Operationalization Framework
Task 5 of the ECoLaSS project focuses on establishing the neccesary steps to bring the developed HRL prototypes into production. In the following the requirements found in the individual work-packages are summarized.
WP 51: Stakeholder Consultation
The stakeholder consultation process has the purpose of gathering their feedback on the technical developments and adaptation needs in ECoLaSS. In detail this means assessing current and evolving priorities, and to allow an informed discussion on the stakeholder’s side. With that objective, the project consortium used different ways to contact the respective institutions: telecons, meetings, webinars, or workshops and other events. Summarizing the project’s achievements in stakeholder consultation until now, substantial and fruitful interactions have been taking place with all major relevant European (EEA, JRC, EC DGs) and many national stakeholders (e.g. Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie, Environmental Agency Austria, National Reference Centres). Besides, a multitude of further stakeholder groups (e.g. EIONET, EARSC, EARSeL) was included in the assessment. The stakeholder consultation is planned to be continued until the end of the project in December 2019.
WP 52: Candidates for Operational Roll-out
Before the newly developed or improved products can be integrated in the Copernicus Service Architecture it has to be analysed which of the prototypes created in ECoLaSS are the most promising in terms of matureness. A detailed benchmarking assessment has been made, where the prototypes developed in Task 4 of the project are analysed towards manifold criteria (e.g. long-term evolution, maturity/timing, automation level, cost/benefit (forecast)). Based on the different benchmarking criteria an overall score is calculated for each prototype. The higher that score, the more mature/ready the respective prototype is. The outcomes of this assessment are as follows:
In the second half of the project the abovementioned prototypes are being addressed and improved, which will lead to a final evaluation of the roll-out potential of the prototypes as future operational Copernicus Land product 2020+.
WP 53: Integration Plan into Copernicus Service Architecture
Two main mechanisms have been identified for integrating operational candidate products:
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Improved version of products already existing in Copernicus Land services, which are expected to be the easier to integrate;
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New products, which will require a more careful assessment on how and when they could be integrated into Copernicus Land services, pondered by their policy relevance and complementarity with other products.
The considered products in this review, listed below, have reached a Technical Readiness Level of at least 6-7, which does not only mean that a product definition is mature, and a clear methodological path exists to producing it, but also that the infrastructural framework to produce it is secured.
The final deliverables will focus on outlining a roadmap towards the integration of improved and new products into the Copernicus service architecture, and provide a rational behind each suggested operational candidate product.