1. Straight Talk VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.) Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere NOAA Administrator November 30, 2005

2. 2 Straight Talk Today’s Menu Goals of the Summit Update from Previous Summit Recent One NOAA Success Current Challenges Got an Act-On Plan? Straight Talk: Communications

3. 3 Straight Talk Goals of the Summit Where is NOAA as an organization going and how can we improve in Challenge areas? Building Hazard Resilient Communities NOAA’s Value to Business Capitalizing on Policy Opportunities Building External Relationships Government/Academia/NGO/Private Sector/Congress/Media NOAA’s Workforce Needs Planning, Recruiting, Retention, Training & Education

4. 4 Straight Talk Goals of the Summit How well is NOAA implementing the Strategic Plan? What are the impediments to successful action? How are we going to meet our Strategic Plan Goals? Sit down together Identify obstacles and figure out ways to move forward to action Not about creating new management processes – but using existing structures

5. 5 Straight Talk Update from Previous Summit OODA Loop ObserveDecide Act Orient

6. 6 Straight Talk Update from Previous Summit OODA Loop Policy Planning Implementation MonitoringEvaluation Improved Understanding Adaptation Ecosystem Approach to Management

7. 7 Straight Talk Update: Communications Office of Communications: Goal to provide effective communications both within and outside of NOAA Required notification to Hill on Office of Communications is at DOC Chief Administrative Office working necessary steps to make Communications Office a reality

8. 8 Straight Talk Update: Communications NOAA Executive Intranet central, dynamic location for information for NOAA leadership NOAA Web Presence Single point of access to NOAA products and services Prototype NOAA Intranet created June 2005 Rollout of New Look and Organization for NOAA.gov—3rd Quarter FY06

9. 9 Straight Talk Update: Integration Important to reward integration efforts Awards and promotions based on effective integration Linking integration to performance plans Important to act on it in our management structure Integrating NOAA infrastructure, e.g. facilities, IT Multi-disciplinary job announcements In what ways have you made progress in these areas?

10. 10 Straight Talk Update: Organizational & Mission Excellence Requirements based PPBES Real program tradeoff analysis GPRA Goals Realistic measures Integration of Performance Plans with GPRA goals Real progress towards achieving NOAA mission goals Completed operational ocean observing system? Ecosystems based fishery management plan? Operational climate monitoring system? Real hurricane intensity forecasting improvement? Assimilation of NASA & NSF research into operational satellites?

11. 11 Straight Talk Update: Organizational & Mission Excellence Have you planned for success in your program?

12. 12 Straight Talk Recent One NOAA Success

13. 13 Straight Talk Recent One NOAA Success NOAA Incident Coordination Center (ICC) NOAA Safety Program A shared success—attributable to the integrated efforts of the many, rather than the few GEOSS NOAA Target Architecture developed for future integrated observations NOSC developing iterative process to move NOAA towards the target

14. 14 Straight Talk Recent One NOAA Success Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) Adopted in 1976, and last reauthorized by the Sustainable Fisheries Act in 1996 provides for federal management of fisheries in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. NOAA & Administration wrote a bill to reauthorize Magnuson- Stevens Act & transmitted it to Congress Sept 19 Chairman Stevens (R-AK) and Co-Chairman Inouye (D-HI), co-authored S2012, (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Reauthorization Act of 2005) and introduced it Nov 19 NOAA received accolades for their efforts & coordination from Senate & DOC

15. 15 Straight Talk NOAA Organic Act: Working Success NOAA Formed by Executive Order #4 in 1970 Since 1970 over 200 Disconnected Authorities NOAA Organic Act serves as a Charter Providing Coherent, Cohesive Set of Authorities Key Recommendation of the Ocean Commission Explicitly Authorizes Broad Education and Outreach Effort that Bridges Programs

16. 16 Straight Talk Current Challenges: NOAA Budget Conference Mark

17. 17 Straight Talk Current Challenges: NOAA Funding Trends (Constant Dollars in Billions) Data Source: DOC Summary of enacted BA

18. 18 Straight Talk Current Challenges: One NOAA vs. Budget Year 2007 In FY06…. NSF: $5.6BNASA: $16.5BNOAA: $3.9B NASA vs. NWS NASA vs. OAR NASA vs. NOS NASA vs. NMFS NASA vs. NESDIS NSF vs. NWS NSF vs. OAR NSF vs. NOS NSF vs. NMFS NSF vs. NESDIS OR NASA vs. NOAA OR NSF vs. NOAA Strength in numbers!

19. 19 Straight Talk Current Challenges: Presenting One NOAA Acting as One NOAA Internally How are you communicating this to all NOAA employees? How are we coordinating with each other? Are we efficiently and continuously making decisions? Externally With the Public and With Constituents? On the Hill—Legislative Affairs? On the Web?

20. 20 Straight Talk Understand you are a part of this organization — This organization is a part of You

21. 21 Straight Talk Current Challenges: Presenting One NOAA “NOAA is one of the best-kept secrets in government.” “It’s remained a collection of somewhat separate agencies as opposed to a coherent whole.” Andrew Rosenberg, member of the Commission on Ocean Policy and former deputy director of NOAA Fisheries. Government Executive, August 1, 2005

22. 22 Straight Talk Current Challenges: Workforce Management 52% of all NOAA employees are eligible for retirement in the next five years Are we investing in the future leaders of NOAA? Mentoring Training Rotational Opportunities Are we effectively using career development programs? Leadership Development Competency Program Presidential Management Fellows Sea Grant Knauss Fellows Are we filling our critical occupation positions with good people?

23. 23 Straight Talk Action Plan Are you representing One NOAA in your communications and actions? Are you involved in continuous decision making? Are you growing future NOAA leaders? Are you moving NOAA forward and making it a “good”—not just a “lucky”—organization?

24. 24 Straight Talk Action Plan Breakout Sessions Use existing processes and mechanisms to find executable paths around road blocks Find opportunities, create action plans, be accountable to these plans Not to add work—but to find ways forward for NOAA

25. 25 Straight Talk Rigorous vs. Ruthless

26. 26 Straight Talk INTERNAL Straight Talk: Communication Good “internal” communication......begins to look like “external” communcation Everything we do, say, or write that is apparent to one or more individuals We Live in A Sea Of Bubbles... Personal & Organizational Failure results from written communication LateInaccurate IncompleteIncomprehensible Internally Focused Personal & Organizational Success depends directly on written communication On TimeComprehensive Customer Friendly Easy to UnderstandExternally Focused EXTERNAL Little or No Individual Contact & Knowledge Perception 1 1000 EASY REALLY DIFFICULT DIFFICULT EASY

27. Questions