Welcome to NOAA External Affairs
NOAA’s greatest strength lies in people—both in and out of the Agency. We rely on the strength of our scientists and program experts to meet the needs of communities across the Nation, but we rely even more heavily on the strength of our partners to identify those needs, and help us to tailor our service and products to meet them.
NOAA External Affairs provides strategic advice and support to NOAA initiatives across the Agency to ensure we foster a two-way dialogue with our partners across the nation. Each year, NOAA External Affairs identifies specific NOAA initiatives for special attention, but remains nimble to respond to unforeseen events such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This core portfolio allows a focus to ensure that key Agency initiatives maintain a steady focus on the service and value they can provide to NOAA constituents.
Focus areas for our office include:
The NOAA Stewardship Mission
Healthy habitats sustain resilient and thriving marine and coastal resources, communities, and economies. External Affairs engages with colleagues across NOAA to ensure the Agency's forward looking framework to think and act strategically about the growing challenge of coastal and marine habitat loss and degradation respects the unique concerns of partner communities and organizations.
Learn More »Navigation Services and Coastal Management
Sustainable and resilient coastal communities and economies need navigation services, safe and efficient maritime commerce, trade and port infrastructure planning, and integrated coastal management. NOAA can offer support in all these areas, and External Affairs is working to help ensure that communities across the Nation understand the resources NOAA can offer to position America for the future.
Learn More »Strategic Prioritization for the Future
Fiscal responsibility means focusing on priorities, and External Affairs works to bring the perspectives of NOAA's stakeholders and constituents so that we focus on shared priorities. From the future of observation infrastructure like the NOAA Fleet, to developing the Agency's priority actions for the coming year, External Affairs offers guidance and input to ensure accountability to the public and NOAA partners.
Learn More »Evolution of NOAA Weather Services
NOAA personnel participate in every aspect of preparedness from meteorological research, to forecasting, technical assistance to interpret science and make better plans. Their effectiveness depends on partners from outside the Agency both to bring environmental forecasts to the communities that need it, and to maintain a strong capacity to make those forecasts—and External Affairs works to make sure those partner relationships are strong and healthy.
Learn More »The Advancement of Scientific Integrity
NOAA scientists have always embraced the highest standards of scientific integrity, and the Agency has defined a leadership role among federal science agencies to ensure fidelity to communicating science to the public. As part and parcel of this commitment, NOAA is in the process of executing a 5-year research planning process that embraces feedback from in- and outside the Agency. External Affairs assists with these efforts to ensure that NOAA stakeholders appreciate our continued commitment to credibility and transparency for the science we conduct.
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