Policy Documents and References

Public and Private Sector Roles

• NOAA Policy on Partnerships in the Provision of Environmental Information
• National Academy of Sciences - Committee on Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services
• OMB Circular A-130 Text Link
• General References on NWS/Private Sector Partnership
• Guidance Memorandum on NWS Support for State/Local Departments of Transportation
• NWS Directives
  • NWSPD 1-10 Managing the Provision of Environmental Information
  • NWSI 1-1002 Termination of NWS Information Services
  • NWSI 1-1003 Provision of Environmental Information Services Supporting Mobile Devices
  • NWSI 10-102 New or Enhanced Products and Services
  • NWSI 10-1805 National Service and Technical Change Notices
  • NWSI 10-1806 NWS Support for Special Events

Impact-based Decision Support Services (IDSS)

• IDSS Service Description Document (Version 1.0) (2018)
• NWS Directives
  • NWSPD 10-24 Impact-based Decision Support Services

Data Rights

NWS policy documents governing the acquisition of environmental data from external parties are provided below:

• NWS Policy Directive 1-12 -- Managing the Acquisition of Environmental Data from External Parties
• NWS Instruction 1-1201 -- Obtaining Environmental Data from External Parties 

Historical Documents and References

• Federal Register Notice: The Policy Statement on Weather Service/Private Sector Roles, Filed 1/15/91
• NWS Policy and Guidelines Governing NWS and Private Sector Roles (NWS Operations Manual Chapter A-06)
• NWS Operations Manual Letter 04: "Guidelines for Support of Special Events" (Adobe Acrobat format)
• Transfer of Services to Enterprise Partners
  • Report to Congress on the Transfer of NWS Agricultural Weather Services and NWS Non-Federal Non-Wildfire Weather Services to the Private Sector
  • Letter to Agricultural Weather Users
  • Questions and Answers on Agricultural, Fire Weather, and Marine Radio Facsimile Programs
• NOAA Partnership Policy Background Files
  • Federal Register Notice: Proposed NOAA Policy on Partnerships in the Provision of Environmental Information, Filed 1/09/04
  • FairweatherComments3.pdf  - Listing of public comments on NOAA's proposed Policy on Partnerships in the Provision of Environmental Information. See  https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdfs/pns04_noaa_envir_policy.pdf  for context.
  • Federal Register Notice:  Proposed Clarification to NOAA Policy on Partnerships in the Provision of Environmental Information, Filed 8/03/05
  • ppclarificationcomments.pdf - Listing of public comments on 2005 clarification to NOAA's Policy on Partnerships in the Provision of Environmental Information. See  https://www.noaa.gov/work-with-us/partnership-policy  for context.
• Impact-based Decision Support Services Background Files
  • Draft 1 of IDSS SDD (2013)
  • Comments on Draft 1 of IDSS SDD 
  • Response to Comments on Draft 1 of IDSS SDD
  • Draft 2 of IDSS SDD (2014)
  • Comments on Draft 2 of IDSS SDD
  • IDSS Philosophy Document (2016)
  • Comments on IDSS Philosophy Document
  • Response to Comments on SDD Draft 2 and IDSS Philosophy
  • Published IDSS SDDv1.0
  • Draft IDSS SDDv2
  • Response to Comments on IDSS SDDv2 (including link to comments) - coming soon

Six NWS Guiding Principles for Assessing Public/Private Sector Roles

From the NWS' perspective, the government has a particular obligation always to act in a fair and evenhanded manner to all of its constituencies. Our relationship with the private sector is an important one. NWS can't meet America's needs without the private sector and the private sector can't meet America's needs without us. As the value of information increases, the need to clearly define government's role becomes more urgent. In order to maximize fairness and openness, the NWS developed the six principles outlined below in 2001. In the following years, these principles have been embodied in NOAA and NWS policies which now take precedence over these informal principles. However, the six principles can still be helpful in interpreting these policies or addressing issues not specifically addressed in formal policy:

1. Describe the Mission Connection

In sustaining a particular product or service or developing a new product/service, NWS should describe the connection of that product or service to its mission. It is an NWS goal to be able to provide clear documentation that describes this mission connection in terms of answers to basic What, Why, How, Who, When, Where questions. Having a description such as this will ensure that the product concept is well thought out and will ultimately help determine if a particular new product is appropriate for NWS to provide to its customers.

 

2. Life and Property First

Public protection is a fundamental government function and "protection of life and property" is key to the NWS mission. We will put life and property protection first in the allocation of resources and the development and dissemination of NWS products and services. Any time lives are at stake in the immediate time frame, NWS will send out the information first by any effective means, leaving for later any concerns about whether a product or service is appropriate.

 

3. Be Predictable

Be predictable by providing all users, including those in the private sector, adequate notice and opportunity for input into decisions regarding the development and dissemination of products and services. For example, every experimental product should go through a public comment period before being made operational. This serves to maximize the overall utility of the product, provides an opportunity to engage both critics and supporters, and creates a NO SURPRISE Weather Service.

 

4. The Taxpayers Own the Data

Remember always that the taxpayers own the data, and that open and unrestricted dissemination of publicly funded information is good policy and is the law. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 support the proposition that taxpayer-funded government information is a national resource, and economic and other benefits to society are maximized when this information is made available in a timely and equitable manner to all.

 

5. Equity, Equity, Equity

Always strive for equity in dealings between various classes of the user community, and do not show favoritism to particular classes of partners, particularly those in the academic and commercial sectors. Do not provide a service to a segment of the user community that cannot be provided to all users. For example, providing a marine forecast product tailored to the needs of a particular shipping company would be inappropriate.

 

6. Maintain and Explain the Routine

When faced with a special request for services, make sure the customer fully understands the products which NWS "routinely" (event and clock-driven) provides. These products, when understood, may fully meet the customer's needs. Refer requests for specifically tailored products/services to the private sector. A case example of this principle is seen in the provision of weather services supporting the Winter 2002 Olympics. Close cooperation between NWS and private sector assured consistent tailored and timely weather information was available to meet public safety and Olympic Committee needs. A clear boundary existed between planned public and private sector support–-specific forecasts for venues were provided by the private sector, while routine services were provided by NWS (with special attention to transportation infrastructure and public safety concerns).