MERCATOR OCEAN JOURNA: 
SEPTEMBER 2021 
2.3 Evolution of user-oriented PQ documentation 
achieved: toward more fit-for-purpose documents 
User-oriented (external) documents are: QUIDs and the 
recently added SQOs. QUIDs are reports that contain 
a succinet description of the scientific steps taken, by 
production unit experts in the subject, to validate product 
datasets. It reports pre-operational qualification results 
and validation results. Reference values for product quality 
metrics (EANs are also provided). Updates of these reports 
are released with product updates and they are available 
on the catalogue as part of products’ documentation. Once 
the product is operational, websites complement the 
“static” PQ information available in QUIDs by displaying 
recent updates of the EANs, either in near real time 
\mostly through the producer elements, PC websites) or in 
slightly delayed mode through the (monthly updated) PQ- 
Dashboard. 
The resulting evolution of the user-oriented PQ documentation 
throughout 2015-2021 was an achievement. The aim was to 
meet the service requirements and users’ needs by improving, 
standardizing and homogenizing contents delivered by 
producers. PQ documentation during Copernicus 1 reached 
a higher level of maturity In quality control procedures: e.g., 
application of standard templates and inclusion of tabulated 
resulting EANs; becoming more fit for purpose; and the 
setting-up of a document review process associated to 
releases (internally by MOi). Another notable achievement 
was the preparation of a new lighter Synthesis Quality 
Overview document for each catalogue product by 2021. 
The SQOs provide users with a more synthetic evaluation of 
product quality to assess its fitness for purpose. 
Finally, note the significant increase in the number of 
produced external user-oriented PQ documents (delivered 
by producers and managed by the Service) and their 
download throughout Copernicus 1. In 2016, 40 QUIDs 
were issued (with 1850 downloads in 2017), whereas these 
numbers increased up to 60 QUIDs issued in 2020 (with 
3154 downloads in the same year). 
2.4 Enhancement of PQ cross-cutting activities 
PQ activities have an important cross-cutting component 
and evolutions of these activities depend on coordinating 
elements at various levels within the service. The observed 
enhancement in PQ assessment was possible thanks 
to the commitment of all MFC/TACs and speecifically, 
their PQ experts (through the PQWG, a consolidated 
discussion group, developed in the last 3 years, with 
periodic meetings). The combined action of the PQ 
Coordination Team and the PQOWG was key to facilitate 
required exchanges. Such as: discussion on objectives, 
‘dentification of solutions and agreements on standards; 
and to ease the timely implementation of processes across 
the different Production Units. Coordinating this synergy, 
had a significant role in the homogeneous evolution of PQ 
processes across the complex system of systems that 
is CMEMS. Indeed, the seamless coordination between 
the different organizational PQ elements is a significant 
success achieved during Copernicus 1. 
This collaborative framework fostered cross-fertilization 
processes and knowledge transfer between groups, 
favouring links between the operational and the scientific 
community. This permitted feedback from externaı 
-esearch projects that, in time, may provide interesting 
applications to CMEMS PQ processes. Likewise, CMEMS 
favours sharing relevant scientific quality information, 
presenting it in peer-reviewed publications (see the Speciaı 
Issue in Ocean Science (2019) that includes 19 papers).