Hudson Releases New NOAA Report

Hudson Institute was engaged by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to examine external trends over the next 5-10 years, to assess implications of critical trends for NOAA, and to provide an ongoing resource to assist NOAA in understanding and addressing future prospects.

The report provides an overview of a range of trends and sources of change. The emphasis on 5-10 years is intended to encourage and support longer-range and innovative thinking about strategies, policies, and programs. Some developments can be expected to be important quickly or are significant today. Others, while making their greatest impacts further out in the future, may require attention in today's decision-making.

The study is not intended to make specific recommendations. Rather, it provides a context for NOAA decisions. While the study was initiated before the current strategic plan development process, an important objective is to provide analysis that can be useful in thinking about issues that will arise in the plan and in processes that will follow.

The analysis comes at an especially important time in NOAA’s evolution. Since the study started in October 2001, NOAA underwent a change in leadership, went through a major program review, was designated the lead science agency for the President’s climate change initiative and began preparing a 2003-2008 strategic plan.

In its analysis Hudson identified seven categories of powerful trends that will have far-reaching impact on NOAA’s activities and decisions. Developments in each of these areas will be critical to NOAA’s future and its impact.

• Science, Technology and Communication


• Globalization


• Climate Change


• Demands for Services and Cooperation


• Economic and Business Trends


• Environment and Resource Management Trends and Policies


• Government Initiatives

Other transformational changes also will come into play, including the Internet, global warming, the new economy, use of incentive and management approaches to resource management, government improvement, reliance on markets and the private sector, security imperatives, and patterns of international competition and cooperation.

Significant attention is given to technology because of its critical role in NOAA’s future. Technology issues and developments are discussed both in a separate section and throughout the study. Focuses of the study include resource management and business trends. NOAA's interest in resource management arises from its many responsibilities for measurement and management and its need to deal with changing pressures, new understanding of problems and changing approaches. Understanding of business trends can help NOAA meet demands for services, interface with evolving types of business organizations, and learn from developments in the private sector that may help it to improve its own effectiveness.

The full report may be viewed at: Hudson Final Report to NOAA