Investments in decision support should be viewed as bolstering the relevance of scientific activities rather than detracting from inquiry-driven research. Given the limited current investment in building end-to-end, truly integrated, prediction-decision support systems, GAPP should either invest more meaningfully in decision science, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building or amend the decision support objective to be more achievable. The committee strongly endorses the former approach, but recognizes that building decision support systems is a challenge that is much broader than the GAPP program. Regardless of whether CCSP efforts proceed in a timely manner, the committee recommends the following actions relative to the decision support issue:

• There should be an investment in establishing reliable two-way information flows between the GAPP research community and end users.

• GAPP should initiate more demonstration projects to illustrate the potential of an end-to-end, integrated, climate-hydrologic-water resources information system.

• GAPP should partner with other agencies (e.g., the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) that work with a broad array of end users.

• GAPP program managers should work with RISA programs to identify appropriate projects and funding sources to enhance the decision support component of both activities.

• Program managers should increase efforts to assess user needs and build multiagency and/or public-private partnerships to support specific applications and climate prediction tools, including support for drought preparedness.