O-INTERFACE is essential and central to the entire user-involvement in MACC, both the specification of requirements and the user feedback that is so important for guiding service evolution. The overall goal of the O-INTERFACE sub-project is accordingly to ensure for the entire MACC project the best possible use of its products by downstream services and end users. O-INTERFACE has the objectives to:

• facilitate understanding of the requirements of users, both end users and intermediate users such as providers of downstream services and other GMES core services;
• translate these user requirements into specifications for the core service lines and the supporting up-stream processing, product delivery and web facilities;
• organise user feedback loops (at the service level via Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and at the project level via a user advisory board);
• coordinate all SLAs in MACC and develop standardized SLA templates for the different types of MACC service and user;
• test selected representative processing chain examples to assure that an optimal link between the core service lines with existing and planned downstream services will be achieved;
• analyse special requirements and develop activities to improve MACC core service lines in support to the health community;
• coordinate feedback from the test cases of MACC that evaluate complete processing chains based on MACC's service lines.

A highly important goal of O-INTERFACE is to assure optimal interfaces between the MACC core service lines and downstream GMES atmospheric services. It should be stressed that the emerging new environmental information market depends critically on appropriate provision of core service lines (technical interfaces, affordable and, as far as possible, open data policy). The success of this marketing of GAS services can only be achieved if the respective requirements are evaluated and exploited now, during and as an essential part of the MACC core project (before final implementation is completed).

O-INT is structured in three work packages with each of them broken down into a number of tasks:

O-INT_1 Core service requirements documentation and user interaction

O-INT_1.1 Documentation of requirements for core services from downstream services and end users

O-INT_1.2: Coordination of user feedback and active user involvement

O-INT_1.3: Coordination of Service Level Agreements

O-INT_1.4: Integration of processing chain analysis results from test cases in O-INT, R-RAD, O-POL and R-EVA sub projects

O-INT_1.5: Documentation of service specifications based on the documented user requirements

O-INT_2: Service chain analysis of selected test cases

O-INT_2.1: Analysis of inter-core processing chain test cases for specific modelling and forecasting of air quality in the Mediterranean area

O-INT_2.2: Analysis of core-downstream processing chain test cases for down-scaling urban and street-level air quality forecasts and satellite-based post-processing of particulate matter

O-INT_3: Service chain analysis in support to health community

O-INT_3.1: Core requirements to support forecast of meningitis through forecasting of mineral dust outbreaks from African deserts

O-INT_3.2: Core developments to support epidemiology studies related to forecasting of COPD incidence, population exposure assessment and health information and warnings.