Flash Flood Guidance System Programme Management Committee (FFGS PMC)

Background

The Flash Flood Guidance System With Global Coverage (FFGS/WGC) Sustainability Strategy (SS) has been endorsed by World Meteorological Congress in 2021 at its extraordinary session (Res. 5 Cg-Ext (2021)). The Sustainability Strategy outlines the need for a more inclusive governance forum termed the new Programme Management Committee (PMC). The Strategy expands the current four-party Management table (currently including the four signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of a Flash Flood Guidance System with Global Coverage, that is WMO, HRC, NOAA and USAID, to include representation of those contributing to and benefitting from the overall effort. The Strategy also calls for a FFGS Technical Support Group (TSG) reporting to the Programme Management Committee, with both the PMC and its FFGS Technical Support Group having the authority to create other groups as necessary.
The activities of the FFGS/WGC shall be decided by the PMC normally taken in session. A PMC Executive Group (EG) will support in implementing those decisions. The PMC is generally considered to be an assembly of those contributing to the FFGS/WGC and should be considered a decision and direction-setting body for the FFGS/WGC. The primary purpose of the PMC is to determine general policies and direction for the FFGS/WGC to allow it to better fulfil its purpose. The Executive Group is the executive body of the PMC for the FFGS/WGC and is responsible to PMC for the coordination and implementation of activities consistent with the decisions of PMC.

Terms of Reference

The Programme Management Committee shall:

Provide a forum for all parties that are contributing to the Global FFGS to discuss issues and devise possible solutions, including policy and strategy formulation, to better attain effective operational performance and sustainability of the global System, implementation of the System, and future development of the System;
Oversee the scaling up of the FFGS/WGC program so that it can attain sustainability;
Develop, adopt and manage the FFGS Implementation Plan on addressing sustainability issues and make adjustments over time, as required;
Increase the visibility of the FFGS/WGC and promote forecasting and provision of warnings of flash floods as a national priority;
Ensure the Flash Flood Research to Operations (R2O) Process is carried out;
Review and approve the “Analysis” version of the FFGS based on recommendation of the Technical Support Group;
Oversee the development and implementation of the FFGS Training Plan;
Approve the Terms of Reference for the new founded PMC Executive Group (EG), FFGS Technical Support Groups (TSGs);
Appoint the Chair of the TSGs;
Appoint permanent members to serve on the TSGs and other bodies upon recommendations of the Chair of the respective body;
Consider recommendations by the Technical Support Group (FFGS) on changes to the delivery structure of the FFGS including the addition of new products and widening the use of the FFGS;
Consider recommendations by the Technical Support Group (EWS-F) on the development and implementation of the new Flood Early Warning projects and activities within a MHEWS interoperable environment in support of the EW4All initiative;
Consider recommendations of the Flood Forecasting Initiative Advisory Group (FFI-AG), established by Resolution 3 (EC-72) as the advisory body of the WMO Flood Forecasting Initiative;
Explore and get involved in relevant donor funded projects, such as disaster risk reduction activities, hydrometeorological modernization efforts, and agricultural related interventions, that would benefit from FFGS products and explore and get involved in relevant donor funded projects that would benefit the FFGS system and products;
Oversee the development and implementation of the Marketing Plan to clearly show what steps or actions will be taken to achieve the plan’s goals of increasing visibility and available human and financial resources. A large part of this plan will focus on strengthening communications;
Periodically review its Terms of Reference, updating them and making recommendations to SC-HYD, as required;
Oversee, through the WMO Secretariat, the monitoring and evaluation of the entire end-to-end early warning system and its component parts and regional FFGS implementations;
Periodically report back to SC-HYD on its performance and status of activities to seek further guidance.

Composition

The Programme Management Committee shall be composed of:

One (1) representative from each of the FFGS MoU Partners (HRC, NOAA/NWS, USAID/BHA and WMO Secretariat);
One (1) representative from each Regional Centres (RCs);
One (1) representative from each of the FFGS Global Centres (GCs), (When applicable);
Five (5) representatives from WMO bodies with operational hydrology and/or flood forecasting focus: two representatives from Technical Commissions (from SERCOM/SC-HYD and INFCOM), one representative from Flood Forecasting Initiative Advisory Group (FFI-AG), one representative WMO Hydrological Coordination Panel (HCP) and one representative from Research Board (RB);
One (1) representative from each donor institution (e.g. Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) and World Bank (WB));

The Head, Hydrology and Water Resources Division of the WMO Secretariat shall act as secretary to the PMC.
The PMC reports to the Standing Committee for Hydrological Services (SC-HYD).

Modalities of work

PMC will meet every one/two year at the request of the Chair. This meeting will be held virtually or face-to-face in location to be established by the PMC, based on the availability of funding and as established by the Committee.
A Chair and Vice-chair(s) will be nominated and elected by the PMC among its members.

Preparatory work will be conducted by tele/video conference and correspondence including email exchanges and other appropriate online interactions, in order to optimize the duration of the face-to-face meeting.