Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Ideally, the TWC organizational structures allow for distributed groups of scientists to
manage their joint processes, work together effectively in support of their shared mission, and
avoid unnecessary redundancy. Support for TWC functions can be provided within an HRO
framework, which opens several options for organizational structures. As described above,
there are many differences between the centers' operations, technology infrastructure, and
human resources. The incompatibilities in the technology infrastructure run counter to the goal
of redundancy in operations. In fact, the inconsistencies in outcomes and messages reduce the
beneit of having two centers provide redundancy. Although the TWC organizational struc-
tures could permit some organizational redundancy, that redundancy can cause dificulties if
duplicate tasks are executed in geographically dispersed operational settings by organizational
members who follow different procedures, use different warning thresholds, and communicate
inconsistent messages to a public within confusing AORs.
Conclusion:
The goal of the current geographically distributed organization of the TWCs
is to provide the system with back-up in the case of critical failure at the other center.
However, based on the June 14, 2005, event analysis, the review of the literature on high-
reliability organizations, and the current geographically distinct boundaries in AORs, the
committee concludes that this redundancy is currently more likely to cause confusion
than provide beneits. In addition, because the centers are under different management,
use different analytical software and hardware, and appear to have distinct organizational
cultures, the committee concludes that they function as separate rather than redundant
systems.
Conclusion:
Even if the IT convergence plan is fully executed, the issues arising from
producing different products and messages remain and increase the risk of confusing the
public and state and local emergency managers.
Conclusion:
The current organizational model is problematic and reduces the ability of
the TWCs to provide timely, accurate, and consistent warning products.
The committee concludes that signiicant changes would need to occur in the manage-
ment, operations, software and hardware architecture, and organizational culture for the two
TWCs to become functionally redundant systems. As a result, the committee discussed alterna-
tive organizational options, in addition to the TWCs' current organizational structure:
(1) Based on the committee's assessment of the relatively slow transition and incorpora-
tion of research advances into operations at both TWCs (see Chapters 3 and 4), the
committee recognizes various beneits from co-locating the two centers (or a center)
with other academic or scientiic institutions or with other centers responsible for de-
tection and warning (e.g., NCEP, the NEIC, PMEL, etc). For example, NCEP is co-located
with the research community to increase the exchange of ideas between the scientiic
and operational staff. Alternatively, colocating the TWC(s) with the NEIC would give
