National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) High Plains Regional Weather Records Center (HPRWRC)

1. Introduction and Background

The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) is to provide and ensure timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the Nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life. NESDIS acquires and manages the Nation's operational environmental satellites, provides data and information services to numerous end users, and conducts related research.

Since 1990, NCEI’s RCS program has traditionally supported Regional Weather Records Centers (RWRCs) established at Public Universities within six geographic regions. For more than forty years, Regional Centers have produced and delivered environmental data, products, information, and services – hereafter collectively termed “products and services” – and captured user needs. By transforming, tailoring, and augmenting NCEI’s products and services, the RWRCs provide a bridge between NCEI and regional user communities, including the private sector. The RWRCs support NOAA’s mission to advance understanding of long-term weather variability and impacts through user engagement and the translation of data into usable products and services for decision makers.

2. Scope of Work

A. Geographic Scope

This contract is for the High Plains Regional Weather Records Center (HPRWRC), which is composed of ND, SD, NE, KS, CO, and WY.

The contractor providing the HPRWRC capability shall be physically located in the region defined above and must serve all states, territories, and U.S.-affiliated islands in the region. An RWRC with unique capabilities may work with other RWRCs to meet user needs beyond its immediate region.

B. Program Scope

The HPRWRC shall provide products and services to address regional weather records needs and issues in the context of NCEI’s broader environmental information responsibilities. This will include leveraging NOAA’s capabilities and expertise by transforming its satellite, in situ, radar, and paleoclimate data and products into regionally-tailored products and services, as appropriate, that meet the needs of users and partners and promote resilience and prosperity. The HPRWRC will focus their work in four broad areas:

1. Regional engagement and user needs identification, in which the HPRWRC will engage with industry, economic and environmental sectors, and public sector constituencies throughout each region to understand their long-term weather-related issues, needs, awareness, and capabilities.
2. Needs prioritization and product and tool provision, in which HPRWRC will adapt or develop, test, and sustain tools, products, and services meeting user requirements. To this end, they will support NCEI in the collection, understanding, adjudication and translation of user needs to requirements for future products and/or product modifications through regular contributions to NCEI’s requirements collection database tool.
3. Transitioning appropriate tools, products, and services to sustained NCEI operational states, in which the HPRWRC will plan and execute transition projects that result in new or upgraded NCEI operational software, systems, products, services, and other capabilities.
4. Services in which the HPRWRC will sustain activities supporting their mission of the provision of products and services as well as other NCEI regional and national needs.