Led by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Community Coordinated Modelling Centre (CCMC), the International Forum for Space Weather Capabilities Assessment (IFSWCA) was developed to standardize metrics for evaluating space weather models and forecasts. It focuses on assessing the accuracy, reliability, and usability of space weather services, tracking scientific and operational progress, and fostering collaboration among researchers, forecasters, and end-users.
Prerequisites:
• Institutional & political interest and support for utilising SSA, STM, and Space Weather data, technologies, and applications
• Partnerships with established SSA, STM, and Space Weather data providers
• Access and technical expertise in universities and research centres to SSA, STM, and Space Weather data, data processing and analysis
• Identification of common needs with partners, identification of capabilities of different partners
• Procurement pathway
• Partner support as needed
• Data policy
• Cybersecurity, data protection, and continuity planning
Cost:
• Ballpark: USD 10k–100k/yr
• Includes: stakeholder consultations and legal review, negotiation and signing of MoUs or agreements, secure access to international SSA data feeds (e.g., conjunction warnings, orbital catalogues), IT setup for data exchange, staff training for data handling and analysis, participation in international working groups and workshops
Timeframe:
• Overall: 6–18 mo (to establish membership, then ongoing annually)
• Phase: scoping & partner identification (2–4 mo), negotiation & agreement (3–6 mo), IT integration & secure access setup (3–6 mo), operational participation and reporting (ongoing)
Pros:
• Improved Decision Making - Enables informed decision-making by identifying areas that require investment and improvement
• Strategic Planning - Facilitates strategic planning by setting clear goals and priorities
Considerations:
• Resource-Intensive - Conducting such assessment can be resource-intensive requiring significant time and expertise.