USGCRP Home Library Our Changing Planet FY2009 The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for FY2009 Decision Support: Information to Support Policy Development and Adaptive Management | |Search |
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Decision Support: Information to Support Policy Development and Adaptive ManagementCCSP sponsors and conducts research that is ultimately related to policy and adaptive management decisionmaking. CCSP’s decision-support approach is guided by several general principles, including:
Synthesis and Assessment ProductsAs noted previously, CCSP is generating a suite of synthesis and assessment products that integrate research results focused on key issues and related questions frequently raised by decisionmakers. Current evaluations of the science can be used for informing public debate, policy development, and adaptive management decisions and for defining and setting the future direction and priorities of the program. The synthesis and assessment products constitute an important form of topic-driven integration of U.S. global change assessment efforts. These CCSP products are U.S. Government reports, subject to the provisions of the Information Quality Act (Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 2001) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 1997 (PUB. L. 105-153, SEC. 2(A), (B), DEC. 17, 1997, 111 STAT. 2689). Findings from several of the synthesis and assessment products were included in CCSP’s recently released Scientific Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on the United States.
The synthesis and assessment products are generated by researchers in a process that involves review by experts, public comment from stakeholders and the general public, and final approval by the departments/agencies involved in CCSP. Formal endorsement of the products by the Federal Government enhances their value for decisionmakers and the public at large. The program has prepared guidelines that describe steps to be followed in each of three phases of the preparation process: developing the prospectus, drafting and revising, and final approval and publication. This methodology for product development facilitates involvement of the research community and user groups in ensuring that the products are focused in a useful fashion and meet the highest standards of scientific excellence. The guidelines also encourage transparency by ensuring that public information about the status of the products will be provided through the Federal Register, on the CCSP web site, and by other means throughout the review and clearance process. If further clarification of specific issues is required, the NRC will provide advice on an as-needed basis to the lead agency responsible for the preparation of each product. A list of the titles of the 21 synthesis and assessment products, arranged by CCSP goal, is given in the table on the preceding page. As of June 2008, eight products have been released and several others are nearing completion. Up-to-date information on production status can be obtained from here, including details on opportunities for public comment on draft products. "Lessons Learned" in Decision Support and AssessmentTo build on the experiences of earlier assessment activities, CCSP requested that the NRC carry out an analysis of global change assessments that have addressed topics broadly similar to those encompassed by CCSP. The study, released in early 2007, included a comparative analysis of past assessments that address issues directly related to the science and technical issues of CCSP. The committee concluded that global change assessments are critical for informing decisionmakers. In identifying essential properties of a successful assessment, it stressed that future assessment processes must communicate relevant information to the user, address the technical quality of the information, and demonstrate fairness and impartiality in the assessment process. The report identifies a number of essential elements that increase the probability that an assessment will effectively inform decisionmakers and other target audiences. CCSP is taking into account the findings of the NRC in its strategic planning efforts. |
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