1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose of this manual

FCFA

Future Climate for Africa

WISER

Weather and Climate Services for Africa

This manual provides guidance on a range of co-production approaches that can be used to develop weather and climate services that seek to address climate-related risks facing affected people, sectors and livelihoods. This manual is written by people involved with the WISER and FCFA programmes, both academics and practitioners. With co-production engaging a wide range of actors across sectors, institutions and levels of decision-making, the manual’s intended audience includes those considering using co-production to improve the impact of their own work, as well as those commissioning the development of climate services. Such audiences may, for example, include national meteorological services, regional and global climate centres, research and project managers, research institutions, media, civil society and development actors. The manual brings together emerging learning and has also been informed by discussions undertaken in the WISER and FCFA programmes, as well as by the wider body of experience related to co-production of climate services.

There are many definitions of co-production, reflecting the many purposes for which co-production is used. The WISER programme defined the co-production process as ‘bringing together different knowledge sources and experiences to jointly develop new and combined knowledge which is better able to support specific decision-making contexts’ (Kniveton et al., 2016).

This manual draws on case studies from across Africa, pulling out learning based on experience, providing principles and practical recommendations to guide co-production projects and processes. The manual is intended to support those involved in co-production, particularly those who are facilitating a co-production-centred project or a co-production process, ranging from the academic/practitioner project manager to national meteorological services and government officials wanting to integrate co-production principles into their own work processes.

This manual illustrates the diversity of aims and objectives for which co-production in climate services can be applied, recognising that these may significantly differ between research endeavours such as the FCFA-funded projects, and operational climate services, like those funded by the WISER programme.

The intention is for the principles and recommendations to be applicable across the African continent and beyond. On any continent, country or city local contexts may have similarities, yet they will also vary widely. For example, there is an endless multitude of African contexts. The continent has a wide variety of climatic zones, with over a billion people, spread across 55 recognised countries, with numerous cultures, religions, governance arrangements and languages. The relevance and applicability of the different principles and recommendations therefore needs to be considered within the context in which co-production is being implemented.

1.2 Structure of this manual

The manual is split into four chapters that provide guidance and understanding of co-production approaches. A set of short case studies, drawn from a range of different weather and climate services projects, are included as annexes. The main text draws directly on learning from a few of the most relevant case studies, identified as ‘In Practice’ examples, to illustrate the breadth of options for co-production to address different problems in different sectors and contexts. The ‘In Practice’ examples do not reflect the full range of examples that are available in the case study annexes. Readers are also able to quickly identify which case studies are most pertinent to their interests by looking at the map of all projects in Figure 6.

The first chapter of the manual provides an introduction, setting out the purpose of the manual and how the manual is intended to be used.

The second chapter provides detail on the methods of co-production, looks at the spectrum of co-production approaches, sets out the building blocks to undertake it, and provides ten principles for good co-production. This chapter draws on learning from a range of weather and climate programmes and projects.

The third chapter deals with value for money and provides examples of how to demonstrate good value for money in co-production, the difference in value propositions between a co-production process and co-production product as well as thoughts on how to scale up and sustain co-production.

The fourth chapter provides overarching conclusions.