OFCM--Restructuring for the 21st Century

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OFCM--Restructuring for the 21st Century

• Presented to the
• Federal Committee for Meteorological Services and
  Supporting Research
• September 22, 1998

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Overview

• Agency Review
• 21st Century Priority Areas
• Revised Committee Structure
• Implementation Plan
• Natural Disaster Reduction--Example
• Upcoming Activities
• Conclusions/Recommendations

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Agency Review

• Agency/Customer Outreach
• Identify priority areas, issues, and problems
  within each agency.
• Pulse each agency for ideas to improve the
  effectiveness of interagency coordination and
  cooperation.
• Consolidate the agencies inputs.

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21st Century Priority Areas

• Environmental Services and Supporting Research
• Environmental Monitoring and Prediction
• Technology Innovation
• Computing, Communications, Information

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Environmental Services Supporting Research
21st Century Priorities
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Environmental Monitoringand Prediction21st
Century Priorities
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Technology Innovation21st Century Priorities
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Computing, Communicationsand Information21st
Century Priorities
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Streamlining the Federal Coordination Process

• Program Council structure remains unchanged
• Revised existing committee (4) and working group
  (19) infrastructure
• Current infrastructure does not mesh well with
  the agencies perspectives and priorities
• Joint action groups will replace many working
  groups
• JAGs will focus on specific, time-critical issues
• Current infrastructure has six (6) committees and
  nine (9) working groups

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OFCM Organization Chart
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Implementation Plan

• Name Committee and Working Group Chairpersons
  (Oct 98)
• Assemble Committees and Working Groups (Nov
  98)
• Develop Terms of Reference (Dec 98)
• Begin the planning effort. The goal--a high
  level, interagency strategic plan

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Implementation Plan (2)

• Identify the high payoff, crosscutting issues on
  which to focus efforts
• Examples of current efforts
• Aviation weather
• Space Weather
• Y2K
• Radio spectrum issues
• Natural Disaster Reduction--a top priority

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Implementation Plan (3)

• Examples of other future efforts
• Coordinating the transition of research to
  operations
• Transportation needs (surface and waterways)
• Information dissemination technologies
• Urban meteorology (Air quality/pollutants and
  their effects on human health)
• Marine Coastal and Ocean Environments
• Climate (Seasonal/long term variations and long
  term data sets )
• HPCC (DOEs Accelerated Climate Prediction
  Initiative)

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Technology Transition

• Target research-developed technology for
  transition to operations e.g., wind profilers,
  TOGA TAO array, TRMM, COSMIC
• Assess the agencies mission needs, define
  requirements, and develop transition strategy
• Identify responsible lead agency to coordinate
  funding of the operational implementation
• Prepare crosscut study which outlines
  recommendations and conclusions

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Surface Transportation

• Issue Weather support is minimal
• Unmet needs include support to
• Travelers
• Road maintenance/State DOT decision makers
• Trucking/Railway/Bus Industries
• Transportation safety
• Need to work directly with the FHWA, State DOTs,
  and other transportation entities to define
  requirements and develop tailored decision aids

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Information Dissemination Technologies

• Explore using state-of-art and future
  technologies to ensure the delivery of products
  to key decision makers, like emergency managers,
  and to ensure the public is properly informed.
• Criteria
• Point specific
• Self-activating
• Accessible and affordable
• 24/7 availability

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Information DisseminationTechnologies (2)

• Examples
• Emergency Alerting System
• NOAA Weather Radio
• TV/Radio
• Sirens/Air-Raid Sirens
• Alert Tones
• Internet (Current Next
  generation)

• Reverse 911
• Automated Alert Notification System
• The Communicator
• One-touch mapping
• Weather pagers
• Signals to PCs

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Urban Meteorology

• Principal focus has been on air quality
  dispersion models and related research
• Need advisory criteria that relate meteorological
  terms (like air quality and heat index) to
  effects on human health
• According to the CDC, educating the public and
  implementing preventive strategies is critical
• Innovative information dissemination technologies
  will play a key role

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Marine Coastal and Ocean Environments

• Expand the OFCMs role in this arena
• First step Define the observation needs for
  both the marine coastal and deep ocean
  environments
• Projects like the Global Ocean Observing System,
  the Coast Guards Deep Water Project, PORTS, and
  the NRC report on data buoys need to be evaluated
• Ocean Partnerships A Vision for the Future and
  Year of the Ocean activities call for improved
  research, partnerships, education, and exploration

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Natural Disaster Reduction
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Hurricane Bonnie Example
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(No Transcript)
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Built Environment Example
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Natural Disaster Reduction--A Crosscut View
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Natural Disaster Reduction

• Under FCMSSRs and ICMSSRs direction, the
  Committee for Environmental Services, Operations,
  and Research Needs will direct the strategic
  planning effort
• Working Group for Natural Disaster Reduction will
  serve as the committees executive agent for
  implementation

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Key Linkages

• FEMAs National Mitigation Strategy
• Project Impact
• CENR/Subcommittee for Natural Disaster Reduction
• Natural Disaster Reduction Initiatives
• Interagency Working Group for USWRP
  (NOAA/NASA/NSF/Navy)
• Modernization of Environmental Services (NOAA/DOD)

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Examples of Current Shortfalls(Source National
Tornado Forum)

• Watch/Warning message must be clear and
  consistent
• Relevant to the local community
• Criteria need to be reevaluated
• Message must get to the public
• Capitalize on state-of-the-art information
  dissemination technologies, like NOAA Weather
  Radio and Reverse 911
• Partner with state/local governments and the
  private sector to fill information voids

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Current Shortfalls (2)

• The public needs to be educated on the nature of
  the threat and how to respond appropriately
• Research is needed on the human response to
  natural disasters
• The societal and economic value of the
  product/services provided needs to be determined

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Natural Disaster ReductionGoals

• Improve interagency working relationships
• Leverage the innovations, technologies,
  capabilities, and resources of other agencies
• Establish better partnership alliances among the
  agencies, the academic community, and the private
  sector

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Natural Disaster ReductionGoals (2)

• Coordinate the transition of research to
  operations and target future research at
  operational needs
• Enhance public outreach and raise the publics
  awareness and literacy of the environment and its
  effects
• Work to develop a sustainable environment

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Upcoming Activities

• 53rd Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference
• February 8-12, 1999
• Expand the scope and participation
• Natural disaster reduction will be the central
  theme
• Breakout sessions will be used to address key
  operational issues

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Upcoming Activities (2)

• Aviation Weather Program Council (Nov 98)
• Committee for Operational Processing Centers
• Hosted by NAVOCEANO (November 4-5, 1998)
• ICMSSR (Nov 98)
• Space Weather Program Council (Jan 99)

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Conclusions/Recommendations

• OFCM is necessary for effective interagency
  coordination and cooperation.
• To take on these significant interagency
  strategic planning initiatives, the OFCM needs
  additional resources and personnel.
• FCMSSRs commitment to and support of the
  interagency coordination process is critical to
  the success of the OFCM.