Using social science to support decision making

Since mid-2007, the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) has been engaged in projects to better serve the weather information needs of Canadian decision-makers. These municipalities, emergency management offices, school boards, public utilities, and other government departments make critical decisions daily, motivated by safety and economic outcomes. Weather information often, but not always, impacts on these decisions - but do MSC services reflect their needs?

A combination of face-to-face meetings, story collection, qualitative questioning and facilitated discussions has led to the development, testing and feedback of new services for this important client group. Examples of potential new services resulting from these engagement efforts include a virtual weather window, a street level forecast and the incorporation of impact statements into regular forecasts.