shaping of public environmental policy

Shaping of Public Environmental Policy:User Community Impact

Samuel P. WilliamsonFederal Coordinator for MeteorologyOffice of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and

Supporting Research (OFCM)

Presentation for the Unidata 2003 Summer Users Workshop June 26, 2003

OverviewOverview

• OFCM Background

• Federal Coordinating Infrastructure

• Shaping Public Environmental Policy– A look at three possible methods

• Summary

• OFCM Background

• Federal Coordinating Infrastructure

• Shaping Public Environmental Policy– A look at three possible methods

• Summary

BackgroundBackgroundHistorical Perspective

OFCMOFCM• Accountable to

Congress and OMB

• Coordinate agency budgets

• Report budgets and activities in annual Federal Plan

Public Law 87-843 (1963)1963

DOC Administrative Order

1964OFCM formed in 1964

1979GAO Study Revitalizes OFCM

BackgroundBackground

Mission

To ensure the effective use of federal meteorological resources by leading the systematic coordination of operational

weather requirements, services, and supporting research; among the federal

agencies

To ensure the effective use of federal meteorological resources by leading the systematic coordination of operational

weather requirements, services, and supporting research; among the federal

agencies

BackgroundBackground

Key Focus Areas--Agency Priorities

• Environmental Support for Homeland Security

• Aviation Weather• Space Weather• Weather Information for

Surface Transportation• Climate Analysis,

Monitoring and Services

• Cooperative Research• Observing Capabilities• Modeling and Prediction • Information Technology

and Communications• Environmental Services

• Cooperative Research• Observing Capabilities• Modeling and Prediction • Information Technology

and Communications• Environmental Services

Coordinating InfrastructureCoordinating InfrastructureOFCM Partners

• Environmental Protection Agency• National Aeronautics and Space

Administration• National Science Foundation• National Transportation Safety Board• Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Independent agencies:Departments of:• Agriculture• Commerce• Defense• Energy• Homeland Security

• FEMA• Coast Guard

• Interior• State• Transportation

Executive Office of the President:• Office of Management and Budget• Office of Science and Technology Policy

Coordinating InfrastructureCoordinating Infrastructure

Federal Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (FCMSSR)

Federal Coordinator for Meteorology

Program Councils

Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (ICMSSR) National Space

Weather Program

Standing Committees

National Aviation Weather Program

Environmental Services, Operations, and Research Needs

Operational Processing Centers

Environmental Information Systems and Communications

Integrated Observing Systems

Climate Analysis, Monitoring and

Services

Working Group for

Environmental Support to Homeland Security

Cooperative Research

Methods to Shape Public Policy Methods to Shape Public Policy

• There are many ways for the user community to influence public environmental policy

• Three possible methods:– User input to the OFCM interagency coordinating

infrastructure – User input to such organizations as the National

Academies – User input to scientific and professional

organizations/associations such as industry consortiums, AMS, and NWA

• There are many ways for the user community to influence public environmental policy

• Three possible methods:– User input to the OFCM interagency coordinating

infrastructure – User input to such organizations as the National

Academies – User input to scientific and professional

organizations/associations such as industry consortiums, AMS, and NWA

User Community Impact on Policy:A Public Program Example


Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD):WSR-88D (Weather Surveillance Radar 88 Doppler)

• 158 operational weather radars• located in 50 states plus selected overseas locations • estimated program cost of 3 billion dollars• tri-agency effort guided through an OFCM Program Council



Policy Input Reaction

• Program defined, funded, and completed with long term funding

– System definition– Validation and prototyping– Limited and full production– Deployment and commissioning of the WSR-88D, Doppler Weather Radar

• Public/Private support gained:– NEXRAD covered full needs– Kammer Commission– NIDS– Continued advanced development– Public outreach and education – Science Centers created

• Public outcry for improved severe weather warnings:

– Negative lead-times– High false alarm rates– Affected multiple, large population

centers– No chance for private sector to add

value – Suggested solution viewed as too

costly and long

• Public outcry for improved severe weather warnings:

– Negative lead-times– High false alarm rates– Affected multiple, large population

centers– No chance for private sector to add

value – Suggested solution viewed as too

costly and long

• Doppler technology already available

• Joint Doppler Operational Project• FCMSSR policy decision• OMB directed cross-cut review• OMB approved review study

• Doppler technology already available

• Joint Doppler Operational Project• FCMSSR policy decision• OMB directed cross-cut review• OMB approved review study

User Community Impact on Policy:Other Public Program Examples

User Community Impact on Policy:Other Public Program Examples

• National Hurricane Operations Plan • Improved Weather Reconnaissance System• Automated Surface Observation System• National Aviation Weather Program• National Space Weather Program• Selection and Evaluation of Atmospheric Transport and

Diffusion Models• COOP Modernization Partners' Forum• Weather Information for Surface Transportation• U.S. Climate Change Science Program• Integrated Global Observing System

User Community Impact on Policy: Through Government Sponsored Organizations

User Community Impact on Policy: Through Government Sponsored Organizations

• User input to such organizations as the:• National Academies

– Chartered by Congress

• U.S. Weather Research Program (USWRP)– Sponsored by various Federal agencies

• U.S. Global Change Science Program (USCCSP)– Cooperative effort among 13 governmental agencies

• National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)– Cabinet-level Council...means for the President to coordinate

science, space, and technology

• Office of Science and Technology Programs (OSTP)– Advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the

President…supports NSTC

• User input to such organizations as the:• National Academies

– Chartered by Congress

• U.S. Weather Research Program (USWRP)– Sponsored by various Federal agencies

• U.S. Global Change Science Program (USCCSP)– Cooperative effort among 13 governmental agencies

• National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)– Cabinet-level Council...means for the President to coordinate

science, space, and technology

• Office of Science and Technology Programs (OSTP)– Advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the

President…supports NSTC

User Community Impact on Policy: Through Scientific and Professional Organizations/Associations


• User input to scientific and professional organizations/ associations such as industry consortiums or societies– Open GIS Consortium

– The Intelligent Transportation Society of America

– American Meteorological Society

– National Weather Association

– UCAR's Office of Government Affairs

– Consortium of Social Science Associations

– The American Association for the Advancement of Science

• “Working with Congress” http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/wwc/

• User input to scientific and professional organizations/ associations such as industry consortiums or societies– Open GIS Consortium

– The Intelligent Transportation Society of America

– American Meteorological Society

– National Weather Association

– UCAR's Office of Government Affairs

– Consortium of Social Science Associations

– The American Association for the Advancement of Science

• “Working with Congress” http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/wwc/



EXAMPLE

• Find the right group: Open GIS Consortium (OGC)– Right members? International industry consortium of 257

companies, government agencies and universities

– Right goals? Develop publicly available geoprocessing specifications

– Right objectives? Open interfaces and protocols support interoperable solutions that "geo-enable" the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT, and empower technology developers to make complex spatial information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of applications

– How do they try to make input to policy? One example...OGC provided the Bush Transition Team with a white paper, "AdvancingGovernment through Interoperable Technologies."

EXAMPLE

• Find the right group: Open GIS Consortium (OGC)– Right members? International industry consortium of 257

companies, government agencies and universities

– Right goals? Develop publicly available geoprocessing specifications

– Right objectives? Open interfaces and protocols support interoperable solutions that "geo-enable" the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT, and empower technology developers to make complex spatial information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of applications

– How do they try to make input to policy? One example...OGC provided the Bush Transition Team with a white paper, "AdvancingGovernment through Interoperable Technologies."

User Community Impact on Policy: Summary

User Community Impact on Policy: Summary

• There are many ways for the user community to influence environmental public policy…three discussed– User input to the OFCM interagency coordinating

infrastructure…workshops, forums, comment on publicly circulated documents

– User input to such organizations as the National Academy of Sciences…input to studies, comment on publicly circulated documents

– User input to scientific and professional organizations/associations such as industry consortiums and AMS …input to group sponsored policy papers, White Papers, etc. going to Congress or White House

• There are many ways for the user community to influence environmental public policy…three discussed– User input to the OFCM interagency coordinating

infrastructure…workshops, forums, comment on publicly circulated documents

– User input to such organizations as the National Academy of Sciences…input to studies, comment on publicly circulated documents

– User input to scientific and professional organizations/associations such as industry consortiums and AMS …input to group sponsored policy papers, White Papers, etc. going to Congress or White House

OFCM Web Site

Panel/Conference/Forum/ Workshop summaries and presentations are available on OFCM Web Site

Click on “Special Projects” and navigate to the desired location

For Publications: Click on “Publications”

http://www.ofcm.gov/


Roles / Responsibilities• Federal Committee for Meteorological Services and

Supporting Research (FCMSSR)– Sets policy and priorities

• Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (ICMSSR) and Program Councils– Implement policy decisions– Make policy recommendations to FCMSSR– Assess adequacy of federal programs and guide implementation of

new interagency programs• Standing Committees

– Document requirements, programs and activities to provide framework for coordination and collaboration

– Perform analysis of agency programs to provide basis for national leadership to allocate funds to meet requirements

• Federal Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (FCMSSR)– Sets policy and priorities

• Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (ICMSSR) and Program Councils– Implement policy decisions– Make policy recommendations to FCMSSR– Assess adequacy of federal programs and guide implementation of

new interagency programs• Standing Committees

– Document requirements, programs and activities to provide framework for coordination and collaboration

– Perform analysis of agency programs to provide basis for national leadership to allocate funds to meet requirements

Coordinating InfrastructureCoordinating InfrastructureOFCM Affiliations

National Research Council (NRC)Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (BASC)Climate Research Committee (CRC)

US Weather Research Program (USWRP)

US Climate Change Science

Program (USCCSP)

National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources (CENR)Subcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction (SNDR)

University Corp. for Atmospheric Research

(UCAR)American

Meteorological Society (AMS)

National Center for Atmospheric Research

(NCAR)


• Annual Federal Plan for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research

• Annual Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference• National Hurricane Operations Plan• National Winter Storms Operations Plan• National Strategic and Implementation Plans for Space Weather,

Aviation Weather, and Weather Information for Surface Transportation• Federal Plan for Cooperative Support and Backup among Operational

Processing Centers• National Post-Storm Data Acquisition Plan• Directory of Atmospheric Transport and Diffusion Models• Federal Meteorological Handbooks• Requirement studies, summaries, evaluations and analyses• Crosscut reviews of federal weather programs• Program management of multi-agency programs (e.g., NEXRAD, ASOS)• Organize and host forums, symposia, and workshops addressing

national meteorological needs

• Annual Federal Plan for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research

• Annual Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference• National Hurricane Operations Plan• National Winter Storms Operations Plan• National Strategic and Implementation Plans for Space Weather,

Aviation Weather, and Weather Information for Surface Transportation• Federal Plan for Cooperative Support and Backup among Operational

Processing Centers• National Post-Storm Data Acquisition Plan• Directory of Atmospheric Transport and Diffusion Models• Federal Meteorological Handbooks• Requirement studies, summaries, evaluations and analyses• Crosscut reviews of federal weather programs• Program management of multi-agency programs (e.g., NEXRAD, ASOS)• Organize and host forums, symposia, and workshops addressing

national meteorological needs

Example - Key Products, Outcomes, Results

shaping of public environmental policy

Documents