Editors' Note

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NWS Earns Straight-A's In Independent Management Review

The NWS earned straight-A grades in a government management report card issued by Government Executive magazine and George Washington University. The Government Executive-GWU team conducted a lengthy review of the NWS and six other federal agencies. The NWS is the first of 27 agencies graded over the past three years to receive straight A's. Only two other agencies, the Social Security Administration in 1999 and the Coast Guard in 2000, have earned an overall agency grade of A. This was the third year for theGovernment Executive magazine due out the week of April 16, 2001. Each rated agency had 100 of its own managers surveyed for the analysis. Our managers who responded gave the NWS a B grade in response to the question which asked them to rate "managing for results." No agency earned A's from its managers; most earned B grades, and two agencies earned C grades.

If you can't wait for the magazine, the text is available online at www.govexec.com/fpp/fpp01/mag.htm. The main NWS article is titled "Riding The Storm Out." The NWS is mentioned prominently in other articles as well, including "Risking IT" (Information Management), and "Things Fall Apart" (Physical Assets Management).

According to information on the Government Executive website, "the Federal Performance Project is an effort to answer a fundamental question: How well are federal agencies managed? The project got its start more than five years ago, when executives of the Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia decided that devising and publicizing a careful grading system for government might serve as an incentive for improvement in our public sector."

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NWS Regional Directors visited with members of Congress on Capitol Hill Wednesday, April 11, to discuss the President's FY 2002 budget proposal. The Directors, in town for the NWS Corporate Board meeting, met with about 40 elected officials to explain the budget priorities for NOAA and the NWS as outlined in the President's budget. Richard Legatski, acting NWS Legislative Affairs specialist, said the time was well spent. "During the meetings I attended with Dennis McCarthy, for example, several staffers expressed strong support for NWS and its budget, and several also were quite interested in possible visits either to Sterling, or to NWS facilities in their district or state," Legatski said.

NOAA would be funded at $3.1 billion under the President's FY 2002 budget. The NWS budget request is for $727.6 million, an increase of $34.8 million over the FY 2001 enacted budget. The budget includes $24.3 million for mandatory pay and inflationary costs, which represent 70 percent of the overall increase to the FY 2002 NWS budget request. The NOAA budget blue book with all the details is available at www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/budget02/menu.html, and the NWS budget section alone is at www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/budget02/nws.pdf. Visit the NWS Communications Office website at www.nws.noaa.gov/com/tools.htm to view and download the briefing slides and talking points used in these briefings. The talking points are marked for internal use only, and are meant to help you understand the budget priorities and some detail of the proposed budget.

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Much of the NWS's Tropical Prediction Center's (TPC) staff including TPC Director Max Mayfield were at the 2001 National Hurricane Conference held this week in Washington, DC. TPC sponsored the conference with a host of other meteorological and emergency management organizations including NOAA, FEMA, the AMS, and the American Red Cross. The conference, a forum for education and professional training in hurricane preparedness, attracted about 1,700 participants. Mayfield presented a review of the 2000 hurricane season at the opening general session of the conference, and other TPC staff presented papers throughout the conference.

NWS Director Jack Kelly addressed the gathering and announced plans to work with attendees and all of the NWS's hurricane preparedness partners to promote Hurricane Awareness Week May 21-25. "We believe by declaring a Hurricane Awareness Week we can bring national focus, from the federal to the state and local level regarding the risks of hurricanes," Kelly said. Plans for the awareness week include: a TPC-hosted web page, www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW/index.htm, which will highlight a different theme each day during the awareness week; links to every state emergency management home page; and public service announcement videos dealing with each of the threats resulting from tropical storms. A national news conference and release of NOAA's seasonal outlook are planned for May 21.

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Eight NWS Nominees Named NOAA Environmental Heroes

Eight NWS volunteers were named as recipients of NOAA Environmental Heroes awards. The awards are presented to individuals and organizations for their tireless efforts to preserve and protect the Nation's environment. Volunteers are an essential component in the Weather Service's commitment to helping protect lives and property and contributing to the Nation's economy. Congratulations to the following winners, who will be honored by the nominating offices on or around Earth Day!

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Employee Personal Page Gives Instant Access to Vital Information

The National Finance Center (NFC), which issues your pay and maintains all of your payroll, leave, and benefits records, has a web site where you can access most of your records through a secure online page. The Employee Personal Page is a personalized web site available for employees of agencies like NOAA that are serviced by NFC. Using a web browser, employees can now view their payroll, leave, travel, insurance, savings bond, and other personal information online. This web site can save you time because it eliminates the need to request financial information from your agency personnel office. The system can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and from home or at work. Your up-to-date earnings and leave information is available right after the payroll process completes--no more waiting for the paper statement to show up in your mailbox. Plus, up to a year's worth of Earning Statements are kept online.

Once you establish access to your personal page you can review most of the details found on your Leave and Earnings Statements, such as:

• health insurance deductions and NOAA's contribution to your health insurance,
• deductions and allocations of Thrift Savings Plan contributions,
• Federal W-2 Wages and Tax Statement,
• Federal Employees Group Life Insurance, and
• summaries of deductions you have made for Medicare and Social Security.

From this personal page you can also access Employee Express to make certain changes to your personnel and payroll information. For more information, and to set up your personal page, visit the National Finance Center website at http://www.nfc.usda.gov/.

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