The ultimate goal of developing tailored climate services is to apply the climate knowledge to answer a specific health question or provide a solution to a health risk management problem. Applying climate products and services bridges the gap between the largely theoretical research or development process and applying the outputs to real-world problems. The successful application of knowledge entails activities that help to appropriately communicate information, and work to integrate climate knowledge, decision-tools and information effectively within health decision-making and protection measures.

The scope of application is extensive. Relevant and tailored climate information is commonly used to enhance health decision tools, through the use of risk assessments, risk monitoring and disease surveillance; emergency response planning; health services planning and delivery; resource allocation; facilities siting and maintenance; evaluation of health interventions; health policy, standards and norms formulation; public safety advisories and community health education.

Steps to ensure resulting climate information and decision-tools are effectively applied and maintained must be intentionally incorporated into the process, starting at the very beginning of the project or partnership. In addition to products and services producing quality, reliable, usable, suitable and responsive information, the climate knowledge generated must be relevant, accessible, credible and sustainable over time. Projects that do not meet these criteria often result in unused or unsustainable products and wasted resources.

The application of a climate service will test whether other process components have been adequately met, such as if the user needs were clearly defined and whether adequate capacity was developed to ensure information is of high quality and is relevant to the last mile. Trialing the product in real time is also crucial for generating feedback on its performance and impact in order to make future investments or improvements.

Several strategies can help operationalize and maintain climate services, as well as increase user appreciation and willingness among decision-makers to support and integrate such products and services. These strategies include:

• Mainstreaming partnerships and information products into health policies and programmes, by justifying the dependencies on climate information to improve health system performance and health outcomes.
• Jointly engaging ministries of health and national meteorological services to endorse, launch, and sponsor projects that establish the value of the climate service and increase its acceptance.
• Holding workshops to co-develop research and climate service features with national health authorities, to ensure that they are driven by national strategic health priorities.
• Providing open access to processed information and promoting available resources.
• Encouraging open discussion and feedback opportunities on climate products and services to increase understanding, ownership, and facilitating agreement on the essential climate service features, ensuring optimal fit-for-purpose and added value to health decision needs.
• Communicating local evidence of climate and weather impacts on community health, and highlighting climate-informed risk management opportunities.
• Pilot testing the service prior to extensive implementation.
• Providing decision-makers with hands-on exposure to prototypes or preliminary versions of the services.
• Increasing capacity among medical professionals and health decision makers to value and use the information generated by the climate service.
• Supporting national agencies in technical implementation to address capacity gaps and maximize quality and reliability of information.
• Encouraging regional knowledge exchange to ensure local lessons are shared.
• Ensuring appropriate and adequate investment in communications and capacity-building of end-users and ultimate beneficiaries.
• Partnering with the media and use of social media and other communication technologies to conduct extensive communication campaigns.
• Holding evaluation meetings or using survey instruments to collectively evaluate and improve sub-optimal performing aspects of a service.
• Measuring and communicating the value and impact of using the climate information on health outcomes and health system performance.