8-10. ExOB Discussions on
Development Test Center
WRF ExOB Meeting
U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, D.C.
28 April 2006
1
ExOB Discussion (#8 on agenda): Scope
Objective: Define the strategic activities for which major segments of the
community are expecting DTC to provide services or functions.
Ensure each maps to DTC goals.
What is the correct scope of DTC?
A. What are the functions and services DTC must provide?
B. What are consequences to WRF partners’ investments if a
sustainable DTC with the above functions and services
is not available?
C. What are the strategic activities into which DTC
functions and services can be organized?
2
Proposal - Scope of DTC - 1
Strategic Activity
Services & Functions Provided
1. Management of WRF
Community Software
(Maps to DTC Goals 1, 2)
• WRF system software version control
• CMI software support
• Prioritization of CMI development
• Definition of Reference code
2. Community Support
(Maps to DTC
Goals 3,4,5, 6)
• Ref. support/documentation/porting/tutorials
• Community workshops & WRF system prioritization
• Visiting scientist program (also maps to T&E of CC)
• Data and case archival, data flow
• Ensemble modeling & post-processing support
• Verification system development and maintenance
• Maintain operations-like test environment
3. Test & Evaluation of
Contributed Codes
(Maps to DTC Goal 7)
• Test contribut’d codes for elevation to reference status
• Establish interoperability for elevated codes
• NWP science support
3
Proposal - Scope of DTC - 2
Continued from previous slide
Strategic Activity*
4. Test & Evaluation of
Ref. & Ops. Codes
(Maps to DTC Goal 8)
5. Test & Evaluation for
Transition to Ops.
(Maps to DTC Goal 9, 10)
Services & Functions Provided
• Testing & evaluation of Reference codes
• Testing & evaluation of operational codes
• Testing & eval. of ensemble modeling techniques
• Specific candidate improvements intended for possible
operational implementation undergo testing and
evaluations steps.
*NOTE – Administration is an additional required area for which DTC
has costs, but it is a non-strategic activity.
4
ExOB Discussion (#9 on agenda): Management structure
Objective: Define appropriate management structure to operate DTC and
meet agency requirements for resource oversight.
1. What management structure is necessary for DTC?
How to provide accountability for…
A. Planning process? (to member agencies)
B. Resources? (to member agencies)
C. Services provided? (to entire user Community)
2. How to empower Director, who will be accountable for the above?
5
Proposal – Management Plan for DTC - 1
• Accountability for Planning: The DTC will present an annual
plan for approval to a Program Management Council
consisting of one senior representative from each agency
providing significant resources to DTC.
• Accountability for Resources: The DTC must be accountable
through the DTC Director to the participating agencies
that provide its resources.
- Activities must satisfy and be mapped to DTC goals.
- Spending plan must provide evidence that funds have been directed
according to agency priorities.
- DTC must provide deliverables or services that meet agency
requirements commensurate with level of resources provided and
documented in approved plans.
- Documentation of results/deliverables will be summarized in an annual
report to the DTC Program Management Council.
6
Proposal – Management Plan for DTC - 2
• Accountability for Services The DTC must be accountable to
the entire user Community for the quality of support
services it provides.
- Biannual review of services conducted by DTC Advisory Board,
including separate sections written by representatives of research
and operations branches of the community.
- Biannual review by DTC Advisory Board will be reviewed by the DTC
Director and forwarded to the Program Management Council
with comments as the Director considers necessary.
• Accountability to the Director: All personnel of the DTC,
whether located at the central facility in Boulder or at other
nodes receiving DTC funds must be accountable to the DTC
Director.
7
ExOB Discussion (#10 on agenda): Concept for DTC Resourcing
Objective: Develop conceptual plan for shared resource commitments.
1. What resource allocation plan will best satisfy agency requirements
for accountability?
A. Activities for which shared resourcing could be mandatory?
Non-strategic (administration):
Strategic:
B. Activities for which agency resourcing might be targeted (optional)?
Strategic:
2. What sort of interagency agreement is most appropriate for DTC?
8
ExOB Discussion #10 (Continued): Staffing and Priority Functions
Objective: Provide guidance identifying highest priority services/functions vs.
likely resources.
3. What are the highest priority services and functions without which the
DTC is not worth sustaining?
4.
What is the most realistic level of resources (approx.) that can be
provided to DTC on a sustainable basis?
9
Proposal – Shared Resource Plan for DTC
Resource Allocation: Resources of participating agencies must
be allocated by those agencies among the strategic and
non-strategic DTC activities.
- Shared: Certain activities require shared responsibility for resourcing
by all participants. (equal or by another formula?)
• Non-Strategic activities (administration)
• Strategic activities (e.g., software management)
- Targeted: Other activities may be suitable for agencies to assign or
withhold its resources, according to its mission and
requirements.
• Strategic activities (e.g., visiting scientist program, code transition
for operations)
• Resources Commitment: Participating agencies must have
an interagency agreement on DTC and its resourcing.
(memorandum of understanding ?)
10
Summary and Take-Aways:
Key Points?
Action Items?
11
Backup
12
DTC Goals - 1
1.
Link the research and operational NWP communities.
2.
Define and maintain WRF Reference codes.
3.
Develop and maintain verification tools and procedures for
conducting NWP model evaluations.
4.
Support WRF Reference codes for user community.
5.
Maintain an archive of observations and model results.
6.
Provide opportunities for NWP community to perform cycled
or real-time tests of model and data assimilation systems.
Note: Goals are based on DTC briefing 8, ExOB Meeting of Jan. 5, 2006
13
DTC Goals - 2
7.
Test and evaluate promising new NWP codes and techniques
for inclusion as WRF contributed code and possible
elevation to reference code.
8.
Test and evaluate strengths and weaknesses of WRF
Reference codes and current operational systems.
9.
Accelerate the pace of transitioning new science from research
to operations.
10. Accelerate improvement of weather forecasts.
14
Possible DTC Staffing Plan for Expansion and
Resource Requirements (per year cost in thousands)
FTE
Burdened $
current FTE
Current Burdened $
1.50
1.00
1.25
0.50
0.25
2.75
555.00
95.00
50.00
198.00
15.00
2.00
20.00
10.00
40.00
985.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
8.00
402.00
402.00
402.00
402.00
1608.00
2.00
0.50
2.50
369.84
92.46
0.00
0.00
462.30
2.00
1.00
1.00
2.00
2.00
1.00
0.50
0.50
92.46
92.92
0.50
71.76
0.00
0.00
9.00
402.00
202.00
202.00
312.00
312.00
202.00
500.00
2132.00
1.50
257.14
0.50
1.00
1.00
2.00
4.50
80.00
200.00
200.00
400.00
880.00
0.50
73.60
0.00
0.00
0.00
73.60
24.25
5605.00
6.25
Admnistration
Director+Deputy Director
Administrative Assistant III
Travel
Office space (5,613 sq ft)
Journal Publications
Office supplies
Computer workstations at DTC
HW/SW maintenance on computers
WRF Web Page Support
subtotal
425.50
43.70
40.00
2.00
10.00
0.00
521.20
1.75
Test and Evaluation
Testing & Evaluation of Cont/Ref code
Testing & Evaluation of Operatiional Code
Verification Development and Maintenance
Transition to Operations
subtotal
WRF Support to the Community
NMM Support/Documentation/Port
Rapid Refresh
ARW Support/Documentation
Visitor Program Support
Data Flow and Archival
Ensemble Modeling and Postprocessing Support
Visiting Scientists Program
subtotal
WRF Modeling System Support
Software Version Control
CMI Software Support
NWP Science Support
Assimilation System Support
subtotal
TOTAL Costs
0.50
15
1314.24