Program Review Recommendation #54 Regional Coordination

EMPLOYEE INPUT REQUESTED (2001) Organizational self diagnostics What’s working What’s not

INPUT CATEGORIZED INTO 68 ITEMS Regional coordination was #54 of 68

#54 SHOWED WEAKNESSES Poor internal NOAA coordination Ignorance of NOAA activities in given area No routine coordination between programs Between lines No regional NOAA coordination standards

RESULTS OF POOR COMMUNICATION Missed outreach events and opportunities Duplication of efforts in same geographic area Similar events One constituent contact when another could be better

PILOT PROGRAM AREAS SELECTED Tampa BaySeattle- Tacoma San FranciscoAnn-Arbor Detroit Hawaii

BENEFITS OF REGIONAL FOCUS One unified NOAA face to public Improve responsiveness to constituents Eliminate duplication of effort across line offices Stronger regional projects through cross-line office collaboration Make public access to NOAA’s services easier

GOALS Improve intra-line office coordination Identify line office reps named to regional coordination group Identify issues and programs benefiting from coordination Meet quarterly Share news and issues Increase employee awareness of regional activities Electronic, newsletters, open house Encourage employees to learn appropriate office contacts Publish these names Encourage networking between line offices Open houses, outreach, advertised events

Develop and enhance NOAA’s corporate image Build public awareness of NOAA activities in region Present one NOAA face to public Press, outreach, external relations Bring other line office information into presentations, booth displays, handouts Invite other line offices to participate in outreach Find other ways to enhance quality of science, service, and stewardship GOALS

WHAT DO I DO? WHEN IS IT DUE? Form a regional coordination structure Comprised of line office reps Permanent or rotational regional coordinator to chair committee Identify steps to improve employee coordination and awareness of “all” regional line activity Develop concepts for a regional website or web newsletter Model after AccessNOAA Develop a draft action plan of potential cross-line office activities in FY03 Make a line office contact and service master directory in region Creates NOAA “one-stop shopping” Provide short progress report or briefing to NOAA Administrator’s #54 designee by May 30, 2003

WIN-WIN SCENARIO Employees are empowered by being in the know NOAA benefits from empowered employees and can better respond and communicate to constituents NOAA shows a unified face to public Public has faster, greater access to NOAA’s information

WHAT CAN WE DO? Develop metrics to measure success? How critical are public information officers in these locations? Cost of coordination decreases exponentially by efficiency of coordination? OAR Hot-Items electronic communication?