Gene Whitney

Assistant Director for Environment Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Office of the President

COMMUNICATING GEOSCIENCES TO POLICYMAKERS:

PERSPECTIVE FROM OSTP

OFFICE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLICYEXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Dr. John H. Marburger III, Director and President’s Science Advisor

50 staff20 Ph.D. scientists

OSTP dual roles:

1. Reactive: Ensure that President and Administration officials are fully informed about current scientific and technical issues (many!)

2. Pro-active: Develop interagency strategies to implement President’s science and technology priorities.

Aquaculture

Human Subjects Research

IWG Dom. Animal Genomics

IWG Plant Genome

Global Change Research

US Group on Earth Observations

Technology Dev.

Nanoscale Science, Eng.& Technology

Biotechnology

Aerospace

Networking Information & Technology

National Security R&D

Radiological/Nuclear Countermeasures

International

Social, Behavioral & Econ.

Infrastructure

IWG Physics of the Universe

WMD Medical Countermeasures

Standards

Health and the Environment.

Large Scale Science

Education & Workforce Dev.

Research Business Models

Disaster Reduction

Ecosystems

Toxics & Risks

Water Availability & Quality

Air Quality Research

Oceans

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCILNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCILCommittees, Subcommittees and Working GroupsCommittees, Subcommittees and Working Groups

Future of Land Imaging

Science Env. & Nat. Res. Technology Nat. & Home Sec.

Key Earth science components

Some Earth Science Issues of National and Global Concern

• Climate change • mechanisms (e.g., paleoclimate)• impacts (e.g., disasters)• mitigation (e.g., carbon sequestration)

• Water availability and quality• Energy supply / materials supply• Nuclear waste disposal - Yucca Mountain• Earth observations & monitoring• Natural hazards and disasters• Coastal and ocean processes and management• Earth science from space and planetary science• Etc.

Scientist brain:

Data Interpretation Hypothesis Test

………. ± Position

Politician brain:

Position Search for support Data

HOW BRAINS WORK

EconomicsLaws &

Regulations

DomesticPolitics Science &

Technology

DECISION orPOLICY

InternationalPolitics

MoralsEthics

How decisionsare made:

How do policy makers become informed about scientific issues?

1. Individual study

2. Staff work

3. Expert briefings or testimony*

4. Dialog with or tutorials from scientists*

* Involvement of scientists or societies

Why are you communicating with policy makers or decision makers?

To inform a policy or decision

To persuade?

Who should do it?

FIVE SKILLS A SCIENTIST NEEDS TO INFORM POLICY

(1) Ability to communicate technical issues in layman's terms.

(2) Ability to communicate the uncertainty inherent in scientific information without sending the message that there is no “right answer”.

(3) Ability to effectively communicate possible consequences or outcomes of decisions using scenarios.

(4) Ability to understand how scientific information might be used (or misused) by proponents of either side of an issue.

(5) Ability to actively participate in a highly confrontational or contentious policy debate without losing sight of the objective scientific evidence.

TEN STEPS FOR SCIENTISTS TO AFFECT POLICY

1. Identify the real decision makers – not always obvious.

2. Identify other scientific participants – know what they are thinking.

3. Anticipate – don’t wait for panic mode – early information is the best information, but provide it when they need it.

4. Face-to-face is better than paper or e-mail (& more difficult).

5. Establish technical credibility – stay in your lane.

6. Establish political credibility – know the context of the issue.

7. Offer to help – be a resource. Follow up.

8. Understand the calendar for budgets and legislation.

9. Learn the rules of institutions – yours and theirs.

10.Keep working and be persistent – nothing happens quickly and rarely on the first try (don’t try to “win the lottery”).

Some intangibles in the process……(just suggestions, not rules…)

1. Try to get to know decision makers and their staff before you make a request.

2. Have a specific goal or specific request; policymakers are busy and don’t want to chat or deal with long laundry lists.

3. Make short presentations (30 minutes) and leave concise materials (1-pagers).

4. Understand the authority and limitations of a policymaker’s role in addressing your science issues.

5. Put yourself in their shoes; what else are they worried about?

SUMMARY

• Key federal policymakers include Congress and staff, Administration officials and staff, agency officials and staff.

• Policymakers need scientists to inform rational policy development.

• Scientists need policymakers to implement a scientific vision or to support institutions.

• Reliable, timely information is the currency of DC.

• We must work together to achieve goals that are in the best interest of the Nation.