Long-Term Arrangement (LTA) for Integrated Communications, Advocacy, and Storytelling Services for the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) Secretariat and World Meteorological Organizat…

Summary

Weather and climate observations are the foundation of every forecast, early warning, and climate action. Yet approximately 90% of basic observations are missing in LDCs and SIDS. When large parts of the world are not observed, forecasts and early warnings become less accurate for everyone, everywhere. The Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) is a global financing mechanism established to strengthen weather and climate observation systems in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Hosted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and governed through a multi-stakeholder structure, SOFF supports countries to generate and internationally exchange the basic surface-based observations that underpin weather forecasts, early warnings, and climate services worldwide. As SOFF moves from establishment to scaled implementation, it has developed a strategic communications and advocacy strategy to make the observations gap visible, understood, and prioritized across diverse audiences, positioning SOFF as a country-driven and results-oriented mechanism. There is a strong need to strengthen SOFF’s digital presence and storytelling capacity, translating complex technical systems into clear, credible, and human-centered narratives. To support implementation of this strategy, SOFF seeks specialized communications expertise to ensure coherent, consistent communications aligned with its governance, partnerships, and mission to close the global weather and climate observations gap. WMO is the UN system’s authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources. The organisation’s capacity-building programs are instrumental in enhancing the preparedness and resilience of member states against weather, climate, and water-related challenges.