OHD/HL - RFCDEV: RDM process

The RFC Development Manager (RDM) in the Office of Hydrologic Development (OHD) is responsible for managing science and software development among RFCs to ensure the efficient and economical use of NWS resources to support the Hydrologic Services Program. The RDM coordinates with the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services / Hydrologic Services Division (OCWWS/HSD), the Regional HSDs, the OHD Hydrology Laboratory (HL) , RFCs, and other offices as needed to manage RFC development.

Responsibilities include:

Create annual plan of RFC development activities
Manage RFC development projects
Facilitate coordination among developers
Track progress and provide reports

Annual Plan of RFC Development

The creation of an annual plan begins with an examination of the National list of prioritized requirements. The National list is managed and updated twice a year by OCWWS-HSD. The requirements process is outlined below.

Step 1. OCWWS/HSD gathers requirements from various sources such as: OHD, Region HSDs, National Teams, Service Assessments, etc. to produce a single integrated list of requirements.

Step 2. The requirements list is prioritized by OCWWS-HSD, OHD, and Regional HSDs and send back to OCWWS/HSD.

Step 3. OCWWS/HSD generates a single prioritized list of requirements.

Step 4. The OHD reviews the list and estimates the resources needed for the top priority requirements and identifies any dependencies among them. OHD proposes a work plan which identifies which of the top priority items can be accomplished with available OHD resources.

Step 5. The proposed work plan is passed to Regional HSDs for review. The Regions can agree with the plan or make suggestions for changes. They may also offer regional resources to address items that cannot be addressed by HL resources. The plan can be negotiated between OHD and Region HSDs for a period of time. The Director of OHD will have the final say on the work plan.

Step 6. Once the plan is adopted, the appropriate resources are committed by OHD and Office Directors.

Step 7. A comprehensive work schedule will be developed by the OHD, the Regions, OCWWS/HSD, and the RFC Development Manager.

Step 8. OCWWS/HSD will the track the work schedule and provide quarterly updates.

Projects for the annual plan of RFC development for the next fiscal year are selected from the National list of high priority requirements that is available in the beginning of the 4^th quarter of the current fiscal year. Projects are selected by the RDM in consultation with the Region HSDs and RFCs. The plan will be finalized by the end of the 4^th quarter of the current fiscal year. The annual plan will be reviewed and updated twice a year to reflect changes in the National list of requirements. New projects may be added to the RDM list of tasks at the mid-year update cycle.

RFC Development Projects

After a project is selected, the RFC project development process is:

Step 1. Develop team charter and identify resources by the RDM and Region HSDs.

Step 2. Develop the project plan, allocate tasks to developers, and track progress. These are done by the team, HICs, and the RDM.

Step 3. Deliver final products as local applications (to the Local Applications Database) or to AWIPS. This is done by RFCs, HL, or the RDM as appropriate.

Projects may involve resources from HL, one or more RFCs, other NWS offices, or contractors (i.e. PRC).

Facilitate Coordination Among Developers

The RDM will facilitate coordination among RFC developers by:

• Developing coding standards and guidelines
• Providing standardized NWSRFS development environment to RFCs including updated NWSRFS libraries
• Providing information about plans of other development organizations

Track Progress and Provide Reports

Progress on the RFC development projects will be tracked on a regular basis and reported in quarterly status reports. These reports will be available on the OHD-RDM website.