Neither NWS nor FAA Currently Ensures the Quality of Aviation Weather Services at En Route Centers

While interagency agreements between NWS and FAA state that both  agencies have responsibilities for assuring and controlling the quality of  aviation weather observations, neither NWS nor FAA consistently does so  for weather products produced at the en route centers. However, neither NWS nor FAA has  developed and implemented performance measures and metrics, regularly  evaluated weather service unit performance, or provided feedback to  improve these aviation weather products and services. Because of this lack of performance tracking and oversight, NWS cannot  demonstrate the quality or value of its services, and FAA cannot ensure  the value of the services it funds. In our  accompanying report released today,  we made two recommendations to  the Secretary of Commerce and three recommendations to the Secretary  of Transportation to improve the quality of aviation weather products and  services at en route centers. We recommended that the Secretary of Commerce direct the Assistant  Administrator for the National Weather Service to    assist FAA in developing performance measures and metrics for the  products and services to be provided by center weather service units,  and    perform annual evaluations of aviation weather services provided at en  route centers and provide feedback to the center weather service units. The department stated that after FAA provides its revised  requirements, it would work with FAA to develop methods for  performance monitoring and evaluation. In those comments, the  department did not agree or disagree with our recommendations. The  department stated that FAA’s revised requirements are consistent with our  recommendations in that they establish performance measures and  evaluation procedures, and that FAA would begin to negotiate with NWS  to implement them. FAA Identified New Aviation Weather Requirements and Performance Measures

FAA has already begun to address our recommendations; specifically, in  late December 2007, FAA finalized its new requirements for the aviation  weather services to be provided by center weather service units, which  include proposed performance measures and methods for evaluation. In  its requirements, FAA provides NWS with its overall vision for aviation  weather services, revises existing requirements, and defines a requirement  for a new product for terminal radar approach control facilities. In  addition, FAA identifies performance measures and processes for  evaluating performance and providing feedback to NWS. In its new requirements, FAA also reiterates its need for existing products  and services and provides revisions to some of these requirements. In addition, FAA directed NWS to include  plans for three operational concepts (including technical and cost  information) for fulfilling the requirements—in its existing configuration  located at the 21 en route centers, through remote services provided by a  reduced number of regional facilities, and through remote services  provided by a single centralized facility. According to the requirements,  NWS’s response should assume a transition time of 90 days for the existing  configuration, 180 days for regionalized remote services, and 1 year for a  single facility. NWS Plans to Respond to FAA’s Requirements, but Proposed Transition Time Frames May Be Overly Ambitious

NWS plans to respond to FAA by the May 2008 deadline, but FAA’s  estimated time frames for providing the revised services may be overly  ambitious. Given the importance of accurate and  timely weather information in air traffic control, it will be important for  NWS to conduct a thorough evaluation before it transitions to a new  operational concept in order to ensure that there are no impacts on the  continuity of air traffic operations and no degradation of weather service. This collaboration will help both agencies ensure the quality  and consistency of these services, and ensure that FAA has the  information it needs to effectively manage air traffic. In addition, we were  asked to provide an update on FAA’s recent efforts to develop aviation  weather requirements and performance measures, and NWS’s plans for  responding to these requirements.
Why GAO Did This Study

The National Weather Service (NWS), an agency under the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides staff on-site at each of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) en route centers--the facilities that control high-altitude flight outside the airport tower and terminal areas. This group of NWS meteorologists provides air traffic managers with forecasts and briefings on regional conditions such as turbulence and icing. Over the last few years, FAA has been exploring options for enhancing the efficiency of the aviation weather services provided by these NWS meteorologists. In late December 2007, FAA delivered revised requirements and associated performance measures to NWS to improve these services. GAO was asked to summarize key segments of its report being released today, including its assessment of NWS and FAA efforts to ensure the quality of aviation weather services at en route centers, and its recommendations to improve these efforts. In addition, GAO was asked to provide an update on FAA's recent efforts to establish aviation weather requirements and performance measures, and NWS's plans for responding to these requirements. To do so, GAO summarized segments of its report, reviewed FAA's recently released requirements, and interviewed the official responsible for NWS's response.

What GAO Found

Although interagency agreements between NWS and FAA state that both agencies have responsibilities for assuring and controlling the quality of aviation weather observations, neither agency consistently does so for weather products and services produced at the en route centers. Specifically, neither agency has developed and implemented performance measures and metrics, regularly evaluated weather service unit performance, or provided feedback to improve these aviation weather products and services. Because of this lack of performance tracking and oversight, NWS cannot demonstrate the quality or value of its services, and FAA cannot ensure the quality of the services it funds. Until both agencies are able to measure and ensure the quality of the aviation weather products at the en route centers, FAA may not be getting the information it needs to effectively manage air traffic. In its report being issued today, GAO is making recommendations to the Secretaries of Commerce and Transportation to ensure that NWS and FAA develop performance measures, evaluate the services against those measures, and provide feedback to NWS. Commerce agreed with the recommendations and stated that NOAA would work with FAA to develop methods for performance monitoring and evaluation. Transportation did not agree or disagree with the recommendations, but stated that FAA's revised requirements would establish performance measures and evaluation procedures, and that FAA would negotiate with NWS to implement them. FAA has begun to address GAO's recommendations. In late December 2007, FAA finalized its new requirements, including performance measures and methods for evaluating performance and providing feedback to NWS. In doing so, FAA provides its overall vision for aviation weather services, reiterates its need for existing products and services, provides revisions to existing requirements, and defines a new product. FAA directed NWS to respond by May 2008 and include plans in its response for three operational concepts--in its existing configuration located at the 21 en route centers, through remote services provided by a reduced number of regional facilities, and through remote services provided by a single centralized facility. FAA stated that NWS should assume a transition time of 90 days for the existing configuration, 180 days for regionalized services, and 1 year for a single facility. NWS plans to respond to FAA by the May 2008 deadline, but FAA's estimated time frames for transitioning to a new operational concept may be overly ambitious. Given the importance of accurate and timely weather information in air traffic control, it will be important for NWS to conduct a thorough evaluation before it transitions to a new operational concept in order to ensure that there are no impacts on the continuity of air traffic operations and no degradation of weather service.