NWS Social Science Activities David Caldwell, Director NWS Office of Climate, Weather and Water & Jennifer M. Sprague NWS Social Science Focal Point OFCM Mini-Conference Moving To Incorporate Social Science Results into Meteorological Operations May 2010

Social Science and the NWS Potential Benefits Goals: Better understand societal response to NWS forecasts and warnings Apply this understanding towards provision of clear, actionable information, geared towards user need Interdisciplinary interactions will enhance this information, e.g,: –Sociology –Economics –Communication Move the NWS from a good agency to a great agency 2

3 Integrating Social Science Why Now? There is little empirical information available on: - Watch/warning use in decision-making - Economic value of current forecasts - How the public and partners receive and act upon NWS information Push to more effectively convey risk and uncertainty in our products and services & provide impact-based decision support.

NOAA Draft NOAA NextGeneration Strategic Plan - Includes social science component NOAA Chief Economist - Serving as NOAA Senior Advisor for Environmental Social Science NOAA Response to the SAB Social Science Report Integrating Social Science into NOAA Planning, Evaluation and Decision Making - Presented to SAB on March 23, 2010 NWS Draft NWS Strategic Plan - Includes social science and decision support components NWS Science & Technology Roadmap - Includes Social Science Element/Roadmap NWS Services Roadmap – To include Social Science Element/Roadmap NWS Meteorologist/Hydrologist-in-Charge (MIC-HIC) Conference - Interactive Session on Integrating Social Science into the NWS Integrating Social Science: NOAA/NWS Move Towards Integration 4

NOAA recognizes the value of social science in several priority areas, including: –High-Impact Weather –Ecosystem Services and Markets –Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning –The Social Costs of Carbon –Assessing community impacts of fisheries management NOAA created several “special purpose” social science groups to facilitate the integration social and natural science: –NOAA Senior Social Science Committee –NOAA Research Council Social Science Committee –Weather and Water Social Science Working Group –NOAA Coastal Services Center Human Dimensions Program –Fisheries Social Science Branch, Southeast Regional Office

Investigating ways to integrate social science methodologies to: –Improve expression of uncertainty in its information -Better communicate risk -Improve call-to-action statements -Better understand the economic value/estimation of forecast improvements -Understand how social networks effectuate response (race/ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status) -Improve dissemination of information to achieve intended response -Improve web design that enables us to more effectively convey the message -Create more effective graphics, including inundation forecasting -Effectively use social media Integrating Social Science: Where do We Go From Here? 6

–NWS active partnership with the Emergency Management Community, Federal, State, and local governments and the Electronic Media is critical to hurricane preparedness and response –NWS needs decision points from its Partners Integrating Social Science: Partnerships Key to Successful Hurricane Response 7

NOAA’s National Weather Service is engaging social science experts to: -Improve information and services -Reach out to diverse at-risk populations -Communicate more clearly - Improve societal response to save lives -Enhance critical partnerships with EMs, media, and the private sector" Integrating Social Science: Summary 8

Background Slides

NWS Social Science Projects Projects in Execution Phase –Tsunami Social Science Project –Storm Surge Research Project: Assessing Current Storm Surge Information from the Public Perspective –Forecast-at-a-Glance Webpage Project –NWS Service Assessments (Super Tuesday, Mother’s Day, etc.) –Customer Service Satisfaction Survey Projects in Planning Phase –Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP) and economic valuation –Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Products and assessing economic value –Better communication of flood risk project –NWS Fire Weather - Communicating Fire Weather Information and Assessing Societal Action –NWS Hazardous Weather “call-to-action” Team –NWS Service Assessments Team