-
The Visioning Process
.
- Introduction
- The 3-step process
- Step 1: Scientific Visioning
- Step 2: Institutional Framework
- Step 3: Transitioning
- More information
.
Introduction
The International Council for Science (ICSU) is spearheading a consultation process in cooperation with the International Social Science Council (ISSC) to engage the scientific community to explore options and propose implementation steps for a holistic strategy on Earth system research. This research strategy will both encourage scientific innovation and address policy needs. ICSU and ISSC represent the international non-governmental natural and social science community. The process is outlined in the Visioning White Paper ‘Developing a New Vision and Strategic Framework for Earth System Research‘.
The outcomes of the consultation process should have a major influence on Earth system research for the next decade and beyond. It will thus have significant implications for all stakeholders with an interest in conducting, supporting, or using science in this field. For this reason, the process is designed to engage all groups in multiple ways.
This consultation process reflects the decision of the ICSU General Assembly ‘to note that the Committee on Scientific Planning and Review is planning to organize a consultation, including a high-level meeting, with relevant partners to outline options for an overall framework for global environmental change research and its policy relevance, once the reviews of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme [IGBP review] and the World Climate Research Programme [WCRP review] are completed.’
These reviews were completed in February 2009, and were preceded by reviews of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP Review) in 2006 and the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP review) in 2008. From 2008, the reviews were co-sponsored with the International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research (IGFA) and the relevant co-sponsors of the programmes (World Meteorological Organization and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO in the case of the WCRP review).
The recurring message coming out of all the reviews—from both within and outside the global environmental change community—is the need to implement a single strategic framework for Earth system research in the near future (by ~2014).
The 3-step process
The overarching goal of the visioning process is:
to engage the scientific community to explore options and propose steps to implement a holistic strategy for Earth system research.
This strategy will both encourage scientific innovation and address policy needs.
The Earth system visioning process is a three-step consultative process founded on the philosophy that form should follow function. The first step focuses on the urgent scientific questions, while the second step considers the institutional context, including the connections to relevant bodies (e.g. stakeholders, research initiatives, conventions and assessment processes) in order to shape an approach that will best engage the Earth system research community on the identified needs. The final step will examine how to make the transition from the current approach to the needed approach.
Throughout the three steps, broad consultation is emphasized, as is the participation of all stakeholders including the co-sponsors of global environmental change programmes, other organizations that contribute to Earth system research, funders, scientists from around the world, and early career scientists who will increasingly lead us into the future of Earth system research. ICSU is entering into this process with no preconceived conclusions.
The process is being guided by a Visioning Task Team.
.
.
Frequently asked questions on the visioning process.
.
Step 1: Scientific Visioning
Online consultation: Research priorities
(15 July–1 September 2009)
What are the next-generation science questions in Earth system research? In the context of mounting concern and greater public and private willingness to take action against global environmental change, what should Earth system research focus on over the next decade?
The Earth System Visioning process is designed to find answers by first collecting the broad spectrum of different views across disciplines and parts of the world and then focusing these down through a peer review process into a set of major international research priorities. The first step is to identify the breadth of perspectives on the critical themes in Earth system research.
The first step began with an online consultation (15 July–1 September 2009) that collected input to the question:
What is the most important research question in Earth system research that needs answering in the next decade? Why?
These questions, if effectively addressed, would provide critical information for decision-makers concerned with global environmental change and human well-being. Ideally, these questions should yield results in a ~10-year time-frame. Registered users of the consultation website could post research questions, provide comments and vote on questions submitted by others.
During the six weeks of the online consultation there were:
- 7,227 ‘unique’ visitors from 133 countries
- 1,016 registered users from 85 countries
- 323 research questions posted
Visioning Earth System Research meeting
(29 September–1 October 2009)
The proposed research priorities from the online consultation formed the background for a workshop held in September involving senior researchers, early-career scientists, science-policy experts and funders. The workshop resulted in the draft document ‘Grand Challenges in Global Sustainability: A Systems Approach to Research Priorities for the Decade’
It should be noted that the vote count for questions in the online consultation was one of a number of metrics that were considered by meeting participants. Some of the other metrics that were considered included research questions that display:
- consensus among disciplines
- consensus in a geographic region
- innovative thinking
The expertise of the participants spanned the natural and social sciences. In general, individuals who have interdisciplinary expertise were sought. Having a diversity of perspectives, including those from developing countries, was highly important, as was the participation of early career researchers, who are expected to be key players in shaping Earth system research over the next 20-plus years. These early career scientists met one day prior to the Visioning Earth System Research meeting’ before joining the main meeting.
Photo gallery from the meeting
Draft research strategy: ‘Grand Challenges in Global Sustainability’
(21 December 2009 - 21 February 2010)
‘Grand Challenges in Global Sustainability: A Systems Approach to Research Priorities for the Decade’ is the outcome of the online consultation and meeting in September.
The document proposes a focused global research initiative centered on five Grand Challenges in Global Sustainability Research* that must be addressed over the next decade if society is to manage the global environmental change that is now underway and cope with the change that we cannot manage.
The five ‘grand challenges’ proposed encompass:
- Reducing the uncertainty associated with global and regional forecasts.
- Further developing observation systems.
- Anticipating, avoiding and coping with dangerous global environmental change.
- Determining what institutional arrangements are needed.
- Developing innovative responses to achieve global sustainability.
Each challenge has priority research questions and expected deliverables.
The document is part of an agenda-setting consultation that is intended to guide and stimulate scientific research on global change and global sustainability over the next decade. It is expected to become part of a broader process among scientists and scientific institutions to commit themselves to systematically work together – across disciplines and geographic regions – on agreed priority research questions that are critical to the sustainability of our planet.
_______
* This area of research has been referred to as ‘Earth System Science’, where the Earth System is defined as the unified set of physical, chemical, biological, and social components, processes and interactions that together determine the state and dynamics of the Earth, including its biota and its human occupants. Although the definition includes humans as an integral component of the Earth System, this term continues to be seen by many to focus primarily on the natural system. For that reason, we propose to refer to Earth System Science as ‘Global Sustainability Research’ to make the human component of the definition explicit.
______
Online Consultation: ‘Grand Challenges in Global Sustainability’
The Grand Challenges document went out to the global community through an online consultation (in the form of a survey), from 21 December 2009 to 21 February 2010.
The goal is to produce a widely shared vision of the scientific priorities for global sustainability research in the coming decade. In the past, a small group of scientists would be charged with determining such priorities. But with new communication technologies we are reaching the global community—and not just researchers, but technology experts, decision-makers, and citizens.
The responses from the survey will be analyzed by the six-member Visioning Task Team. A consolidated summary of the results from the survey will be made available in June 2010 but individual comments will not be personally attributed.
Step 2: Institutional Framework
Using input from step 1—the ‘Grand Challenges in Sustainability Research’ and the community’s feedback on it—step 2 will examine options for the institutional arrangements that will be needed to support the research strategy. This meeting will take place 23-24 June 2010 and is the ‘high-level meeting’ meeting referred to in the decision of the 29th ICSU General Assembly.
ICSU is inviting the co-sponsors of the four major global environmental change programmes (IOC, ISSC, IUBS, SCOPE, UNESCO, UNU, WMO), the four global environmental change programmes themselves, ESSP, funding agencies, and other organizations to discuss the needed international framework to facilitate the new Earth system research strategy. The participation of these key partners will ensure that the proposed approach will be beneficial to the broad international community.
There will also be an Open Consultative Forum in Paris on 22 June 2009, in conjunction with the co-sponsor’s meeting, to consider institutional support for the research priorities.
The institutional framework should take into account the context in which the four global environmental change programmes and the ESSP operate, including the connections to relevant bodies (e.g. stakeholders, research initiatives, conventions/assessment processes). In addition, the following questions should be addressed:
- How should the priorities be converted into action?
- How to determine the balance between top-down and bottom-up approaches?
- How to interact with stakeholders?
- In terms of keeping the research strategy relevant and up to date, how should a participatory prioritization process to evaluate the research questions work? How often should priorities be re-evaluated?
Step 3: Transitioning
The goal of this final step is to decide how to implement the transition from the existing structures to the new institutional framework. At a final meeting in late 2010, agreement will be sought on the optimal transition pathway and its associated timetable.
The transition process will need to be transparent and should galvanize the Earth system research community. Ideally, timelines of existing programmes and projects should dovetail into the new structure to reduce disruption. Efforts will also be made on the institutional side to make the transition as smooth and efficient as possible.
More information
- Visioning White Paper
- Frequently asked questions
- Science editorial ‘Earth System Research Priorities‘
- SciDev.Net article ‘Scientists asked to create Earth systems research plan‘
