National Weather Service Evolve and the Whole Office Concept

With the implementation of the GS 5 through 12 program in the National Weather Service (NWS), the operating model which has been used for decades within the individual NWS offices is changing. Typically NWS office operations are broken into sub-units including a public service unit and a forecaster unit. No longer will there be a need for separation of the units within the offices but rather a more well rounded approach to operations whereby all team members are integrated into one larger unit. The goal of this integration is to ensure all personnel work as one team to meet the needs of the NWS mission. Field managers can leverage a whole office concept to assign tasks/duties to ensure mission-critical IDSS can be provided to the communities they serve. Each member of the team will contribute according to his or her demonstrated competencies and expertise and in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The benefits of a whole office concept should result in better management of duties and service, allow for flexibility to provide enhanced partner support, and will allow for greater professional opportunities for all field unit team members.

In summer 2019, NWS field managers were provided resources and guidance to help integrate GS 5-12 employees into all aspects of daily operations, aiding in a transition to a whole office concept of operations. This guidance included a whole office concept playbook, and sample schedules which are intended to provide a useful starting point for thought provoking discussion between local management and the local union. While it does not represent new policy and should not be considered prescriptive, offices can customize these resources to meet their local needs, expertise, and available staff. This presentation will demonstrate some of these new concepts of operations as they are being implemented at NWS offices nationwide.