Up-dated 19 May 2005

Guidelines for Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) Projects

 

Projects developed as RAPs involve a one-off workshop and publication of results within an 18-24 month period to provide topical and timely information to scientists, decision makers and other stakeholders. Not all topics are candidates for development as RAP projects; they require high degrees of commitment from the leaders and workshop participants and a solid funding base.

SCOPE has successfully conducted six RAPs to date (Element Interactions; Global Carbon Cycle; Nitrogen Fertilizer; Assessment of Sustainability Indicators; Monsoon Asia Global Change; Biodiversity, Health and the Environment). The Executive Committee and Secretariat must be involved from the earliest stages in development to ensure coordination and communications.

Eight steps are involved in a RAP project:

1. Selecting a topic and appointing a scientific advisory committee
   Topics are suggested by members at SCOPE's General Assemblies, its Open Executive Committee Meetings and through direct input to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee selects topics from suggestions and appoints a Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).
   
   
2. Raising project funds
   Members of the Executive Committee and the Secretariat work with the SAC chair(s) to raise funds for a project.
   
   
3. Designing the project
   The SAC meets to design the project. It has five primary responsibilities associated with the design step:
   
   • select topics for background papers (general 10 to 12 topics) that will become chapters in the SCOPE synthesis volume,
   • invite individuals to write the background papers
   • select four cross-cutting topics (one per working group) that will organize the synthesis meeting
   • invite individuals to chair the four working groups; invite four rapporteurs to assist the chairs and write the first draft of working group reports before the end of the meeting
   • compile an invitation list of 35-40 participants that includes the SAC members, authors of background papers, working group chairs and rapporteurs, other experts
   
   
4. Drafting background papers before the synthesis
   10-12 experts will draft background papers over a 6-month period and submit them for review one month before the workshop.
   
   
5. Convening a synthesis workshop during which synthesis papers are drafted
   A 35-40 person meeting will be held to carry out a set of four guided discussions that will lead to the writing of four synthesis papers. The SAC will select the four general discussion topics, while the working group participants will define the details of their discussions.
   
   
6. Drafting a project summary paper
   Immediately after the meeting, the SAC chair(s) will write a project summary that will also become a chapter in the synthesis volume.
   
   
7. Reviewing and editing the background and synthesis papers
   The background papers will be revised by their authors in response to peer-review comments. The reporters and the working group chairs will revise the synthesis papers in response to peer-review comments. The SAC chair(s) will revise the project summary in response to peer review.
   
   
8. Publishing the assessment volume
   Publication of the results through SCOPE's publisher, Island Press.