In accordance with the 2011 Terms of Reference of the Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON), the SAON Board convened an External Review Committee in 2016 to review the first five years of SAON’s accomplishments and make recommendations for future directions.
The Review Committee, consisting of five members representing countries around the Arctic as well as diverse expertise, met over a five-month period to conduct the Review. The Committee’s findings and recommendations are detailed in their report. Based on these, the Committee concluded that SAON was valued by the Arctic observing community, but had yet to reach its full potential. With refinements to its Vision, Mission and Goals, improvements to its Organizational Structure, a new focus on funding and sustainability, and increased outreach and communication efforts, SAON should be able to make great strides in the next five years to enhance pan-Arctic observing networks to meet the needs of Arctic peoples.
The SAON External Review Committee:
- Helen Joseph (Chair): HCJ Consulting, retired Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Yuji Kodama: Executive Director, Office of Japan Consortium for Arctic Environmental Research, National Institute of Polar Research
- Molly McCammon: Executive Director, Alaska Ocean Observing System, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System
- Gunn-Britt Retter: Head of Arctic and Environmental Unit, Saami Council
- Mikhail Tretiakov, Head of Hydrology and Water Recourses Department, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (Russia)
Support:
- Justiina Dahl: External Data Analyst, Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)
- Jan Rene Larsen: SAON Secretariat Support
Special thanks to:
- Nadezhda Kharlampieva: Associate Professor of Saint-Petersburg State University, Senior Researcher of Hydrology and Water Resources Department, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (Russia)
- Kseniia Iartceva, Arctic Council Secretariat
The full report is available here. An executive summary is available here.
