(SFI): Stakeholder Feedback Information)

Steve Vogel, Geodetic Services Division

NGS Convocation, May 2010

Challenges, Opportunities, and Plans

for NGS’ Use of Stakeholder Feedback

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We’ll look at:

1. NGS Stakeholder Feedback Plan:

Its origin; how it’s being implemented

2. Challenges, opportunities, plans for

using feedback.

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SFP Timeline:2009 Leadership Summit: “Create stakeholder feedback communications plan, feedback process, incl. better ways to use feedback.” July: Drafted SFP

August - October: ESC discussions: recommendations to endorse.

October - November: PSC discussions; SFP distributed to all NGS: top recommendations to PSC rep. Special PSC session: “determine SFP elements for PSC charter directives.”

December – January: PSC presented recommendations to ESC. ESC endorsed top 4 vote-getting recommendations from this process.

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ESC-endorsed these SFP recommendations:• Advisors’ reports include information on constituent concerns.   • Use standardized format to capture constituent concerns.• Establish policies governing where SFI should be kept. • Commit staff resources reliably record SFI, follow-up actions.

• Recommendations implemented by new committee;

representation from each division, led by GSD employee

assigned by Gilbert Mitchell.

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February - March: Stakeholder feedback committee formed; its members recommended by division chiefs: Don Haw Bobbi Simmons Jim Tomlin * Gerry Mader Zelda Lecoat Steve Vogel Maryellen Sault Gilbert Mitchell, Chair *

Meets bi-weekly; initial efforts directed toward:• develop inventory of existing SFI, • decide where SFI stored, who has access, • categorize, analyze, prioritize SFI,• report to ESC: leadership summit actions:

strategic planning, annual guidance document,• (help PSC obtain/use SFI).

1Challenge: Volume, types of information

Collecting stakeholder feedback for … decades• Height mod forums,• CORS user forums,• State advisor monthly reports,• Convocations,• Corbin Training Center events,• Website user survey results,• County scorecard results,• Process Action Teams,• Conferences, meetings,• NOS Constituent Forums,• NOAA budgeting process,• Info. center requests,• Inter-program-office collaborations,

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• Hydrographic Survey Review Panel recommendations,• Regional-spatial-reference-center activities, • Software configuration control boards,• Strategic Planning workshops, meetings,• Leadership Summits, • Director’s staff meeting minutes,• Succession planning workshops, meetings,• Division Chiefs meetings,• Branch Chiefs meetings,• Products, Services Committee meetings,• Executive Steering Committee meetings,• Survey Feedback Action reports,• NOS weekly reports, • All-hands, brown-bags, …

1In addition to:

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1One example: State Advisor Monthly Report

(2-7 pages per report) x (20 reports) x

(12 months) = 480 -1,680 pages / year

General info. on stakeholder interactions, rather than specific constituents’ concerns.

(Advisors now include stakeholders’ concerns).

1You might say, “… like looking for a needle in a haystack…”

Looking for a needle in many haystacks: SFI stored everywhere: Intranet, website, SharePoint sites, shared drives, email, …

Current examples: • PSC requested Ajit, Frank: collect SFI on LOCUS, • SFI on CBLs (usefulness of program;) reside in email

folders, • I place website survey results on PSC SharePoint site;

pertinent• These are not accessibleWe should collect SFI, but what’s best place, method to store, use this info.?

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1 Another information challenge:• Events to engage stakeholders: ht. mod., convocations, …• We’ve kept: our presentations, meeting agendas, • what we have told stakeholders, rather than what

stakeholders have told us

Looking for a needle; finding a toothpick

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How to gather needles from haystacks?

What feedback is most useful?

2 Challenge: Effectiveness: providing useful SFI

For this; other projects:“What’s the purpose; am I on the right track, will our efforts be effective?”

Make sure we’re “scratching the itch”

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Feedback most useful our divisions: best tools collect, store, deliver info. (J. Tomlin)

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(Know what materials to buy…)

- Versus -

OPUS model: online form: name, org., text box (feedback); e-mail to POC; comment box: searchable … record actual stakeholder questions, issues. (G. Mader)

Start with a model; modify if needed …

2 SFC effectiveness discussion:

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2 Ordinarily, I agree w/Jim:Most useful info; “scratch the itch.”

Rather than “weighting” stakeholder concerns we think most important, Gerry’s approach appealing.

The last year or so: I’ve looked for; looked at a lot of stakeholder feedback.

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Agencies often mistake: users, products, services; they seek until survey & see results.

1. Park Service: educators, students; researchers: how many parks; size of the parks

2. Veteran’s Admin: veterans: others they served with

1. Park Service: families planning vacations: nearby hotels, etc.2. Veteran’s Admin: veterans’ families for counseling, drug rehab.

other services vet reluctant to seek.

2 Surveying website users:

Lesson: agency’s constituents, information needs often differ from original expectations; Let Stakeholders tell us what’s most important.

- Versus -

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2 NGS website: most prevalent users:

1. Land surveyor/engineer2. ? 3. GIS/mapping professional

How likely are we to invite these stakeholders to event, or directly solicit their feedback?

students, educators

2 BK French Toast Sticks, infused with “breakfast syrup”

Hot breakfast on the move. Like drinks to long-distance runners.

Where did this come from? AM Express, portable: more breakfast on the go. “Cooked fresh each morning in restaurant.”

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BK stayed competitive, meeting customer need, otherwise, BK “focus on what we do best” (cheaper burgers)

“Sure we collect stakeholder feedback, most times we don’t do anything with it ‘cause we know better.”

3 Challenge: Ideology: Why we work for NGS

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SFI-based decisions at odds with view of mission.

• Not unanimous or prevalent; not a bad thing: • Rooted in core values: reputation for accuracy,

NOAA’s Ideology: its motto: "Science, service, and stewardship”

We excel at the science … we can improve service component

(Pause to reflect on geospatial summit)

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What was the theme of the last NGS Convocation?

“Becoming a Customer-Focused Organization”

1-3 Last Convocation combines these challenges:

1 Information: our presentations2 Effectiveness: surveying ourselves;3 Ideology: feedback: “least useful” sessions:

becoming customer-focused org.

Invited stakeholders,Facilitated exercises: how to meet customers needs: now; 10 years …

C/R Conclusions / Recommendations:

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2. For which NGS products, services, programs is SFI most valuable?

1. What types feedback will SFC prioritize?

3. What tools will SFC choose to assist NGS decision making?

I don’t know.

Addressing actual concerns more useful than our own ranking (presuming) what’s most important to them.

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We should use our understanding

of NGS’ mission; let users tell us

“where the itch is.”

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C/R Conclusions and Recommendations:

Conclusions and (One) Recommendation:

Create incentives for obtaining; addressing

constituents’ concerns.

Branch

and Division Chiefs

Groups

C/R Putting the Pieces Together

Leadership

Development

Efforts

Succession Planning

Workforce/Outsourcing

Plan

NGS 10 Year

Plan

GeodesyWhat Lies

Ahead

We’ve been putting the pieces together and building on past

efforts for over a decadeWorkforce

ManagementTeam

PSCNGS Decision

Making Structure

NGS Decision Making Model

Stra

tegic

Pla

n

Annu

al G

uida

nce

Docu

men

t

Annu

al O

pera

ting

Plan

ESC

Convocations and

Leadership Summits

Customer Focused

Integrated and Collaborative Organization

=CulturalChange

One Piece

Miss

ing!

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Culture change = behavior change;

To change behavior, we use incentives.

How do we implement a “culture change?”

At home: If you want video game system,Keep your grades up.

These incentives communicate that our “family culture” values school as a priority.

Nationally: “We’ve got to use less energy …

break our dependence on foreign oil.”

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“Cash for clunkers” (for energy-saving cars)

“Cash for clinkers” (for energy-saving appliances)

“Cash for caulkers” (for energy-saving homes)

Recent progress due to tax incentives:

Incentives communicate that our “national culture” values conserving energy.

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“NOS Safety Pro of the Quarter,”

“NOS Peer Rafting Award.”

When NGS communicates that its “organizational culture” values addressing stakeholders’ needs, ...

NOS: communicates that its “organizational culture” values safety, cooperation

NOAA’s ideals: science, service, stewardship.

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End of presentation.

Thank you for listening.