# Presentation: 002411

## A Tale of Two Integrated Science Centers

- Your Logo Here

- The** Florida Integrated Science Center**
- and the
**Alaska Science Center **

## Conversations with FISC staff have made it clear we need to know more about the situation at the Alaska Science Center (ASC)—the other large-scale attempt to develop an integrated science center, and one that pre-dates the FISC.  Conversations with the Alaska Center Director and some of the staff indicate clearly that the integrated center there has not failed. Change has been difficult for some, and others have resisted change. But many have embraced or accepted change and are moving forward. The following is a comparison of the two centers. The comparisons are not one to one. They are two different centers in personality, size, distribution and mission.

- Questions about the Alaska Science Center

## Purpose of the Integrated Science Center

**ASC: Create a single USGS organization where there were four in order to better address for the natural resource issues & hazards assessments in Alaska & circumpolar regions, with emphasis on those important to the DOI.**
**FISC: Bring together Florida-based units of the USGS in ways that will provide better natural science to the DOI and the people of Florida, the Southeast, and the Nation.**

## Organizational Structure: ASC                                     236 employees, 7 locations

**ASC has Office Chiefs instead of Deputy Directors.**
**Facilities and Warehouse are part of Administrative Services.**

## Organizational Structure FISC                                  480 employees, in 12 locations

## Identified Hurdles to be Overcome

**ASC**
**Most scientists & support staff in Anchorage located in two buildings several miles apart**
**Cultural differences among the four disciplines**
**Few common business practices**
**Differing levels of admin. support for the disciplines**
**No centralized line authority**
**No major ongoing efforts in integrated science**

**FISC**
-  **Scientists & support staff in 12 locations across 480 miles**
** ****Cultural differences among our three disciplines**
** ****Few common business   practices**
**  ****Differing levels of admin. support for the disciplines**
** ****No common vision**
** ****Consolidating IT, Pubs and Outreach**

## Communication Musts: ASC

**The Center Director is officially a Deputy Regional Director and a member of Western Leadership Team **
**DRD/Center Director is senior USGS official in AK; meets regularly with senior DOI officials; provides scientific leadership for Secretary & DOI bureaus in AK **
**Office Chiefs (OC) represent ASC at discipline meetings & with cooperators **
**DRD/CD represents Secretary on North Pacific Research Board**
**Engage Western Region External Affairs to highlight USGS activities and products**
**Create fledgling ASC website**
**Create a new ASC fact sheet & poster**

## Communication Musts:FISC

**A single Regional Executive represents FISC to the Regional Leadership Team**
**We must use mechanisms (e.g. e-mail aliases) to communicate same information to all FISC staff at the same time**
**We must continue to use our Intranet site to provide up-to-date information that is easily accessible to everyone**
**We must constantly improve all forms of communication, outreach, and information technology **
**We must identify roles and responsibilities and sources of directives and requests: Reston, FISC, CARS, CWRS, CCWS**
**We must expedite development of FISC fact sheets for partners and the public**
**We must try harder!!!**

## Ongoing and Future Directions: ASC

**Enhance the effectiveness & efficiency of the ASC’s admin services to ASC staff**
**Implement USGS common business practices**
**Capitalize on opportunities to more fully integrate USGS science in AK**
**Participate in the USGS science planning process to increase the width & depth of USGS science in AK**
**Finalize draft ASC strategic plan**
**Develop plan for construction of new science building**
**Increase public awareness of utility of USGS science in AK & the Arctic**
**Detail the product models available and list specific prices for each model and additional options.**

## Ongoing and Future Directions:FISC

**Enhance integrated science activities underway where needed;**
**Identify other needs and opportunities for integrated science;**
**Develop more effective ways of working together across disciplinary boundaries;**
**Apply a greater range of expertise to priority issues and problems;**
**Acquire a fuller understanding of natural systems and their responses;**
**Seek effective partnerships with universities that give us access to specialized expertise and scientific support services and help us to meet our facility needs;**
**Continue to provide our customers and constituents with traditional services and make them aware of our enhanced capabilities in interdisciplinary and integrated science.**

## Lessons Learned: ASC

**Communicate**
**Team Build**
**Strive for consensus**
**Be flexible**
**Think “out of the box”**
**Empower subordinates**
**Get & maintain strong support from top USGS leaders**
**Think integration**
**Exercise “organizational patience”**

## Lessons Being Learned: FISC

**Communicate the vision of the FISC**
**Listen to and heed what staff have to say**
**Strive for consensus, but don’t shrink from making hard decisions when necessary**
**Break out of the box**
**Think integration when looking for science needs and opportunities**
**Win and maintain the support of regional and national USGS leadership **
**Develop a strategic science plan as soon as possible so decisions can be evaluated in terms of science goals**
**Find ways to increase efficiency of support services while delivering more effective services to scientists**

## Rules for Success: ASC

**The ASC was created for the good of the bureau**
**Line supervision through disciplinary supervisors to the DRD; in consultation with Regional Executives (REXs)**
**Staffing decisions of disciplinary supervisors will be collaborative between DRD and REXs**
**Programmatic leadership & responsibility will be the responsibility of the REXs; in consultation with DRD**
**Historic responsibilities will be honored**
**Relationships to customers, clients, & partners will be fostered by the ASC, not impaired**
**The Western Region will continue to find opportunities for increased program support in AK for all USGS scientists**

## Rules for Success: FISC

**Remember that the FISC was created for the good of the bureau and for the public it is committed to serve.**
**Do nothing unless it will benefit our PEOPLE, our PROGRAMS, and our PARTNERS; we must make:**
**new opportunities for career development and enhancement;**
**excellence and relevance of science a major goal in all decisions;**
**ever better products for our customers.**
**Empower our scientists to make important decisions concerning the future of our organization.**
**Be prepared to change course when mistakes are made**
**Continue to rely on the Eastern Region to find opportunities for increased program support of the FISC and our scientists**.