NOAA's Customers
In the SFA survey completed by NOAA employees in 1998 three issues
regarding customer service were identified among the challenges
for the organization:
• Customer satisfaction measures are used to evaluate the performance
of managers and employees
• Progress toward customer service goals is traced, reported to
relevant work-groups, and used to plan improvements.
• There are effective, well-defined systems for linking customer
feedback to those who can act on this information.
A subcommittee of senior NOAA managers is addressing these issues
and how improvement can occur. The first concern is who are NOAA's
customers. NOAA is a science based federal agency that describes
and predicts changes to the Earth's environment, conserves and
wisely manages the Nation's coastal and marine resources. A broad
definition of NOAA's customers is; the American public, other
federal agencies, state and local governments, academia, the private
sector, recreational concerns, and many different national and
international organizations. NOAA also services ourselves, e.g.
OFA and NOAA staff offices provide services to our employees such
as financial, legal, and human resources.
This broad definition does not apply to all parts of NOAA. Listed
below are some specific examples by office:
NESDIS – NOAA line offices, DOD, NASA, USGS, science communities.
NMFS – commercial, recreational, and environmental concerns
NOS – GPS industries, marine pilots, exporters and maritime
trade companies, Emergency Management agencies, port and terminal
operators/managers, shipping companies, aquariums and their
visitors
NWS – Emergency management agencies, American Red Cross, media,
FAA, NASA
OAR – NOAA line offices, International Research Institute for
Climatic Predictions, USAF, U.S. Navy, FAA, international scientific
community
OFA – All of DoC and NOAA, media, vendors, Department of Agriculture,
Appalachian Regional Commission Defense, FAA, GSA, GAO, HUD,
Department of Justice, NASA, National Archives and Records Administration,
Applicants for Financial Assistance and Grants
OMAO – NOAA line offices, U.S. Navy, USGS, U.S. Army Corp of
Engineers, NASA, FEMA, NTSB
On April 19, 2001 NOAA conducted a Constituent Workshop. The purpose
of the workshop was to gather input from our customers on how
NOAA can improve over the next 5 to 10 years. The workshop was
divided into seven core themes:
• Weather
• Climate
• Marine Transportation
• Fisheries
• Coastal and Ocean Habitat and Environment
• Protected Places and Species
• NOAA Employees
The participants were divided into breakout sessions along these
themes. Some of you may have participated in the NOAA employee
sessions. Each session focused on answering four questions:
11. What do you believe NOAA needs to focus on over the next 5-10
years? What key results or impacts do you believe the agency needs
to achieve over the next 5-10 years?
12. What is happening in your market sector/community that may
impact or will impact NOAA's mission, products, services, or structure?
13. What products or services do you believe NOAA needs to emphasize
over the next 5-10 years? Why?
14. What insights or learnings might you share with the new leadership
about NOAA as an organization and its overall impacts? (e.g. mission,
products/services, constituent interactions, processes, partnerships,
etc.).
NOAA will soon provide summaries of the breakout sessions on a
website at www.constituentaffairs.noaa.gov. This is information
meets two of the challenges identified in the 1998 SFA, but your
involvement is needed to turn customer feedback into actions that
will improve NOAA's science and services. Discuss with our colleagues
how best to make this happen. NOAA improves when we all work together.
We have heard from our customers, now it's time to make decisions
on their feedback that will affect both current and future programs.
The subcommittee would like feedback from you on how NOAA can
respond to our customers and ideas you may have on how to address
the three issues from the 1998 SFA. You can send your remarks
to the NOAA Office of Diversity who will provide the information
to the subcommittee.
