World Meteorological Organization

Proposed Amendment to WMO's Qualification and Competency Requirements for Aeronautical Meteorological Personnel

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Last updated: 20 February 2023

Background

The Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI), with assistance from its Expert Team on Education, Training and Competency (ET-ETC), has determined that the existing aeronautical meteorological personnel (AMP) qualification and competency requirements defined in WMO-No. 49, Volume I and, in the case of competency, elaborated by guidance in WMO-No. 1209, are not wholly suited to aeronautical meteorological specialisms such as volcanic ash, space weather and tropical cyclones. Indeed, aeronautical meteorological service providers with responsibility to maintain a continuous watch over such phenomena in their area of responsibility presently have little or no means to demonstrate how their specialist aeronautical meteorological forecasters (AMF) fully comply with WMO’s prevailing qualification and competency requirements.

WMO's introduction of the Basic Instruction Package for Meteorologists (BIP-M) as a standard prerequisite qualification was decided in 2011 and entered into force in 2016. It was introduced to force a minimum standard of quality in aeronautical meteorological service provision, in recognition of the view that the application of competencies was still developing maturity globally. With increasing emphasis on the evolving role of Aeronautical Meteorological Personnel (AMP) in response to service delivery transformation, consideration has once again turned to the necessity for aeronautical meteorological service providers to adopt a Quality Management System (QMS), and hence increase compliance with competency standards. Therefore, there is a need to shift the focus away from the prerequisite learning outcomes as contained in the BIP-M, toward a skilled and job-ready workforce that is described by the competency frameworks.

Consequently, SC-AVI has prepared a proposed amendment to Part V of the Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume I, General Meteorological Standards and Recommended Practices and update to Section 2.2 of the Compendium of WMO Competency Frameworks (WMO-No. 1209). SC-AVI considers that the proposed changes will provide a more pragmatic and flexible approach for WMO Members to demonstrate evidence of the underpinning knowledge and skills required to attain the respective AMP competency. SC-AVI also recognizes that in the short term, successful completion of the Basic Instruction Packages, is the easiest way to demonstrate a candidate possesses the underpinning skills and knowledge described in the respective competency framework.

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Proposed Amendment

The following provides a high-level summary of the proposed amendments to Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume I, and WMO-No. 1209 respectively. For details on the changes, refer to the PDF documents below.

A summary of the proposed changes to WMO-No. 49, Volume I, Part V: QUALIFICATIONS:

• Removal of a Recommendation that WMO Members should decide, in light of their national circumstances, whether higher or more specific qualification requirements to those currently prescribed in WMO-No. 49, Volume I, Part V should be established for certain categories of operational personnel. (Paragraph 1.1.3)
• Revision of a Standard that requires an aeronautical meteorological forecaster (AMF) to have successfully completed the Basic Instruction Package for Meteorologists (BIP-M) to describe qualifications for aeronautical meteorological forecasters and observers, consistent with the Basic Instruction Packages. (Paragraph 1.2.1.1)
• Addition of a Note to clarify that forecasters and observers includes personnel with responsibility for providing an aeronautical meteorological service at the national, regional or global level. (Paragraph 1.2.1.1)
• Addition of a Note to describe that national and/or regional bodies may require additional and/or higher levels of qualification(s) for operational aeronautical meteorological personnel. (Paragraph 1.2.1.1)
• Addition of a Note to describe that aeronautical meteorological service delivery specialisms such as (but not limited to) volcanic hazards and space weather may require the successful completion of additional and/or alternative qualification frameworks to underpin the required competencies of the personnel delivering operational services in such specialist areas. (Paragraph 1.2.1.1)

Summary of proposed changes to WMO-No. 1209, Section 2 COMPETENCIES (SECOND-LEVEL):

• Removal of reference [in the regional variations section] that an aeronautical meteorological forecaster (AMF) is required to possess the Basic Instruction Package for Meteorologists (BIP-M).
• Addition of reference [in the regional variations section] that the level of qualification(s) necessary to underpin the required competencies of operational aeronautical meteorological forecasters and observers is to be consistent with the relevant educational framework, background skills and knowledge described in the Basic Instruction Package for Meteorologists (BIP-M) and the Basic Instruction Package for Meteorological Technicians (BIP-MT).
• Addition of reference [in the regional variations section] that the aeronautical meteorological office or centre should record evidence that the AMP responsible for the provision of its services have completed the necessary formal learning or courses of study to demonstrate they possess the background skills and knowledge, as described in the relevant competency framework.
• Addition [in the regional variations section] of the record keeping requirements.

To download a PDF copy of the proposed amendment to the Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume I, General Meteorological Standards and Recommended Practices please click on the icon below ↓	To download a PDF copy of the proposed update to the Compendium of WMO Competency Frameworks (WMO-No. 1209) please click on the icon below ↓
Also available in: French | Spanish | Russian | Chinese | Arabic [COMING SOON]	[Only available in English]

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Information Sheets

The following two information sheets pertaining to the changes to the AMP qualification and competency requirements contained in WMO-No. 49, Volume I and WMO-No. 1209 are available for download (in English only):

To download a PDF copy of the AMP qualification information sheet please click on the icon below ↓	To download a PDF copy of the AMP competencies information sheet, please click on the icon below ↓

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