Progress Report New CRF Reporting Software Development Deployment

Progress Report New CRF Reporting Software Development & Deployment James Grabert, Vincent Lalieu, Sevdalina Todorova UNFCCC secretariat Methods, Inventories and Science programme 19 June 2004, Bonn

CRF Software Development Update l Why and What: new CRF Reporting Software l l Recent Developments Testing phase Questionnaire Results: potential deployment environments Deployment and support preparations l Demo - CRF Reporter l Reporting LULUCF in 2005 l Final Remarks

Why New CRF Reporting Software l Improvement to current situation with data files in spreadsheet format: significant resources to import and verify consistency & not very user friendly l Need to facilitate the data reporting and processing, and ensure overall quality of data • amount of data is increasing • revised CRF requirements (Revised Guidelines 2002, LULUCF 2003) • timeline demands of the reporting and review cycles • complex nature of CRF and underlying data model

CRF Software Features & Functionality l l l User friendly CRF category-based navigation tree Automatic aggregation and calculations Category level documentation – information for sectoral CRF documentation boxes Cell level comments – specific comments for input values Notation key handling o Standardization o Easy propagation o No aggregation errors o Request for explanation for IE and NE

CRF Software Features & Functionality l l Chart window – graphical visualization of input values Integrated instructions and hints – assist user in following the reporting requirements Recalculation explanation panels/dialogs – provision of explanation at data entry level or final compilation level Handling of non-sectoral CRF table requirements, including associated documentation boxes o Key sources information for CRF Table 7 o Recalculation information for CRF Table 8 a o Methods information for CRF Table Summary 3 o Completeness information for CRF Table 9 o Trend information for CRF Table 10

CRF Software Features & Functionality l l l Completeness and consistency checks integrated Input of contact and submission information (who, when, what of the inventory) Management of submission history – information on previously submitted information Work flow assistance – import and export features to assist in a decentralized inventory working environment - sectoral experts can work independently, data can be bulk imported from national databases Generation of outputs/submissions – can produce CRF sheets as an Excel file and official data exchange file (XML) for submission

Overview of New Software National database Data file (XML) Input Output Manual Input Forms Data file (XML) Bulk import Consistency Checks, Submission Preparation Internal storage Excel file with CRF tables

New Reporting Software: Status Overview Jan 2003 Dec 2003 Request for Proposals Evaluation/ Selection phase Software Specification phase COP 9 Architectural phase Prototype phase Implementation phase

New Reporting Software: Status Overview Presently in Final part of Implementation Phase & start of Acceptance Phase Jan 2004 Sept 2004 Implementation phase Acceptance phase Deployment & Support phase

Recent Development l 2003 Implementation of core functionality o o l 2004 Implementation: o o l l Underlying data model / database Navigation structure Data input grid Prototype Output generation Workflow/submission flow functionality Usability refinement Performance enhancement Number of UNFCCC-Developer iterations since Jan 2004: 18 Currently reviewing 44 th build (v 1. 44)

Testing l Started formal testing with pre-Beta version, Jan 2004 o Technical testing o Functional testing o Substantive testing o Full cycle testing (with UNFCCC GHG IS) l l Developed 250 + test cases Test management: bug and feature tracking system Procedures / workflow agreement with developers l Currently 1000+ bugs/clarifications identified; 500+ fixed l

Testing (2) l Technical testing: ongoing; testing various configurations / test cases (installation, performance, interoperability) l Functional testing: ongoing; reviewing and refining functionalities; regular status meetings with developers l Substantive testing: March 3 external inventory experts; 5 UNFCCC inventory team staff; UNFCCC continuing with substantive testing l Full Cycle testing: start in late June/July

Information Technology Questionnaire Results l l l l Sent to all Annex I Parties 12 Feb 2004 Provide UNFCCC input for: o Ensuring as thorough testing as possible o Information to prepare support system Questionnaire requested info on: Contact details Any existing data management/reporting system System configuration Need for installation/operation assistance Organization(s) involved in GHG inventory preparation (e. g. envisaged users of new software and their distribution)

Information Technology Questionnaire Results (2) Diversity of user configurations

Information Technology Questionnaire Results (3) l l l 18 Parties responded Number of people involved 150+ Number of organizations involved 40+

Deployment & Support Preparations Deployment of software • • Installation package with software and dataset of previously provided data Upload previous data and start new submission Getting started manual and full user manual Technical documentation as necessary for more complex bulk importing procedures

Deployment & Support Preparations Software Support • • • Web site with information and user help desk Email and telephone UNFCCC tracking system for user support Input into revisions / new development Deployment of patches or new releases as necessary

Software Demo

With decision 13/CP. 9 COP: q Decided that Parties included in Annex I to the Convention (Annex I Parties) should use the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change good practice guidance for land use, land-use change and forestry for preparing annual inventories under the Convention, due in 2005 and beyond; q Decides to use, for a trial period covering inventory submissions due in 2005, the tables of the CRF for LULUCF as included in the decision with the aim of making them part of the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on annual inventories (adopted by decision 18/CP. 8); q Invites Parties to submit to the secretariat, by 15 May 2005, their views on the tables of CRF for LULUCF; q Decides to use the technical modifications contained in Annex II to this decision in the trial period.

With decision 13/CP. 9 COP: q Requests the secretariat to incorporate in the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on annual inventories, the tables of the CRF for LULUCF and to prepare, by July 2004, a single document containing updated UNFCCC reporting guidelines on annual inventories under preparation q Requests the secretariat to integrate the tables included in annex I and annex III to the decision in the new reporting software currently under development, in order to facilitate the submission of inventories from Annex I Parties due by 15 April 2005. LULUCF CRF Reporter

LULUCF CRF – current status Status q Status of the CRF Reporter q Trial period (implying the possibility for big changes in the CRF for LULUCF) Approach undertaken q Excel version of the CRF for LULUCF for 2005 submissions

CRF for LULUCF Excel Module (1) q Includes the information that can not be currently integrated in the CRF Reporter q Based on the tables in the Annex I and Annex III to decision 13/CP. 9 q Includes the LULUCF relevant sections from the crosssectoral tables q Includes formulas in order to facilitate the use of the module

CRF for LULUCF Excel Module (2) The module includes: As in decision 13/CP. 9 Table 5 Sectoral report Cross-sectoral tables Sectoral background data tables Table 5. A to 5. F: Tables 5(I) to 5(V): Carbon stock change GHG emissions

CRF for LULUCF Excel Module (3) The module includes: As in the existing CRF (18/CP. 8) Cross-sectoral tables q Summary 1. A Summary overview for national GHG inventories q Summary 2 Summary report for CO 2 equivalent emissions q Summary 3 Summary report for methods and EF used q Table 7 Summary overview for key categories (annex III) q Table 8 Recalculation q Table 9 Completeness – Information on notation keys q Table 10 Emission trends

CRF for LULUCF Excel Module (4) Demo C: Documents and SettingsGrabertDesktopLULUCF module. xls

2005 GHG inventory submission q q CRF reporter Ø All sectors Ø LULUCF – only the totals for the sector per gas LULUCF module Ø One file for each inventory year (tables 7, 9 and 10 – once)

2006 GHG inventory submission Secretariat’s tasks q Revised CRF for LULUCF after the trial period q Integration of the LULUCF sector in the CRF Reporter 2006 GHG inventory submission q CRF Reporter based submission

Final Remarks l l l l Content and development process has been complex Progressing in development with deployment envisaged for late summer (e. g. September); for use in 2005 inventory preparations Thorough testing to ensure sustainability and avoid reengineering Believe will assist Parties and the secretariat in the GHG inventory reporting process Have assessed new LULUCF requirements and developed module for reporting during trial period (2005) Will integrate fully new LULUCF into CRF reporting software following any revisions adopted in 2005 Possible difficulties with first version due to complexity and diverse user configurations

Follow-up and more information Monday 21 June, 10 -14 h 00, room Rheinaue • Further demonstrations • Information on development/deployment details • Answers to detailed/technical questions Or contact for more information: Sevdalina Todorova (stodorova@unfccc. int) Vincent Lalieu (vlalieu@unfccc. int) James Grabert (jgrabert@unfccc. int) Thank You !