International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

the idea from the initial talks to the official launch
date. In the science community as different as it had
been in 1875, 1926 and 1950, planning for a science
venture on the scale of IPY/IGY proceeded through the
same general phases: origination (6-7 years prior to
the launch); dissemination and endorsement (5-6 and
3-5 years, respectively); development of the program
by a specially appointed team (2-3 years); marshaling
resources and logistics (2-3 years)—with little if any
variation (Table 1.1-1). Such consistency is startling, as
the ways science operated and polar affairs mattered
in national politics could not have been more different
during IPY-1, IPY-2 and IGY.
In a similar way, a successful completion of a
large and complex venture on the scale of IPY was
conditioned on a fairly consistent set of factors.
The presence of a dedicated and energetic core
team and its continuity throughout the planning,
implementation and completion phases (often lasting
for several more years) were crucial to achieve success
and secure the legacy. The team had to move swiftly
to demonstrate tangible results and to establish a
timetable for processing the data after the end of the
observation period. A string of summary meetings
or a final conference are the most common means to
1. First discussion (public presentation) of the idea 7 years
(September 1875)
2. Endorsement by the first disciplinary science body 6.5 years
(April 1876)
3. First detailed proposal for new venture 5 years
(May/September 1877)
4. Endorsement by major sponsor/s 3.5 years
(April 1879)
5. First meeting of a special team tasked with planning