Proposal Would Reduce The Number Of Centers From 21 To 2

A report issued this week from the Government Accounting Office (GAO) suggests that a plan put forth by FAA and NWS to consolidate 21 enroute weather centers down to 2 could "degrade aviation operations and safety—and the agencies may not know it."

The proposal under consideration involves consolidating 20 of the 21 existing weather service center units into two locations, with one at the Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and the other at a new National Centers for Environmental Prediction office planned for the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Missouri center is expected to handle the southern half of the United States while the Washington, D.C., center is expected to handle the northern half of the United States. NWS plans for the two new units to be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and to function as back-up sites for each other. These new units would continue to use existing forecasting systems and tools to develop products and services.

NWS has proposed a tentative time frame for transitioning to the new organizational structure over a 3-year period. During the first year after FAA accepts the proposal, NWS plans to develop a transition plan and conduct a 9-month demonstration of the concept in order to ensure that the new structure will not degrade its services. Agency officials estimated that initial operating capability would be achieved by the end of the second year after FAA approval and full operating capability by the end
of the third year.

The primary concern of the GAO is that neither the FAA nor NWS have established a baseline for performance measurement that would evaluate the success of the consolidation. Having a clear understanding of an organization’s current performance—a baseline—
is essential to determining whether new initiatives (like the proposed restructuring) result in improved or degraded products and services, GAO says in their report.

If the agencies move forward with plans to restructure aviation weather services, the report concludes, they face significant challenges including a poor record of interagency collaboration, undocumented requirements, and a lack of assurance that this plan fits in the broader vision of NextGen. In addition, efforts to implement the restructuring will require a feasible schedule, a comprehensive demonstration, and a solid plan for technology transition. Until these challenges are addressed, GAO says, the proposed restructuring of aviation weather services at en route centers has little chance of success.

FMI: www.gao.gov/new.items/d09761.pdf