Leveraging Coproduction to Bridge Research and Operations in Operational Meteorology

Abstract The benefits of collaboration between the research and operational communities during the research-to-operations (R2O) process have long been documented in the scientific literature. Operational forecasters have a practiced, expert insight into weather analysis and forecasting but typically lack the time and resources for formal research and development. Conversely, many researchers have the resources, theoretical knowledge, and formal experience to solve complex meteorological challenges but lack an understanding of operation procedures, needs, requirements, and authority necessary to effectively bridge the R2O gap. Collaboration then serves as the most viable strategy to further a better understanding and improved prediction of atmospheric processes via ongoing multidisciplinary knowledge transfer between the research and operational communities. However, existing R2O processes leave room for improvement when it comes to collaboration throughout a new product’s development cycle. This study assesses the subjective importance of collaboration at various stages of product development via a survey presented to participants of the 2021 Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Forecasting Experiment. This feedback is then applied to create a proposed new R2O workflow that combines components from existing R2O procedures and modern coproduction philosophies. Significance Statement This study assesses researcher and forecaster perspectives on the importance of collaboration at each stage of a product’s development cycle. We then incorporate this feedback into a proposed new R2O workflow that combines components from existing R2O processes, idealized practitioner’s cycles, and modern coproduction philosophies.