9 a.m.

Opening remarks, introductions, workshop objectives

10 a.m.

Individual project presentations: For ongoing and past projects, each project presenter is asked to provide a brief (10 minute) presentation and focus the presentation on the following framework where relevant:

1. Insights from the project relevant to basic social science. We are looking for how the project led to or is leading to conceptual advancements in social science or more broadly human dimensions theories and methods in areas such as risk perception, vulnerability analyses, decision science, economic modeling, value of information, integrated natural and human system modeling, adaptation to climate, etc.
2. Identification of important feedback to the climate scientists and forecasters. We are looking for what insights the project can offer in terms of how climate information providers should be thinking about the problem differently. Some examples could be: what type of information (e.g., distribution of seasonal rainfall, onset of rainy season) is of most use to the decision process studied; how should the climate forecast information be presented and disseminated for more effective use in decision-making; who benefits and who loses as societies begin to act on forecasts.
3. Identification of information/results of relevance to policy and decision making and the application of climate information. We are looking for how the project has or will lead to information useful to public and/or private sector decisions in the face of a variable climate system. Issues might include how a modeling framework leads to the identification of management options that might change based on forecast information; the constraints decision-makers face in the use of forecasts; the identification of actual decisions changed based on climate forecast information.

12 p.m.

Break

12:30 p.m.

LUNCH: An extended lunch will be organized in the form of regional roundtables to stimulate discussion among participants working in similar regions of the world.

2 p.m.

Individual project presentations continued. At the end of the presentations, an overview of the next day's breakout sessions will be provided.

6 p.m.

Adjourn

8:30 a.m.

Breakout sessions: The aim of these sessions is to address commonalties and differences across project approaches and insights/findings. In relation to the three areas addressed in Monday's presentations, the breakout groups are designed to identify the following:

1. Which insights or findings are common across projects and which methodological approaches (e.g., surveys, economic modeling) are consistent across projects? For instance, do we find any constraints or incentives to the use of forecasts that are common across countries, sectors, levels of decision making?
2. Where do we fail to find commonalties and why? We are interested in determining what is "unique" to particular places or projects and why the results or approaches may not be translatable to other regions.

Participants will be divided into four breakout groups to ensure an adequate mix of disciplinary, sectoral and regional representation.

12 p.m.

Break

12:30 p.m.

LUNCH: A second extended lunch will be organized around sectoral roundtables to stimulate discussion about similarities and differences within sectors but across regions.

2 p.m.

Reconvene in plenary: Reports from breakout groups plus an overall discussion of common themes and findings.

4 p.m.

Interactive discussion session with climate forecasting community. This session is designed to create a dialogue between the human dimensions community and a few members of the forecasting community to discuss the current and expected future state of climate forecasting as well as how the forecasting community responds to issues raised throughout the workshop on the needs and constraints of decisions makers.

5 p.m.

Presentation and discussion of the National Academy of Sciences report on a science plan for the Human Dimensions of Seasonal-to-Interannual Climate Variability

6 p.m.

Discussion of the plans for the next day's breakout sessions on next steps for the research agenda.

8:30 a.m.

Breakout sessions on the critical next steps for the research agenda. The aim of these sessions is to identify the nature of research priorities in relation to both the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences report and the issues raised from the individual project presentations and the breakout sessions on what is already known. In addition to general recommendations for where the research agenda should be headed, we are interested in what questions have arisen from your field work or analysis that were not considered in your original research project plan. We are also interested in recommendations for future interaction between the human dimensions and climate science/forecasting communities (e.g., should we consider some regional workshops and if so, what topics should be addressed?)

Participants will again be divided into breakout groups to ensure an adequate mix of disciplinary, sectoral and regional representation.

10:30 a.m.

Break

11 a.m.

Reconvene in plenary. Plenary reports from breakout groups and discussion of recommendations for next steps.

12 p.m.

Closing remarks