OFCM 101: Overview of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research

Established by law in the early 1960s and recently reauthorized by the Weather Research and Forecast Improvement Act of 2017; The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM) fosters the effective use of federal meteorological resources by encouraging and facilitating the systematic coordination of weather services and supporting research across the Federal Weather Enterprise.

The principal work in coordinating meteorological activities and in the preparation and maintenance of OFCM reports, plans, and other documents is accomplished by the OFCM staff with the numerous program councils, committees, and working groups. The individuals who serve on these coordination entities are federal agency representatives. Examples of OFCM publications include the annual congressionally mandated Budget and Coordination Report (BCR) and the National Hurricane Operations Plan (NHOP). The BCR provide overview of federal government strategy and fiscal projections for investments for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research. The NHOP provides a framework for interagency cooperation in observation and reporting of hurricanes that impact the United States. In many ways, the OFCM acts as the “spinal cord” for interagency communication and activity across Federal Government as it pertains to meteorological services.

This talk will give an overview of the OFCM structure, history, and recent accomplishments. Particular focus will be given to the changes to that structure recently established, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) co-led, Interagency Council for Advancing Weather Services (ICAWS) mandated in the Weather Act of 2017.