by the respective Core Projects, Working Groups and other WCRP panels, within or together with their respective scientific work-plans.
  4. WCRP Capacity Development activities shall endeavour to utilize existing methods, courses, tools, and other capacity development aids; particularly those of the WMO, IOC, and ICSU. WCRP should provide scientific guidance to the related research and development programmes of those co-sponsors, as the trusted research information source.
  5. The Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) shall provide general guidance in scientific priority in the Capacity Development activities. The Joint Planning Staff (JPS) and IPOs of WCRP Core Projects shall play a key role in coordinating relevant activities in a harmonized manner avoiding duplication.