State of NOAA's Observing System Architecture Portfolio

NOAA’s space, ocean, terrestrial and atmospheric -based observing systems provide critical contributions to the nation’s real-time environmental intelligence essential to our nation.  This presentation will provide a brief synopsis of NOAA’s strategic planning in progress to enhance and recapitalize major observing system architecture segments including radar, space, and ship, and summarize substantive efforts NOAA is undertaking to strengthen its observing system architecture portfolio management.  This presentation includes the following topics:

• Provide an overview of NOAA’s observing system architecture, its scope (number, type, etc.) of parameters, systems, budget involved.

• Describe the connection of our observations, through the value tree, to their impacts upon NOAA missions, and ultimately their support for key societal benefits.

• Summarize progress in developing and implementing a strategic approach and underlying portfolio management capability to ensure a mission effective, integrated, adaptable and affordable observation and information system enterprise.  Discussion of the various databases, tools, cost tracking, NAO, etc.  that are in place along with associated challenges of getting there/sustaining (Note 1).

• Provide examples of how observing system architecture portfolio management is used to help inform/support internal architecture design, recapitalization, emerging technology, investments, communications, as well as cross government efforts (OSTEP earth observation assessment, etc.).  

• Describe portfolio management evolution and how these steps  will harmonize capabilities, identify cost efficiencies, leverage emerging technology, and fulfill high priority policy and service evolution information needs.

Note 1:  [... including codifying relevant policy, improving cost accounting practices, strengthening cost/impact assessment capabilities, evolving strategic system engineering trade analyzes, streamlining research to operations, and through systematic refresh of requirements, capabilities, and impact to outcomes. ]