Minutes of the First Meeting
October 14-15, 1998

Attendees
Summary
Attachment 1 (Agenda)
Attachment 2 (Mission)
Attachment 3 (Prioritization and Conduct of Work)
Attachment 4 (Products)


Attendees:
Task Force Members - - Craig Albertson, Bureau of Reclamation; Thomas Baumgartner, National Weather Service; Tom Bruns, American Water Works Association; Ed Burkett, Corps of Engineers; Richard Burton, National Association of Counties;g Randall Duncan; International Association of Emergency Managers; James Enote, Pueblo of Zuni; Frank Tsai, FEMA; Fred Lissner, Oregon Department of Water Resources; Peter Mack (by phone), NY Department of Environmental Conservation; Fred Ogden, University of Connecticut; Don Phelps, American Society of Civil Engineers; David Pope, Kansas State Board of Agriculture; Jonathan Price (by phone), Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology; Robert Roberts (1st day), Environmental Council of States; Larry Rowe, Mojave Water Agency; Jim Shotwell, American Institute of Professional Geologists; Earl Smith, Interstate Council on Water Policy; Charles Spooner, USEPA; Alan Vicory, Ohio Valley Water Sanitation Commission; Leslie Widderburn, South Florida Water Management District; Don Woodward, USDA

U. S. Geological Survey - - Steve Blanchard, Task Force Executive Secretary; Bill Carswell, Regional Hydrologist -- Northeastern Region; Betsy Daniel, Facilitator; Robert Hirsch, Chief Hydrologist; Nancy Lopez, Chief - Water Information Coordination Program; Jim Peters, Water Resources Division Program Officer

Location: U. S Geological Survey, National Center, Reston Virginia

Summary of the meeting
The meeting closely followed the meeting agenda ( attachment 1). The first day of the meeting (October 14, 1998) was primarily the USGS Water Resources Division (WRD) staff sharing information about the USGS, the WRD, and the Federal -- State Cooperative Water Program with the Task Force members. Presentations included (1) introductory remarks and the charge to the Task Force by Bob Hirsch, (2) an overview of the USGS and the WRD by Bob Hirsch, (3) a general Division level presentation on the Coop Program from Jim Peters, (4) a more detailed presentation on how the Coop Program works at the Regional/District level by Bill Carswell, (5) a presentation on how other WRD programs relate to the Coop Program by Bob Hirsch, and (6) a time for the Task Force Members to share their thoughts and expectations about the work of the Task Force and the Coop Program.

Most of the Task Force members and some USGS staff participated in an informal social hour followed by a group dinner on the evening of October 14, 1998.

The second day (October 15) of the meeting was solely for Task Force deliberations. Betsy Daniel facilitated the process the Task Force used for its deliberations. The goals for the deliberations were (1) to brainstorm issues that the Task Force should address in addition to those listed in the Terms of Reference, (2) prioritize and develop preliminary action plans for the list of issues resulting from the deliberations combined with those in the Terms of Reference, (3) elect a chair and vice-chair, and (4) set the dates for the next 3 meetings. The Task Force ultimately divided into three groups to develop a list of issues and preliminary action plans for future meetings. The time available was limited so that most groups were able to develop a list of issues but only start on the preliminary action plans. The three groups focused on the four elements of scope from the Terms of Reference. The three groups and there topics were:

1. Federal-State Cooperative Water Program Mission (Terms Of Reference -- Element 1 of the Scope)

Craig Albertson
Thomas Baumgartner
Randall Duncan
Fred Lissner
Frank Tsai

2. Federal-State Cooperative Water Program Prioritization and Conduct of Work (Terms of Reference -- Elements 2 and 3 of the Scope)

Ed Burkett
Dick Burton
Peter Mack
Fred Ogden
Don Phelps
Jonathon Price
Larry Rowe
Earl Smith
Jim Shotwell
Charles Spooner
Don Woodward

3. Federal-State Cooperative Water Program Products (Terms of Reference --Element 4 of the Scope)

Tom Bruns
Jim Enote
Dave Pope
Alan Vicory
Leslie Wedderburn

The issues and preliminary action plans developed by each group are summarized in attachments 2 for "Mission", attachment 3 for "Prioritization and Conduct of work", and attachment 4 for "products".

The committee selected Mr. Larry Rowe, General Manager of the Mojave Water Agency, Apple Valley, California as the Chairperson for the Task Force. Mr. Fred Lisnner, Manager, Ground Water and Hydrology Department, Oregon Department of Water Resources, Salem, Oregon was selected as Vice-Chairperson.

The Task Force set dates for the next three meetings. The locations will be USGS District offices in different USGS Regions and will be determined by the Chair and Vicechair in consultation with the Executive Secretary. The dates for the next meetings are:

January 25-27, 1999
March 24-26, 1999
May 5-7, 1999

Action Items:

The Chair, Vice-Chair, and Executive Secretary meet by conference call to:
1. further develop and consolidate the preliminary plans of action,
2. determine the information needs for the January 25-27 meeting, including guest attendees and presenters,
3. determine the location for the January 25-27 meeting, and
4. set the preliminary agenda for the January 25-27 meeting.

Wednesday, October 14

8:30 Opening Remarks --Hirsch (1 Hr)

• ACWI
• Overview Of Terms Of Reference
• Composition Of Task Force
• Self Introductions
• Goals For And Outline Of Meeting
• Brief Overview Of Coop Program

9:30 Break (0.5 Hr)

10:00 WRD Overview -- Hirsch (1 Hr)

11:00 Coop Program -- Division Level General Overview -- Peters (1 Hr)

12:00 Lunch (USGS Cafeteria) (1 Hr)

1:00 Regional/District Overview -- Carswell (1 Hr)

2:00 Break (0.5 Hr)

2:30 WRD Programs And Their Relation To The Coop Program -- Hirsch (1 Hr)

3:30 Open Discussion Of Coop Program -- Daniel (1 Hr)

4:30 Adjourn

6:30 Group Dinner

Thursday, October 15

8:30 Task Force Deliberations -- All (1.5 Hr)

• Selection Of Chair And Co-Chair For Task Force -- Daniel
• Discussion Of Terms Of Reference -- Blanchard
• Discussion Of Approach/Plans For Task Force -- Blanchard/Daniel
• Set Dates And Locations for Future Meetings

10:00 Break (0.5 Hr)

10:30 Continue Task Force Deliberations (1.5 Hr)

12:00 Lunch (1 Hr)

1:00? Question/Answer and Discussion of Anything Relating to USGS/WRD/Coop Program -- Hirsch/Peters/Blanchard/Daniel/Others as needed (1 Hr)
Note: This can occur at any time during the day

2:00 Break (0.5 Hr)

2:30 Continue Task Force Deliberations (1 Hr)

3:30 Task Force Closeout Briefing To Chief Hydrologist (0.5 Hr)

4:00 Adjourn

Issues:

Mission --What, how, who, and why

Is the Coop Program adequately supporting user needs in the areas of surface and groundwater quality, quantity, and use information and decision support systems?

1. What are the practical and "ideal" networks, and how close to ideal is the current?

2. What process can assure network preservation and stability?

3. Is there a proper balance among the disciplines?

4. Do data measurement, analysis, and reporting meet user needs?

5. Is the coop program generating new technology needed to address complex resource management problems?

Preliminary Action Plan:

Actions before the January 25-27 meeting

• Get list of cooperators
• Get lists of groups that are coop users to answer questions
• Plan agenda and identify speakers
• Prepare questions for field meetings.
• Telecom or email /brainstorm preservation process (#2)
• Review mission statement - revise
• Conference calls, etc to flesh out details
• Have Chuck Spooner give an overview of National Water-Quality Monitoring Council
• History of network by states, counties, tribes, etc.

Actions during the January 25-27 meeting

• USGS and outside presentation on success in technical development
• Gather success stories regarding network preservation
• Public comment period
• What are stream gaging group, monitoring group, and ground water group doing and how does that relate to our task?
• Do post mortem evaluation after field presentations
• Document meeting results
• Select random samples?
• Outline mission section and assign writers
• Revisit mission statement

March 24-26 meeting

• Finish report for Task Force review and approval
• Edit mission section
• Revisit mission statement

May 5-7 meeting

• Review final version of report

Issues:

General

• Has there been a formal (written) analysis of contracting procedures?
• Need a copy of the USGS Organic Act and USGS mission statement

Project Selection

• Review Memo 95.44 for relevance
• Consider establishing an outside review panel
• Resource availability
  
• Lead agency selection
  
• Expansion of scientific knowledge base
• Compliance with USGS mandate from Congress
• Compliance with strategic plan

Conduct of Work

• Outsource -- public/private
  • "best and brightest"
• Quality control methods
• Multi-year project budgets
• Use of in-kind services
• Interim project reports with status of project and data
• Release of preliminary data
• USGS/cooperator relationship

Relationships

• Feedback -- (customer satisfaction)
  • Private users?
  • Participants?
  • Scheduled reviews -- responsiveness summ.
  • Progress reporting
  • Cooperator, public

• Collaboration --enabling environment
  • Training
  • Transfer of knowledge
  • Involvement of non-cooperators
  • New partners
  • MOUs I Prof Soc.
  • Joint project development
    • Non dup.
    • Cost/benefit discussion
  • Alternate funding sources

Data Access

• Access to all data (consider proprietary data)
• Water-quantity database

Data Standards

• Define/set standards
• QA criteria
  
• USGS QA on non-USGS data
• "Certification" of local data

Preliminary Action Plan:

Actions before the January 25-27 meeting

• Review 95.44 & 92.14
• Look for evidence of encroachment into private consultant roles
• USGS provide a list of FY1997 projects in enough detail to determine the relative emphasis of coop projects
• Invite 2 District Chiefs to discuss their programs
  • 1 doing well
  • 1 not doing well
• Invite critics to talk to Task Force
• Ask USGS for copies of cooperative agreement to check for problem Districts
• Ask USGS for list of cooperators by state
• Ask USGS for trends up/down in the Cooperative Program funding by District
• Ask USGS for information on how streamgaging network is funded
• Choose sample group of cooperators
• Task Force contacts cooperators by mail include ACWI charge and TOR
• Task Force prepares questionnaire for interviews
• Conduct interviews (3-5 per person)
• USGS compiles results of interviews
• Ask USGS for quality plans for projects
• Ask USGS for policy on interim reports and release of data
• Appoint subcommittee to review QA/QC process and in-kind services policy
• Ask USGS for their quality control plans - internal and external
• Review issues and add/revise
• Ask USGS for a policy on in-kind services - what is it?

Actions during the January 25-27 meeting

• Interview results (re: 95.44)
• Assessment of QA/QC and in-kind services
• Policies on interim reports and release of data
• Discussion of initial perspectives on the coop program
• Review/revision of action plans

Actions before the March 24-26 meeting

• Draft Task Force recommendations
  • Outside review panel
  • Resource availability
  • Lead agency
  • Multiyear project plan
• Draft recommendations on relationships

Actions during the March 24-26 meeting

• Task Force recommendations on 95.44
• Task Force recommendations on outsourcing

Actions before the May 5-7 meeting

• Finalized Task Force recommendation

Actions for the May 5-7 meeting

• Adoption of Task Force recommendations on 95.44

Issues:

Funding, cost, and products of cooperative program

• Multi-year project planning & funding (adequacy)
• Projects need cost-value analysis (efficiency)
• Alternative sources of funding (e.g., in kind, private?)
• Overhead costs!
• Are current products understandable, useable, accessible, and meet cooperator needs?
• Delivery of timely, quality products (review process)

Preliminary Action Plan:

Actions for multiyear project planning and funding before/during January 25-27 meeting

• USGS provide national data on multiyear project planning and funding such as the number of active projects, the number of terminated projects, and the amount of rollover funding
• USGS provide a detail list of projects for some representative districts
• USGS provide information on Federal law vs. USGS policy on 1-year funding

Actions associated with cost before/during January 25-27 meeting

• USGS and Task Force examine how project costs are determined from project chief perspective through interviews with project chief(s) at the district; USGS provide district policies and worksheets.
• USGS provide detail description of overhead costs
• Task Force compare USGS overhead costs to the engineering community
• Try to obtain information about projects that were not done because of excessive cost/quality. USGS provide information, if possible, and Task Force interview cooperators
• Task Force members cost some projects/data collection to compare to USGS
• USGS provide gaging station costs by District and explanation of why costs differ

Action associated with products before/during January 25-27 meeting

• USGS provide a flow chart of the product review and approval process
• USGS provide information on percent of projects that meet deadline
• Task Force examine if project deadlines are reasonable
• USGS make a presentation describing the various WRD products with samples of the products
• USGS make a presentation describing the WRD data bases and schedule of posting them to the web and for increasing access
• USGS make a presentation describing data collection methods and quality standards and why they are important
• USGS provide a copy of the policy on direct service