commerce logo          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
                                                        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
                                                        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
                                                        Silver Spring, Md. 20910

                                                        September 30, 1992                             W/OSO11

TO:                 All Holders of Operations Manual

SUBJECT:     Transmittal Memorandum for Operations Manual Issuance 92-11

1. Material Transmitted:

WSOM Chapter A-74, "Systems Decommissioning Policy."

2. Summary

This chapter establishes the policy to support the decommissioning of the National Weather Service (NWS) systems replaced by modernization and associated restructuring (MAR) technology programs. The most significant aspects of the policy are summarized below.

        a. The Director, Office of Systems Operations, is responsible for the design, management, and implementation of this policy. The authorities, roles, and responsibilities of the Assistant Administrator for Weather Services, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Modernization, NWS directors, directors of national centers, and managers of NWS field offices in support of this policy are identified.

        b. This policy shall be specifically applied to (1) all operational systems replaced by the implementation of the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), Weather Surveillance Radar-88 Doppler (WSR-88D), and Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) technologies at NWS sites; and (2) the national, regional, and local support functions of these replaced systems. This policy shall apply whether or not the replaced systems are under formal NWS configuration management.

Systems replaced during MAR by technologies other than ASOS, WSR-88D, or AWIPS (e.g., NOAA Weather Radio Console Replacement System) may be decommissioned under this policy as directed by the Assistant Administrator for Weather Services. This policy may also be applied to the replaced systems that NWS operates and maintains for other Federal agencies.

        c. The policy defines the requirements for a Decommissioning Plan and Decommissioning Readiness Report to be used as the basis for formulating a recommendation to decommission systems and equipment replaced by MAR technology, prescribes criteria that must be addressed in both the Decommissioning Plan and the Decommissioning Readiness Report, and provides guidelines for establishing a decommissioning approval process.

        d. The policy also establishes the requirement for a System Disposal Plan and defines associated policies to be adhered to in decommissioning and disposing of systems, equipment, and support functions.

3. Effect on Other Instructions:

The Systems Decommissioning Policy is a specific application of the general system decommissioning requirement contained in WSOM Chapter A-34.

Elbert W. Friday, Jr.
Assistant Administrator
for Weather Services

Issue Date Org. Code         NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE         Part     Chap.
9-30-92      W/OSO1                           Operations Manual                         A        74

SYSTEMS DECOMMISSIONING POLICY

Table of Contents:

1. Purpose

2. Scope

3. Definitions

4. Site Component Decommissioning Plan and Process

4.1 Decommissioning Criteria
4.2 Decommissioning Approval Process
4.3 Implementation of Decommissioning and Disposal Activities

5. Development and Implementation of System Disposal Plans

6. Associated MAR Systems Decommissioning and Disposal Policies

7. NWS Authorities, Roles, and Responsibilities
        7.1 NWS Headquarters
                7.1.1 Assistant Administrator for Weather Services
                7.1.2 Deputy Assistant Administrator for Modernization
                7.1.3 Director, OSO
                7.1.4 Directors of OH, OM, OSD, and TPO
        7.2 NMC and Regional Headquarters
                7.2.1 National Centers
                7.2.2 Field Offices

1. Purpose. This chapter establishes the National Weather Service's (NWS) modernization and associated restructuring (MAR) policy for the decommissioning of operational equipment and systems replaced during NWS's transition to MAR capabilities. As such, it is a specific application of the system decommissioning requirement identified in WSOM Chapter A-34, Equipment/System/ Facilities Program.

The Director, Office of Systems Operations (OSO), is responsible for the (a) preparation and management of the NWS MAR systems decommissioning procedures which implement this policy, and (b) preparation and coordination of the updates to this policy.

2. Scope. This policy specifically applies to (a) all operational systems replaced by the implementation of the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D), and the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) technologies at NWS sites, and (b) the national, regional, and local support functions of these replaced systems. The decommissioning approval process established by this policy shall provide appropriate NWS review and coordination before decommissioning decisions are made for operational equipment and systems. Therefore, request for change submittal shall not be required for decommissioning systems covered by WSOM Chapter A-21, NWS Configuration Management for Operational Systems.

Systems replaced during MAR by technologies other than ASOS, WSR-88D, or AWIPS may be decommissioned under this policy as directed by the Assistant Administrator (AA) for Weather Services. This policy may also be applied to those replaced systems that NWS operates and/or maintains for other Federal agencies.

3. Definitions. The following definitions are used in this WSOM:

System Decommissioning is the process through which technical and administrative judgments are applied qualitatively and quantitatively to identify and support determinations of how and when (a) individual operational equipment or site components at NWS sites can be decommissioned and disposed, and (b) associated national, regional, and local system support functions can be phased out.

Decommissioning is the official decision to no longer use an operational system and/or site component as an official source of NWS data and/or services. In the case of individual operational site components, such a decision is the result of either (a) the component's replacement by a site component(s) of a new system, or (b) the determination that the component's function is no longer required at its NWS site.

A System is the totality of equipment, facilities, and supporting functions (e.g., maintenance, logistics, and communication networks) required by the technology to provide the desired operational capabilities.

A Site Component is the portion of a system at a staffed or unstaffed NWS site (e.g., a WSR-57 installation located at a field office or a surface observing installation remote from any NWS office) that provides the required system function for the given location. A given system can also have variations in its site components. In the case of a WSR-57, a site component can be the equipment required for a complete installation (i.e., the tower, radome, radar console, etc.) or a single RADID at a field office to provide access to an adjacent radar. Also, a site component may be made up of geographically dispersed equipment, such as WSR-57 installations in which the tower is at a location different from the field office with the radar console. In this instance, the microwave communications between the tower and field office would be included in the definition of the site component.

Equipment, as opposed to a site component, for purposes of this policy, is a stand-alone or one-of-a-kind device at a given NWS site which is used for the collection, processing, dissemination, or distribution of weather data or service products. For the purposes of this policy, the terms system and site component shall be understood to include equipment.

An NWS Site is a location that contains NWS site component(s). The site may or may not be staffed.

Disposal is the set of actions that removes decommissioned site components from the NWS property inventory and restores the site to a condition agreed to by all appropriate parties.

Support Functions are those activities or capabilities that support equipment or system operations. Such functions include field maintenance, depot repair, logistics, software support, communications, training, technical monitoring and control, program management, and system operations and backup among sites.

4. Site Component Decommissioning Plan and Process. A separate decommissioning plan shall be developed by the Director, OSO, to cover the decommissioning of the operational site components replaced by the commissioning of each major MAR technology (ASOS, WSR-88D, and AWIPS) and for those additional operational systems designated by the AA for Weather Services.

The level of detail provided in each plan shall be dictated by the objective of maintaining reliable operational services at the transitioning NWS sites. At minimum, these plans shall address what is to be decommissioned, the criteria to be met in order to decommission, and the process for obtaining NWS senior management approval to decommission.

The source for identifying what is to be decommissioned is the System Disposal Plan (SDP), discussed in Section 5 of this policy. Generic decommissioning criteria and the process for obtaining approval to decommission old site components are discussed below.

4.1 Decommissioning Criteria. The following criteria must be met, as appropriate, in order for a given operational site component to be decommissioned:

  1. The functions performed by the old site component, including its backup of other sites, have been either (1) fully replaced by the installation of one or more site components of the new system, (2) fully replaced by a combination of the new site component(s) and a reconfiguration of the old site component, or (3) declared to be unnecessary at that site.

  2. The old site component is not required as backup to the new site component.

  3. The old site component is not a part of other site activities, such as comparative or data continuity studies.

  4. All new site components required to replace the old site component have been commissioned.

  5. All users of the old site component have transferred or have been given sufficient notice to have transferred to the new site component or other alternate source of data or service.

Additional guidance and criteria shall be provided to the regions, as appropriate, for use in their determination of actions and associated activities to be applied to the decommissioning of individual site components of the old system. Such guidance shall take into account the commissioning plans for the new system, overall implementation strategies of the System Program Office, and the transition strategies of the regions.

In those cases in which an old site component must be removed in order for the new site component to be installed, a satisfactory means to address service needs must be in place prior to removal of the old site component.

4.2 Decommissioning Approval Process. The decision to decommission a given operational site component shall be based upon senior NWS management approval of a recommendation by the appropriate meteorologist in charge (MIC), hydrologist in charge (HIC), or director of a National Center that the given operational site component can be decommissioned. Specific procedures shall be developed by the Director, OSO, which shall contain the following elements:

  1. Initiation of Approval Process. Initiation of the decommissioning approval process shall be by the transmittal of a decommissioning recommendation by the appropriate site manager to the appropriate regional director or to the Director of the National Meteorological Center (NMC). The recommendation shall be documented on a standard Decommissioning Readiness Report, which will indicate what is to be decommissioned and when; and that the applicable criteria identified in Section 4.1 above have been met.

  2. Approval of Recommendation. The appropriate regional director or the Director, NMC, shall ensure that any coordination with other sites and/or regions affected by the decommissioning has taken place and shall:

                (1) When the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Modernization (DAAM) approves the decommissioning recommendation, endorse and transmit a copy of the Decommissioning Readiness Report to the DAAM and to the Director, OSO, or designee.

                (2) When authority to do so is delegated by the DAAM, approve the recommendation to decommission and transmit the original copy of the approved Decommissioning Readiness Report to the Director, OSO, or designee.

The original copy of the approved Decommissioning Readiness Report shall be maintained at the National Weather Service Headquarters (WSH) by the Director, OSO. Copies of the approved report shall be maintained at the originating Regional Headquarters and field site or NMC and National Center.

4.3 Implementation of Decommissioning and Disposal Activities. The appropriate regional director or Director, NMC, shall be responsible for the implementation of the site component decommissioning and subsequent disposals, including the phase down and disposal of on-site and regional support functions. The Director, OSO, shall be responsible for the support of such implementations.

5. Development and Implementation of System Disposal Plans. A separate SDP shall be developed by the Director, OSO, for the systems decommissioned as a consequence of the implementation and commissioning of each of the major MAR technologies, and for those additional systems which are brought under this policy by the direction of the AA for Weather Services. All such plans shall be approved by the DAAM.

Each plan shall encompass:

  1.   Description of Decommissioned System. A general description of the standard configuration(s) and peripherals of the system to be decommissioned and of significant variations of the standard configuration(s) shall be included in the plan. The SDP shall also include a site-specific list of equipment to be decommissioned. In addition, the plan shall contain descriptions of support items associated with the site, and with regional and national support functions that are to be phased out/disposed. Such items include on-site test equipment, spares, and documentation; test equipment and spares located at the National Reconditioning Center and the National Logistics Support Center; and vehicles, training software, and training manuals to be disposed of once decommissioning takes place.

  2. Disposal of Site Components and Associated System Support Functions. Disposal is accomplished by the set of actions that removes decommissioned site components and associated items (e.g., vehicles, training software, manuals, etc.) from the NWS property inventory and restores the site to a condition agreed to by all parties. General approaches for disposal shall be described in each SDP and shall be in conformance with the policies defined in Section 6 below.

  3. Phasedown of Associated Support Functions. The associated support functions phased down during a system's decommissioning include maintenance, logistics, software support, communications, training, configuration management, technical monitoring and control, and program management. Plans for such phasedowns shall (1) provide for the operational support of the system being decommissioned until the system's last site component is decommissioned, and (2) address actions, as applicable, at NWS field sites and regions, as well as at WSH.

  4. Responsibility for System Disposal Activities. Each plan shall define the organizations that are responsible for carrying out the activities delineated in the plan.

  5. Procedures for Monitoring and Reporting on Disposal Activities. Procedures for monitoring the disposal activities at each site (site components and support functions) shall be developed as part of the plan.

  6. Summary of Resources Required to Complete System Disposal Activities. Each SDP shall contain a list of costs required to accomplish disposal activities. This list shall identify estimated costs by fiscal year broken down by appropriate categories (e.g., equipment removal, storage, sparing, shipping, and site restoration). Cost estimates shall be developed to cover the fiscal year time span from the decommissioning of the first site component to the disposal of the last site component and completion of the phasedown of associated support functions. Specific site components that will be particularly costly to decommission and dispose of (e.g., the WSFO New York City radar) shall be identified and the costs associated with their removal shall be provided. In addition, the number of systems expected to be decommissioned and disposed of in each fiscal year shall be identified. These estimates shall be updated annually in coordination with the initiation of the Federal budget cycle.

6. Associated MAR Systems Decommissioning and Disposal Policies. In decommissioning and disposing of site components and support functions, the following additional policies shall be adhered to:

  1. Each system being decommissioned shall be supported operationally until its last operational site component is decommissioned. Where appropriate, (1) sparing support shall be provided through the cannibalization of decommissioned site components, and/or (2) decommissioned site components or their sub-components shall be used to meet other NWS requirements.

  2. Notification of the intention to decommission a system shall be provided by NWS to the General Services Administration (GSA) and to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Property Office in accordance with their policies for such notifications. In particular, this notification shall be made in accordance with GSA and NOAA requirements for lead time, currently 6 months prior to the decommissioning of the first site component of a subject system.

  3. Users directly interfacing with the site component to be decommissioned shall be notified by the regions in a manner that provides the user with sufficient time to make provisions for access to data products from the new site component or other alternate source of data or service.

  4. In conformance with WSOM Chapter A-33, Use of Loaned or Donated Equipment, any site components to be decommissioned which were loaned to the NWS shall be returned to the lender at the lender's expense. Also, donated site components shall be disposed of in accordance with Federal Government regulations.

  5. In those instances where a decommissioned site component is purchased from or donated by the GSA, the party purchasing or receiving the donated component shall assume all responsibility, liability, and costs for the disassembly, removal, reassembly, and operation of that site component.

  6. The disposal of site components shall include the restoration of the site to a condition established by the lease agreement for that site and/or by negotiation with the owner or other authority (e.g., airport manager) of that site. Disposal can cover a range of options, including the sale of the site component, removal by a non-NWS entity, removal by the NWS, and/or on-site abandonment of the component by the NWS.

7. NWS Authorities, Roles, and Responsibilities. The NWS authorities, roles, and responsibilities for decommissioning and disposal are identified below by organization and official.

7.1 NWS Headquarters. At the WSH level, the major decommissioning functions are executed by the AA for Weather Services, the DAAM, and the Directors, OSO, Office of Hydrology (OH), Office of Meteorology (OM), Office of Systems Development (OSD), and Transition Program Office (TPO).

7.1.1 Assistant Administrator for Weather Services. The AA for Weather Services is the authorizing official for the NWS system decommissioning function and shall be the authority for determining the applicability of this policy to the decommissioning of a given system.

7.1.2 Deputy Assistant Administrator for Modernization. The DAAM shall be responsible for the following items, of which b and c may be delegated by the DAAM:

  1. approval of NWS Decommissioning and System Disposal Plans for systems to be decommissioned under this policy;

  2. approval of site component decommissioning recommendations contained in Decommissioning Readiness Reports; and

  3. resolution, as required, of issues regarding recommendations on decommissioning of specific site components.

7.1.3 Director OSO. The Director, OSO, has the authority to manage, design, and implement the decommissioning function. Specific responsibilities include:

  1.  development of guidelines and procedures for the execution of the systems decommissioning policy, in coordination with the Directors of OH, OM, OSD, TPO, NMC, and the regions;

  2. overall management of the development and implementation of the Decommissioning Plan for each replaced system;

  3. development of the SDP for each replaced system;

  4. review of Decommissioning Readiness Reports and decommissioning recommendations, as appropriate;

  5. support of the implementation of approved site component decommissionings in coordination with the appropriate NWS Director;

  6. management of the phasedown of system support functions at the national level, and support of the phasedown of regional and site specific portions of such support systems; and

  7. maintenance of this policy.

7.1.4 Directors of OH, OM, OSD, and TPO. The Directors of OH, OM, OSD, and TPO are responsible for:

  1. support of the Director, OSO, in development of guidelines and procedures for execution of the Systems Decommissioning Policy, of updates to this policy, and of the SDP and decommissioning plan for each replaced system.

  2. review of Decommissioning Readiness Reports and decommissioning recommendations, as appropriate.

7.2 NMC and Regional Headquarters. At the NMC and regional headquarters levels, the decommissioning functions are executed by the Director, NMC, and the regional directors. Their responsibilities are:

  1.    support of the Director, OSO, in development of guidelines and procedures for execution of the Systems Decommissioning Policy, of updates to this policy, and of the SDP and decommissioning plan for each replaced system.

  2. inclusion of decommissioning actions in Regional Transition Plans or the NMC Transition Plan;

  3. endorsement of Decommissioning Readiness Reports and their submittal to the DAAM or, when delegated by the DAAM, approval of such reports;

  4. notification of users directly interfacing with a site component to be decommissioned in sufficient time for the users to gain access to data products from the replacing site component or other alternate source of data or service; and

  5. implementation of site component decommissioning decisions and disposal actions, in coordination with the Director, OSO.

7.2.1 National Centers. At the national centers, the system decommissioning and disposal responsibilities are executed by the respective center director. These responsibilities are:

  1. inclusion of appropriate site component decommissioning and disposal activities in the Site Implementation Plan (SIP) for their center;

  2. development and submission of Decommissioning Readiness Reports and decommissioning recommendations for consideration and/or approval by the Director, NMC; and

  3. implementation of decommissioning decisions and disposal actions as directed by the Director, NMC.

7.2.2 Field Offices. At the field offices, the system decommissioning and disposal responsibilities are executed by the appropriate MIC or HIC. These responsibilities are:

  1. inclusion of appropriate site component decommissioning and disposal activities in the SIP for their field office;

  2. development and submission of Decommissioning Readiness Reports and decommissioning recommendations for consideration and/or approval by the appropriate regional director; and

  3. implementation of decommissioning decisions and disposal actions as directed by the appropriate regional director.

WSOM-A-74-92-11