DCN OSDNDEPP 3.0

**NPOESS Data Exploitation (NDE)**

**Project Plan v.3**

**November 23**

![](media/image1.png){width="2.46875in" height="2.3958333333333335in"}

Revision: 11/13/2023 5:29:54 PM

Prepared by:

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)

Office of System Development (OSD)

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# **INTRODUCTION** {#introduction .unnumbered}

## **i. Executive Summary** {#i.-executive-summary .unnumbered}

The NPOESS Data Exploitation (NDE) Project will link the civilian
environmental satellite information users to data collected by the
National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System
(NPOESS). NPOESS products will start replacing the data from existing
Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) systems in
2010 and will continue providing NOAA's polar-orbiting satellite
observations until approximately 2020.

To reduce the risks associated with the introduction of NPOESS'
innovative technologies, an NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite
will be placed in orbit, starting to supply prototypical NPOESS products
in late 2009. Initial funding for the NDE project commenced in October
of 2005 with essential system upgrades within NESDIS to prepare for NPP.
The NPOESS program will continue beyond the year 2020 to ensure
continuous service from a complete constellation of two operational
NPOESS satellites. The NDE project will continue in parallel throughout
the entire period of the NPOESS program.

NPOESS provides a new generation of remote sensing and satellite
technology. NPOESS data volumes will peak at about 6 terabytes per day
in 2016 (tbc). This will require more than a 100-fold increase in NOAA
data management capacity. The data will be delivered much more quickly
than current satellite observations, arriving within 30 minutes of
observation. Both the volume expansion and the improved timeliness
require NOAA to upgrade its satellite product generation and
distribution infrastructure in major ways.

NPOESS' improved sensors will provide data at higher resolution and in
spectral bands previously unavailable. Applications of these data
promise to have significant impacts on the accuracy of weather forecast
models and the analysis of both sea and land surfaces for daily analyses
and retrospective climate studies.

NDE will be conducted as a demonstration project in which the procedures
it establishes will be evaluated as candidates for wider adoption as
best practices. NDE will employ an enterprise project approach,
developing functionality to be shared across NOAA systems to reduce
costs, risks, and to minimize redundancy. NDE will use the latest proven
methods, tools and techniques to establish key elements of NOAA's 21st
Century satellite data management capability.

## **ii. Preface** {#ii.-preface .unnumbered}

This document is the NOAA/NESDIS publication of the NOAA NPOESS Data
Exploitation (NDE) Integrated Project Plan. It describes the concepts
that will guide NOAA's management and control of activities in support
of the distribution, additional processing, and utilization of NPOESS
instrument data. The document sets forth the basis for plan decisions as
well as the plans themselves.

Through the winter of 2005-6, the NPOESS program was reviewed using the
analytical framework of the Nunn-McCurdy amendment.[^1] These studies
resulted in decisions regarding the number of satellites, launch dates,
and instrument packages. The impact of these NPOESS program adjustments
are expressed in Section 6 Project Schedule

This is NDE Project Plan Version 3.0 (DCN OSDNDEPP 3.0)

Updates and revisions to this document will be produced and controlled
by NOAA/NESDIS/OSD.

## **iii. Table of Contents** {#iii.-table-of-contents .unnumbered}

[INTRODUCTION iv](#introduction)

[i. Executive Summary iv](#i.-executive-summary)

[ii. Preface iv](#ii.-preface)

[iii. Table of Contents vi](#iii.-table-of-contents)

[iv. Table of Figures vii](#iv.-table-of-figures)

[vi. Applicable Documents and References
x](#vi.-applicable-documents-and-references)

[vii. 2007 Revisions xi](#vii.-2007-revisions)

[1. OVERVIEW 1](#overview)

[1.1 Short Description 1](#short-description)

[1.2 Assumptions and Constraints 2](#assumptions-and-constraints)

[2 PROJECT SCOPE 2](#project-scope)

[2.1 Project Mission, Goals, and Objectives
3](#project-mission-goals-and-objectives)

[2.2 NDE as a Transition Project 4](#nde-as-a-transition-project)

[2.3 Project Context 6](#project-context)

[2.3.1 The Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS)
6](#the-interface-data-processing-segment-idps)

[2.3.2 Customers 7](#customers)

[2.3.3 Integrated Program Office (IPO)
8](#integrated-program-office-ipo)

[2.4.4 Mission Management Center (MMC)
8](#mission-management-center-mmc)

[2.4.5 Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS)
8](#comprehensive-large-array-data-stewardship-system-class)

[2.3.6 Product Developers 8](#product-developers)

[2.3.7 Management 9](#management)

[3 PROJECT ORGANIZATIONAL VIEWS 10](#project-organizational-views)

[3.1 NOAA Operating Branches 10](#noaa-operating-branches)

[3.2 NESDIS 10](#nesdis)

[4 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 14](#roles-and-responsibilities)

[4.1 NDE Project Manager 14](#nde-project-manager)

[4.2 NDE System Architect 15](#nde-system-architect)

[4.3 ESPC's System Development Team 16](#espcs-system-development-team)

[4.4 Product Development Manager 17](#product-development-manager)

[4.5 Product Development Teams 18](#product-development-teams)

[4.6 Systems Integration Coordinator
19](#systems-integration-coordinator)

[4.7 Product Integration Teams 20](#product-integration-teams)

[5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 21](#project-description)

[5.1 Project Approach 21](#project-approach)

[5.2 Customer Coordination Phase 22](#customer-coordination-phase)

[5.3 Design Phase 23](#design-phase)

[5.4 Development Phase 24](#development-phase)

[5.5 Test Phase 25](#test-phase)

[5.6 Transition Phase 25](#transition-phase)

[6. PROJECT SCHEDULE 27](#project-schedule)

[6.1 NPP and NPOESS Launch Schedule 27](#npp-and-npoess-launch-schedule)

[6.2 Payload Considerations 27](#payload-considerations)

[6.3 Life Cycle Scheduling 30](#life-cycle-scheduling)

[6.4 NPP Development Cycle 31](#npp-development-cycle)

[6.5 C1 Development Cycle 35](#c1-development-cycle)

[**6.5.1 Systems Development** 35](#systems-development)

[**6.5.2 Product Development** 36](#product-development)

[**6.5.3 Concluding the Cycle** 36](#concluding-the-cycle)

[6.6 Potential Out-Year Build Cycles 37](#__RefHeading___Toc174346280)

[7 ACQUISITION STRATEGY 38](#acquisition-strategy)

[7.1 Product Development 38](#product-development-1)

[7.2 System Development 40](#system-development)

[7.3 Infrastructure Acquisition, Operations, and Maintenance
41](#infrastructure-acquisition-operations-and-maintenance)

[8 PROJECT PROCESSES 44](#project-processes)

[8.1 Planning Processes 44](#planning-processes)

[8.1.1 Five-Year Planning 44](#five-year-planning)

[8.1.2 Integrated Project Planning 44](#integrated-project-planning)

[8.1.3 Transition Planning 45](#transition-planning)

[8.2 Initiating Processes 45](#initiating-processes)

[8.3 Controlling Processes 45](#controlling-processes)

[8.3.1 Work and Schedule Management 45](#work-and-schedule-management)

[8.3.2 Scope and Requirements Management
46](#scope-and-requirements-management)

[8.4 Execution Processes 49](#execution-processes)

[8.4.1 Deliverables and Configuration Management
49](#deliverables-and-configuration-management)

[8.4.2 Team Management 49](#team-management)

[8.5 Facilitating Processes (TBC) 50](#facilitating-processes-tbc)

[8.5.1 Risk and Issues Management 50](#risk-and-issues-management)

[8.5.2 Vendor & Contract Management 51](#vendor-contract-management)

[8.5.3 Stakeholder Communication Processes
51](#stakeholder-communication-processes)

[9 FIVE-YEAR SPEND PLAN 53](#five-year-spend-plan)

[APPENDIX A: ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
54](#appendix-a-acronyms-and-abbreviations)

[APPENDIX B: DEFINITIONS 57](#appendix-b-definitions)

[APPENDIX C: RELATIONSHIPS WITH NOAA ENTITIES
58](#appendix-c-relationships-with-noaa-entities)

## iv. **Table of Figures** {#iv.-table-of-figures .unnumbered}

[Figure 1: Project Context 6](#__RefHeading___Toc174346306)

[Figure 2: NOAA Organization Chart 10](#__RefHeading___Toc174346307)

[Figure 3: NESDIS Organization Chart 11](#__RefHeading___Toc174346308)

[Figure 4: NESDIS Office Roles 13](#__RefHeading___Toc174346309)

[Figure 5: NDE Organization Chart 14](#__RefHeading___Toc174346310)

[Figure 6: Project Phases 21](#__RefHeading___Toc174346311)

[Figure 7: Satellite Launch Schedule 27](#__RefHeading___Toc174346312)

[Figure 8: Instrument-to-Satellite Cross Reference
28](#__RefHeading___Toc174346313)

[Figure 9: NDE Project Development Cycles
30](#__RefHeading___Toc174346314)

[Figure 10: NPP Development Cycle 31](#__RefHeading___Toc174346315)

[Figure 11: Organization of IT Delivery Tasks for NPP
32](#__RefHeading___Toc174346316)

[Figure 12: C1 Development Cycle 35](#__RefHeading___Toc174346317)

[Figure 13: Phase 1 NPP Products 39](#__RefHeading___Toc174346318)

[Figure 14: NPP Phase 2 Products 40](#__RefHeading___Toc174346319)

[Figure 15: O&M Handover Schedule 43](#__RefHeading___Toc174346320)

[Figure 16: SPSRB Processes 47](#__RefHeading___Toc174346321)

[Figure 18: Relationships with NDE NOAA
58](#__RefHeading___Toc174346322)

**v. Document Organization**

**1. INTRODUCTION** - introduces NDE and provides background
information.

**2. PROJECT SCOPE**

-   Describes the NOAA Goals the project supports through the
    accomplishment of project objectives

-   Explains the context of the project

-   Describes the organizational relationships

**3. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**

-   Program and Project Management

-   System Architect

-   Enterprise Tool Development

-   Product Development

-   Operations

-   Transition

**4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION**

-   Explains the Project Approach

-   Describes the NPOESS Launch Schedule and Satellite Payloads

-   Provides a project schedule

-   Describes the first five sub-projects as "Development Cycles"

**5. ACQUISITION STRATEGY**.

-   How resources are to be acquired and deployed to achieve project
    objectives: Management, Development, Architecture, Infrastructure,
    Transition

**6. PROJECT PROCESSES**

-   Describes both Strategic Planning and Implementation Planning
    Processes

-   Describes Processes for: Project Initiation, Execution, Control,
    Communication, and Facilitation

**7. FIVE-YEAR SPEND PLAN**

-   Five-Year Budget

-   Product Development Allocations

## vi. Applicable Documents and References {#vi.-applicable-documents-and-references .unnumbered}

-   NOAA's NPOESS Data Exploitation Charter
    <http://projects.osd.noaa.gov/nde>

-   NPOESS IPO, Integrated Operational Requirements Document I (IORD
    II), version 6, 2002.

-   Information Processing Division National Polar-Orbiting Operational
    Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Concept Of Operations,
    Baseline Issue, June 20, 2002, Version 1
    <http://216.33.118.202/EPSData/DOC/Synopses/3055/NOAA-CEMSCS-04-04-2003/AppendixE.pdf>

-   National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration**\
    **Information Quality Guidelines, September 30, 2002,
    <http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/iq.htm>

-   Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for the National polar-orbiting
    Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Program, Version
    1.2, September 15, 2003, NPOESS DATA EXPLOITATION (NDE) SYSTEM
    REQUIREMENTS, 13 August 2004

-   NPOESS DATA EXPLOITATION (NDE) Concept of Operations, V2, March 14,
    2006 [NDE Public Documents Web
    Page](http://projects.osd.noaa.gov/nde/pub-docs/NDE_ConOpsAug12-2005.pdf)

-   NDE's ESPC Requirements, June 2005, [NDE Public Documents Web
    Page](http://projects.osd.noaa.gov/nde/pub-docs/RQMNTS-050921b.pdf)

-   Policy On Transition Of Research To Application, NAO 216-105,
    Issued: 05/31/05; Effective: 05/17/05

-   NPOESS Data Exploitation (NDE) Risk Management Plan, Version 1.0, 14
    July 2006

-   NDE System Requirements Specification, Version 1.0, July 2007 [NDE
    Public Documents Web
    Page](http://projects.osd.noaa.gov/nde/pub-docs/RQMNTS-050921b.pdf)

## **vii. 2007 Revisions**  {#vii.-2007-revisions .unnumbered}

**vi. Applicable Documents and References**

-   Added Risk Management Plan

-   Added System Requirements Specification

**2.1 Project Mission, Goals, and Objectives:**

Inserted Non-Operational objectives

**2.3 Project Context**

-   Added 2 new external entities and accompanying text:

    -   2.3.6 Product Developers, providing algorithms, receiving
        standards

    -   2.3.7 Management, receiving reports

-   Deleted 2.3.6 JCSDA as an external entity

**3.1 NOAA Operating Branches**

-   Copied in current official NOAA org chart.

-   Revised text to reflect replacement of "Line Office" by "Operating
    Branch"

**3.2 NESDIS**

Updated NESDIS Organization Chart (new executive names)

**4.6 Systems Integration Coordinator**

Position description of new member of NDE Management Team

**4.7 Product Integration Teams**

Described NPP/NPOESS product integration teams in NOAA Operating
Branches

**5.1 Project Approach**

Rewrote:

-   Deleted "spiral" language

-   Made distinctions between product development and system development
    clearer

-   Revised Phase Diagram

    -   Changed name of "Construction" Phase to "Development Phase"

    -   Showed 2 releases into Transition Phase: 1 for Products, one for
        Systems

    -   Showed algorithms as inputs from outside the project

**5.2 Customer Coordination Phase**

Made distinctions between product development and system development
clearer

**5.3 Design Phase**

Made distinctions between product development and system development
clearer

**5.4 Development Phase**

Made distinctions between product development and system development
clearer

**5.5 Test Phase**

Made distinctions between product development and system development
clearer

**5.6 Transition Phase**

Made distinctions between product development and system development
clearer

**6.1 NPP and NPOESS Launch Schedule**

Show project end date on table

**6.2 Payload Considerations**

Revised lists of xDRs to reflect JARG decisions

**6.3 Life Cycle Scheduling**

-   Updated Gantt chart

-   Identified project ending after FY16

-   Deleted Prototyping Build Cycle

**6.3 NPP Development Cycle**

-   Adjusted dates on Gantt Chart

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-   Updated Gantt chart

-   Rewritten to show 5 incremental system builds

-   Added section on Systems Engineering

-   Added section on System Services

**6.5 C1 Development Cycle**

-   Updated Gantt chart

-   Edited Gantt chart row reference

**6.6 Potential Out-Year Build Cycles**

-   State that a post implementation review is not planned

**7. ACQUISITION STRATEGY**

Changed from future to present tense

**7.1 Product Development**

-   Deleted old product delivery table.

-   Inserted 2 new tables: Phase 1 and Phase 2 Products, revised table
    descriptions

**7.2 System Development**

Changed from future to present tense

**8.3.2.3 Requirements Management**

Added paragraph about the System Requirements Specification

**8.5.1 Risk and Issues Management**

Inserted, modified Executive Summary from Risk Management Plan

# OVERVIEW

## Short Description

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System
(NPOESS) will replace the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite
(POES) Program and the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense
Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). In the next decade, NPOESS will
provide environmental remote sensing capability for both civilian and
military applications. In addition, the European Organization for the
Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) will operate
polar-orbiting satellites under their Meteorological Operational (METOP)
program that will complement NPOESS data.

NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
(NESDIS) operates United States' environmental satellites, including
command and control, ground systems, data processing, and distribution
to end-users of the data.

NPOESS will provide data to four central processing facilities, called
"Centrals," via its Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS) and to
remote field terminals via direct satellite-to-ground communications
links. The Centrals will be responsible for providing NPOESS global
coverage System Mission Data (SMD) to environmental satellite users.
Field terminals will provide real-time access to regional coverage data
feeds directly from NPOESS satellites.

NESDIS will operate the NOAA Central. The Air Force Weather Agency
(AFWA), Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC), and
Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) will operate the other three
Centrals. The distribution of the NPOESS products to the civilian
community will be the responsibility of the NPOESS Data Exploitation
(NDE) system at the NOAA Central.

The NDE system will receive data from the NPOESS IDPS, distribute it as
received according to user needs, process and package it to meet user
requirements, ensure appropriate information is archived, distribute
data to authorized users, and provide customer service. NDE will have a
system management capability that supports management and control of the
operational system. In addition, NDE will have a development test-bed
capability that will permit development, modification, and system
testing without risk to the operational system.

NOAA and other civilian users may need to update their systems to use
the new polar satellite data provided by NPOESS. Without NDE or
equivalent data conversion to use NPOESS' Hierarchical Data Format (HDF)
version 5 (HDF5) data, NOAA systems like Numerical Weather Prediction
and the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) will be
unable to exploit the NPOESS products. The new data may have performance
impacts as well. As existing instruments are decommissioned, the polar
satellite community must transition to NPOESS data. NDE will support the
transition.

NDE will address the data conversion and other key requirements needed
to continue mission critical applications as well as identify new
requirements to improve operations due to new instrumentation and
capability. This project plan will provide the structure and framework
to guide the NDE project through its lifecycle.

## Assumptions and Constraints

The design of NPOESS embodies significant change in the way polar
satellite data are collected and processed. The foremost assumptions
shaping this project, therefore, are based on the NPOESS program.

**NESDIS Systems Must Be Upgraded**

NPOESS will provide new and improved remote sensing data in comparison
to existing polar satellites. It will have new high resolution
instruments and a new ground station architecture that will provide more
data at a faster rate. By 2016, when the 2 satellite NPOESS
constellation is operational (tbc), NPOESS will make about 6 terabytes
of data available to NESDIS every day. The products will be available
for assimilation into user systems within minutes of observation instead
of hours.

These changes are so extensive that NESDIS must implement fundamental
and widespread improvements to its data management systems,
telecommunications infrastructure, and distribution networks in order to
successfully deliver NPOESS products.

**NPOESS Products Must Be Enhanced**

NPOESS products satisfy the requirements of the U.S. Department of
Commerce and the U.S. Department of Defense. Each of the Centrals will
be provided with data in accordance with the Integrated Operational
Requirements Document (IORD-II, dated January 14, 2002). A fundamental
design assumption of NPOESS is that each Central will modify and
redistribute the products to satisfy the needs of its customers. NDE
will manage two categories of product enhancement: "tailoring" and
"NOAA-unique product" development.

In tailoring activities, versions of NPOESS Data Records are provided in
alternative formats and views. For example, all of the NPOESS products
will be delivered to NESDIS in Hierarchical Data Format 5 (HDF5), a
standard used by only a few of NESDIS' customers. NDE will reformat the
data for these customers before dissemination. Other forms of tailoring
include alternative map projections, coverage areas, aggregations,
grids, and compression approaches. Whenever possible, NDE will provide
the software to enable the end users to do the tailoring on their own
systems.

NESDIS currently provides its customers with approximately 270
environmental data products derived from polar satellite observations.
Many of these products are different views of the same data. When fully
operational, NPOESS satellites will deliver over 150 products. NESDIS's
mission requires an extension of similar tailoring capabilities into the
NPOESS era.

NOAA-unique product development is necessary to support missions that
are specific to NOAA, as opposed to data used by all Centrals.
NOAA-unique products are augmented environmental products constructed
from NPOESS Data Records. They will be generated by procedures (e.g.,
algorithms) that use NPOESS Data Records (xDRs) as a basis of products
containing data values that are different from those in the xDRs as
received from NPOESS. NOAA-unique products may be generated by combining
products from different data sources to provide other environmental
information.

# 2 PROJECT SCOPE {#project-scope .unnumbered}

The NDE project consists of an interdependent group of people who engage
in processes to develop an NDE system that will include all of the
associated equipment, facilities, material, computer programs, firmware,
technical documentation, services, and personnel required for operations
and support.

## 2.1 Project Mission, Goals, and Objectives {#project-mission-goals-and-objectives .unnumbered}

NDE'S primary mission is to provide products derived from NPOESS
observations to NOAA's operational and climate communities and other
civilian customers. In order to fulfill the mission, NDE will acquire
the resources necessary to achieve the following objectives:

NDE's operational objectives are to:

-   Disseminate NPOESS Data Records to customers

-   Generate and disseminate tailored NPOESS Data Records (versions of
    NPOESS Data Records in previously agreed alternative formats and
    views)

-   Generate and disseminate NOAA-unique products (augmented
    environmental products constructed from NPOESS Data Records)

-   Deliver NOAA-unique products and associated metadata to the NOAA
    Long-Term Archive

-   Provide services to customers, including a Help Desk, NDE product
    training, product enhancement, and implementation support across
    NOAA

-   Coordinate NPOESS-related activities across NOAA

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-   Assist with planning for the implementation of NPOESS data by user
    systems

-   Ensure end-user preparedness for NPOESS data

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-   Develop a sustainable system that meets its customer needs

-   Provide software for NPOESS Data Record format conversion and other
    data manipulations

NDE's non-operational objectives are to:

-   Provide developers with tools to simplify the transition of system
    elements from research and development environments to operations

-   Provide NESDIS with reusable elements and centralization to reduce
    costs and risks

-   Provide NESDIS managers with metrics to inform decision making

These objectives are aligned with NOAA's strategic goals. Within the
**Ecosystem** Mission Goal, for example, ocean color and sea-surface
temperature (SST) products are needed for public health (harmful algal
blooms), protected species, fisheries management (commercial and
recreational), and coastal zone management (pollution, spills/dumping,
toxins, nutrification) efforts.

Within the **Weather and Water** Mission Goal, as well as in support of
the Commerce and Transportation Goal, Environmental Data Records (EDRs)
are needed to support real-time assessments and short-to-medium range
warnings of environmental conditions that may endanger human safety and
health, and safe **transportation**. For example, atmospheric EDRs such
as temperature, moisture and cloud optical properties are used in the
NWS Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) by the
weather forecast offices to support real-time assessments of convective
activity which provides critical information used in issuing severe
weather warnings, including aircraft turbulence to the aviation
community.

Land EDRs are used to assess vegetation and drought conditions and
provide critical information for sustaining and assessing changes in the
health of the Nation's agriculture industry. Furthermore, land EDRs
provides information on fire location and burn areas that are critical
to the United States Forest Service to manage forest fires. These EDRs
are also used in emission models to assess the impact of fire emissions
on air quality.

Ocean color and sea-surface temperature (SST) imagery facilitates the
operational assessment of currents and eddies, directly supporting, for
example, recreational boaters, the offshore oil/minerals industry, and
tropical cyclone analyses, as well as Department of Defense requirements
(e.g. the acoustical environment for submarines). Also, ocean vector
winds products are used by the National Weather Service's National
Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Ocean Prediction Center
(OPC) and the weather forecast offices for the development of high wind
and wave warnings, as well as input for the operational wave forecast
modeling. NPOESS products will be used in such areas as the National Ice
Center (NIC) for iceberg and ice edge detection, as well as by the
offshore oil/mineral industry as previously noted.

Within the **Climate** Mission Goal, EDRs are required for the
formulation of Climate Data Records (CDRs) and the assessment of
seasonal-to-interdecadal variability (such as ocean color and SST for El
Niño, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, atmospheric temperature, water vapor
and cloud, etc).

In summary, the examples given above clearly demonstrate NOAA's
extensive need for NPOESS products in addition to direct radiance
assimilation used for numerical weather prediction. Furthermore, with
NPOESS latency of 28 minutes or less (observation time to product
distribution) the utilization of NPOESS products for real-time
assessments will increase.

NDE is also a project that cuts across the mission goals, playing an
important part in NOAA's continuing effort to improve its **Core
Capabilities**. NDE will serve as a demonstration project, developing
new methods and procedures while implementing technologies intended for
use by systems across the NOAA enterprise. NDE will be the forerunner
for NESDIS projects that must achieve these mandated objectives:

-   Integrating Global Environmental Observations and Data Management

-   Ensuring Sound, State-of-the-Art Research

-   Developing, Valuing, and Sustaining a World-Class Workforce

## 2.2 NDE as a Transition Project {#nde-as-a-transition-project .unnumbered}

In 2005, NOAA issued policies and procedures to address the challenges
of managing the transition of research products into operational
environments.[^2] NDE has been identified as a "Transition" project
because its resources are dedicated to both sides of the problem. The
project provides funding and management oversight for research projects
that are discovering operational applications for NPP and NPOESS
observations. The project also funds and manages the acquisition of the
developmental, testing and operational information systems in which the
data management and the dissemination of the observations to operational
centers will be accomplished.

The policies provide the NOAA Executive Council (NEC) with "a mechanism
for systematically reviewing all research annually in order to identify
research to be transferred, establish a structure for managing research
deemed ready for transfer, and delineat*(ing)* the roles and
responsibilities necessary for those at NOAA to accomplish such
transfers." Accordingly NDE has established the NDE Transition Team
whose members represent the NOAA research and operational communities
that are associated with NPP and NPOESS. The team's initial task is the
formulation of the "NDE Transition Plan" using a template and guidance
provided by the NOAA Transition Board (NTB). A draft of that document
will be submitted for review by the end of September, 2006.

Future releases of this document ("NDE Project Plan") will reflect the
content of the Transition Plan and will provide a link to it in Section
8.1.3 as one of several processes used by NDE for planning.

## 2.3 Project Context {#project-context .unnumbered}

Figure 1, a Project Context diagram, depicts the major interfaces
between NDE and other entities.

![](media/image2.png){width="6.3597222222222225in"
height="4.147222222222222in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346306 .anchor}Figure 1: Project Context

### 2.3.1 The Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS)  {#the-interface-data-processing-segment-idps .unnumbered}

IDPS is an automated system that provides NDE with Data Records from the
NPOESS satellites IDPS will provide four types of Data Record (xDRs).
These record types are categorized as follows.

**Raw Data Record (RDR)** -- An RDR is the IDPS first phase product. It
is a full resolution digital sensor data file, time referenced, with
radiometric and geometric calibration coefficients appended, but not
applied, to the data. Aggregates (sums or weighted averages) of detector
samples are considered to be full resolution data if the aggregation is
normally performed to meet resolution and other requirements. \[Sensor
data will be unprocessed with the following exceptions: time delay and
integration, detector array non-uniformity correction (i.e., offset and
responsivity equalization), and data compression.\]

**Temperature Data Record (TDR)** -- A TDR is an intermediate IDPS
product created from the application of algorithms to microwave sensor
RDRs. It consists of geolocated, antenna temperatures with all relevant
calibration data counts and ephemeris data. TDRs also provide an audit
trail from the raw data (RDR) to the TDR.

**Sensor Data Record (SDR)** -- A SDR is an intermediate IDPS product
resulting from the application of an algorithm to non-microwave sensor
RDRs. It consists of geolocated and calibrated brightness
temperatures/radiances with associated ephemeris data. SDRs provide an
audit trail from the raw data (RDR) to the SDR.

**Environmental Data Record (EDR)** - An EDR is the end product of
complete IDPS processing. It is a collection of data that represents one
or more related environmental variables, generally referenced to the
source location. Environmental variables are reported in physically
significant units at the source, and geometrically referenced with
respect to the Earth or another appropriate coordinate reference system.

Each EDR will include metadata, data that describes and provides context
for the subject data.

**Intermediate Product (IP)** - An IP is produced by the IDPS during the
process of generating an EDR. Although not specified in the IORD, a
selected group of IPs will be made available as end products on the
IDPS.

The IDP system is managed by a contractor with government supervision
provided by the IPO.

### 2.3.2 Customers  {#customers .unnumbered}

The NDE project is organized to provide environmental products derived
from NPOESS instruments to two categories of customers: civilian users
and government organizations.

Civilian users are a broad group, encompassing educational institutions,
research organizations, industry, and the general public. This category
includes foreign governments with whom NOAA has satellite data sharing
agreements.

Government agencies include the following:

-   National Weather Service (NWS)

-   National Ocean Service (NOS),

-   Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR),

-   National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

-   NOAA United States Mission Control Center (USMCC)

-   Department of Agriculture (NESDIS)

-   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

-   Department of State

-   National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA)

Foreign government customers include:

-   United Kingdom Meteorology Office (UKMetO)

-   European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF)

-   MeteoFrance

-   Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)

-   German Meteorological Service

-   Australian Board of Meteorology

NOAA customers will be the recipients of data from NPOESS in negotiated
data formats. They will, in some cases, receive products that have been
tailored by NDE. These tailored products provide alternative views of
the data record to facilitate assimilation by the customers' systems.

NDE will receive Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT)
distress signals from the NPOESS satellites. The signals will be routed
to NOAA's U.S. Mission Control Center (USMCC) in Suitland, Maryland
without any tailoring.

Outside of NOAA, the primary customers of NPOESS products will be in the
Department of Agriculture (DoA), the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), and the Department of State.

NDE will process and respond to various kinds of service requests from
Customers. The goal is a smooth and seamless transition into the NPOESS
era.

### 2.3.3 Integrated Program Office (IPO)  {#integrated-program-office-ipo .unnumbered}

This is an umbrella management organization with responsibility for
providing, launching, and controlling the NPOESS satellites as well as
the ground systems necessary for capturing, processing, and delivering
the data to NDE.

In the context of NDE, the IPO oversees a change control function. It
will receive NDE Service Requests and xDR enhancement requirements and
will need to respond to NDE Service Requests.

### 2.4.4 Mission Management Center (MMC)  {#mission-management-center-mmc .unnumbered}

The MMC is managed by a contractor with IPO supervision. It is
responsible for the command and control of the NPOESS satellites. Its
primary system, the Enterprise Management System, will provide NDE with
information about changes to the spacecraft that might influence the
values of the data (e.g., calibration and validation).

### 2.4.5 Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS)  {#comprehensive-large-array-data-stewardship-system-class .unnumbered}

Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS) acquires and
develops a long-term archive (LTA) of all NOAA environmental products
from its satellites, polar or geostationary, and from *in situ* sources.
In the context of NDE, its mission is to archive NOAA-unique products
that NDE has created by augmenting NPOESS products. All of NDE's system
components (source code, documentation, etc.) used in product generation
will also be archived to support future reprocessing and research.

CLASS will have a separate interface to the IDPS at the NOAA Central for
archiving xDRs and associated data. The interface shown in the diagram
is solely for NDE's NOAA-unique products.

### 2.3.6 Product Developers  {#product-developers .unnumbered}

NDE will provide the community of scientists who conduct research into
applications of satellite sensor observations with operational
information and associated technology standards. These standards apply
to the algorithm programming languages that can execute in NDE, to the
reusable objects that NDE makes available to accomplish common tasks, to
the documentation required for configuration management and continuous
improvement of the code, and to testing requirements. By providing these
standards, NDE reduces the effort and risk associated with converting
research code to reliable end user applications.

### 2.3.7 Management  {#management .unnumbered}

NOAA managers make decisions informed by facts associated with
operational product generation and dissemination. The NDE systems will
have the ability to capture performance and quality metrics by
instrument, by satellite, by orbit, by location, by time, by product,
and by customer. NDE will store these data and provide regular reports.
The system will also provide managers with an *ad hoc* report request
capability allowing them to choose the parameters to be included in
statistical analyses.

# 3 PROJECT ORGANIZATIONAL VIEWS {#project-organizational-views .unnumbered}

## 3.1 NOAA Operating Branches  {#noaa-operating-branches .unnumbered}

The primary NOAA government customers for satellite data products, the
Operating Branches of NOAA, are shown in the lowest tier of the NOAA
organization chart in Figure
2.![](media/image3.png){width="6.451388888888889in"
height="6.081944444444445in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346307 .anchor}Figure 2: NOAA Organization
Chart

## 3.2 NESDIS  {#nesdis .unnumbered}

As shown in Figure 3, three Offices within NESDIS will carry out the
majority of NDE project tasks: the Office of Satellite Data Processing
and Distribution (OSDPD), the Center for Satellite Applications and
Research (STAR), and The Office of Systems Development (OSD).[]{#_OSDPD
.anchor}

![](media/image4.png){width="6.3597222222222225in"
height="5.729861111111111in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346308 .anchor}Figure 3: NESDIS Organization
Chart

#### **3.2.1 OSDPD**  {#osdpd .unnumbered}

The Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution (OSDPD)
acquires and manages the resources that will comprise the NOAA NPOESS
operational data processing and dissemination infrastructure. The
framework for these efforts is the Environmental Satellite-data
Processing Center (ESPC). OSDPD manages and controls ESPC, relying on a
System Development Team that collaborates with the NDE System Architect
as well as OSDPD Management to assist with important design and
development activities.

ESPC's responsibilities include:

-   Management of the NDE product generation, distribution, system test,
    and development infrastructures

    -   Procure, install, and integrate all necessary NDE infrastructure
        elements in a timely fashion

    -   Manage scheduled upgrades of infrastructure elements

    -   Operate NDE product generation applications within agreed
        performance parameters (e.g., Customer Service Agreements
        \[CSAs\])

    -   Perform unscheduled maintenance of any system element if such
        changes are determined to be necessary in order for the system
        to function according to previously agreed requirements

    -   Provide Customer Service including:

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-   Help Desk

-   Service Request Management

-   Customer liaison with product specialists

-   Directing customers to NDE training

    -   Provide Order Management services including:

-   Providing the means for Customers to select products

-   Providing the means for Customers to select tailoring options

-   Ensuring the timely dissemination of ordered products

-   Tracking Orders

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-   Operation of the System Test Environment

    -   Implement a stand-alone System Test Environment

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-   Replicate all significant characteristics of the Operational
    Environment

-   Provide a temporary backup environment in which products can be
    generated and distributed to customers in the event of operational
    environment failure

-   Evaluate candidate system elements for operational fitness,
    performing appropriate

    -   Parallel tests

    -   Stress Tests

    -   Regression Tests

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    -   Certify candidate system elements for operational fitness

#### **3.2.2 STAR** {#star .unnumbered}

NESDIS' Center of Satellite Applications & Research (STAR) conducts
research on the use of satellite data for monitoring meteorological,
climatological and oceanographic environmental characteristics.
Scientists working for STAR develop algorithms, develop software
designs, write software specifications, guide product quality assurance,
and advise the IPO regarding their long experience with polar satellite
products. They are organized as 3 Divisions:

-   Satellite Meteorology and Climatology Division, conducts research on
    the use of satellite data for monitoring meteorological,
    climatological and environmental characteristics.

-   Satellite Oceanography Division of NESDIS/STAR provides the primary
    research and development support for oceanic remote sensing within
    NOAA.

-   Cooperative Research Programs, through which university and other
    external scientists can collaborate with the STAR scientists.

#### **3.2.3 OSD** {#osd .unnumbered}

Overall responsibility for managing the NDE Project rests with the
Office of Systems Development (OSD). OSD oversees procurement and
acquisition tasks, develops the plans, schedules and budgets that shape
the project, monitors and controls project progress, coordinates the
activities of the other participating agencies, and represents the
project to external organizations.

Figure 4 illustrates the fundamental responsibilities of the NESDIS
Offices to the NDE project, three overlapping domains: Science, Data
Processing, and Management.

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="6.156944444444444in"
height="3.629861111111111in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346309 .anchor}Figure 4: NESDIS Office Roles

# 4 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES {#roles-and-responsibilities .unnumbered}

Figure 5 depicts the organization of the NDE Project. The roles and
responsibilities of each manager and team are described below.

![](media/image6.png){width="6.409722222222222in"
height="4.8069444444444445in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346310 .anchor}Figure 5: NDE Organization Chart

## 4.1 NDE Project Manager {#nde-project-manager .unnumbered}

The NDE Project Manager's responsibilities include:

-   Financial Management:

    -   Submission of NDE budget requests to NESDIS, NOAA, DOC, and OMB

    -   Accounting of NDE financial resources

    -   Disbursement of NDE funds to contractors, STAR, OSDPD, and other
        NOAA organizations supporting the project

-   Project Control

    -   Selection of Product Development projects

    -   Coordination of Milestone Review and Approval procedures

    -   Supervision of Team Leaders (other than PD Teams)

    -   Monitoring Work Schedules and Team performance

    -   Coordination of cross-Team activities

-   NOAA Program Support

    -   Participate in the definition of ESPC requirements

    -   Participate in the selection of ESPC contractors

    -   Provide status reports to OSD's Polar Program Manager

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-   Status on organizational activities (e.g., procurements) / Schedules

-   Budget inputs/spend plans

    -   Provide liaison to the Integrated Program Office (IPO)

-   Provides participants to key NPOESS activities, such as Program and
    Document Reviews, Key Meetings, Customer Forum

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-   NOAA community outreach

    -   Provide briefings on NPOESS activities/progress

    -   Solicit participation in NDE developments

-   Prepare and conduct regular NDE meetings

    -   Status of the NDE Project

    -   Reports of Management Activities

    -   Reports from Matrixed Teams

## 4.2 NDE System Architect {#nde-system-architect .unnumbered}

The NDE System Architect reports directly to the NDE Project Manager.
The associated responsibilities include the following:

-   Cooperates with OSDPD and STAR on the development of contract
    packages to implement NDE system architecture and ensures the
    contract packages are properly processed.

-   Participates in routine contractor updates on NDE program efforts.

-   Advises ESPC's NDE [System Development
    Team](#espcs-system-development-team)

    -   Communicates NDE's system design expectations to the team (i.e.,
        standards, best practices, technology directions, etc.)

    -   Approves project plans

    -   Reviews and approves deliverables identified on the plans

    -   Monitors project status

    -   Participates, with ESPC management, in determining corrective
        actions to be taken in the event of project problems (i.e.,
        schedule slippages, budget overruns, substandard deliverables,
        etc.)

    -   Participates, with ESPC management, in follow-on activities to
        assess the effectiveness of corrective actions

-   Advises the ESPC's NDE System Development Team regarding Software
    Engineering methods:

    -   Repeatable framework for project planning and control

    -   Guidance on best practices and standards

    -   Guidance for customer involvement and other roles and
        responsibilities

-   Advises the ESPC's NDE System Development Team regarding Software
    Engineering tools, in order to:

    -   Promote use of graphics in models

    -   Provide environment for requirements validation and tracking

    -   Provide repository of reusable objects

-   Advises the ESPC's NDE System Development Team regarding software
    development technologies, in order to:

    -   Reduce risks associated with technology upgrades

    -   Increase the population of skilled practitioners

    -   Promote private sector advancements

-   Communicates NDE's infrastructure requirements to ESPC to ensure
    timely installation of tools and equipment.

    -   Performance

    -   Capacity

    -   Dates needed

-   Coordinates NDE's integration of NESDIS-wide data processing
    capabilities

    -   Monitor the activities of NESDIS data processing development
        efforts (e.g., Collaborative Environment Teams) by:

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-   Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS)

-   STAR system upgrade teams

-   System upgrade activities taking place at the NESDIS Data Centers:

    -   National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)

    -   National Ocean Data Center (NODC)

    -   National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)

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    -   Identify opportunities for NDE to adopt the practices and
        capabilities being developed by the other teams

    -   Communicate NDE plans to the other teams

-   Agree upon system standards

-   Present standards to NESDIS' Information Technology Architecture
    Team (ITAT) for approval

    -   Ensure compatibility between algorithm development environments,
        the System Test environment, and the ESPC operational
        environments (i.e., accelerate Research to Operations)

    -   Participate in Team-level quality control reviews as appropriate

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-   System Quality Control

    -   Participates in NDE Standards Committee activities

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-   Agree upon system standards

-   Present standards to NESDIS' Information Technology Architecture
    Team (ITAT) for approval

    -   Ensures compatibility between algorithm development
        environments, the System Test environment, and the ESPC
        operational environments (i.e., accelerate Research to
        Operations)

    -   Participates in Team-level quality control reviews as
        appropriate

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-   Develop/revise the NDE documents for Milestone reviews (SRR, PDR,
    CDR, etc.)

    -   Integrated Project Plan

    -   Architecture

    -   Requirements

    -   Concept of Operations

-   Tracks the evolution of system features from requirements through
    operations

-   Advises the NDE Project Manager on the risks and costs associated
    with new requirements

## 4.3 ESPC's System Development Team  {#espcs-system-development-team .unnumbered}

This team consists of contractors who have been engaged to design and
develop the NESDIS Environmental Satellite-data Processing Center
(ESPC). The NDE Project has provided ESPC with its requirements in the
following categories:

-   Software Engineering

-   Product Generation

-   Systems Management

-   Infrastructure

-   Data Retention and Archive

-   Customer Service

-   External Interface

-   Communications and Distribution

Within ESPC, this team will be established to design and develop a data
processing system to meet the stated NDE requirements. The team will
function according to the terms of OSDPD's ESPC contract. The NDE System
Architect ([4.2 above](#nde-system-architect)) will provide guidance and
supervision of the NDE System Development Team to ensure the timely
delivery of system capabilities consistent with the stated requirements.
Accordingly, this team will:

-   Specify "enterprise" data processing resources to be shared by NDE's
    product applications. Such resources include:

    -   Database management systems (DBMS)

    -   Work management and scheduling systems

    -   Libraries

    -   Object repositories

    -   Object repository content

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-   Shared data objects (i.e., lookup tables, ancillary data)

-   Shared procedural objects (i.e., utilities, called-modules,
    subroutines, etc.)

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-   Specify an architecture for NDE's product generation applications,
    focusing on

    -   Opportunities for reuse, and the sharing of capabilities among
        diverse NOAA observing systems

    -   Performance measures (i.e., test criteria) for executables

    -   Information hiding (i.e., invocation of algorithms, functions,
        reference tables, etc. as modules)

-   Participate, with ESPC Management, in the selection of NDE data
    processing system components specified in the architecture (above)

-   Define NDE System Test Certification Standards

    -   Regression Test Acceptance Criteria

    -   Regression Test Acceptance Specifications

    -   Stress Test Acceptance Criteria

    -   Stress Test Specifications

    -   NDE Test Bed Configuration

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-   Test Data

-   Enterprise (Shared) Objects: Shared Procedures, Shared Tables,
    Utilities, etc.

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-   Provide assistance, on request, to Product Development Teams

    -   Information on Operational Standards

    -   Information on System Test and escalation procedures

    -   Review of source code

## 4.4 Product Development Manager  {#product-development-manager .unnumbered}

The NDE Product Development Manager will:

-   Identify NDE product development projects to exploit NPOESS data in
    support of NOAA's strategic missions

    -   Collect information about product requirements from NOAA
        customers who represent the Programs of the NOAA Mission Goal
        Teams

    -   Develop integrated views of NDE Products in the context of
        NOAA's Observing Systems Architecture (NOSA)

    -   Obtain agreement from NDE stakeholders on product development
        priorities and prioritization methods

    -   Identify and communicate to stakeholders the constraints that
        bear on prioritization decisions, such as budget, schedule,
        dependent projects, technology, and scientific capabilities.

    -   Select development efforts that satisfy agreed prioritization
        criteria

    -   Obtain management approval of the selected projects

-   Provide guidance and direction to Product Development Teams

    -   Obtain funding to finance NDE product development through NDE
        Project budget

    -   Provide guidance to candidate product developers regarding
        criteria to be applied in selecting recipients of NDE Product
        Development funding

    -   Evaluate the proposals of candidate product developers according
        to the announced selection criteria

    -   Select the product developers

    -   Provide funding to NDE product development teams

    -   Monitor the status of NDE product development projects

    -   Ensure product development teams produce the deliverables, both
        documentary and executable, required by OSDPD

    -   Provide guidance and correction, as appropriate, to product
        developers

    -   Ensure product development plans are appropriate documented.

-   Review and approve all contract packages related to product
    development

-   Track and report to NDE Project Manger product development budget
    execution

## 4.5 Product Development Teams  {#product-development-teams .unnumbered}

A Product Development Team's objective will be the specification and
development of algorithms that will operate within the ESPC to provide
an operational product. The Product Development Teams conduct research
on the use of satellite data for monitoring meteorological,
climatological and oceanographic environmental characteristics. Each
Team will conduct applied research on the use of NPOESS satellite data
for the analysis of significant meteorological and surface-based
phenomena. Tasks within the scope of each Product Development Team's
responsibility include:

-   Development of algorithms for NOAA-unique products and for product
    tailoring:

    -   Collection and documentation of user requirements

    -   Specification of algorithm designs

    -   Development of algorithm test plans

    -   Development of algorithm code

    -   Unit and string testing of algorithms

    -   Submit executables for System Testing by OSDPD

    -   Evaluate data quality during System Testing

    -   Correct errors detected during System Testing

-   Configuration Management

    -   Participate (with OSD and OSDPD) in NDE Standards Committee
        activities

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-   Agree upon system standards

-   Present standards to NESDIS' Information Technology Architecture
    Team (ITAT) for approval

-   Agree on metadata implementation of NDE products

    -   Develop and manage documentation consistent with NESDIS
        standards

    -   Develop executable system components (i.e., algorithms,
        functions, reference tables, etc.) using NESDIS standard
        technologies (i.e., Computer languages, DBMS/Object
        repositories, procedure libraries, documentation libraries,
        etc.)

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-   Develop Data Quality evaluation and reporting methods for use during
    normal operations[^3] based upon

    -   Gross error checks for data that fall outside of physically
        realistic ranges (e.g. a minimum, maximum, or maximum change)

    -   Comparisons made with other independent sources of the same
        measurement

    -   Examination of individual time series and statistical summaries

    -   Application of sensor drift coefficients determined by a
        comparison of pre- and post-deployment calibrations

    -   Visual inspection of the data

    -   Timely notification of output quality problems to OSDPD System
        Management (**NOTE:** The Office of Research and Applications
        (STAR) (Section 2.3.2) plays an important role in the Quality
        Control of input from NPOESS. However, because these instrument
        calibration and product validation activities are funded and
        managed by the IPO within the NPOESS Program, they are outside
        the scope of this document.)

## 4.6 Systems Integration Coordinator  {#systems-integration-coordinator .unnumbered}

Teams will be established and deployed to Operating Branches [(Section
3.1)](#_3.7_Implementation_Teams) to support effective implementation of
NPP and NPOESS products by NOAA's end users. The NDE Systems Integration
Coordinator is responsible for the establishment and performance of
these teams. The associated roles include:

-   Coordination with the Program Managers of the NOAA Goal Teams to:

    -   Identify the NOAA organizations that will participate in NPOESS
        data exploitation

    -   Identify staff within the target organizations to serve as
        points of contact with NDE

    -   Ensure that resources from target organizations are allocated
        appropriately to perform NPOESS data exploitation activities

-   Establish Integration Teams:

    -   Ensure that NOAA Operating Branch personnel assigned to the NDE
        project have well defined and appropriate roles

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    -   Develop performance-based contractual relationships with
        qualified professional services firms to provide personnel to
        perform NDE-related tasks in end user organizations

-   Provide guidance and direction to Integration Team leaders:

    -   Ensure that the Integration Teams are fully informed of relevant
        NDE policies and procedures

    -   Ensure that the Integration Teams are performing tasks
        consistent with the objectives of the NDE Project

    -   Monitor and evaluate the performance of Integration Team members

-   Provide guidance and oversee the relationships between NOAA and the
    professional services firm(s) by whom the contracted personnel are
    employed

    -   Ensure that the assignments provided to the contractors are
        consistent with the objectives of the NDE Project

    -   Monitor the performance of contract personnel assigned to NDE

    -   Inform contractor management of NOAA's level of satisfaction
        with contractor performance during status meetings held at least
        once a month.

    -   Ensure that contractor management takes timely and appropriate
        action to remedy problems brought to their attention

## 4.7 Product Integration Teams  {#product-integration-teams .unnumbered}

[]{#_3.7_Implementation_Teams .anchor}The scope of NDE includes support
to NOAA's end user organizations to ensure effective integration of the
products on their systems. NDE will fund NOAA NPOESS Integration Teams
that will coordinate transition activities across all organizations.
Budget responsibilities for upgrades will have been agreed during the
conclusion of each Customer Coordination Phase ([Section
5.2](#_5.2_Customer_Coordination)).

-   Integration Teams will analyze target systems

    -   provide information to users about the products that will be
        made available

    -   determine product training requirements

    -   determine user interface requirements for product orders and
        delivery

    -   advise users regarding any technology upgrades that might be
        required in order for their systems to assimilate the products

    -   assist users to develop submissions to NDE requesting PD support

-   Integration Teams will design system upgrades :

    -   Specify the manner of product delivery for each product and user
        organization (i.e., networks, subscription, GUI)

    -   Specify training materials to be developed

    -   Develop the Training Plan(s)

    -   Develop the Transition Plan(s)

    -   Specify System Test Plans for Product Order/Delivery

-   Integration Teams will assist with upgrades of target systems:

    -   Oversee development of product training materials and product
        training plans

    -   Develop customer product ordering/change/tracking capabilities

    -   Conduct Unit and String Tests of product
        ordering/change/tracking capabilities

-   Integration Teams will participate in transition activities:

    -   Work with Customers to refine their Transition Plans, including:
        product training plans and product ingest test plans

    -   Submit product ordering/change/tracking elements and
        documentation to System Test for Certification

    -   Rework any errors in product ordering/change/tracking elements
        detected during System Testing. Rework any errors

-   Integration Teams will provide Customer Service

    -   Be on call to the Customer Services personnel to assist with the
        resolution of product dissemination and product training
        problems

# 5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION  {#project-description .unnumbered}

## **5.1 Project Approach**  {#project-approach .unnumbered}

NDE will use a development approach characterized by two, interdependent
activity streams: IT development and data product development. The data
product Development Cycles will coincide with the NPP and NPOESS launch
schedules. The IT Development Cycles will be timed to so that
integration of the product generation algorithms can be accomplished to
provide products to Customers for evaluation as soon as possible
following a launch. Each cycle will end by providing Customers with a
set of NDE products, or a Product Release.

For System Development, NDE will use a life cycle model characterized by
iterative and incremental development. Each Development Cycle will end
by providing a System Release.

The Cycles will be organized into five overlapping phases: Customer
Coordination, Design, Development, Test, and Transition. Each phase is
to produce a pre-defined set of deliverables (e.g., work products) as
described in Section 5.2 to 5.6 below. There will be a checkpoint at the
end of each phase where deliverables will be reviewed and approved. The
checkpoint will mark the transition from one phase to the next. The
phase structure of a Development Cycle is illustrated in Figure 6.

New product generation algorithms are developed outside NDE. The
algorithms are integrated with NDE to support system testing using IDPS
data.

![](media/image7.png){width="5.169444444444444in"
height="2.714583333333333in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346311 .anchor}Figure 6: Project Phases

After the capabilities that constitute an NDE System Release are
successfully tested, a Transition Phase begins. During Transition, the
NDE IT capabilities are ready for turnover to NESDIS operations.

Product development takes place in parallel with NDE, but independently.
NDE will synchronize System Development Phases (above) with the decision
procedures of the Satellite Products and Services Review Board (SPSRB)
(Figure 13). Customers will determine whether a Product Release is ready
for Transition to an Operating Branch.

An NDE Development Cycle may begin with a Design Phase so long as the
requirements driving the design have been approved at the conclusion of
a previous Customer Coordination Phase. Projects may be established
after a Design Phase, beginning with a Development Phase, in order to
deliver significant increments or upgrades to the system. This can be
accomplished so long as the specifications and test plans have been
approved at the conclusion of a Design Phase.

Multiple projects using the same life cycle model can be carried out in
parallel, albeit with different start and end dates.

## **5.2 Customer Coordination Phase**  {#customer-coordination-phase .unnumbered}

**Required IT Deliverables:**

-   System (data processing) requirements,

-   Infrastructure upgrade requirements,

-   Project Plan for System Development

**Required IT Reviews:** A structured phase completion review is
required (e.g., System Requirements Review for system development \[SRR,

Customers can submit change requests and new requirements to NDE. They
will be accepted at any time, and NDE will actively solicit these
requests during Customer Coordination. A Configuration Control Board,
chaired by the NOAA NDE Project Manager, will review the change
requests, determine new requirements, discuss them with customers, plan
for their implementation, and determine whether to schedule the change
for a future Project or for a Build within the current Project.

During a Customer Coordination Phase the Customers, through
participation in the Satellite Product and Services Review Board
(SPSRB), will determine their product priorities, NOAA-unique product
requirements, including long-term archive, and which tailoring options
they would prefer. The NDE Project developers in ESPC are not
responsible for the development of these products. However, because they
are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the products can be
generated and distributed using NDE capabilities, they work closely with
the algorithm developers to develop test and integration plans and to
cooperate in the implementation of the algorithms in NDE.

With the assistance of the NDE Systems Integration Coordinator (Section
4.6) Customers will assess their infrastructures to determine whether
upgrades will be necessary to assimilate NPOESS products. Customers will
decide on a preferred delivery method and determine whether changes to
their telecommunications will be necessary. NDE and its customers will
develop joint plans to support the implementation of new products. This
includes training on NOAA-unique products, tailoring options, and help
for use of products and NDE-supplied software tools. Budget
responsibilities for these upgrades will be agreed during the conclusion
of each Customer Coordination Phase.

NDE will work within established Satellite Products and Services Review
Board (SPSRB) and Archive Requirements Working Group (ARWG) processes,
as appropriate, to coordinate the development of new products,
enhancement to existing products, and provide for long-term archive
services of suitable NDE Unique Products.

## 5.3 Design Phase  {#design-phase .unnumbered}

A Design Phase will be initiated once the NDE Project Manager is
reasonably confident of the completeness of requirements captured during
the Customer Coordination Phase. The decision to initiate any phase is a
project management prerogative exercised in consideration of many
factors. In the case of a Design Phase, the criteria will include:

-   Whether the scope of required changes have been defined

-   Whether the requirements are supported by a business case (i.e.,
    benefits, goals, risks, etc.)

-   Whether the requirements are defined at an appropriate level of
    detail to support tracking through the project life cycle

-   Whether resources are available to deliver the change

During a Design Phase, scientists will develop processing specifications
and/or algorithm prototypes. System developers will design the overall
system, the software, and other operational elements that will be
necessary to execute the algorithms in an operational environment. The
overlap of the Customer Coordination Phase and the Design Phase (Figure
6) supports the concept of design approval by NESDIS' stakeholder
organizations: OSDPD, STAR, and OSD.

> **Required IT Deliverables**:

-   System Specifications, including

    -   Algorithm specifications[^4]

    -   Unit, User Acceptance, and String Test criteria

    -   Data processing specifications with Unit, User Acceptance, and
        String Test criteria

    -   Internal Interface Specifications (between NDE subsystems)

    -   External Interface Specifications (between NDE and external
        systems)

    -   Product tailoring specifications with Unit, User Acceptance, and
        String Test criteria

-   Architecture

    -   Assessment of architectural requirements and associated changes

    -   Infrastructure component specifications

-   Purchase Orders for Infrastructure components (System Test
    Environment and Operational Environment)

-   Training Requirements

-   Implementation/Transition Requirements

-   Preliminary Test Plans

-   Updated Integrated Project Plan for the Development Cycle

> **Optional IT Deliverables:**

-   Data processing system prototypes,

-   Product tailoring prototypes

**Reviews:** During the course of the Phase, frequent detail design
reviews and technical walkthroughs are recommended.

A Critical Design Review (CDR) is required for phase completion. A CDR
is an opportunity for the Government to closely observe the System
Development Team's hardware and software design. The System Development
Team is expected to describe all design changes since the conclusion of
the previous (Customer Coordination) Phase. The team may also provide a
hardware or hands-on demonstration of some of the preliminary designs to
better illustrate important aspects.

## 5.4 Development Phase  {#development-phase .unnumbered}

A Development Phase will begin after the following conditions are
satisfied:

-   Review and approval of Design Phase deliverables

-   IDPS provides xDRs to NDE to support validation of operational
    products

> **Required IT Deliverables**:

-   Data processing components that have successfully completed Unit and
    String Testing

-   Revised specifications (Algorithm and Data Processing)

-   System Test Plans

-   Integration and Unit Test Reports

-   Preliminary Test Cases and Test Procedures

-   Installed and Tested System Test Environment Equipment

-   Installed and Tested Operational Environment Equipment

-   Implementation/Transition Plans

-   Updated Integrated Project Plan for the Development Cycle

> **Optional IT Deliverables:**

-   Test tools and drivers

-   Training Materials

-   Training Test Plans

> **Product Deliverables** (with the cooperation of the external
> algorithm developers):

-   Algorithms that have successfully completed Unit and Integration
    Testing

-   Product tailoring components that have successfully completed Unit
    and Integration Testing

**IT Reviews:** For the NDE System, successful completion of Unit and
Integration Testing will precede a formal Test Readiness Review of the
required deliverables (above). This Review affords Users and NESDIS'
operations management the opportunity to anticipate their resource
commitments for System Testing and their infrastructure readiness for
Transition to operations. This review has particular significance for
configuration management because all system components and documents
should be placed under the strictest controls at the completion of the
Development Phase.

There is an overlap shown between the Design Phase and the actual
Development of elements in Figure 6 because the Unit and Integration
Testing that takes place during a Development Phase may identify a need
to redesign or rework some system elements.

## 5.5 Test Phase  {#test-phase .unnumbered}

During this Phase, a variety of system tests are executed to verify that
the NDE system correctly performs all required product generation and
dissemination functions as well as other essential functions, including
start-up and shut-down procedures, interfaces between software and
hardware components, back-up and recovery procedures, security measures,
and interfaces to external systems. Other tests demonstrate that NDE can
ingest and process the required volumes of satellite data from ESPC and
the IDPS and can perform within specified parameters of speed and
memory. The behavior of NDE under extreme and worst-case conditions will
be determined. User and operations procedures along with the software
and hardware used by these personnel are tested.

Acceptance testing is performed by and for the Government. The
Acceptance Test is a formal demonstration that the system meets the
Government's requirements. System testing covers a wider scope, in that
all internal design details, such as communication links, must be
rigorously exercised as well.

A Test Phase may be successfully completed if only IT capabilities are
delivered. Projects of this type are those established strictly for the
purposes of adding IT capabilities to the NDE environment.

There is an overlap between the Testing and Development Phases because
errors detected in system testing may require reconstruction and
redesign. The overlap (Figure 6) is also meant to indicate that one set
of Configuration Management (CM) standards for system components are
applied during both the Development and the Test Phases.

> **Required IT Deliverables**:

-   Revised specifications (all elements)

-   Installed and Tested Operational Equipment

-   System Test Logs, Test Reports

    -   Infrastructure Threads

    -   Performance

-   Trained Users

-   Trained Operations Staff

> **Product Deliverables** (with the cooperation of the external
> algorithm developers)**:**

-   Operational Products

-   Science Algorithm Test Logs, Test Reports

**Reviews:**

## 5.6 Transition Phase  {#transition-phase .unnumbered}

NDE works with end-user organizations to coordinate preparations to
integrate the NPOESS products into their operations. The preparations
are based on the requirements collected during the Customer Coordination
phases and the preparatory activities of the Test phases, during which
trial versions of the products were used to prototype enhanced end user
operations.

NDE transfers operations and maintenance (O&M) responsibility for
product generation and distribution to OSDPD at the Transition Phase.
OSDPD will operate and perform essential maintenance to the systems
within the context of its Environmental Satellite-data Processing Center
(ESPC). ESPC will continue a close relationship to NDE by making system
performance metrics and customer service metrics available during
subsequent Customer Coordination phases to assist with project planning.

**Reviews:** Operational Readiness Review (ORR)

# **6. PROJECT SCHEDULE**  {#project-schedule .unnumbered}

## 6.1 NPP and NPOESS Launch Schedule {#npp-and-npoess-launch-schedule .unnumbered}

The NPOESS satellite launch schedule provides the NDE project with its
fundamental planning structure. Each launch will be followed by a
qualification period of on-orbit testing that might last as long as six
months. Once certified as operational, each satellite is expected to
continue service for about 5 ½ years. There are no plans to extend the
NDE Project after September 30^th^, 2016.

The first satellite in the program will be unique in that it will not be
certified as operational. The purpose of the first satellite is to
mitigate the risks presented by all of the new technologies that will be
implemented for NPOESS, not to provide operational products. In 2009,
the risk-reduction NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite will be
launched. NDE will use products from the NPP satellite to develop
product prototypes, a distribution network, and the core of its product
packaging systems.

> ![](media/image8.png){width="3.8694444444444445in"
> height="2.504861111111111in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346312 .anchor}Figure 7: Satellite Launch
Schedule

## 6.2 Payload Considerations {#payload-considerations .unnumbered}

The NPOESS space segment consists of a new suite of instruments. As a
result of the Nunn-McCurdy analysis, to reduce costs, some of the NPOESS
instruments will be built with fewer capabilities than had been
originally planned. Other sensors fall into a Government Furnished
Equipment (GFE) category (i.e., if a user wants the sensor to fly, they
have to provide funding for the sensor). In the list below, such a
reduced capability is described in *\[brackets\].*

-   Visible-Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)

-   Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS)

-   Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS)

-   Microwave Imager Sounder *\[Deployment will be on C2 and C3\]*

-   Ozone Mapping and Profiling Suite (OMPS) *\[Limb profiler is
    considered a GFE capability and is only currently scheduled to fly
    on NPP\]. NPP, C1 and C3 will have only the nadir profiler
    capability*

-   Space Environment Monitor (SEM) *\[Reduction in the number of
    sensors. Reintroduction of the dropped sensors is being analyzed for
    later satellites.\]*

-   Advanced Data Collection System (ADCS)

-   Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT)

-   CERES (C1 only)

Government Furnished Equipment sensors that are waiting user funding
include:

-   OMPS Limb Profiler

-   Earth Radiation Budget Sensor (ERBS)

-   Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor (APS)

-   Altimeter (Alt)

-   Survivability Sensor (SS)

-   SESS

The actual sensor complement for a particular orbit will be selected to
provide optimum satisfaction of the system requirements. Current plans,
which are subject to change, call for the following deployments.

  ---------------------- ---------- ------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
  **SATELLITE**          **NPP**            **C1**     **C2**     **C3**     **C4**

  **LAUNCH**             **Oct**            ** **      ** **      ** **      ** **

                         **2009**           **2013**   **2016**   **2019**   **tbd**

  **NODAL TIME**         **1330**           **1330**   **530**    **1330**   **530**

                                                                             

  \* VIIRS               **X**              **X**      **X**      X          X

  \* M/W Imager/Sounder                                **X**      X          X

  \* CrIS                **X**              **X**                 X           

  \* ATMS                **X**              **X**                 X           

  OMPS Nadir             **X**              **X**      ** **      X           

  OMPS Limb              **X**                                               

  SEM                                       **X**      ** **      X           

  SARSAT                                    **X**      **X**      X          X

  ADCS                                      **X**      ** **      X           

  CERES                  ** **              **X**      ** **                  

  **TBD (Satellite to be                                                     
  assigned)**                                                                

  ERBS                                                                       

  ALT                                                                        

  SESS                              ** **   ** **      ** **                  

  TSIS                                                                       

  APS                               ** **   ** **      ** **                  

  SUS                                                                        
  ---------------------- ---------- ------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346313 .anchor}Figure 8:
Instrument-to-Satellite Cross Reference

> An \* indicates a mission-critical instrument: Replacement will be
> provided within 6 months in case of failure.

A characteristic of the NDE development approach is that additional
Development Cycles can be initiated at any time during the execution of
the Project. The need to plan another Development Cycle is most likely
to become apparent during a Customer Coordination Phase, as the scope of
a Product Release is being analyzed. However, if the need for a new
Development Cycle becomes apparent at any point, NDE's Project Manager
will initiate a Customer Coordination Phase and use its framework to
fully develop a plan for a new Development Cycle.

External events can also trigger new Development Cycles. If necessary,
NESDIS will respond to changes in satellite payload, changes to
satellite launch schedules, accelerations in technological advancement,
changes in government priorities, changes to related projects, and so
on. When appropriate, in response to such changing circumstances,
additional Development Cycles will be planned.

NDE Development Cycles will have as a high priority the routing of
NPOESS data records, as received from the IDPS, directly to customers.
Equally important will be the tailoring and NOAA-unique product
generation will have lower priority and will be provided based on
agreements reached during each Customer Coordination Phase.

Table 3 shows product introductions based on two categories, "core
products" and "other products." Core products are those NESDIS currently
provides from POES, DMSP, and EOS satellites. Other products are those
that do not replace current products and/or will be developed from
instruments with which NESDIS has little or no experience. NDE, in order
to support the continuity of its customers' missions, places a higher
priority on efforts required to deliver core products. If the instrument
payloads change from the IPO's current baseline, NDE will re-plan the
product development activities appropriately.

The high rate of new data product introductions from NPP and NPOESS
represents a significant change in the pace of product introductions
from past satellites. Implementation of all of these products within two
years of introduction will require increases in NOAA's product research
and development capacities commensurate with the increased number of
products. Alternatively, NOAA will prioritize the products in order to
develop generation capabilities that support the most important mission
needs.

## 6.3 Life Cycle Scheduling  {#life-cycle-scheduling .unnumbered}

Figure 8 depicts the highest level planning structures of the Project:
The NPP Development Cycle and the C1 Development Cycle.

![](media/image9.png){width="6.403472222222222in"
height="7.354861111111111in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346314 .anchor}Figure 9: NDE Project
Development Cycles

## 6.4 NPP Development Cycle {#npp-development-cycle .unnumbered}

![](media/image10.png){width="6.409027777777778in"
height="7.238888888888889in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346315 .anchor}Figure 10: NPP Development Cycle

A significant proportion of the effort to be expended during the NPP
Development Cycle will be devoted to establishing new data processing
capabilities in NESDIS. Although the primary objective is to prepare the
infrastructure for NPP, the work is being undertaken with a broader,
enterprise perspective such that the capabilities established will be,
to the greatest extent possible, reusable by other polar and
geostationary satellite systems.

The NPP Development Cycle is the framework for the design, Development
and testing of the NDE System as a whole, conceived as three similar,
but distinct, environments: Development, System Test, and Operations.

The Development Phase of the NPP Development Cycle will be managed as a
standalone project organized as incremental "mini" builds supported by
systems engineering and systems services. The Phase is timed to provide
an infrastructure that can continue providing POES-equivalent products
during the NPP Risk Reduction Mission. The result will be NDE's the
first NDE System Release, the foundation system that will be extended
and refined for the NPOESS C1 mission and later satellites.

![](media/image11.png){width="5.872222222222222in"
height="3.9034722222222222in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346316 .anchor}Figure 11: Organization of IT
Delivery Tasks for NPP

> [Software Builds]{.underline}
>
> During the NDE Design Phase, it was determined that the lowest risk
> approach to delivery was to develop the system in increments of
> increasing complexity. Each increment, or "build," is organized to be
> tested as an integrated configuration and installed, after Integration
> Testing, in the System Test Environment. There will be 5 Builds:

1.  Ingest -- communicates with the NPOESS IDPS and MMC, recognizes the
    arrival of all the data necessary for a product generation algorithm
    to execute successfully, manages xDRs and finished products in
    Storage Area Network (SAN), accepts NDE products after the
    algorithms have completed them

2.  Production -- invokes the algorithms, provides them with the
    necessary inputs, either tailors an EDR by altering the user view or
    generates a NOAA-unique product, writes finished products to the SAN

3.  Distribution -- determines the operational mode of the system so
    that product access can be restricted during national emergencies,
    places completed products in the appropriate staging area to support
    a Customer's delivery (push-or-pull) preference, creates an invoice
    and a product delivery notification

4.  Customer Services -- captures information about Customers, allows
    Customers to order products, provides a mechanism for Product Area
    Leads (PALs) to define products, provides a means to approve
    Customer orders, captures a Customer's product delivery requirements
    and product tailoring preferences

5.  Monitoring/Reporting - captures information about algorithm
    performance, system performance, and product quality in NDE logs and
    provides management reports on a scheduled or *ad hoc* basis

> [Systems Engineering]{.underline}
>
> 1\. The acquisition and installation of hardware and other
> infrastructure elements is incremental, with successive efforts
> planned for four distinct environments: the IT Development
> Environment, a Science Algorithm Development and Integration
> Environment (SADIE), a System Test Environment, and, for the NPOESS
> satellites to be launched after NPP, the Production Environment.
> Acquisition and installation of the COTS, GOTS, and Open Source
> software that function in each of the environments is managed as
> Systems Engineering tasks.
>
> 2\. Detail Design work will be undertaken at the inception of each
> Software Build. These efforts will result in specifications for each
> system elements to be included in the Build. These specifications will
> be placed under version control and will permit more effective
> resource allocation.
>
> 3\. System Software Engineering work will ensure NDE's compliance with
> ESPC's security controls. ESPC's controls satisfy the Certification
> and Accreditation (C&A) requirements adopted by NESDIS to comply with
> the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Guidelines. Because NDE
> operates inside the ESPC security perimeter, its focus will be on
> scheduling and allocation of resources to support periodic ESPC C&A
> activities.

4.  Two kinds of interface testing will be necessary: internal and
    external. Because NDE operates within ESPC, the system's ability to
    communicate and interact with its host environment will be tested
    for each Build. Front-end external system interoperability
    concentrates on NDE's connections with its primary data provider,
    the NPOESS' IDPS. Proving interoperability with IDPS is a critical
    milestone that is targeted to take place a year prior to the launch
    of NPP. Back-end interface testing, to ensure that products are
    disseminated to Customers in a timely and efficient manner, will be
    undertaken on a customer-by customer basis. The first tests will be
    concerned with the interface to NCEP.

> [System Services]{.underline}

1.  NDE will work closely with algorithm developers to minimize efforts
    to adapt their product generation code to perform in the NDE
    production environment. Much of this will be preparatory, with NDE
    collaborating with the science teams in definitions of IT standards,
    test plans, and the mechanics of the configuration management (CM)
    procedures to enable migration of the algorithms through each
    environment.

2.  NDE will develop Operator Instructions and deliver training to ESPC
    operators. These materials will be developed for the NPP era during
    which products will be generated in the System Test Environment with
    operator support available on an 8 x 5 basis. The Operator
    Instructions and training for NPOESS, when the system will execute
    in the Production Environment with 24 x 7 support, are to be
    developed late prior to C1 launch.

3.  NDE's Configuration Management (CM) activities include definition of
    the policies, procedures, and technologies for documentation
    management, documentation standards, and management of the system
    elements that will, as a set (e.g., configuration), comprise NDE's
    NPP Production System. These are developed in collaboration with
    ESPC and STAR, both of which are developing new CM capabilities.

## 6.5 C1 Development Cycle  {#c1-development-cycle .unnumbered}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346317 .anchor}Figure 12: C1 Development Cycle

![](media/image12.png){width="6.408333333333333in"
height="6.250694444444444in"}

### **6.5.1 Systems Development** {#systems-development .unnumbered}

During the Customer Coordination Phase, Project Management and Customers
conduct detailed analyses of the Customer Service metrics logged during
the NPP Phase. For example, knowledge of how many problems were reported
for particular products is likely to influence the Product Development
priorities. Knowledge of which customers submit trouble tickets will
influence planning for Customer Coordination activities. Trend analyses
of Service Requests could indicate changes in customer capabilities
related to such factors as volume increases or timeliness of product
delivery. In short, the analysis of metrics associated with Customer
Service (trouble tickets, service requests, ordering patterns, and the
like) will provide NDE Project Management with powerful indicators to
guide future Project Planning.

The prior Development Cycle, NPP's, saw the establishment of a dual
purpose satellite data processing capability, called the NDE System Test
Environment. During NPP, System Test will have provided
quasi-operational conditions so that ESPC and STAR developers will have
a robust, configuration-controlled environment in which their software
can be tested. System Test will also provide the infrastructure for the
regular operations necessary to receive NPP data from the IDPS, generate
the NDE value-added products, and disseminate them to customers. This is
in keeping with NPP's risk reduction mission. The C1 Development Cycle,
in contrast, is designed to establish *operational* capabilities that
take advantage of the lessons learned during NPP. It is anticipated that
much of the infrastructure called System Test during NPP, will be
renamed and its capabilities extended as the C1 Operational Environment
(Figure 10, Row 26).

Several years will have elapsed since the NDE/ESPC System was designed.
Anticipating the rapid pace of technological advancement, the C1
Development Cycle dedicates effort to both refreshing the technologies
implemented in prior years (Figure 10, Rows 8, 23) and to the likelihood
that some fundamental design assumptions will have to be reconsidered to
take advantage of new technologies that are likely to have become
available during the intervening period (Figure 10, Rows 11, 30).

### **6.5.2 Product Development**  {#product-development .unnumbered}

Much product development (e.g., science algorithm development) is
accomplished external to the NDE System Development, but there must be
close cooperation with the external algorithm developers so that NDE
will be able to provide NESDIS' customers with the important product
advancements offered by this satellite. Many of the products to be
developed during this Development Cycle will extend the product
applications begun on the VIIRS-only versions of products developed
during the NPP Development Cycle.

Upgrades to NESDIS and customer systems will be specified during Design
and implemented during the Construction Phase.

Customer hardware, software, and human resources will be upgraded based
on the cooperative analysis of their systems conducted during the
Programmatic Studies of Customer Coordination phase.

During the Test Phase, user systems begin to exploit C1 products on a
simulated operational basis. The core product prototypes will be made
available to test in customer environments.

NDE will work closely with customers during Transition, providing
sufficient Customer Service resources to support all customer transition
activities including provision of product training. Some of the
VIIRS-derived products will be introduced as the C1 Release of core
products. The other VIIRS-derived products (those not essential to
continue current POES, DMSP, or EOS missions) will be part of a second
release (row 45) along with new products from the Space Environment
Monitor (SEM).

### **6.5.3 Concluding the Cycle**  {#concluding-the-cycle .unnumbered}

The Phase 2 product release will be associated with handover of
sustained engineering, operations, and maintenance responsibilities to
OSDPD and STAR.

From a Project Management perspective, the conclusion of this
Development Cycle will be an opportunity to refine the project approach
and to update the Integrated Project Plan. The methodology and work
breakdown structure (WBS) will be re-evaluated and altered based on
lessons learned.[]{#_5.2_Customer_Coordination .anchor}

## 6.6 Potential Out-Year Build Cycles  {#potential-out-year-build-cycles .unnumbered}

The C2 satellite's payload may include the microwave instruments
necessary to complete the NPOESS on-orbit design. The C3 launch is
tentatively scheduled for 2018. However, the C2 and C3 dates are well
beyond the 5 year budget horizon of current NOAA budget procedures (see
Section 5.1).

Through the year 2020, the NDE project will continue as NESDIS' means
for planning and executing activities necessary to assist NOAA and other
civilian users to realize the full potential of NPOESS. Beyond 2020,
other means may be available.

An NDE Post Implementation Review is not planned at this time.

# 7 ACQUISITION STRATEGY {#acquisition-strategy .unnumbered}

The NDE project manages budgets for three categories of acquisition:
Product Development, Systems Development, and Systems Integration.
([Project Organization Chart](#nde-project-manager))

## 7.1 Product Development  {#product-development-1 .unnumbered}

A recent survey of NOAA users identified preliminary requirements for
over fifty NOAA-unique products. The same survey identified over 150
product tailoring tasks. These tentative product requirements are based
on only a preliminary understanding of NPOESS' potential. Years of
investigation and experimentation are anticipated in order for the full
potential of the sensor data to be exploited. As these understandings
are achieved, the requirement for NPOESS products is expected to grow
significantly. The NDE project must focus and direct scientific and
engineering tasks in order to satisfy the needs of the NOAA user
community and other customers of NPP and NPOESS sensor products.

A key element of NDE's acquisition strategy, therefore, is the
establishment of centralized procedures for the analysis,
prioritization, selection, and funding of NPOESS product development
tasks. A year prior to each execution year, the NDE project manager will
evaluate and prioritize new product capabilities required based on the
results of the most recently completed [Customer
Coordination](#_5.2_Customer_Coordination) phase. The NDE project
manager will issue a request for product development proposals related
to the prioritized needs. The proposals will be reviewed by an NDE
Management Board at the NDE Annual Management Review. Following the
annual review the NDE project manager will determine the funding
allocation recommendation. The Polar Program Manager will then issue the
funding allocation memo for projects to be funded in the next fiscal
year. All projects to be funded will develop a project plan briefing.
All contract or grant packages will be reviewed by OSD before funds can
be committed.

Continuation funding for projects will be reviewed at the annual review
process described above and they are also reviewed at the Annual Polar
Product Review. Tasks spanning multiple years will demonstrate
achievement of planned, tangible milestones in order to receive
continued funding.

Much prioritization was accomplished during the period of time that user
requirements were captured by the IPO for the IORD. Certain EDRs have
been designated as Key Performance Parameters (KPPs). Products in this
category have been identified by the user community in the IORD as the
most important deliverables from the NPP/NPOESS program.

-   Atmospheric Vertical Moisture Profile

-   Atmospheric Vertical Temperature Profile

-   Imagery

-   Sea Surface Temperature

-   Sea Surface Winds

-   Soil Moisture

Another prioritization factor has to do with continuing the POES
mission. The final satellite in that program, N', like NPP, is scheduled
for 2009 launch. If it should fail, there must be a backup in orbit to
continue supplying operational products to NOAA. A MetOp satellite, the
European component of the POES constellation, because it is already a
POES satellite, will be the primary backup. Although not officially
designated as the N' backup, NPP will be in a position to provide
observations if needed.

Figures 13 and 14 show the proposed set of product introductions from
January 2010 through June 2011. Table 4a shows the "Phase I" products,
those that are currently funded and will provide continuity for current
NOAA missions. Table 4b shows the "Phase II" products, those that are
the enhanced products comprised of additional NUPs and xDRs not linked
to mission continuity. NOAA-Unique Products are in the yellow cells,
tailored products are shown in the blue cells.

+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **Phase 1 (Jan 2010   |                       |                       |
| -- Jun 2011): Legacy  |                       |                       |
| mission continuity    |                       |                       |
| replacement products  |                       |                       |
| comprised of          |                       |                       |
| currently funded NUPs |                       |                       |
| and xDRs**            |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > CrIS Thinned        | SST Anomalies         | Ozone Total Column    |
| > Radiances           |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| CrIS Cloud Cleared    | Coral Reef Degree     | Snow Cover            |
| Radiances             | Heating               |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Total Precipitable    | Coral Reef Bleaching  | Imagery               |
| Water (ATMS)          |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Snow Cover (ATMS)     | Total Ozone (CrIS)    | Ocean                 |
|                       |                       | Color/Chlorophyll     |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Precipitation         | Carbon products       | Vegetation Index      |
| Type/Rate (ATMS)      |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Surface Emissivity    | SST (AVHRR-like)      | Active Fires          |
| (ATMS)                |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Cloud Liquid Water    | Aerosol (AVHRR-like)  | Atmospheric           |
| (ATMS)                |                       | Temperature Profile   |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Sea Ice               | ATMS Radiances        | Atmospheric Moisture  |
| Cover/Concentration   |                       | Profile               |
| (ATMS)                |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Snow Water Equivalent | CrIS Radiances        | Aerosol Optical       |
| (ATMS)                |                       | Thickness             |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Ice Water Path (ATMS) | VIIRS Radiances       | Surface Type &        |
|                       |                       | Vegetation Cover      |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Land Surface          | OMPS Radiances        | Surface Albedo        |
| Temperature (ATMS)    |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Temperature Profiles  | Cloud Mask            | Cloud Cover/Layers    |
| (ATMS)                |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Moisture Profiles     | Sea Surface           |                       |
| (ATMS)                | Temperature (SST)     |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Blended SST           | Ozone Profile         |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346318 .anchor}Figure 13: Phase 1 NPP Products

  --------------------------------------- -------------------------------
  **Phase 2 (Jun 2011 -- Jan 2013):       
  Enhanced products comprised of          
  additional NUPs and xDRs not linked to  
  mission continuity**                    

  **NOAA-UNIQUE PRODUCTS**                **TAILORED PRODUCTS**

  Polar Winds (VIIRS)                     Aerosol Particle Size

  Clear Sky Radiances (VIIRS)             Cloud Top Temperature

  Vegetation Health                       Cloud Top Pressure

  Vegetation Moisture                     Land Surface Temperature
                                          (VIIRS)

  Drought Indices                         Cloud Base Height

  Vegetation Thermal Conditions           Cloud Effective Particle Size

  Leaf Area Index                         Cloud Optical Thickness

  Fire Potential                          Cloud Top Height (VIIRS)

  Near Coast Ocean Color                  Ice Surface Temperature

  Integrated xDRs at CrIS Resolution      Net Heat Flux

  Cloud Liquid Water Path (VIIRS)         Sea Ice Characterization
                                          (VIIRS)

  Cloud Ice Water Path (VIIRS)            Suspended Matter

  Cloud Top Temperature (VIIRS)           Atmospheric Pressure Profile
  --------------------------------------- -------------------------------

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346319 .anchor}Figure 14: NPP Phase 2 Products

## **7.2 System Development**  {#system-development .unnumbered}

The NDE System Development Manager funds a team of software developers
to identify and deliver shared data processing capabilities. These
capabilities are necessary in order to reduce the risks associated with
developing and operating many product generation applications in a
single environment. NOAA simply cannot afford to treat each NPOESS
product generation system as a unique challenge. Rather, NDE seeks to
establish a common tool set that will allow the scientific product
development teams to focus on the science, using functionality available
to all of them to perform the more mundane data processing tasks.

These capabilities will operate within NESDIS' [ESPC](#_OSDPD). NDE
cooperates closely with ESPC Management. ESPC, with NDE funding, uses
its contract vehicles to procure the technologies that enable both the
development and the operation of the enterprise capabilities. In this
relationship, the NDE [System Architect](#nde-system-architect) provides
the requirements and directs the funds for technologies such as:

-   Relational Data Base Management System (RDBMS)

-   Object Repositories

-   Fourth Generation Languages

-   Test Tools

-   Configuration Management Systems

-   Work Management Tools Schedulers

-   Help Desk Software

-   Reporting tools

-   Process/Project Management tools

-   Etc.

As the initial, primary users of these technologies, the ESPC's NDE
[System Development Team](#espcs-system-development-team) will assist
ESPC operations staff to configure, install, and test the products in
the appropriate environments.

## 7.3 Infrastructure Acquisition, Operations, and Maintenance {#infrastructure-acquisition-operations-and-maintenance .unnumbered}

The OSDPD capability that will address the technological challenges of
both NPOESS and the next generation of geostationary satellites is
called the Environmental Satellite-data Processing Center
([ESPC](#_OSDPD)). The NDE environments within NESDIS for which ESPC
must acquire hardware and associated software include:

-   Algorithm development/test

-   Enterprise tool development/test

-   System test (also serving as backup for normal operations in
    emergencies)

-   Normal operations

-   Distribution networks and telecommunications

-   Disaster recovery

The [NDE Architect](#nde-system-architect) will be responsible for
providing requirements and specifications for all of the technologies
needed for these environments. The NDE [Project
Manager](#nde-project-manager) will direct funds to OSDPD for these
purposes.

Most of this equipment will be installed and managed by ESPC at the
National Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) in Suitland, Maryland.
Depending on decisions to be made in the context of NDE's System
Architecture, as well as ESPC's design efforts with regard to shared
data processing and STAR's collaborative algorithm development
environments, some development equipment may be installed at remote
sites. ESPC will provide authorized developers with high speed access to
NSOF development resources (test databases, CM tools, documentation
libraries, procedure libraries, etc.).

ESPC is responsible for the security of NDE's Operational, System Test,
and Development capabilities. ESPC will establish and enforce security
procedures to ensure the data integrity of all operational and
developmental applications that run under its auspices, including NDE's.
ESPC provides protection from access to NDE's automated resources by
unauthorized users. ESPC will withhold specified NPOESS datasets from
unauthorized users when so ordered by the Secretary of Commerce (e.g.,
data denial). Aside from these data denial requirements (TBD), NDE has
no security requirements different from those ESPC will provide for all
of the applications that operate under its auspices.

ESPC will provide maintenance and support for a selected Database
Management System (DBS) as well as of the data content to be established
on that system. NDE is committed to sharing this essential resource with
all of NOAA. The NDE System Architect will coordinate the creation of
data models by the various development organizations (CLASS, STAR, ESPC,
NCDC, NGDC, NDE product developers, etc.). The Architect's coordination
activities will focus on the identification of as many opportunities to
share and reuse the maximum number of data entities and/or object
classes. This coordination of conceptual data models is the foundation
of NDE's "enterprise approach." In turn, ESPC's database administrators
(DBAs) will be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the
operational forms of the models -- the data itself.

ESPC will develop an ability to recover from disruptions of NDE product
deliveries and services resulting from disasters. NDE has no disaster
recovery requirements different from those ESPC will provide for all of
the applications that operate under its auspices.

ESPC will provide customer services including:

-   Product order tracking

-   Management of trouble reports (logging and appropriate follow-up)

-   Routing of customer product inquiries to qualified specialists

At the present time, NDE has no customer service requirements different
from those ESPC will provide for all of the applications that operate
under its auspices. However, NDE may levy the following customer service
requirements on ESPC if requested during Customer Coordination Phases of
NDE Development Cycles:

-   Product order placement

-   Service request management such as:

    -   Capturing enhancement requests

    -   Managing the resolution process for determining whether to
        undertake an enhancement

    -   Conducting customer satisfaction surveys

    -   Maintaining a database of customer requests to enable reporting
        by customer, by product, by request type, by status, and by date

-   Management of online product training materials and other distance
    learning capabilities

-   Extending operator working hours to provide customer assistance
    beyond eight hours on week days

ESPC will negotiate Service Level Agreements (SLA) with all of its
product customers.

These agreements will guarantee levels of performance in terms of
product deliveries, availability of access to system resources, and the
availability of support from ESPC, either from operators or from
automated Help applications. ESPC will establish similar agreements with
selected NOAA offices chosen as representative of those who will use
ESPC resources to develop products, including NDE's. At the present
time, NDE anticipates no performance baselines different from those ESPC
will provide for all of the applications that operate under its
auspices.

The NPP satellite's products offer ESPC opportunities to prototype some
of the high performance computing, high volume data management, and
product distribution capabilities that will be required for ESPC. The
first geostationary satellite to carry the new technologies, GOES R, is
not scheduled for launch until 2014 - around the same time that C1 is
expected to be operational. NDE, therefore, is the first project that
will deliver the next generation of satellite products using ESPC
capabilities.

Important aspects of the relationship between NDE and ESPC can be
illustrated in terms of Configuration Management (CM) and System
Testing. New or enhanced algorithms, for example, will be run in a
System Test environment that simulates ESPC operations. In order for an
algorithm to be certified as Operational, it must perform without
causing errors (regression testing) or degrading performance (stress
testing) when using the same configuration of enterprise resources (the
DBMS, object repositories, shared procedures, etc.) as those running in
the ESPC operational environment. The algorithm will be submitted for
System Testing as part of a package that might also include additional
test data, enhanced versions of shared elements, documentation for new
test procedures, and (in all cases) updated documentation for each of
the enhanced components to be certified. New or enhanced enterprise
tools will, likewise, be required to undergo the same level of system
testing.

![](media/image13.png){width="5.969444444444444in"
height="1.7097222222222221in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346320 .anchor}Figure 15: O&M Handover Schedule

ESPC will acquire and maintain the System Test environment. The human
resources necessary to operate the System Test environment will also be
ESPC's. However, the certification requirements to be implemented by the
ESPC System Test personnel will be provided by the NDE System Architect.
The ESPC System Test personnel will, in turn, be responsible for
articulating the Operational and System Test standards and providing
assistance to the development teams with their work to implement the
standards within their applications. Initial funding for the staff
needed to perform these development support roles will be provided by
NDE. Eighteen months after the establishment of the System Test
Environment, OSDPD will assume responsibility for funding the Operations
and Maintenance (O&M) of the System Test environment.

NDE and OSDPD will share funding responsibilities for NDE-related
technologies as illustrated by Figure 12. NDE's commitment begins 24
months prior to the launch of each of the 1^st^ four satellites.
Accordingly, NDE will provide funding for the capital expenses (CE) and
the integration and testing (I&T) for all hardware, COTS, and
telecommunications capabilities necessary to process the data from the
satellite. Following a similar schedule, NDE will also provide funding
for technologies needed to conduct development and testing for the
products provided by the satellites. NDE will fund operations and
maintenance (O&M) for all of these categories of technology for eighteen
months after the launch of each satellite. OSDPD will assume funding
responsibilities for O&M when NDE's eighteen month commitment is
completed. OSDPD senior management will be the owner/lessor of record
for all NDE-related technology acquisitions.

# 8 PROJECT PROCESSES {#project-processes .unnumbered}

The NDE Project functions in relationship to many other organizations in
NESDIS and NOAA. A graphical representation of those relationships is
provided as [Appendix C](#_APPENDIX_C:_RELATIONSHIPS_WITH_NOAA).

## Planning Processes

### 8.1.1 Five-Year Planning {#five-year-planning .unnumbered}

Annually, NDE provides five-year budgetary information in support of
NOAA's Project Planning, Budgeting, and Evaluation System (PPBES). The
PPBES procedures are ongoing, with annual cycles. PPBES is a
hierarchical system that successively discovers commonalities between
projects to eliminate redundancy. The process is based on the notion
that each project must support at least one of NOAA's mission Goals.
Within each Goal, sets of projects are organized as Programs. The NDE
project reports to PPBES within a Science and Technology Infusion (STI)
program for the Goal Team that is responsible for serving society's
needs for "Weather and Water" information. (As demonstrated in "Section
2.1: Project Mission, Goals, and Objectives" NDE supports all four of
NOAA's mission goals. Its placement within Weather and Water is based on
the fact that the NWS has historically been the primary consumer of
environmental polar satellite data.). During July and August, NDE
provides its plans to the STI Program Manager for an execution year 2 ½
years hence. (For a fiscal execution year beginning October 1, 2008, NDE
provides planning data in July and August 2005.)

The PPBES's office of Program Planning and Integration (PPI) reviews all
program plans for an execution year to discover shortfalls and to
determine whether to fund critical needs with uncommitted resources.
This takes place during the month of April. During May and June, final
review and approval of procurement plans for the execution year and the
years following takes place.

NDE also provides five-year plans within a format prescribed by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) called the "OMB Exhibit 300."
These documents are submitted by NOAA to the Department of Commerce
(DOC).

This document, the NDE Integrated Program Plan (IPP), is also reviewed
by the NESDIS Executive Board (NEB) during its Five-Year Planning
efforts. Of particular interest to them is Section 9's Five-Year Spend
Plan. NDE submits the IPP to the NEB for review in September.

### 8.1.2 Integrated Project Planning {#integrated-project-planning .unnumbered}

This document is called the Project Plan. It reflects NDE management's
intentions for deploying the resources needed to satisfy requirements.
Of necessity, a project with the scope of NDE will require a variety of
planning documents (Test Plans, Training Plans, Development Plans,
etc.). Before the start of each budget year, therefore, approval of the
Project Plan (this document) by a Review Board composed of managers of
stakeholder organizations is an essential approval process. NDE
management will continuously maintain the currency of the Project Plan
by monitoring the Product Development Teams and the NDE/ESPC System
Development Team.

### 8.1.3 Transition Planning {#transition-planning .unnumbered}

*To be inserted as a hyperlink to the "NDE Transition Plan" in
accordance with* NAO 216-105, "POLICY ON TRANSITION OF RESEARCH TO
APPLICATION", 05/31/05

## Initiating Processes

Certain start-up activities deal with setting up a Development Cycle to
ensure that it can be effectively managed. Start-up activities include
the following:

-   Engagement of Stakeholders - mobilizes the core project leadership
    and ensures that major stakeholders are fully informed and aligned
    with the objectives, approach, and deliverables

-   Confirmation of Project Management Processes - establishes the
    project management processes for the Development Cycle:

    -   Stakeholder and Communications Management

    -   Scope and Requirements Management

    -   Deliverables and Configuration Management

    -   Team Management

    -   Risk and Issues Management

    -   Work and Schedule Management

    -   Vendor and Contract Management

-   Project Infrastructure Establishment - ensures that the
    infrastructure required by each of the NDE teams for the Cycle is
    secured and available to support the work and schedule defined by
    the Integrated Project Plan.

-   Establishment of the teams - mobilizes the government staff and
    contractors who will do the work of the Development Cycle.

## Controlling Processes

### 8.3.1 Work and Schedule Management  {#work-and-schedule-management .unnumbered}

The NDE Project Manager will require that each of the Product
Development Teams, and the NDE System Development Team, provide and
maintain a Work Schedule consisting of:

-   A Task List organized hierarchically (e.g., Work Breakdown Structure
    \[WBS\])

-   Estimated Effort and Cost for each task

-   Resources, either by skill type or by person name, assigned to the
    tasks

-   Start and end dates for each task

-   Checkpoints (end dates of more important tasks)

-   Alternative views of the schedule

    -   Gantt

    -   Critical Path (Dependencies)

The NDE Project Manager will require each of the Product Development
Teams and the NDE/ ESPC Team to provide Status Reports on a
predetermined schedule. The Product Development Teams will provide
Status Reports once every four months. The NDE/ESPC Team will report
status monthly.

Team Leaders will provide the Status Reports advising NDE Project
Management of the likelihood of completing scheduled tasks on time.
Status Reports will be exception-oriented, emphasizing anticipated
schedule slippages. Team leaders will describe:

-   Reasons for anticipated slippages (e.g., issues)

-   NDE Project Management actions that might be taken to resolve the
    issues

If immediate management action is required, Team Leaders will contact
NDE Project Management prior to their scheduled Status Reports.

NDE Project Management will maintain an Issues Log that includes the
dates, descriptions, and status of the matters to be resolved. "Open"
issues will be handled as aggressively as possible to change their
status to "closed."

NDE Project Management will maintain a summary level Work Schedule
derived from the WBSs of the Product Development Teams and the NDE/ESPC
Team. NDE Project Management will use the summary plan to report such
measures as Earned Value and Tasks Completed to senior management.

### 8.3.2 Scope and Requirements Management {#scope-and-requirements-management .unnumbered}

#### **8.3.2.1 Satellite Products and Services Review Board (SPSRB)** {#satellite-products-and-services-review-board-spsrb .unnumbered}

The NDE project will participate in an established method for evaluating
product decisions through the membership of its [Product Development
Manager](#product-development-manager) in the NESDIS Satellite Products
and Services Review Board (SPSRB).  The SPSRB is responsible for
providing the oversight and guidance necessary to effectively manage
product life cycles; from development, transition, operations,
enhancements and, ultimately, product decommissioning. Product Oversight
Panels (POPs), consisting of research scientists and end users with
specialized product expertise, advise the SPSRB on matters relating to
product prioritization, fitness of products for escalation to
operational status, and the risks associated with development. SPSRB is
responsible for determining how best to use NPOESS observations to
continue critical NOAA missions, particularly those that exploit
pre-NPOESS observations from POES, DMSP, and EOS.

The NDE Product Development Manager advises the NDE Project Manager
about product development/enhancement projects that have been approved
by the SPSRB and/or by a NESDIS management review process. The NDE
Project Manager then determines whether to allocate NDE funds to support
the selected product development efforts. Figure 13 (below) shows NDE in
the context of the SPSRB as an instance of a "Resource Identification"
procedure. NDE is an integral part of the SPSRB process because it is
primary funding source for NPOESS product development. The NDE Product
Development Manager will rely on the SPSRB's procedures as a means of
documenting and evaluating projects that can most beneficially exploit
NPOESS observations.

![](media/image14.wmf){width="6.104861111111111in"
height="5.623611111111111in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346321 .anchor}Figure 16: SPSRB Processes

#### **8.3.2.2 NDE Management Board**  {#nde-management-board .unnumbered}

Guidance and direction are provided to the Project Manager once a year
by the NDE management Board. The members of this Board include
representatives for directors of OSD, OSDPD, and STAR as well as
representatives from those Mission Goals and Programs most closely
associated with satellite products ([Appendix
D](#_Appendix_D:__Relationships_with_NOA)). NOAA management uses the
annual review to ensure a coordinated implementation across the NOAA
enterprise. The Board will review all NDE procurement plans and
recommend adjustment as appropriate. The NDE Management Board review
will occur several months prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, so
there will be sufficient time to adjust procurement plans. The Board may
also be convened at other points during the year to review milestone
deliverables and provide guidance on project direction. The NDE
Management Board process will ensure that future procurement activities
and associated spending plans are coordinated among NOAA offices.

The roles and responsibilities of the NDE Management Board include:

-   Reviewing and prioritizing strategies for NDE acquisition,
    development, and implementation

-   Reviewing NDE spending plans

-   Ensuring NDE procurement activities within their offices are
    submitted and progress is properly tracked by management

-   Monitoring progress and resolving conflicts (for example, balancing
    requirements and priorities between NDE, the Satellite Acquisitions
    Program, and the Polar Satellite Acquisitions Program).

-   Identifying and agreeing sponsors for sub-projects and working
    groups (If a need for work outside the NDE purview is discovered,
    the board will help to establish the action teams by assigning
    someone at their level to get it done. Examples could be teaming
    with agencies outside NESDIS or NOAA such as NASA.)

The NDE management Board's annual guidance will be based on its
evaluation of:

-   NDE Project status

-   NPOESS product development priorities and plans

-   ESPC development priorities and plans

-   Detailed procurement plans for the upcoming fiscal year

-   Acquisition strategy for the remainder of the project

#### 8.3.2.3 Requirements Management {#requirements-management .unnumbered}

The NDE System Architect is responsible for minimizing developmental
duplication and ensuring that project resources are used to satisfy
approved requirements. The Architect maintains a Requirements Tracking
System (RTS) that will consist of a database associating each
requirement with the following:

-   Project Categories (product generation, customer service,
    dissemination, etc.)

-   Requesting organizations

-   Approval status

-   Priority

-   Contact information

-   Development status

-   Associated system features

-   Test specifications

-   Test plans

-   Test status

The ESPC's System Development Team (Section [4.3 ESPC's System
Development Team](#espcs-system-development-team) ) has established
procedures to evaluate candidate requirements in terms of suitability
for inclusion within NDE's scope. Representatives of the ESPC Team
submit requests for changes to the project's scope through these
procedures. The ESPC System Development Team will evaluate the request.
The Team advises NDE Project Management of its recommendations,
including cost estimates and risk assessments. For each request,
appropriate recommendations are:

-   New Requirement Approved

-   New Requirement Rejected

-   Existing Requirement to be Revised

    The NDE System Architect captures and tracks all changes to the
    requirements in a document called the [System Requirements
    Specification](../../SystemRequirementsDoc_20070718.rtf). The first
    activity of each [IT Build](#npp-development-cycle) is a detailed
    design review that provides, along with Configuration Item
    definitions, modifications to the existing requirements baseline.
    During detailed planning for the Build, each detailed requirement is
    physically linked to the System Requirement from which it was
    derived and to each of the downstream tests with which it will be
    associated.

## Execution Processes

### 8.4.1 Deliverables and Configuration Management  {#deliverables-and-configuration-management .unnumbered}

For each task in the Work Breakdown Structure ([Section
8.3.1](#_6.3.1_Work_and_Schedule_Management)) submitted for approval by
NDE Project Management, the Team Leader provides a written description
of the expected work product (e.g., deliverable). The team member(s)
responsible for the task receive the descriptions when they are assigned
the work. Discussions between Team Leaders and Team Members regarding a
deliverable's quality, level of detail, and preferred tools takes place
at time of assignment.

The Team Leaders are responsible for the quality of all work products.
They have discretion, therefore, to conduct as many Quality Control
reviews of work products as they feel are appropriate. The time and
effort required to conduct these reviews, as well as any anticipated
rework that is likely to be identified during the course of the reviews,
is shown on the Work Schedules submitted to NDE Project Management. In
other words, quality planning is an element of Work Schedule
development.

To reduce the effort associated with defining and explaining the work
products, industry standard System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
methodologies may be used.

**Configuration Management** (CM) has many dimensions. Section 8.3.2.3
(above) describes control of executable system components and the
specifications associated with them. Here, the control of milestone
deliverables is addressed.

NDE Project Management will provide an outline that shows the
relationship between the components that make up the milestone review
documents that the [NDE Management Board](#nde-management-board) will
review at the conclusion of Development Cycle phases. For example, at
the commencement of the Customer Coordination Phase for any Development
Cycle, NDE Project Management team will develop a System Requirements
Review (SRR) documentation outline (e.g., documentation tree) and a
table of contents for each document. Minimally, milestone documentation
will consist of final versions of the Integrated Project Plan the System
Requirements Specification, and the NDE Concept of Operations.

NDE Project Management maintains consistency of format and content
between these documents, between Development Cycles, and between the
Phases of a Development Cycle. Strict configuration control will be
exercised over documents with SMB signatures; revisions require SMB
approval and signature.

### 8.4.2 Team Management  {#team-management .unnumbered}

There are four permanent, government NDE Team Managers:

-   [Project Management](#nde-project-manager)

-   [Product Development](#product-development-manager)

-   [System Architecture](#nde-system-architect)

-   [Systems Integration](#systems-integration-coordinator)

Every manager will supervise one or more Teams. Each Team will have a
Team Leader. A Team Leader's responsibilities include:

-   Defining work products

-   Developing Work Schedules

-   Reporting status

-   Defining skill sets required by Team Members in order to produce
    work products

-   Monitoring the performance of Team Members

-   Arranging assistance for Team Members in the performance of their
    tasks

-   Delivering work products of predefined quality on schedule

-   Reporting Team Member performance to the managers responsible for
    performance evaluations

-   Recommending changes of team membership (additions, removals,
    transfers, etc) for assigning personnel to Teams

## Facilitating Processes (TBC)

### 8.5.1 Risk and Issues Management {#risk-and-issues-management .unnumbered}

Details of NDE's approach to risk and issues management are captured in
the NDE Risk Management Plan, first developed in 2006 and currently
being revised based upon a recent survey of stakeholder. A methodology
employing interviews with remote sensing and ground systems experts and
a risk survey was used to identify and prioritize these risks. The risk
survey, analysis and planning were used to develop risk handling
approaches and mitigation strategies and tactics.

High level risks were identified as: schedule delays, quality problems,
system performance, and resource limitations (lack of trained staff,
tools, funding, etc.), particularly as they pertain to developing a
sustainable product generation system. Moderate priority risks pertain
to developing a reliable system that provides required capabilities and
is recoverable after a catastrophic event. Loss of system productivity
due to abuse or malicious activity was identified as a less likely risk
with potentially high impact.

Current NDE plans address many of the identified risk mitigation
activities:

-   Risk management planning,

-   Implementation of earned value management,

-   Developing lifecycle cost estimates,

-   Budgeting,

-   Resource planning,

-   Design for reliability, and

-   Monitoring changing security requirements

The following risk mitigation activities complement NDE's current plans:

-   Develop and implement a quality management plan to address system
    and data quality, quality assurance, and quality control.

-   Develop and implement NDE continuity plans that are coordinated
    among participating organizations.

-   Coordinate development of preliminary (pre-launch) data with the IPO
    and instrument designers

### 8.5.2 Vendor & Contract Management {#vendor-contract-management .unnumbered}

Vendor and Contract Management will use standard Contract Officer (CO)
and Contract Officer Representative (COR) processes.

### 8.5.3 Stakeholder Communication Processes  {#stakeholder-communication-processes .unnumbered}

The NPOESS Data Exploitation (NDE) Stakeholder Communications Team is a
matrixed organization with staff drawn, as needed, from many NOAA
departments. These teams provide the most important lines of
communication between the organizations in which they are employed and
the NDE Project. (Figure 6.5) They provide a valuable advice to the NDE
Project because they are cross-functional, each with expertise in
specialized topics of importance to the Project. Conversely, they
provide a valuable service to NOAA by conveying NPOESS questions,
issues, and status back to their organizations.

Members may serve on multiple Communication Teams. Members will also be
asked to fulfill some of the roles and responsibilities described in
Section 6 (below). (Multiple affiliations are typical of a matrixed
organization.)

The stakeholder communication teams are kept advised of NDE activities
via e-mail and at regular NDE Team Meetings. Each stakeholder
communication team leader has the option of assigning and coordinating
the efforts of their team members to perform special NDE tasks or
respond to Action Items on those occasions when the NDE Project Manager
asks them to do so.

The following Stakeholder Communication Teams have been formed. (Team
mission statements are described in the NDE Charter
<http://projects.osd.noaa.gov/nde/prog_mgt.htm>) (see Figure 14).

-   Architecture and Infrastructure Team

-   Archive & Access Team

-   Budget Analysis Team

-   Direct Broadcast Services Team

-   Documentation Team

-   External Affairs Team

-   Facilities Team

-   International Affairs Team

-   Instrument Characterization Team

-   IPO Interface Team

-   Operating Branch Interface Team

-   NOAA-unique Product Validation and Development Team

-   NOAA Product Tailoring, Distribution, and Communications Team

-   System Test and Evaluation Team

-   Web Site Team

Figure 16: NDE Stakeholder Communication Teams

# **9 FIVE-YEAR SPEND PLAN** {#five-year-spend-plan .unnumbered}

To be provided by NDE Project Manager

# APPENDIX A: ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS {#appendix-a-acronyms-and-abbreviations .unnumbered}

  --------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
  **ADCS**        Advanced Data Collection System

  **AFWA**        Air Force Weather Agency

  **APS**         Aerosol Polarimeter Sensor

  **ATMS**        Advance Technology Microwave Sounder

  **AWIPS**       Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System

  **C1**          NPOESS First Satellite

  **C2**          NPOESS Second Satellite

  **C3**          NPOESS Third Satellite

  **CASE**        Computer Assisted Software Engineering

  **CDR**         Climate Data Records

  **CDR**         Critical Design Review

  **CE**          Capital Expenses

  **CLASS**       Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System

  **CM**          Configuration Management

  **CMIS**        Conical Scanning Microwave Imager/Sounder

  **CO**          Contract Officer

  **CONOPS**      Concept of Operations

  **COOP**        Continuity of Operations Plan

  **COR**         Contract Officer Representative

  **CM**          Configuration Management

  **CrIS**        Cross-Track Infrared Sounder

  **CrIMS**       Cross-Track Infrared Sounder + Advance Technology
                  Microwave Sounder

  **DBA**         Data Base Administrator

  **DBMS**        Data Base Management System

  **DCS**         Data Collection System

  **DMSP**        Defense Meteorological Satellite Program

  **DoA**         Department of Agriculture

  **DOC**         Department of Commerce

  **DoD**         Department of Defense

  **DOS**         Department of State

  **DRO**         Direct Readout

  **ECMWF**       European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasting

  **EDR**         Environmental Data Record

  **EOS**         Earth Observing System (NASA)

  **ERD**         Entity Relationship Diagram

  **ESPC**        Environmental Satellite-data Processing Center

  **EUMETSAT**    European Organization for the Exploitation of
                  Meteorological Satellites

  **FAA**         Federal Aviation Administration

  **FNMOC**       Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center

  **FOC**         Final Operational Capability

  **HDF**         Hierarchical Data Format

  **HDF5**        Hierarchical Data Format version 5

  **I&T**         Integration and Test

  **IDPS**        Interface Data Processing Segment

  **IORD**        Integrating Operational Requirements Document

  **IPO**         Integrated Program Office

  **IPP**         Integrated Program Plan

  **ITAT**        Information Technology Architecture Team

  **JARG**        Joint Agency Requirements Group

  **JCSDA**       Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation

  **KPP**         Key Performance Parameter

  **LTA**         Long-term Archive

  **METOP**       Meteorological Operational

  **MMC**         Mission Management Center

  **NAVOCEANO**   Naval Oceanographic Office

  **NCDC**        National Climatic Data Center

  **NCEP**        National Centers for Environmental Prediction

  **NDE**         NPOESS Data Exploitation

  **NEB**         NOAA Executive Board

  **NGDC**        National Geophysical Data Center

  **NIC**         National Ice Center

  **NMFS**        National Marine Fisheries Service

  **NOAA**        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  **NODC**        National Ocean Data Center

  **NOS**         National Ocean Service

  **NPOESS**      National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental
                  Satellite System

  **NPP**         NPOESS Preparatory Project

  **NSOF**        NOAA Satellite Operations Facility

  **NWS**         National Weather Service

  **O&M**         Operations and Maintenance

  **OAR**         Office of Atmospheric Research

  **OMB**         Office of Management and Budget

  **OPC**         Ocean Prediction Center

  **STAR**        Office of Research Applications

  **OSD**         Office of Systems Development

  **OSDPD**       Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution

  **PD**          Product Development

  **PDR**         Preliminary Design Review

  **PIR**         Post Implementation Review

  **POES**        Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite

  **POP**         Product Oversight Panel

  **PPBES**       Project Planning, Budgeting, and Evaluation System

  **PPI**         Plan For Product Implementation

  **PPI**         Program Planning and Integration

  **PSDI**        Product Systems Development and Implementation

  **R2O**         Research To Operations

  **RDBMS**       Relational Data Base Management System

  **RDR**         Raw Data Record

  **RTS**         Requirements Tracking System

  **SARSAT**      Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking

  **SDLC**        System Development Life Cycle

  **SDR**         Sensor Data Record

  **SDS**         Scientific Data Stewardship

  **SMB**         Senior Management Board

  **SPSRB**       Satellite Products and Services Review Board

  **SRR**         System Requirements Review

  **SST**         Sea-Surface Temperature

  **STI**         Science and Technology Infusion

  **SUAG**        Senior Users Advisory Group

  **TBC**         To Be Confirmed

  **TDR**         Temperature Data Record

  **UKMetO**      United Kingdom Meteorology Office

  **USMCC**       United States Mission Control Center

  **VIIRS**       Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite

  **WBS**         Work Breakdown Structure

  **xDR**         any NPOESS Data Record
  --------------- ---------------------------------------------------------

#  APPENDIX B: DEFINITIONS {#appendix-b-definitions .unnumbered}

+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Acceptance       | the process of verifying that the system is       |
| Testing          | functional, robust, and meets the                 |
|                  | business/science needs by piloting the system     |
| (aka User        | with business/science users                       |
| Acceptance       |                                                   |
| Testing)         |                                                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| String testing   | the testing of a collection of units that have a  |
|                  | logical relationship or flow from the user's      |
|                  | perspective                                       |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| System Testing   | the process of verifying that the system is       |
|                  | completely functional and robust enough for user  |
|                  | interaction and use. System testing covers many   |
|                  | different aspects including functional testing,   |
|                  | volume/performance testing, and multi-user        |
|                  | testing.                                          |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Unit testing     | the testing of a particular, discrete function of |
|                  | the application..                                 |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
|                  |                                                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
|                  |                                                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
|                  |                                                   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+

# APPENDIX C: RELATIONSHIPS WITH NOAA ENTITIES {#appendix-c-relationships-with-noaa-entities .unnumbered}

![](media/image15.png){width="6.102777777777778in"
height="7.372222222222222in"}

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc174346322 .anchor}Figure 17: Relationships with
NDE NOAA

Approval Page

+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Document Numbers:                  | **NO-1**                        |
|                                    |                                 |
| NOAA/NESDIS                        | **July28, 2005**                |
|                                    |                                 |
| **(TBD) Series**                   | **DCN** OSDNDEPP 1.0            |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Document Title Block:              |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
| **NPOESS Data Exploitation (NDE)** |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
| **Project Plan\                    |                                 |
| **                                 |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **PROJECT:** NPOESS Data           | **DOCUMENT RELEASE DATE:**      |
| Exploitation                       | (v1.0 August 10, 2005)          |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **APPROVALS**                      |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Approved by: Office of Systems     | Approved by: Office of Systems  |
| Development DATE                   | Development DATE                |
|                                    |                                 |
| NAME: Mike Mignogno, Polar Program | NAME: H. James Silva, NDE       |
| Manager                            | Project Manager                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Approved by: NDE Management Board  | Approved by:                    |
| DATE                               |                                 |
|                                    | NAME:                           |
|   -------------------- ----------  |                                 |
|   NAME:                Date: / /   |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
|   NAME:                Date: / /   |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
|   NAME:                Date: / /   |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
|   NAME:                Date: / /   |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
|   NAME:                Date: / /   |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
|   NAME:                Date: / /   |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
|   NAME:                Date: / /   |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
|   NAME:                Date: / /   |                                 |
|   -------------------- ----------  |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
| NAME:                              |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Approved by: DATE                  | Approved by: DATE               |
|                                    |                                 |
| NAME:                              | NAME:                           |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Approved by: DATE                  | Approved by: DATE               |
|                                    |                                 |
| NAME:                              | NAME:                           |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| **RELEASE APPROVAL: DATE**         |                                 |
|                                    |                                 |
| NAME:                              |                                 |
+------------------------------------+---------------------------------+

Document Change Notice

+---+----------+-------+------+--------------------+-----+-----------+
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| C |          |       |      | **Polar NPOESS     |     | **1** of  |
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| - |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 2 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 4 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| w |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| i |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| t |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| h |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| c |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| h |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| a |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| n |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| g |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| e |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| p |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| a |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| g |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| e |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 4 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| . |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 5 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| - |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 2 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 4 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| ; |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| d |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| e |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| l |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| e |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| t |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| e |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| p |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| a |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| g |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| e |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| s |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 4 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| . |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 5 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| - |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 2 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 5 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| t |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| h |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| r |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| o |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| u |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| g |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| h |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 4 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| . |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 5 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| - |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 3 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| 0 |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| * |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| * |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| * |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| \ |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| " |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| * |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
| * |          |       |      |                    |     |           |
+---+----------+-------+------+--------------------+-----+-----------+

Version Description Record

+-----+-------------+-----+-------+------+------------+-------------+
| DO  |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| CUM |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ENT |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| TIT |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| LE: |             |     |       |      |            |             |
|     |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| *   |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| NPO |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ESS |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| D   |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ata |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| Exp |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| loi |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| tat |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ion |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| P   |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| roj |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ect |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| Pl  |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| an* |             |     |       |      |            |             |
|     |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| No  |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| n-N |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| OAA |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| Po  |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| lar |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| Sat |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ell |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ite |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| Ser |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ies |             |     |       |      |            |             |
+-----+-------------+-----+-------+------+------------+-------------+
| DO  |             |     | SY    |      | DOCUMENT   |             |
| CUM |             |     | STEM: |      | BASELINE   |             |
| ENT |             |     | TBD   |      | ISSUE      |             |
| N   |             |     |       |      | DATE:      |             |
| UMB |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ER: |             |     |       |      |            |             |
|     |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| Bas |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| eli |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ne: |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| TBD |             |     |       |      |            |             |
|     |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| Cu  |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| rre |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| nt: |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| S   |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ame |             |     |       |      |            |             |
+-----+-------------+-----+-------+------+------------+-------------+
| *   |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| *DO |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| CUM |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ENT |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| CHA |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| NGE |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| HIS |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| TOR |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| Y** |             |     |       |      |            |             |
+-----+-------------+-----+-------+------+------------+-------------+
| DCN | Revi        | D   |       | DCN  | Revis      | Date        |
| No. | sion/Update | ate |       | No.  | ion/Update |             |
|     | Nos.        |     |       |      | Nos.       |             |
+-----+-------------+-----+-------+------+------------+-------------+
| 1   |             |     |       |      |            |             |
+-----+-------------+-----+-------+------+------------+-------------+
| NOT |             |     |       |      |            |             |
| ES: |             |     |       |      |            |             |
+-----+-------------+-----+-------+------+------------+-------------+

Distribution List

+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
| **Loc.**   | **Organ   | **Name**           | **        | *         |
|            | ization** |                    | Address** | *Copies** |
+============+===========+====================+===========+===========+
| **National |           |                    |           |           |
| Oceanic    |           |                    |           |           |
| and        |           |                    |           |           |
| A          |           |                    |           |           |
| tmospheric |           |                    |           |           |
| Admi       |           |                    |           |           |
| nistration |           |                    |           |           |
| (NOAA)**   |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
| **NOAA     |           |                    |           |           |
| Library    |           |                    |           |           |
| and Floor  |           |                    |           |           |
| L          |           |                    |           |           |
| ocations** |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
| **Office   |           |                    |           |           |
| of Systems |           |                    |           |           |
| D          |           |                    |           |           |
| evelopment |           |                    |           |           |
| (OSD)**    |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
| **Office   |           |                    |           |           |
| of         |           |                    |           |           |
| Satellite  |           |                    |           |           |
| Data       |           |                    |           |           |
| Processing |           |                    |           |           |
| &          |           |                    |           |           |
| Di         |           |                    |           |           |
| stribution |           |                    |           |           |
| (OSDPD)**  |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
| ######     |           |                    |           |           |
| Office of  |           |                    |           |           |
| Research A |           |                    |           |           |
| pplication |           |                    |           |           |
| s (STAR) { |           |                    |           |           |
| #office-of |           |                    |           |           |
| -research- |           |                    |           |           |
| applicatio |           |                    |           |           |
| ns-star .u |           |                    |           |           |
| nnumbered} |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
| **NOAA /   |           |                    |           |           |
| Support    |           |                    |           |           |
| Con        |           |                    |           |           |
| tractors** |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
| **NOAA /   |           |                    |           |           |
| Systems    |           |                    |           |           |
| Con        |           |                    |           |           |
| tractors** |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
|            |           |                    |           |           |
+------------+-----------+--------------------+-----------+-----------+

[]{#_6.3.1_Work_and_Schedule_Management .anchor}

[^1]: Report No. 97-311 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT, 1982
    The language of the amendment calls for the termination of weapons
    programs whose total costs grew by more than 25 percent above
    original estimates (unless they were certified as critical systems
    by the Secretary of Defense) or if the cost growth was attributable
    to certain specified changes in the program. These thresholds were
    reached in the NPOESS program by the fall of 2005. NPOESS came under
    the jurisdiction of the amendment because DoD is a project owner and
    because the NPOESS data supports weapons systems.

[^2]: **POLICY ON TRANSITION OF RESEARCH TO APPLICATION, NAO 216-105,**
    Issued: 05/31/05; Effective: 05/17/05

[^3]: National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration Information
    Quality Guidelines, September 30, 2002
    http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/iq.htm

[^4]: These are provided to NDE by the algorithm developers who are
    external to the NDE System Development Project(s).