U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
Silver Spring, Md. 20910
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCEJanuary 25, 1978
Wx4
SUBJECT: Transmittal Memorandum for Operations Manual Issuance 78-1
TO: All Holders of Operations Manual
1. Material Transmitted:
Revised Chapter A-62, "Field Office Management and Manpower Utilization Survey (FOMMUS)."
2. Summary:
The revised chapter updates the original chapter and streamlines the process by consolidating the six forms of the A-15 series into one form.
3. Effect on Other Instructions:
Cancels Chapter A-62, issuance 71-37, dated October 21, 1971.
George P. Cressman
Director, National Weather Service
Issue Date Org. Code NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Part Chap.
1-25-78 Wx4 Operations Manual A 62
Table of Contents:
1. Purpose
3. Policy
3.1 Schedule of Visits
3.2 Unscheduled Visits
3.3 Scheduling Survey Team Membership
3.4 Status of Survey Team Members
3.5 Additional Functions of Survey Team
3.6 Regional Headquarters Representation on Survey Team
4.1 Three Major Parts of a Visit
4.2 Headquarters Action Following Visit
4.3 Regional Action Following Visit
5. Reports
Exhibits:
1. Purpose. This chapter establishes policy and procedures and assigns responsibility for the National Weather Service Headquarters (WSH) Field Office Management and Manpower Utilization Survey (FOMMUS).
1.1 The program is conducted in coordination with the Weather Service regions to:
a. review and evaluate field office management practices in manpower utilization and related matters for compliance with policies and directives of WSH and higher authority;
b. discuss suggestions for improvement of these policies and practices;
c. provide coordinated recommendations to the Director, National Weather Service, on revised or alternative policies or directives aimed at improving the use and skills of NWS manpower;
d. determine the extent to which assigned manpower is adequate for accomplishing assigned and actual workloads;
e. provide an opportunity for field employees and labor organization representatives to meet informally with the survey team;
f. review special subjects as directed.
2. Program Direction and Control. The Manpower Utilization Staff (MUS), Office of the Director, NWS, will function as the focal point for the FOMMUS program. The Chief, MUS, is responsible for the overall direction and management of the program.
a. arrange for participation by WSH and regional headquarters personnel in FOMMUS teams and schedule visits after coordination with the regional headquarters;
b. provide background information for each facility to be visited;
c. evaluate trip reports and, where appropriate, recommend necessary actions to the Director, National Weather Service; and
d. monitor followup actions authorized by the Director, NWS.
2.2 The regional headquarters will provide MUS with copies of all trip reports by regional personnel and other documents relating to field office management practices or manpower utilization.
3.1 The FOMMUS program is a national evaluation process independent of existing regional visits. All of the more than 300 NWS field activities will be included in the program; however, it is unlikely that more than a representative sampling of offices will be visited each year. The goal is to build up the survey frequency so that each office will be visited about once in 3 years. Regional headquarters will give all offices advance notice of visits by FOMMUS representatives.
3.2 Requests from individual offices, employee groups, or employee organizations for unscheduled visits to discuss particular problems will be reviewed jointly by regional and NWS Headquarters to assess the need and establish priority for such visits.
3.3 Although the members of MUS will participate in making field office surveys, the magnitude of the program will require that much of the travel to field facilities be done by other WSH or RH officials. Normally, they will be Division or Branch Chiefs or their equivalent, and personnel specialists.
3.4 Each person outside of the MUS designated to make a FOMMUS trip will work under the direction of the MUS. Each designee will be briefed by the MUS on his duties and responsibilities prior to the visits and will be given a notebook containing information and directives relevant to his FOMMUS assignment.
3.5 In the interest of effective use of travel funds, and where feasible, the designee may carry out other tasks during the visits; e.g., technical program evaluation. Normally, however, the primary mission will be the FOMMUS program assignment. In some instances when a WSH official is planning a trip to field facilities for other purposes, the MUS may call upon him to look into selected manpower utilization items.
3.6 In visits to field offices, the designated WSH official will be accompanied by one or more regional officials named by the appropriate Regional Director. All officials will work together to achieve the objectives of the program. In some cases the MUS may request that a regional official visit a facility and report back on selected subjects without involving a WSH official.
4.1 Routine survey visits to field offices normally will consist of three major parts as described below. Time spent will vary with the size of the office and complexity of programs and problems at that office. The time spent at each office will usually range from a few hours to a few days.
a. First, the WSH and regional officials will meet with the MIC/HIC/OIC and/or PA/SMT to let him know the purpose of the visit and to obtain his views on field management policies and practices.
b. The second part involves a review of management and the use of resources to meet operational objectives. The review will evaluate the total area of management including such items as staffing patterns, division of work, efficiency of scheduling, use of overtime, need for training, management ability of supervisors, space use, employee safety, etc. The survey team should also be alert to problems in such areas as labor management, grade structure, performance ratings, etc., and, while the survey team will, when possible, listen to and report on employee complaints in these matters, solutions should usually be sought through established procedures for grievances and appeals. The primary objective of the survey is to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the office operation.
c. The last part of the visit is a voluntary meeting with the employees and/or employee organization representatives. If they wish, employees may have private conferences with the survey team. This will permit employees to express their views on management policies and practices, how they are carried out at the facility, and how they might be improved. It also provides an opportunity for the WSH and RH officials to explain management's views on these and related matters.
4.2 Upon completion of the office visit, the WSH official will prepare his report, coordinating it with the regional official, and brief the MUS. The MUS will evaluate the report and make recommendations to the Director, NWS, for action where appropriate. A copy will be routed through the Regional Director for comment and initial action plans.
4.3 The Regional Director is responsible for carrying out any corrective actions authorized by the Director, NWS. The MUS is responsible for monitoring these followup actions.
5.1 In general, trip reports in connection with the NWS FOMMUS program will be made using WS Form A-15. A brief covering memo may be used to transmit the report and to summarize the more important findings. Additional narrative comments or recommendations on plain paper may also be attached to the forms by members of the survey team.
a. General Findings, WS Form A-15, will be prepared by the survey team for each field office visited. The original will be forwarded to MUS and a copy will go to the appropriate RH. (FOMMUS) (A-62)
b. Highlight in Block 15 of the General Findings Form (A-15) special subjects reviewed by the team but not covered in other blocks; e.g., discrepancies between office management and existing directives, management improvement suggestions, employee complaints, etc.
