Focusing Environmental Information Communications On The Outcomes Of Constituents

This past year, we at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) released a strategic plan for honing our efforts in understanding and improving the outcomes of the constituents we serve. We are initially focusing on the Architecture/Engineering, Retail, and Insurance/Reinsurance sectors through funding received from the Inflation Reduction Act and the creation of NOAA’s Industry Proving Grounds. While traditional metrics like downloads, volumes (stored and served), publications, and engagements remain fundamental business metrics, they do not fully capture the importance nor scope of our work.

To facilitate this evolved strategic direction, NCEI’s Communications and Outreach Branch is targeting communications efforts that highlight how our data are built into numerous foundational aspects of life. For example, NCEI data assists in building resilient communities by informing the development of roadways, power grids, and other infrastructure, supply chains and products, as well as insurance/reinsurance policies. NCEI represents the full realization of NOAA’s unwavering investment in high-quality environmental observations. By focusing on the "real world" impacts of our information holdings, NCEI demonstrates the importance of our science, services, and data stewardship practices on enhancing life and maximizing NOAA’s benefit to the American taxpayer.