Overall aims of FASTA
- To provide technical solutions enabling the delivery of near-real-time weather information to people, communities and business in the developing world.
- To support and sustain local capability to deliver the information.
- To promote sustainable funding of weather information delivery in developing countries.
FASTA aims in regard to funding
- To provide free access to key products which have value to vulnerable people and communities.
- To co-produce and deliver additional services which have economic value to businesses.
- To secure sustainable funding for services, without the long-term need for research funding or international development grants.
Operational aims
- To produce a product with strong scientific under-pinning, including traceable evaluation and quality control.
- To ensure appropriate systems are in place to help guarantee that operation is robust, with good uptime.
Interaction with international partners
- In the first instance, FASTA will aim to work in partnership with the National Meteorological Service (NMS) of a country in which the service is being released.
- FASTA will not compete directly with any NMS delivering a comparable service, with comparable quality, in their country.
- If it is not possible to work in partnership with the NMS, and the NMS is not delivering a comparable service in their country, then we will work with other in-country partners, or partners from another country, to provide services.
- We accept that it is possible that a partner (NMS or other) in one country will use FASTA products in competition with the NMS in a second country, whether or not that second-country NMS is using FASTA.
- We will facilitate engagement and communication with the NMS and other in-country partners, in order to take account of their views and experiences.
- We will ensure that all relevant contracts and procedures are drawn up with the interests of the in-country partners, with long-term funding and operation in mind.
- We will establish clear lines of responsibility and accountability for the service between FASTA and the in-country partners.
- If desired, FASTA will work with the NMS and other partners to develop a pathway to transfer the ownership of the solutions and services to them.