NOAA Research and Development Logic Models

Abstract:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the nation’s premier ocean and atmospheric science agency. Research and Development (R&D) underpins NOAA’s work to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts; to share that knowledge and information with others; and, to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. To achieve this mission, it is important to understand, quantify, and evaluate the direct linkages between NOAA R&D and societal benefits, such as sustainable fishing or reduced societal impacts due to severe weather. To aid in shaping, planning, and evaluation of NOAA research, the NOAA R&D Enterprise Committee (RDEC) has developed a series of logic models, which are graphic depictions of shared relationships among the resources, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. These NOAA logic models capture the drivers, research, development, and transitions to operations, applications, ect., to achieve those outcomes and link R&D data sources and metrics. In this study, we examine logic models as potentially powerful communication tools to illustrate to NOAA stakeholders the importance of R&D and how NOAA R&D supports the health and wellbeing of society.