# Presentation: 276431

## The Bureau Science Strategy as of March, 29 2006

*Martin Goldhaber & Kevin Gallagher*

**Notes:**
Our interpretation of the charter is pretty literal.  This about the big picture
The committee is composed of scientists so it will be a science based plan.  Won’t focus on PART and GIPRA
The committee is committed almost to the point of despiration to produce a strategy that Bureau managers and scientists can buy into

## Science Strategy

**Notes:**
This will be an overview of the science strategy process.  It’s a snapshot because the process is evolving as we speak, but I can tell you where we’re at now. 

## Our Interpretation: Consider the  View from a High Altitude!   Engage the Entire Bureau.  Science-Based

**“...****a comprehensive vision, science goals and priorities that unite all bureau capabilities toward challenges for the future ...”**
**“...****a big picture focus that is forward looking with clear concise goals and objectives.** “

_***Our Charter***_***:***

**Notes:**
Our interpretation of the charter is pretty literal.  This about the big picture
The committee is composed of scientists so it will be a science based plan.  Won’t focus on PART and GIPRA
The committee is committed almost to the point of despiration to produce a strategy that Bureau managers and scientists can buy into

## What is the USGS Science Strategy?

- The USGS Science Strategy is a unified bureau-wide planning effort that will provide the USGS a renewed and shared strategic science vision, and one that will encourage imagination and resourcefulness, which are engines of scientific inquiry.   This strategy will unite our diverse scientific talents and capabilities and take advantage of our strengths, unique positions, and potential roles, while keeping us focused on serving important societal needs.

## Why do we need a USGS Science Strategy?

- There is broad scientific consensus in the United States and worldwide that the Earth is facing enormous pressure from burgeoning human populations and societal activities.  The problems associated with observing, understanding, interpreting, and managing natural resources transcends our traditional USGS structure, and requires broad interdisciplinary thinking and action.  The science strategy will be a definition of priority areas and opportunities where USGS can make scientific advances to serve society's and the Nation’s pressing needs.

## Who is the audience for the USGS Science Strategy?

- There are three major audiences:
- The scientists and program managers of the USGS;
- the stakeholders and customers of our information and science, including DOI; and,
- the scientific community at large, who look to us to be leaders in provision of Earth System Science.

## WILL IT MATTER?

**“****USGS scientists and managers will use the new science strategy to set science priorities for the next decade, to guide the design of scientific investigations, and to help make important decisions concerning the investment of resources, such as budget initiatives and workforce development and deployment.** **”**
**	****from Pat Leahy memo to workforce, 2/10/06**
***Interpretation: It matters; propose a strategy that will result in a USGS that is as good as it can be***

**Constraints**
***Timeline is six months!***

**Notes:**
The issue of the impact of the science strategy is of obvious concern to folks in this room both PC’s and REX’s.  
	I spent long enough in my rotational assignment as CS to learn quite a bit about the job of Program Coordinator
	The PC is one of the most difficult and challenging jobs in the USGS
	Charged with assuring that the USGS performs in accordance with our contract with both the Congress and the executive branch
	certainly direct the application of the vast majority of USGS financial resources and are a real key to the science we do.

The six month timeline is terrifying and really focuses the mind.
Give Paul’s overview.  

## Initial Steps

**  ****All hands email from Pat Leahy**
**  ****Implemented a Lotus Notes ‘Quickplace’ site for ****	****collaboration among the team members**
**  ****Established a weekly conference call**
**  ****Set up an Email drop box**
**  ****Set up Intranet site (updated weekly); bios, FAQ’s**
**  *****Established a ******communications****** subcommittee***
**  ****Developed and summarized a reading list of ****	****‘visioning’ documents**
**  ****Developed an Approach**

***Initial Steps***

**Notes:**
Some of these initial steps were just mechanical
The real initial step was to choose the committee members

## Launching the process

**February 6-7**

**Initial Meeting**
** ****in Reston**

**Literature Review & Summary**

**Feb 8-27**

***Launching the process***

**Second Meeting in **
**Fort Collins**

**Feb 28, **
**March 1**

**Notes:**
Locker room speech from the BPC.
Met twice 
Debreifing session the Director and the BPC
At the Reston Meetings, we took a look at the time line and decided that we needed to jump start the process by making a series of reading assignments to committee members and have these documents summarized for the rest of the group.

We disucssed the outcome of the reading assignments at a two day meeting in Fort Collns

## Our Approach:

**Define a hierarchical structure**
**Societal Issue**
**	****	****Challenge**
**	****	****	****Science Questions**
**	****	****	****	****Role of Science**
**	****	****	****	****	****Role of the USGS**
-  **Plus**: **Cross-Cutting Issues **
**	****	****	**
**   ****Reviewed Existing Visioning documents and took an initial shot at populating the top three levels (Fort Collins meeting)**

**Notes:**
5 year plans 

 What constitutes a societal benefit area?  You can probably list most of  them off the  top of your head.  Health, Understanding the impact of  climate change, addressing hazards. The committee has intentionally taken a splitter rather than a lumper attitude at this point.  The idea is that the more granular approach may elicit some ideas that the lumping would not.  For example, we may choose to separate biodiversity from ecosystem issues at this point whereas later we may or may not combine them in some fashion.  Likewise we may split water from energy and minerals although later they may both reside under the resources rubric.

## Draft Societal Issues (These are tentative: Additions and combinations are expected based on feedback from our outreach efforts.)

- Biodiversity
- Climate
- Ecosystems
- Energy and Minerals
- Health
- Landscape Change
- Natural Hazards
- Water

## Example Societal Issue: Water

**Challenge: **How do we ensure sufficient quality and quantity of water for a sustainable society and environment?
**Science Question: **How much water do we have? How much water is available in our surface and ground waters?
**Science Question: **How variable is the amount and quality of water available for human activities and environmental needs? What do we need to know about surface and ground water interactions to more wisely manage these resources?
**Science Question**: Given competing demands for available water supply, how can we balance needs such as providing sufficient water of adequate quality for maintaining aquatic life with other needs such as municipal and agricultural supply?

## The Near Future

**March 18**

**April 30**

**Third Meeting in **
**Menlo Park**

**April 3-5**

***The Near Future***

**Obtain input from “SAG” and STs**

**Prepare For External Outreach**

**Notes:**
So; what does the future hold

I don’t think we should worry about the constrained funding situation or Washington politics in the context of a 10 year plan.

## The Near Future

**  ****Develop an outreach document and focused questions for internal and external information seeking (By April 10)**
**  ****Prepare for other outreach efforts.**

***The Near Future***

**Notes:**
We fully realize that all wisdom does not reside within the SST.  So we have established a two step process outreach process.  The first step is limited in terms of the number of people who will have input, and it’s strictly designed to get an initial  quick read on the top three levels of our hierarchy to make sure we haven't left out something obvious. The reason that the number of people contacted is limited is that we need a rapid turnaround in order to use the information for the next, more extensive part of the outreach strategy.  The feedback from the SAG and ST’s will be used in coordination with one or more framing documents that will be an important part of our outreach strategy

## Getting Input:

**Internal input: (in Process- Communications**
** ****sub-team, Leadership 201 –**** ****Action Learning Scenario****)**
**Specific groups;**** **
**PCs **
**REXs**
**Chief Scientists**
**Team Chief Scientists**
**Senior Scientists (STs) **
**Science Advisory Group (SAG)**
**Focus groups**
**All Employee Input; mechanism TBD**

**Notes:**
The outreach strategy is presently under active consideration
But it will definitely include some major groups within the bureau
Speak to PC’s

## Input from Partners, Clients, Customers 

**	****feedback from DOI using DOI R&D Council**
** ****National Listening Session – May 1, Wash. D.C.**
** ****USGS Coalition and other interest groups**
** ****Contacts suggested by BPC, PC’s REX’s ****	****and others.**

**Input from Partners, Clients, Customers**

## Rough Timeline;

**JULY**

**JUNE**

**MAY**

**March**

**WRITE REPORT**;

**SYNTHESIS;**

**COLLECT **
**OUTREACH**
**DATA**

**PREPARE DETAILED OUTREACH STRATEGY**;

**APRIL**

*WE ARE HERE*

## YOUR ASSISTANCE WILL BE APPRECIATED

***YOUR ASSISTANCE WILL BE APPRECIATED***

**Notes:**
The process is dynamic!! Flux

## Slide 19

## Begin with the end in mind

_***Begin with the end in mind***_

## Slide 21

## What are some of the committees top concerns

- Making sure that views from inside the USGS get a full airing
- Making sure that there’s buy-in from internal and key external constituencies
- Making sure that major supporters see themselves in the document
- Making sure that the benefits of the proposed strategies are clear to key internal and external constituencies

## Questions?