# Presentation: 181468

## Advanced Warning Operations Course

- Course Overview
- Warning Decision Training Branch

## Overview

- Advanced Warning Operations Course
-  Operational Requirement
-  Course Goal
-  Structure
- Facilitator Workshop
-  Goal
-  Purpose
-  Facilitator Role

## The Requirement

**National Weather Service Mission Statement**
**" *****The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. NWS data and products form a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by other governmental agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global community.***** " ****66**

## NWS Goals

- Tornado Warning - Lead Time
- Tornado Warning - Accuracy
- Tornado Warning – False Alarm Ratio
- Flash Flood Warning – Lead Time
- Flash Flood Warning – Accuracy
- Winter Storm Warning – Lead Time
- Winter Storm Warning – Accuracy
- Hurricane Track Forecasts (48 Hrs)
- Aviation Forecast – Accuracy
- Aviation Forecasts – False Alarm Ratio
- U.S. Seasonal Temperature – Skill
- Precipitation Forecast – Day 3 Accuracy
- Marine Wind Speed – Accuracy
- Marine Wave Height - Accuracy

**7 of 14 NWS GPRA Goals**
**Address Warning Operations**

**Notes:**
WDTB trains in areas that are tracked in 7 of the 14 NWS Government Performance Review Act (GPRA) performance metrics.

## Building Upon WDM

- Warning Decision Making Workshops:

- Which leads to better decision making,

- Which leads to better service.

- Evoke a better understanding of the elements of the warning process
- Science
- Technology
- Human Factors

**Notes:**
Our third and final issue has as much to do with customer needs as resources. The WDM Workshops have been a huge success, but the majority of NWS forecasters that have not had an opportunity to attend get a reduced benefit. How can we bring the WDM Workshop material directly to every forecaster?

## Train-the-Trainer Approach

**Transfer**

- Limitations to Knowledge Transfer

**Notes:**
Our third and final issue has as much to do with customer needs as resources. The WDM Workshops have been a huge success, but the majority of NWS forecasters that have not had an opportunity to attend get a reduced benefit. How can we bring the WDM Workshop material directly to every forecaster?

## AWOC Approach

- AWOC

- Deliver

- Deliver

- Local
- Application

**Transfer**

**Workload**

- AWOC

- Deliver

- Deliver

- Local
- Application

- Establish a Close Training Partnership

**Notes:**
Our third and final issue has as much to do with customer needs as resources. The WDM Workshops have been a huge success, but the majority of NWS forecasters that have not had an opportunity to attend get a reduced benefit. How can we bring the WDM Workshop material directly to every forecaster?

## AWOC Delivery

- Blended Delivery in FY05
- Make Available to Every Forecaster
- Mostly asynchronous delivery
- Web-based modules
- Recorded VISITview sessions
- Explorer Applications (VCP and HDA)
- Student Guides
- Weather Event Simulator exercises
- Some synchronous delivery
- VISITview teletraining or webcasts
- Offered 75 times over a year
- October 2004 through June 2005
- Managed by the NWS Learning Management System

**Notes:**
A first draft outline of the Advanced Warning Operations Course includes: 
A 3 to 3.5 day workshop for all on-site facilitators introducing the facilitator to all elements of the course, and taught by the Subject Matter Experts from NSSL, SPC, ROC and WDTB. To reach all facilitators this workshop would be taught 5 times (24 students each) over a six week period. 
Asynchronous elements include web-based training modules (including objectives, exercises, and exam questions), recorded VISITview sessions, and a minimum of two on-site facilitated Weather Event Simulator exercises. 
 Some synchronous delivery (VISITview teletraining or webcasts) will be repeated numerous time delivered over the first year and offered less often in subsequent years (for mainly new employees). 

## AWOC Structure

- “Provide Warning Decision Making principles to all forecasters”

- Course Divided into Training Tracks
- Each about 10-15 hours
- Each with 5 Components
- Each Track Has Its Own Certificate of Completion

## Core Track

**45 minutes**

**2 hours**

**2.5 hours web,**_**1.5 hours teletraining**_

**2.5 hours**

**1.5 hours**

**25 minutes**

- 11 hours

## Severe Track

**4 hours**

**1.5 hours**

**1.5 hours**

**1.5 hours**

**5 hours****(2.5 per simulation)**

- 15 hours

## AWOC Tests

- A Student will Receive a Certificate for the Core and Severe Tracks after passing each Instructional Component Test
- Instructional Component Post-Test
**70% passing** score *on each test*
- Test may be taken more than once
- Special “Test-out” option
- Recognition that student knowledge varies considerably
- Test-out of entire Instructional Component (all or nothing)
**90% passing** score
- Only one chance to test-out
- Feedback on which lessons contain missed material

## Learning Management System

- Critical for AWOC success
- Collaboration among WDTB, students, and facilitators
- Database of student progress

**WDTB**

**Facilitator**

**Student**

**LMS**

## Facilitator Role

- Monitor student progress
- Tailor training to needs of student; provide your expertise
- Mentor students
- Answer questions; or if need be forward:
- Administrative questions to workshop lead instructor
- Lesson content questions to instructor “groups”
- Provide technical assistance
- Manage office resources for AWOC
- WES simulations
- Teletraining sessions

## Partnerships are critical for AWOC success

**Facilitator**

_**We Need Your Help**_**!**
-  First point of contact for questions
-  Onsite technical assistance
-  Administer evaluations

## An AWOC Partnership Example - Student Questions -

## Your Actions

- Brief Your Office on the AWOC Goals
- Gain LMS Expertise
- Identify Requirements for AWOC Execution
- Develop a Schedule
- Establish Milestones
- Contract with the staff

## AWOC Schedule

- A   S   O   N   D   J   F   M   A   M   J   J   A   S

**Material **
**Posted**

**30**

**Teletraining **
**Registration**
**Opens**

**28**

**Core Track Teletraining**

**Severe Wx Track Teletraining**

**9**

**12**

**16**

**AWOC**
**Ends**

**30**

**Facilitation**
**Workshops**

## Transferring TrainingInto Performance

- When training is the only intervention provided:
- Low transfer rates to performance
- Typical range: 10-30% (most on lower end)
- Management is the key
- All Stakeholders to AWOC Success Must Be Involved

## AWOC Stakeholder Strategies

- NWS Director
- Announce high priority of AWOC
- Regional Directors
- Affirms AWOC’s high priority
- Implements Regional Reporting System
- MICs/HICs
- Establishes high priority within office
- Puts AWOC into office training plans
- Allows dedicated training time for completion

## AWOC Principles

**AWOC Principles**

**The warning program is a core mission****of the NWS**** **
**AWOC directly addresses the science and ****human factors associated with this mission**** **
**Blended delivery leverages the strengths****of distance learning with on-site facilitation**
**Transferring training into performance ****requires active management support **