The indicator tracks the percentage of progress made toward achieving full operating capability of the Commerce Department’s SSA function. The milestones account for multiple developments including expansion of human resources, establishment of Commerce personnel at thThis indicator tracks the percentage of progress made toward achieving full operating capability of the Commerce Department’s SSA function under presidential Space Policy Directive 3. The milestones account for multiple developments including expansion of human resources, deepening collaboration with the Department of Defense and other stakeholders, establishment of an open architecture data repository for SSA information sharing with industry, providing a proving ground for controlled experimentation and collaboration with academia, and declarations of initial and full operational capability.e Defense Department’s existing SSA operations center, development of data standards and an open architecture data repository for SSA information sharing with industry, demonstration and testing of DOD data dissemination and fusion, and declaration of operational capability. Space Policy Directive-3 requires the Department’s new SSA function to achieve full operating capability by 2024.

NOAA is consolidating activities for the NAVSTA Newport, RI location. Currently NOAA has two ships homeported at NAVSTA, the Henry B. Bigelow and Okeanos Explorer. In order to remain in compliance with the CENOTE Act, NOAA is required to co-locate with the Navy whenever possible to increase technological sharing capabilities. This consolidation aligns with NOAA's regional facilities plans. The OMAO consolidation has milestones to complete design (FY22), and then FY23 issuance of an RFP and award of the contract.

For each reported flash flood event, the flash flood warning lead-time is the difference in minutes between the issuance of a flash flood warning and the onset of a geographically corresponding flash flood event. The lead times for all flash flood events, within the United States and territories served by the National Weather Service, are averaged to calculate the national average flash flood warning lead-time metric for a given fiscal year. This average includes all warned events with zero lead times and all unwarned events. Historically, flash flood warnings were issued and verified on a countywide basis. Starting in FY 2010, the storm-based warnings were implemented with verification based solely for the areas impacted by the warning and event.

This measure tracks the number of protected species stocks for which adequate assessments are available. Assessments are vital to determine the scientific basis for supporting and evaluating the impact of management actions. To be deemed adequate, assessments must be based on recent quantitative or qualitative analysis sufficient to determine current stock status based on a variety of data category levels (e.g., life history, threats, stock structure, assessment quality, assessment frequency, and abundance), and conservation status. Stock status projections are highly dependent on survey frequencies, assessment time frames, and fiscal constraints. This measure covers the protected species stocks covered by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) or listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The number of such stocks continues to increase as new species are listed and as new stocks of listed species and marine mammals are identified— the latter typically indicates increased knowledge about population stock structure.

This measure tracks the percentage of Fish Stock Sustainability Index (FSSI) fish stocks for which adequate assessments are available. Assessments are vital to determine the scientific basis for supporting and evaluating the impact of fishery management actions. To be deemed adequate, assessments must be based on recent quantitative information sufficient to determine current stock status (abundance and mortality) relative to established reference levels and to forecast stock status under different management scenarios

The measure is a proxy for the useful forecast lead time of the GFS beyond the current forecasts skill and is computed as a three-year moving average over the range of forecast days into the future. It is defined as the day (including fractional day) that the value drops below 0.6 in the deterministic GFS forecast. Dropping below 0.6 indicates the point at which a forecast loses useful skill. Extending lead time in prediction of future weather events allows people to make informed choices and enables protection of life, property, and enhancement of the National economy. Target is measured in days.

Temperature outlooks are used by sectors of the U.S. economy, such as energy, agriculture, transportation, etc. as one factor in resource decision making. Temperature outlooks are reported as the probability of temperature being above normal or below normal or, where no definite guidance can be provided, equal chances. This is the cumulative skill calculated for regions where predictions are made.

The lower this measure is the better, so being below the target is exceeded and above the target is not met. Visibility and cloud ceiling forecasts are critical for aircraft safety and efficient operations. When visibility or cloud ceilings are low, pilots rely on instruments to navigate instead of visual reconnaissance. The Federal Aviation Administration establishes Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) thresholds—visibility less than three statute miles and/or cloud ceilings at, or below, 1000 feet—for safety. NWS assesses the quality of IFR threshold forecasts in response to these requirements. Fundamental statistical metrics, specifically Probability of Detection (POD) and False Alarm Ratio (FAR), are used to track IFR forecast performance. Probability of Detection (POD), also known as Accuracy, is a ratio that describes the number of times IFR is correctly forecasted compared to the total number of IFR occurrences. FAR is a ratio that describes the number of IFR forecasts when IFR was not observed compared to the total number of forecast attempts. These two metrics must always be used in conjunction, as one can be improved at the expense of the other. Greater accuracy and a minimized FAR result in safer flights and fewer flight delays; conversely, poorer accuracy and an increased FAR result in a greater incidence of unnecessary flight delays.

*Please also note that a FAR is is the number of false alarms per the total number of warnings. So if a FAR actual is higher than the target, then the target has not been met. If the actual is the same number or less, then it has been met or exceeded.

A winter storm warning provides NOAA customers and partners advanced notice of a hazardous winter weather event that endangers life or property, or provides an impediment to commerce. Winter storm warnings are issued for winter weather phenomena like blizzards, ice storms, heavy sleet, and heavy snow. This performance indicator measures the advance warning lead time in hours of winter storm events. Improving the accuracy and advance warnings of winter storms enables the public to take the necessary steps to prepare for disruptive winter weather conditions.

Weather information users are surveyed continuously by means of a web-based, pop-up survey on NWS web pages throughout the Nation. A sample size of approximately 6,000 responses is collected quarterly for a maximum of 24,000 annual responses. The Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) score is calculated as a weighted average of three survey questions that measure different facets of satisfaction with NWS services. American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) researchers use proprietary software technology to estimate the weighting. The three questions include the overall satisfaction of NWS services, expectations of service, and a comparison to an ideal organization. Indexes are reported on a 0 to 100 scale. The CSI was started in the United States in 1994 by researchers at the University of Michigan, in conjunction with the American Society for Quality in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and CFI Group in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Index was developed to provide information on satisfaction with the quality of products and services available to consumers. The survey data serve as inputs to an econometric model that benchmarks customer satisfaction with more than 300 companies in 43 industries and 10 economic sectors, as well as various services of federal and local government agencies.