APPENDIX E:

Management and Implementation of the USGCRP

Program History and Organization

The U.S. Global Change Research Program was established in 1989 to combine and coordinate the research and policy development interests of 18 departments and agencies of the U. S. Government and Executive Offices of the President. The USGCRP is organized under the auspices of the Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR), which is one of the seven environmental issue subcommittees established by the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources Research (CENR)[which has replaced the Committee on Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES)]. In turn, the CENR is one of the nine committees organized under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), which on November 23, 1993 assumed the responsibilities of the Federal Coordinating Council on Science, Engineering and Technology, the National Space Council, and the National Critical Materials Council.

The Subcommittee on Global Change Research includes representatives of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services (represented by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences), Interior, and State as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Agency for International Development, the Intelligence Community, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Council of Economic Advisors, Office of Environmental Policy, and the Office of Management and Budget.

To implement the activities described in the USGCRP research framework, the SGCR has established Working Groups that bring together representatives of the participating agencies for regular consideration of program coordination, review of program plans, and development of plans for new projects and activities. The Chairs of these groups, along with the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the Subcommittee, for the Executive Committee of the USGCRP. To ensure effective Program integration across these activities, the SGCR established the Office of the USGCRP in July 1993. This office, which is staffed by the participating agencies and departments, is responsible for drafting of the USGCRP annual report and the triennial ten-year research plan, as well as facilitating the year-to- year planning and day-to-day coordination and communication needs of the Program.

The planning, coordination, and execution of USGCRP research activities are carried out in close association with and in support of the science priorities of the international research community, particularly those put forth by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the World Climate Research Program (WCRP), the Human Dimensions Programme for Global Change (HDP), and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). These efforts underpin the participation of the United States in and contribution to the international assessments related to aspects of global change.

The USGCRP maintains an active interaction with the National Academy of Sciences through its Board on Global Change and other committees and panels of the National Research Council, which also provide an interface with many of the international scientific research programs.

Program Evaluation

The overall USGCRP is periodically evaluated for scientific merit and continued relevance to the policy process, both domestic and international. This independent review process variously involves academic, state, industry, and other groups conducting global change research, such as the National Academy of Sciences. This review function will be particularly active in 1994 as the new USGCRP multi- year plan is developed.

Proposed and existing agency programs within the USGCRP are evaluated based on: (i) their relevance and contribution to the overall USGCRP goal and objectives, including the needs of decision makers; (ii) scientific merit as documented by peer review; (iii) readiness for implementation and likelihood of early results; (iv) potential for and/or progress toward meeting program milestones; (v) agency approval for inclusion in the USGCRP; and (vi) conformance to data and information management policies. The framework and evaluation criteria are an essential part of the program and budget development strategy of the USGCRP. They provide the structure through which the USGCRP evaluates and develops: (1) essential, high priority national and international components of the USGCRP in each fiscal year; and (2) the recommended budgets to support those critical components.

In addition to USGCRP review of the overall set of agency research programs, each agency is responsible for the review of individual projects within its programs. These reviews are almost exclusively based on an external peer review process, which is deemed an important means of assuring continued program quality.

In the past year, the SGCR conducted a review of all USGCRP programs to determine their priority to meeting the goals and objectives of the USGCRP, using criteria of scientific merit, relationship to stakeholders, and policy relevance. The SGCR also evaluated the programs in relation to the USGCRP research framework. The evaluation and review resulted in the identification of significant gaps in the Program. As a result, the proposed FY 1995 USGCRP budget includes an augmented request to address the priorities identified in the interagency initiative efforts.

Coordination Office of the U.S. Global Change Research Program

300 D Street S.W.
Suite 840
Washington, DC 20024
USA
(202)-554-6470
(202)-554-7830 FAX
office@usgcrp.gov (e-mail)

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