Digital Services: Operational Decision Postponed for Further Study

In a Technical Implementation Notice distributed to NWS Partners and Customers March 31, 2004, the NWS notified users that the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) gridded elements will continue in an experimental status until the NWS completes a comprehensive plan, no later than June 30, 2004.

In a note to NWS senior managers, Brig. Gen. D.L. Johnson, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), NWS Director, said "I have decided to delay announcing a date for the grid elements to become official products until June 30. The NWS needs to implement a consistent approach on how we integrate NDFD into operations."

The Digital Services Project Office (DSPO), established by the NWS Corporate Board's Operations Committee, is organizing teams of NWS experts to coordinate plans for making official products of the agency's experimental digital grid elements found in the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD).

Led by LeRoy Spayd of the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services, the project office has gathered representatives from NWS Headquarters, NWS Regional Headquarters, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, field offices, and the National Weather Service Employees Organization. Teams are meeting regularly and updating the Corporate Board's Operations Committee on a weekly basis.

The action teams are addressing several critical digital services topics: Operations, Assessment, Systems and Communications, Training and Outreach, and Program Planning.

Teams are coordinating their draft plans among other teams with a goal of finalizing the plans this month.

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NWS Implements Formal Telework Program

"Sometimes the best policy is not moving the people, but moving their work."
--(President George H.W. Bush, 1991)

A new NWS telework program became effective March 12, 2004.

The new NWS program gives NWS Financial Management Center (FMC) Directors and Staff Office Directors the authority and opportunity to implement telework in their offices.

"With continuing advancements in Information Technology, telework is emerging as an innovative arrangement between supervisor and employee which may enable the employees to do productive work away from the traditional office during all or a portion of the workweek. Worker values are changing as well; more people are seeking job opportunities that allow for flexibility in schedule and work location," said Ted David, NWS Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer (CFO/CAO). The Office of the CFO/CAO manages the NWS Telework Program.

The NWS program builds on NOAA telework policy guidance issued January 2004 to comply with Public Law 106-346, which requires agencies to establish policies allowing eligible employees to telework "to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee performance."

Telework provides a number of benefits to NWS, employees, and the environment, David said. Telework benefits NWS as a powerful tool in attracting and retaining a high quality workforce, in accommodating employees with disabilities or medical problems who are otherwise able to work, possibly reducing office space requirements, and in allowing NWS to be more responsive in unexpected emergency situations. Employees benefit from reduced commuting time and costs and increased flexibility in coordinating work priorities with personal and family responsibilities. Society and the environment benefit from reduced traffic congestion and its associated health, pollution, and energy problems.

The NOAA Telework Policy and NWS Telework Implementation Procedures, and training modules, are available at https://bestpractices.nws.noaa.gov (use the first half of your NOAA e-mail account [firstname.lastname] and your NOAA e-mail password to gain access to the site). FMCs are required to review these documents prior to considering any telework arrangement.

For questions on the Telework Program and its implementation, contact NWS Telework Program Manager, Bonnie Maynard, W/CFO3, 301-713-1698, ext. 186.

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NOAA will host a national stakeholder forum on April 16, 2004, in Washington, DC, to identify ways to improve agency programs and make them more effective and responsive. Forum input will shape NOAA's upcoming strategic plan for 2004. Results from the Washington, DC, meeting will be posted on the NOAA web site, and constituents can make comments after the meeting directly via the Internet. Results from the forum and other constituent meetings will be used in NOAA's future planning and priority-setting.

Read the complete NOAA news story here.

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Caribbean Hurricane Tour: NOAA, Air Force Take Preparedness Message to Six Nations

United States and host nation scientists met more than 15,000 people at six sites during this year's week-long Caribbean Hurricane Tour.

NWS Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) experts and the "Hurricane Hunters" of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron from Biloxi, MS, took an Air Force WC-130-J "Hercules" Hurricane Hunter aircraft to airports in Tampico, Mexico; Dominica; Martinique; Guadeloupe; and Ponce (south coast) and San Juan (north coast), Puerto Rico, said NOAA Public Affairs Officer Frank Lepore, who coordinated media coverage of the tour.

"The Caribbean hurricane tour helps us build the cooperation between nations affected by Atlantic hurricanes," said Lepore. "We have a great relationship with our partners in the Caribbean, and together we use this annual tour to as a forum to talk about the science of hurricane forecasting and an opportunity to reinforce preparedness messages before the traditional start of the hurricane season."

The TPC works cooperatively through the World Meteorological Organization to serve the tropical storm warning needs of 24 countries. Nations routinely share observations that feed into models used to forecast the track and intensity of approaching storms.

The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30.

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Cost Management Question of the Month

David McShane from the Office of Operational Systems (OOS) is the March cost management Question of the Month winner. His correct answer of $29,779,000 was based on OOS's third quarter cost in Fiscal Year 2003 (FY 03). Congratulations David!

April's cost management question of the month is:

Systems play an integral role in the NWS strategic mission. Which FMC had the highest FY 03, third quarter cost in the System's Cost Category? Please identify the FMC and the total System's Cost Category costs in your answer.

The following links provide clues and contain the answer. The first is a graphic representation of cost data to give an overall view. Point and click on the pie and bar charts for more detail. The answer is in the second link, a cost management report, Costs for third quarter (Q3) and year-to-date 2003 through Q3 by Cost Category and Labor/Non-Labor/PCS.

• http://rims.nws.noaa.gov/qotm/
• http://rims.nws.noaa.gov/qotm/cost_categories_cams/report/report.htm

E-mail your answer to Natalie.Robinson@noaa.gov no later than the last working day of the month. The first correct answer received wins an NWS badge holder.

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Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through March 31, 2004.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through March 31, 2004.

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