Pacific Services Center

Regional Collaboration:

Addressing specific local and regional coastal issues by providing expertise, information, and technology.

Our Hawaiian ancestors knew the importance of working together toward a common goal. Hawaiian elders say "pupukahi i holomua" which means "unite to move forward." This concept encourages us to respect the individual, while honoring the magnitude and power of a group.

NOAA's Regional Collaboration

NOAA's regional collaboration effort emphasizes the strong collaborative ties between programs and customers and partners. Blending place-based needs and federal priorities and responsibilities improves the productivity and value to customers and best serves the needs of the public.

For more information on NOAA regional collaboration, visit http://www.ppi.noaa.gov/regional-collaboration/.

NOAA's Pacific Regional Team

NOAA's Pacific Services Center (PSC) is leading the Pacific Region Collaboration team. PSC provides leadership and oversight to several teams that help address local and regional environmental management and science needs.

1. The Pacific Region Executive Board (PREB) is a collaborative regional organization representing NOAA's offices and programs in the Pacific. Composed of NOAA's Pacific-based leaders, the board has a governance structure with a rotating chair, vice chair, and supporting working groups. The NOAA Pacific Services Center serves as a board member as well as a primary point of contact and liaison for regional teamwork.

Through the PREB, PSC is involved with four regional NOAA working groups:

1. The Pacific Regional Training Hui (working group) collaborates on internal training opportunities in the Pacific to maximize professional development and expertise for NOAA personnel throughout the region.
2. The Aviation Working Group is an advisory board for aircraft platform use, allocation plans, aviation safety training and equipment, and any other aviation-related issues in the Pacific Islands region as they pertain to NOAA.
   
   Aviation Working Group responsibilities include
   • Advise on the allocation of NOAA and charter aircraft time to support NOAA's research and operational programs and missions in the region.
   • Assist with the planning, coordination, and communication of aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) requirements.
   • Help set priorities for aircraft recapitalization plans.
   • Support the policy requirements of NOAA Administrative Order 209-124, NOAA Aviation Safety Policy, including the scheduling and tracking of water, ditching, safety, and survival training for local personnel.
   • Act as the regional point of contact for the Aviation Safety Board on matters associated with providing a safe working environment for aircraft operations.
     
     
3. The Pacific Region Grants Cooperative (PRGC) is an advisory group on issues related to NOAA grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements and other related issues within the Pacific Islands region. The group is a venue for sharing the best management practices and resources to successfully administer NOAA grants.
   
   The PRGC provides increased grants management services and engagement with Pacific region grantees by providing the following:
   • Geographically based training opportunities and capacity building;
   • Useful financial management information, tools, and resources; and
   • Collaborating, coordinating, and communicating regularly across the NOAA line offices based in the Pacific.
     
     
4. The Pacific Regional Outreach Group (PROG) is an advisory group focused on outreach as a means to improve products and services in the Pacific region.
   
   The PROG serves as the focal point for outreach, education, and public affairs and other related issues in the region. The PROG meets monthly to coordinate outreach, marketing, education, and training projects, exchange information, bring opportunities to the table, and share best practices.

Additional Regional Activities

NOAA's Pacific Services Center supports partnership activities in the Pacific. Some of the most notable are listed below:

Pacific Risk Management `Ohana (PRiMO)
PRiMO is a network of partners committed to enhancing the resilience of Pacific Islands through risk management. PRiMO recognizes the value of collective action and works through partnerships to improve coordination, build regional capacity in risk management, and strengthen and sustain hazard-resilient communities.

The Pacific Services Center serves on PRiMO's Executive Council (the Navigators), participates in several huis (working groups), employs the PRiMO Executive Director, and provides executive secretariat functions.

For more information on PRiMO, visit www.primohui.org.

Pacific Climate Information System (PaCIS)
PaCIS is a regional climate service committed to providing a framework for using climate information to manage risks and support practical decision-making in the context of climate variability and change in the Pacific.

The Pacific Services Center represents the Pacific Risk Management `Ohana (PRiMO) on the PaCIS Steering Committee and participates in a variety of working groups.

For more information on PaCIS, visit http://www.ideademo.org/.

U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) Program
The U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) Program was implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The U.S. IOTWS Program is assisting with international efforts to develop an operational warning system for the Indian Ocean and provide integrated end-to-end capabilities at local, regional, and national levels as it pertains to environmental hazards.

The Pacific Services Center led the collaborative effort of the IOTWS to develop the publication, How Resilient is Your Coastal Community? A Guide for Evaluating Coastal Community Resilience to Tsunamis and Other Hazards. This award-winning guidebook is based on the lessons learned and experience gained in the Indian Ocean region after the 2004 tsunami to address coastal hazards and reduce risk to vulnerable communities.

Download the guide.