Agreement by the Partners on a Theme proposal which must respect certain specified criteria.
 

Establishment of a Theme team with appropriate leadership and resources.
 

Approval by the Partnership of the theme Team's report, including agreement on a common set of essential observations and their technical characteristics (such as accuracy and frequency), and commitments from providers of space-based and in-situ observations.
 

Establishment of an Implementation Team with the responsibility and capacity required for the long-term implementation of the necessary operational networks.
 

A formal declaration of commitment to Theme Team recommendations by the governments and organizations who actually implement, maintain and operate the relevant observing systems.
 

Assessment of the value of the Theme.