VIT Overview

 

Purpose and Scope

The VLab Improvement Team (VIT) will develop and maintain a set of recommended VLab-wide standards and suggested enhancements to VLab capabilities.

  • The VLab Standards Recommendations represent VLab Users’ consensus recommendation for across-the-VLab standards for the following:
    1. VLab organization
    2. Look and feel configuration
    3. Default settings that improve the usability of the VLab
  • The VLab Development Recommendations capture VLab Users’ prioritized recommendation for future changes needed to improve VLab functionality.

Team Membership

The purpose of the VIT is to identify and address issues that impede the effectiveness of the VLab in meeting user needs. To achieve that mission, the Team needs a structure that facilitates consensus on what needs improvement and the relative importance of each enhancement, as well as a broad representation from across the user community. The following sections define the Team’s organizational structure and membership.

Executive Secretary

The Executive Secretary will support the team by facilitating team meetings, providing logistical support for meetings, and monitoring team action items. The Executive Secretary will come from the Virtual Lab Support Team and is appointed by the VLab Director.

Members

Organization Member(s)
NWS Alaska Region Becca Mazur
NWS Central Region David Beachler and Thomas Turnage
NWS Eastern Region Heather Kenyon and Eric Allen
NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction Kate Friedman and Jessica Meixner
NWS Pacific Region Eric Jacobsen
NWS Southern Region Aaron Anderson, John Brost, and Steve Cobb
NWS Western Region Noel "Shad" Keene and Nicole  DesMet
NWS Headquarters Tim McClung
National Marine Fisheries Service Richard Methot and Kathryn Doering
National Ocean Services Todd Neison and Catherine Polk
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Stephen Mango
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Meka Laster

Duties

Specific duties for VIT members include, but are not limited to:

  • Attending Team meetings
  • Presenting recommendations on behalf of their organization’s VLab users for changes to VLab organization, look and feel, and default settings
  • Presenting recommendations on behalf of their organizations for enhancement to VLab capabilities
  • Working with other members to reach agreement on which proposed changes should be addressed by the VLab Support Team
  • Helping communicate information on upcoming VLab changes resulting from VIT input, to VLab users in their organization

 

The VIT will present its consensus recommendations to the VLab Director.

Meetings and Coordination

The VIT will meet monthly, or at the direction of the Executive Secretary. Team meetings are open to Team members and those assisting with their efforts.  The Executive Secretary is currently selecting meeting date/time to maximize member participation.  Members or their designated representative are expected to attend scheduled meetings. For the VIT to conduct official business, a quorum of at least 60% of Line Offices (3 out of 5) and 33% of NWS organizations (3 out of 8) must be in attendance.

Decision Making Process

The VIT will develop and maintain the VLab Standards Recommendations and VLab Development Recommendations through informed consensus. When the VIT presents its recommendations to the VLab Director, it will provide either a consensus recommendation, with adequate information about the basis for reaching its consensus, or, when there is no consensus within the team, the VIT may offer a set of options with pros and cons. The VLab director will endeavor to implement the VIT recommendations whenever possible, subject to the availability resources, IT architecture, security and policy limitations, and other externally imposed requirements.

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