Understanding Radar Next User Needs

The Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) system is a network of 159 high-resolution S-band Doppler weather radars that has revolutionized the ability of weather forecasters to understand the severe storm environment and issue timely and accurate warnings. Its comprehensive coverage and real-time data capabilities make it an indispensable tool for monitoring and responding to weather conditions, ultimately contributing to public safety, economic efficiency, and scientific advancement. The NEXRAD users range from federal agencies, tribal, state and local governments, and emergency managers to research and academia, private industry and the media. Because of the challenges posed by obsolescence in the current system and the advancement of new technologies, plans are underway to replace the NEXRAD network.

The collection of user needs is a critical phase in the requirements development process, aimed at understanding and documenting what users expect from a system or product. User engagement, a subset of a program’s broader stakeholder engagement effort, includes activities targeted toward a critical subset of a program’s stakeholders – the users. Users can be defined as those who actively use the technology/tool to perform their job, those who provide support and maintenance, as well as those who use the outputs (i.e., customers). Understanding their needs can help in prioritizing features and functionalities needed, uncover hidden requirements, and foster a sense of ownership and involvement, leading to stronger support and advocacy for the program.

The MITRE Corporation has developed a comprehensive process for eliciting Radar Next user needs from both internal (NOAA/NWS) and external users. The process includes a formal approach for both data capture and quantifying qualitative data through use of data source attributes and a content type taxonomy. Various data collection methods are being used to collect data such as interviews, surveys, and listening sessions to gather comprehensive insights about the current and future weather radar needs of NEXRAD users. The results from these efforts will not only feed the requirements development process but will also support early stakeholder engagement and communication activities.

The presenter will describe the approach being used to collect data from users about how they currently access, utilize and apply radar observations, derived products and predictions in their decision-making processes. This will include a review of the process used to identify who to engage, the approach to collecting, analyzing, and storing the data, and key considerations to keep in mind when seeking feedback from various user groups.