Draft

Mission Report

Ghana Meteorological Agency

11 – 16 April 2016, Accra, Ghana

H. Kontongomde

Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) Head Quarters

2

Draft Mission Report

Ghana Meteorological Agency

11 – 16 April 2016 Accra, Ghana

H. Kontongomde

1. Background

At the request of the Meteorological Agency of Ghana (GMET), I traveled as a consultant to

Accra from 11 to 16 April 2016 to develop in close collaboration with their staff an action plan

to :

- Modernize and re-arrange the climatological paper archives - Develop a sustained imaging process of the climatological paper archives. - Consolidate the national climatological databases

The overall objective is to protect the climate records and the already digitized climatological data, accelerate and sustain the data rescue activities. This report will concentrate on these points and suggest practical solutions and a project proposal. With the focal point, Mr Ayilari-Naa Juati, Director of Synoptic Meteorology and Forecasting, I paid courtesy visits to the Director General, Group Captain Stephen Yaokouma Komla (Rtd) and to the Deputy director (and Climatological Database manager), Mr Andrews Y. Nkansah to brief them on the objectives of the mission (List of persons met and mission timetable cf. Annexes 1 and 2, respectively). 2. Modernizing and re-arranging the climatological paper archives

The Meteorological Agency of Ghana has one main large and two small archiving rooms. An

important action has already been taken to re-organize the climatological paper archives by

contracting a service provider, the Ghana Public Records and Archives Administration

Department (PRAAD), which costed approximately 25,000 Ghana Cedis (7,000 $US).

PRAAD provided the archive boxes and the staff to re-organize the archives in the main

archives room (Fig.1).

3

Fig. 1: Documents re-organized by PRAAD (Main room)

Some of the climatological paper archives (large ones) are just wrapped with craft paper

(Fig. 2). This makes it difficult to consult and replace properly the documents.

Fig. 2 Climatological paper records have just been wrapped using craft paper

The archive boxes used are also not regular ones and could be replaced.

The shelves are old but in good condition and can still be used.

Due to lack of resources, all the paper records could not been sorted and re-arranged. An

important quantity climatological of papers records are still in a near deteriorated state in the

two small rooms.

In small room 1 contiguous to the main archiving room, archive papers were partly re-

organized by PRAAD but there are still numerous documents spread all over the floor.

There only archivist is overwhelmed by the situation and cannot re-organize all the paper

archives by himself. He is also in charge of the Library which also needs to be re-organized.

4

Fig. 3: Small room

1 with papers all

over the floor

5

Fig. 4 Small room 1: The Archivist of GMET Mr. Charles Namikye

6

Fig. 5: Small room 2:

climatological records (mainly

strip charts and observation

books) in bags and on the floor .

7

A search and retrieve tool in a form of a consignment book in 2 volumes was produced by

the Ghana Public Records and Archives Administration Department. I tried to use it to locate

some paper records; the stations are not sorted in alphabetical order and search is very

tedious.

Fig. 6

3. Imaging of climatological paper records

There has never been any imaging activity in Ghana. The Executive Management of GMET

understands the importance of this activity and would like to implement imaging activities to

preserve their climatological paper records if equipment and training could be provided.

.

Consignment book A page of the consignment book

for the station of Ada for Sunshine duration, Dry and

Bulb temperature

(Location : 013/01263)

8

4. Climatological Database Management System

The CDMS used in Ghana is Clidata. It should be recalled that Ghana and Macedonia were

the two first countries to use Clidata after the Czech Republic. The system was installed in

2000 as a donation by the Czech Republic..

The Climatological Database Unit is composed of :

- 6 data entry clerks

- 4 quality control persons

- 2 supervisors (1 principal system administrator and 1 secondary system

administrator)

The equipment is composed of:

- A Local Area Network (LAN) which is quite old and needs to be upgraded to meet the

current standards

- 1 server

- 6 PCs for data entry

- 4 PCs for quality control

- The backup is done weekly

- The inventory of the contents of the database is not regularly updated

A new version of Clidata system including a server and a workstation was recently provided

by AGHRYMET to Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) member

countries including Ghana. For License problem (sic !) the system has not yet been

installed. However, the current version provided by Ataco (the Clidata developers) and

installed on the old server is the same provided by Agrhymet. The server provided by

Agrhymet is not used.

It is important that this problem which is becoming general (Mali where it has been solved,

Senegal and now Ghana) be resolved globally. This will be discussed with Agrhymet during

my next mission in Niger.

GMET has tried to decentralize data entry at the station level using an excel spreadsheet

provided by Clidata developers. Data from this spreadsheet can be easily imported into

Clidata. In addition, a software program developed by GNet IT staff is also available or data

entry at the station level. This initiative has not worked due to lack of funds to train the staff of

the remote meteorological stations.

5. Recommendations

5.1 Re-arranging the climatological paper records Option 1:

9

GMET has already started reorganizing the climatological paper archives through the services of Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD). If funds are available, GMet could contract a service provider to finalize the re-organization under the guide of a climatologist with the following priorities:

- re-organize the climatological paper records in room 1

- re-organize the climatological paper records in room 2

- replace the craft papers with appropriate archive boxes

- develop a more user-friendly search tool, preferably a software program

Option 2

- Hire retired staff for 6 months to reorganized the records as was done in Mali and

Burkina

- Purchase more shelves

- Purchase archive boxes

Given that PRAAD has already re-organized a large number of paper records, I recommend

option 1. Gmet will provide quotations from various services providers including PRAAD.

It has been agreed with the Executive Management of GMet to:

- relocate the drivers in another room and use their current room which is contiguous to the main archive room as archive room. Archives from room 2 which is currently on the 1st floor will be transferred to this room.

- replace the search and retrieve consignment book by a computer software which can be developed internally by the IT staff of GMET.

- 2 PCs will be needed as the Archives and Library division has no computer.

- 1 printer is needed.

5.2 Imaging the climatological records

- Suggested list of equipment and software to start the imaging :

Items

Quantity

PCs 3

UPS 3

Printer 1

External disks 2 to 3 TB 3

A3 size scanner 1

10

Cameras 3

Copy stands 2

- Associated software:

RCC (Remote Camera Control) (free)

FileRenamer (rename and dispatch) (annual License 30 $US)

- A 1-week training to use the cameras and the associated software

5.3 Climatological Database Management System - Contact AGRHYMET to take action in order to make the new version of Clidata

operational. For a more global solution, I will discuss the issue with Agrhymet during my mission in Niger in May 2016

- Provide training to the staff of the remote meteorological stations. GMET has tried to decentralize data entry at the station level using an excel spreadsheet provided by Clidata developers. Data from this spreadsheet can be easily imported into Clidata. A software program developed in-house is also available to key-enter the data at the station level. This initiative has not worked due to lack of funds to proper train the staff of the remote meteorological stations.

- Three 2-Terabytes external disks

6 Conclusion

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the findings, recommendations and suggestions

was made to the Director General Group Captain Stephen Yaokouma Komla (Rtd), the

Deputy director (and Climatological Database manager), Mr. Andrews Y. Nkansah and the

Director of Synoptic Meteorology and Forecasting, Mr Mr Ayilari-Naa Juati

The Director General and his staff are ready to start if resources are available.

11

Annex 1

Persons met during the mission:

- Group Captain Stephen Yaokouma Komla (Rtd) Director General and

Permanent Representative of Ghana with WMO

- Mr. Andrews N’kansah Deputy Director Genera (and Climatological Database

manager)

- Mr Mr Ayilari-Naa Juati Director of Synoptic Meteorology and Forecasting

- Mr Charles Niamkyé, Archivist of GMET

12

Annex 2

Draft Agenda of the visit of Mr. Hama Kontongomde

Accra Meteorological Agency, Ghana,

11 – 16 April 2015

Objective

Assess the situation of the Ghana Meteorological Agency data rescue and climate data

management activities and provide suggestions and recommendations to:

- Modernize and re-arrange the climatological paper archives - Consolidate the national climatological databases - Develop a sustained imaging process of the climatological paper archives.

A project proposal will be developed thereafter Monday 11 April Installation of the WMO expert

Courtesy visit to the Director General of the Ghana Meteorological Agency and PR of Ghana

with WMO (depending on his availability)

Courtesy visit to the Deputy Director General the of Ghana Meteorological Agency

Discussion on the agenda with the focal point Mr Juati

Visit of the archive rooms and evaluation of paper records to re-organize

Tuesday 12 April

Visit of the Climatological Data Management System unit

Visit of the Information Technology (IT) unit

Meeting with staff in charge of climatological archive papers, the staff in charge of

Climatological Database Management System and the staff in charge of the IT unit

Wednesday 13 April

Development of Data rescue project by the WMO expert

Thursday 14 April

Development of Data rescue project by the WMO expert (cont’d)

Friday 15 April

Presentation summarizing the findings and suggestions by the WMO expert to the Executive

management of GMet. Discussion

End of mission.