NationalGeophysicalDataCenter

Peter Kraft

Florin Alexandrescu

Brett Gottdener

A Case Study

Purpose of Study

• Examine ROI methodology for a Gov org.– Costs and Benefits– ROI applicability

• Review a proposal• Learn about NGDC• Explore Gov funding

Outline• Purpose of Study

Overview of NOAA• 5-Year Outlook• Social Benefits• Budget Requests• Performance Standards• Org. Chart and TableProducts• National Weather Service• Solar Imaging• Geodetic Survey• Satellite ImageryDigested material• Ted Habermann• Sample Proposal• Funding

• How Projects are Funded• Federal Funding• Funding after Gov.• Fund Acquisition

Interpretation and Examination• ROI vs. Ted – 10 Steps• Conclusive ThoughtsClass Discussion

NOAA - 5 Year Strategic Outlook (2005-2010)

• Protect, restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management.

• Understand climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability to plan and respond.

• Serve society’s needs for weather and water information.

• Support the Nation’s commerce with information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation.

Societal Benefits

• Values• U.S. Ocean economy valued at $115

billion per year• 1/3 of the economy ($3 Trillion is

weather sensitive• Coastal and Marine Waters provide

over 28 million jobs• Fisheries provide at least $60 billion to

U.S. GDP• Costs:

• Severe Weather causes $11 Billion in damages annually

• Severe Weather causes $11 Billion in damages annually

• Weather related air traffic delays cost $4 billion annually

FY 2007 Budget Request Priorities

Annual Budget: $3.684 billionMission Support/People Infrastructure +$148.1M- $7.5M Marine Operations- $13.8M Modernize fleets- $4M Training- $133.7M Satellite programs- $12M Improving US Tsunami Warning NetworkEcosystem Management +$107.6M- $19.7M Gulf of Mexico fisheries- $6M Open Rivers Initiative (Dam Removal)- Remaining funds to support Ocean Action Plan which oversees

numerous science based conservation and management programsClimate Services +24.1M- $4M NIDIS (National Integrated Drought Information System- $2M New climate analysis data sets- $6.8M Archive and provide access to the world’s largest collection of

data- $6.5M High performance computing and communicationWeather & Water Information +$46.1M- $12.4M to operate the U.S. Tsunami Warning System- $3.5M Upgrade Wind Profiler Network- $1.4M Operate and maintain hurricane data buoys Commerce & Transportation- $2M Build and maintain navigational Charts- $1.8M Fund (2) new Navigational Response Teams in U.S.

Waterways- $2M Implementing the National Vertical Datum Transformation Tool- $1.2M Improving aviation safety and economic efficiencies

Additional Requests:

NOAA Performance Standards

Organization ChartU.S. Department of Commerce

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator

Legislative Affairs

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere

Deputy Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere

International Affairs Dep. Assistant Sec General Counsel Program Coordination Decision Coordination

Chief Admin Officer CFO Human Resources Acquisition & Grants

National Marine Fisheries Service

National OceanService

Oceanic & Atmospheric

Research

National WeatherService

National Environmental Satellite, Data &

Information Service

Program Planning &Integration

Public Constituent& Inter-Gov Affairs

Education andSustainable Dev.

Program AnalysisAnd Evaluation

Marine andAviation Operations

Fed CoordinatorFor Meteorology

Chief InformationOfficer

National GeophysicalData Center(NGDC)

NGDC – Organizational Table

Product 1: National Weather

Service

• Weather• Hydrologic• Climate forecasts• Warnings

Product 2: Solar imaging

• Space weather and solar events

• Solar flares

• Solar eclipses

Product 3: Geodetic survey

• Defines the National Spatial Reference System which provides the foundation for mapping, transportation, satellite communication etc…

Product 4: Satellite imagery• National Environmental Satellite Data and

Information Service (NESDIS) • Landsat 3, 4• Fire and smoke analysis• Snow and ice• Hurricanes• Winds• Sun-synchronous orbit• Geosynchronous orbits• Polar orbits

NGDC contact: Ted Habermann

• Ph.D. from CU Boulder• Researches spatial data management

techniques• Scientist• Employs about 10-15 people (CIRES)

Sample proposal• Summary• Problem statement• Proposed solution• Analysis• Performance

measures– Milestones– Deliverables

• Budget

How projects are funded• Proposal process is messy• Funding process is also messy• Continuing resolutions• ‘Societal benefits’• Salaries: Congress -> NOAA -> Ted -> University

-> CIRES employees• End of year money

Federal Funding• Federal Fiscal Year: Oct 1st - Sept 30th

• Continuing Resolution in Aug/Sept

– Traditionally a rare occurance

– Becoming normal for every year

• Earliest Receipt of Funding: April 1st

• Last Date to Spend Funds: Sept 30th

• Congress -> NOAA (Ted) -> University -> Ted’s Employees

• University taking longer to process Grants

– Must receive funding from Ted sooner

Fund Dispersion

• NOAA provides ~1.5M annually to Ted at NGDC– This comes from Gov.

• Most funding goes to Personnel– This is achieved via the U of C

Boulder

• Sale of Maps and Data– Only charge for cost of

reproduction– Covers cost only, provides no

income

Fund Acquisition• Other Federal Funding Sources

– Basically not allowed– Few Exceptions (eg. NASA)

• NOAA Requests funds from Congress– Uses an approach based on Logical

Reasoning

• In summary: “Get as much as you can” -Ted Habermann

Applying ROI Steps to our Case Study

1. Prepare for the ROI project

2. Identify Business Opportunities

3. Prioritize Business Opportunities

4. Construct a GIS Program

5. Define Project Control

6. Specify and Cost GIS projects

7. Estimate Benefits

8. Create a Benefits Roadmap

9. Calculate Financial Metrics

10. Build and Present a Report

Conclusive Thoughts

• NGDC > not the best ROI study– Doesn’t fit the ROI mold very well– Hard to relate what has been learned– Difficult to provide recommendations

• NGDC > a great ROI study– Realistic example of a different approach– Forced us to compare and contrast– Perspective on politics of government funding