NOAA Office of Program Planning and Integration

NOAA’s councils and boards provide leadership and coordination across the agency for select high-interest and high-visibility functions. The councils provide a forum for reviewing and developing policy and procedures for technical and scientific issues, guide resource utilization, and simplify complex issues into recommendations for senior leadership. NOAA’s councils are an entry point for the EDP (discussed later in this chapter) and serve as coordinating bodies for achieving the goals and objectives of the Next Generation Strategic Plan (NGSP) (discussed in Chapter 4). NOAA’s boards review and approve capital investment proposals as part of budget formulation and major project review processes.

Table 2-1
Council Types

STRATEGY COUNCILS provide analyses and recommendations related to the NOAA functions that require multi-LO leadership and guidance. These councils are advisory bodies that support NOAA’s decision makers, including the NOAA Administrator, in managing and overseeing strategic agency priorities. The chairs of the three strategy councils are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and report directly to the NEC.

The NOAA Ocean and Coastal Council (NOCC) serves as the principal advisory body to the NOAA Administrator and focal point for the agency’s ocean activities and interests. The purposes of the NOCC include the coordination of ocean and coastal activities across NOAA, NOAA’s activities to implement the priorities of the National Ocean Policy and its representation in the new ocean governance structure, and NOAA’s participation in the interagency National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP).

The NOAA Research Council serves as the principal advisory body to the NOAA Administrator and focal point for the agency’s research activities and interests. The council provides corporate oversight to ensure that NOAA’s research activities are of the highest quality, meet long-range societal needs, take advantage of emerging scientific and technological opportunities, and shape a forward-looking research agenda. The mission of the Research Council is to ensure that all NOAA services are based on sound science and that all NOAA research programs and long-term plans are consistent with its mission and strategic plan by coordinating the Enterprise Objective for a holistic understanding of the Earth system through research and recommendations from National Research Council (NRC) and NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB) research reviews.

The NOAA Observing Systems Council (NOSC) serves as the principal advisory body to the NOAA Administrator and focal point for the agency’s observing system activities. The Observing Systems Council coordinates observational and data management activities across NOAA, proposes priorities and investment strategies for observation-related initiatives, identifies programs that might benefit most from integration, and coordinates NOAA’s Enterprise objective for accurate, reliable data from integrated Earth observations.

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OPERATIONAL COUNCILS AND BOARDS provide NOAA-wide management oversight.

The NOAA International Affairs Council (IAC) serves as the principal policy and decisionmaking body on NOAA’s international efforts. Through this council, NOAA’s international affairs are managed using matrix management principles to ensure coordination, cooperation, and communication on international activities, to enhance the visibility of NOAA’s international activities and accomplishments, and to coordinate the Enterprise objective for international partnerships and policy leadership. The IAC provides the necessary framework to realize a “one NOAA” approach to international affairs.

The NOAA Education Council provides a forum for discussing ideas and proposals for educational activities and priorities across NOAA’s organizations. In conjunction with NOAA’s OEd, the council develops and monitors the implementation of NOAA’s Strategic Plan for Education and makes recommendations to NOAA management on all aspects of NOAA’s educational activities. This council coordinates NOAA’s Enterprise objective for an engaged and educated public for informed environmental decisions.

The Program Management Council (PMC) assists NOAA in meeting the Federal requirements for corporate major project reviews. Title V of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 requires that agencies establish measurable cost, schedule, and performance goals for all major acquisition programs. OMB’s Circular A-11 requires that new investments be justified on the basis of addressing shortfalls, and that projects demonstrate satisfactory progress toward cost, schedule, and performance goals. The council is chaired by NOAA’s DUSO, oversees selected NOAA projects, and helps coordinate NOAA’s Enterprise objective to provide accurate, reliable data from integrated Earth observations. Its oversight includes monthly assessments of performance and acquisition milestones.

The NOAA Fleet Council serves as a principal advisory body to the NOAA Administrator for the management of agency ship and aircraft platforms, including their missions, naming, funding, staffing, safety, maintenance, repair and replacement, and major equipment onboard. This council helps coordinate NOAA’s enterprise objective for accurate, reliable data from integrated Earth observations. NOAA Fleet Council Intranet

The Human Capital Council (HCC) brings together all NOAA functions associated with people to advance a diverse, highly-skilled, motivated, and effective workforce that can fulfill the agency’s mission. This council provides the principal forum to discuss and address issues affecting workforce excellence across NOAA. The council focuses on setting the strategic direction for human capital throughout NOAA by coordinating the Enterprise Objective of a diverse, evolving workforce, and recommends strategies to ensure human capital issues are considered in management decision making.

The Chief Information Officer Council (CIO Council) advances the management and utilization of IT to achieve NOAA’s corporate goals and objectives, helping coordinate NOAA’s Enterprise objective for a modern IT infrastructure. The CIO Council accomplishes this by establishing enterprise-wide IT policies, procedures, standards, and practices. Best practices promulgated by the DOC, OMB, and the Federal CIO Council are coordinated and integrated by this council. In addition, the CIO Council oversees NOAA-wide IT projects and operations funded via organizational cost distribution as well as other projects tasked by the NOAA CIO or NOAA management. The Council approves and prioritizes the NOAA OCIO budget, including projects and services supported by NOAA corporate funds. Chief Information Officer Council Intranet

The Chief Financial Officer / Chief Administrative Officer Council (CFO/CAO Council) is the decision making or recommending body on NOAA-wide financial and administrative functions that are the responsibility of NOAA’s CFO, CAO, Director of Acquisition and Grants, and Director of Workforce Management. It coordinates NOAA’s Enterprise Objective for a high performing organization.

The Strategy and Evaluation Council is the primary forum for discussing NOAA’s long-term goals, the strategy to achieve those goals, and the means by which NOAA will evaluate and measure its success. It facilitates coordination and integration across NOAA’s Goals and between Goals and Enterprise Objectives. In conjunction with PPI, the Council aids in the implementation of the NGSP and makes recommendations to NOAA management to aid in the development of the Annual Guidance Memorandum (AGM). Monitoring and providing feedback on the execution of the SEE process, including its evaluation framework, is an integral part of the Council’s purpose. Strategy and Evaluation Council Intranet

The Facilities Investment Management Board reviews all proposed major investments in facilities for alignment with and support of NOAA’s Facilities Master Plan, mission, and goals and objectives. This board coordinates NOAA’s enterprise objective for modern, safe, and sustainable facilities.

The NOAA Information Technology Review Board (NITRB) ensures that proposed investments contribute to NOAA’s strategic vision and mission, employ sound IT investment methods, comply with NOAA systems architectures, and provide the highest return-on-investment with acceptable project risk. This board coordinates NOAA’s Enterprise objective for a modern IT infrastructure. Establishment of the NITRB supports IT management improvement goals of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and related implementing regulations and guidance.

The Regional Collaboration Executive Oversight Group (EOG) provides oversight and guidance for corporate-level aspects of the regional collaboration effort; ensures the regional collaboration effort has the resources and the corporate commitment it needs to achieve its goals; and provides recommendations to NOAA corporate leadership to advance those goals.

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Terms of Reference and contacts for all NOAA Councils and Boards are available at www.dco.noaa.gov.