Director's Dialog:
Professional Development for Information Technology Staff

Why is the NWS still using such an old version of netscape software (4.79) when the current version available is 7.1? Using such an old version often is the cause of miscommunication and extra work efforts by NWS folks supporting the numerous NWS web sites.

Thanks again,

--Laurie Hogan
Eastern Region HQ, Hydrologic Services Division

Thanks for your question.

The NWS is currently using Netscape Communicator v.4.79 because this version of Netscape Communicator is the latest version which supports our Netscape Calendar. According to our Chief Information Officer Barry West, we are scheduled to upgrade the calendar in the Spring of 2004, and at that point the need to use Netscape Communicator v.4.79 will end. The new calendar will be browser independent.

--John Jones, NWS Deputy Director

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Radar Power Management System Installations Complete

The NWS Office of Operational Systems recently completed a five-year, $45 million effort to equip NEXRAD systems with uninterruptable power supplies called Transition Power Maintenance Systems (TPMS).

On September 24, 2003, the NWS accepted the final TPMS at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, OK. A total of 151 TPMS units were installed at all NWS and U.S. Air Force radar sites. A diverse team of government and contractor personnel supported the project.

“This was a great team effort involving the Radar Operations Center, NWS Headquarters, the Regions, and contractors to get this accomplished without impacting the mission of the NWS,” said John McNulty, Director of NWS’s Office of Operational Systems.

The TPMS eliminates radar computer restarts and lost data caused by commercial power anomalies and reduces radar maintenance, resulting in more reliable operations of Weather Surveillance Radar - 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) systems to support weather forecast and warning operations.

“TPMS will significantly reduce electronic component failures caused by power fluctuations, those noticeable momentary interruptions which can wreak havoc on sensitive components,” added McNulty.

Chief Information Officer Leads Delegation at International Conference

NWS Chief Information Officer Barry West recently led a U.S. delegation at an international information technology conference held in the Baltic nation of Estonia.

The International Council for Information Technology in Government Administration (ICA) focused on “Real-Time Government: Collaboration at the Next Level.” The conference addressed real-time government challenges such as ensuring citizen privacy and security, improving interoperability and integration, managing multiple service channels, adopting standards to enable increased information sharing, and maintaining citizens' trust and confidence in an increasingly networked and connected government.

“We are faced with the new challenge of becoming a real-time government – one that can respond quickly and consistently with accurate information through multiple channels in a trustworthy manner,” said West, who also is President of the Federation of Government Information Processing Councils (FGIPC). “As portals, kiosks, and integrated services are developed to realize the vision of 24-hours a day, seven days a week, information technology experts strive to improve responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness of interactions with citizens in a self-service environment."

For information on ICA and the conference proceedings, visit http://www.ica-it.org/ or contact Barry West at barry.west@noaa.gov.

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New Reporting System Gains Favor with Cooperative Observers

By Ron Trumbla
Southern Region Public Affairs

A new, easy-to-use observation data system is rapidly gaining favor with cooperative observers throughout the NWS Southern Region.

Observers began converting to the new system called Interactive Voice–Remote Observation Collection System (IV-ROCS) in June 2003. So far, more than half of the 1,200 cooperative observers in the Southern Region have made the switch. IV-ROCS is a simplified, telephone dial-in system that allows observers to report daily minimum, maximum, and observation-time temperature and precipitation readings. A demonstration project, IV-ROCS has the potential to be expanded nationally, said NWS Cooperative Observer Program Manager Andy Horvitz.

The new system simply requires auditory responses to voice prompts to report the data. The data can be verified when entered and are subject to automated quality control.

“This is a user-friendly system that makes it faster and easier for cooperative observers to report their observations and helps insure greater accuracy of data for the National Weather Service,” said John Duxbury, Chief, Observations and Facilities Branch, NWS Southern Region. “The response has been excellent and we anticipate all or most of our observers will be using the new system before the end of the year.”

IV-ROCS replaces the old Remote Observation System Automation (ROSA) which required observers to use a complex numerical code to enter data via a touch tone telephone. With ROSA, observers had to learn the difficult code before they could begin, and format errors could not be corrected without starting over. As an example of ROSA’s complexity, an observer who wishes to report a maximum temperature of 80 degrees, minimum temperature of 65 degrees, observation-time temperature of 70 degrees and .25 inches of rainfall would have to enter.... ##290199#12210800#2280#2365#2170#100*25#9903##.

“Please express my appreciation and gratitude for IV-ROCS,” said Cooperative Observer Jimmy Johns, Longview, TX. “This is a tremendous improvement over the ROSA system, in my opinion. It is very easy and quick and it does not allow you to make mistakes.” Eleven year veteran observer Robert Peters of Tyler, TX, agrees. “The change in data reporting is a vast improvement over any of the previous ways I have reported,” he said.

The 1,200 observers in the Southern Region are among 11,000 volunteers who provide daily temperature and precipitation readings to NWS meteorologists throughout the Nation.

The IV-ROCS activity was funded with $125,000 from NOAA's Environmental Services Data & Information Management Program.

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Forecast Office Hosts Cooperative Observers Appreciation Day

By Joseph Pelissier
Meteorologist-In-Charge
WFO Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

To show appreciation for the fine work and dedication of its volunteer cooperative observers and the importance of the data they provide, the Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, Weather Forecast Office (WFO) held a Cooperative Observers Appreciation Day on September 27, 2003.

The day's events included office tours conducted by the WFO staff, display booths manned by representatives of the National Climatic Data Center and the Southeast River Forecast Center, and presentation of awards, followed by a traditional outdoor southern barbeque. The WFO presented awards for outstanding achievements, a 100-year length of service award to Clemson University, and length-of-service awards for observers who reached milestones of 30 years, 20 years, and 10 years, respectively.

The WFO staff showed the volunteer observers the many ways their data are used by various NOAA agencies, including the WFO forecast staff for preparing and verifying forecasts and warnings; the River Forecast Centers for initializing river models and tracking hydrologic conditions; and the National Climatic Data Center for monitoring climate change, providing climate data to customers, and publishing official records of historical weather information.

The barbeque luncheon provided an informal setting for the WFO staff, other NOAA representatives, and a local television meteorologist to hear stories from veteran observers. One volunteer said he would ride his bicycle down to the river each day to check the river stage then wait for the daily cotton truck to come by and tow him back up the hill. Another told of the time when he was about to return to his house after reading his rain gauge and discovered that a bear had strolled out of the woods and decided to rest between the gauge and the house, which resulted in a delayed report that day.

Terry Benthall, Data Acquisition Program Manager, and Jimmie Curtis, Cooperative Observer Program Leader, conceived and organized the event. Even nature cooperated by providing beautiful, sunny autumn weather.

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First-Rate Customer Service Begins on the Inside

By Linda Weaver
NWS CIO Customer Satisfaction Review Board

At any given moment in the working day an NWS employee may be a customer or a customer service provider. Our experiences on the inside, how we support and are supported by our colleagues, is our mirror - a reflection facing the American public. Awareness of our daily interactions and attitude of service toward each other is, therefore, key to providing exceptional customer service on the outside.

Last week marked National Customer Service Week, a celebration started by the International Customer Service Association in 1988 and was proclaimed a "national" event by the U.S. Congress in 1992. The purpose of National Customer Service week is to “create a positive message that lasts all year long and to provide a productive opportunity to generate an even stronger commitment to customer service excellence.”

The NWS Hotline, an internal customer service and support service provider for the NWS Headquarters community, celebrated National Customer Service Week as part of their mission to continually improve the service they provide. This year’s theme highlighted the concept that customer service begins on the inside. The NWS Hotline Team believes “we are all in this together” and can each do our part in providing quality customer service as members of the NWS community to achieve the overall mission to protect life and property.

In a concerted effort to get the message out, the team launched a poster and brochure campaign in all the major SSMC2 causeways and introduced a new NWS Hotline web site at
www.nws.noaa.gov/cio/hotline.htm to share with the community the services they provide under the new Service Level Agreement established by the Office of the Chief Information Officer. The hotline staff made a special effort to let their customers know they are committed to customer satisfaction by hosting a brown-bag lunch to answer customer questions, enjoying a customer service training video event designed to improve and enhance customer service skills, and a host of other activities.

The celebration provided lots of fun all week. Enjoying our jobs is one of the best ways to achieve excellence. If you missed the chance to celebrate National Customer Service Week this year, monitor www.csweek.com for more information and mark your calendar for next year.

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