Tasks and Responsibilities for Lead Authors, Coordinating Lead Authors, Contributing Authors, Expert Reviewers and Review Editors of IPCC Reports and Government Focal Points

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ANNEX 1 (of Appendix A to the Principles Governing IPCC Work)

1. LEAD AUTHORS

Function:

To be responsible for the production of designated sections addressing items of the work programme on the basis of the best scientific, technical and socio-economic information available.

Comment:

Lead Authors will typically work as small groups which have responsibility for ensuring that the various components of their sections are brought together on time, are of uniformly high quality and conform to any overall standards of style set for the document as a whole.

The task of Lead Authors is a demanding one and in recognition of this the names of Lead Authors will appear prominently in the final Report. During the final stages of Report preparation, when the workload is often particularly heavy and when Lead Authors are heavily dependent upon each other to read and edit material, and to agree to changes promptly, it is essential that the work should be accorded the highest priority.

The essence of the Lead Authors' task is synthesis of material drawn from available literature as defined in Section 4.2.3. Lead Authors, in conjunction with Review Editors, are also required to take account of expert and government review comments when revising text. Lead Authors may not necessarily write original text themselves, but they must have the proven ability to develop text that is scientifically, technically and socio-economically sound and that faithfully represents, to the extent that this is possible, contributions by a wide variety of experts. The ability to work to deadlines is also a necessary practical requirement.

Lead Authors are required to record in the Report views which cannot be reconciled with a consensus view but which are nonetheless scientifically or technically valid.

Lead Authors may convene meetings with Contributing Authors, as appropriate, in the preparations of their sections or to discuss expert or government review comments and to suggest any workshops or expert meetings in their relevant areas to the Working Group Co-Chairs. The names of all Lead Authors will be acknowledged in the Reports.

2. COORDINATING LEAD AUTHORS

Function:

To take overall responsibility for coordinating major sections of a Report

Comment:

Coordinating Lead Authors will be Lead Authors with the added responsibility of ensuring that major sections of the Report are completed to a high standard, are collated and delivered to the Working Group Co-Chairs in a timely manner and conform to any overall standards of style set for the document.

Coordinating Lead Authors will play a leading role in ensuring that any cross-cutting scientific or technical issues which may involve several sections of a Report are addressed in a complete and coherent manner and reflect the latest information available.

The skills and resources required of Coordinating Lead Authors are those required of Lead Authors with the additional organisational skills needed to coordinate a section of a Report.

The names of all Coordinating Lead Authors will be acknowledged in the Reports.

3. CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Function:

To prepare technical information in the form of text, graphs or data for assimilation by the Lead Authors into the draft section.

Comment:

Input from a wide range of contributors is a key element in the success of IPCC assessments, and the names of all contributors will be acknowledged in the Reports. Contributions are sometimes solicited by Lead Authors but unprompted contributions are encouraged.

Contributions should be supported as far as possible with references from the peer-reviewed and internationally available literature, and with copies of any unpublished material cited; clear indications of how to access the latter should be included in the contributions. For material available in electronic format only, the location where such material may be accessed should be cited.

Contributed material may be edited, merged and if necessary, amended, in the course of developing the overall draft text.

4. EXPERT REVIEWERS

Function:

To comment on the accuracy and completeness of the scientific/technical/socio-economic content and the overall scientific/technical/socio-economic balance of the drafts.

Comment:

Expert reviewers will comment on the text according to their own knowledge and experience. They may be nominated by Governments, national and international organisations, Working Group Bureaux, Lead Authors and Contributing Authors.

5. REVIEW EDITORS

Function:

Review Editors will assist the Working Group Bureaux in identifying reviewers for the expert review process, ensure that all substantive expert and government review comments are afforded appropriate consideration, advise lead authors on how to handle contentious/controversial issues and ensure genuine controversies are reflected adequately in the text of the Report.

Comment:

There will be one or two Review Editors per chapter (including their executive summaries) and per technical summary.

In order to carry out these tasks, Review Editors will need to have a broad understanding of the wider scientific and technical issues being addressed. The workload will be particularly heavy during the final stages of the Report preparation. This includes attending those meetings where writing teams are considering the results of the two review rounds. Review Editors are not actively engaged in drafting Reports and cannot serve as reviewers of those chapters of which they are Authors. Review Editors can be members of a Working Group Bureau or outside experts agreed by the Working Group Bureau.

Although responsibility for the final text remains with the Lead Authors, Review Editors will need to ensure that where significant differences of opinion on scientific issues remain, such differences are described in an annex to the Report.

Review Editors must submit a written report to the Working Group Sessions and where appropriate, will be requested to attend Sessions of the Working Group and of the IPCC to communicate their findings from the review process and to assist in finalising the Summary for Policymakers and Synthesis Reports.

The names of all Review Editors will be acknowledged in the Reports.

6. GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINTS

Function:

To prepare and update the list of national experts as required to help implement the IPCC work programme, and to arrange the provision of integrated comments on the accuracy and completeness of the scientific and/or technical content and the overall scientific and/or technical balance of the drafts.

Comment:

Government review will typically be carried out within and between a number of Departments and Ministries.
For administrative convenience, each government and participating organisation should designate one Focal Point for all IPCC activities, provide full information? on this Focal Point to the IPCC Secretariat and notify the Secretariat of any changes in this information. The Focal Point should liaise with the IPCC Secretariat regarding the logistics of the review process(es). Of particular importance is the full exchange of information.