External assessment of the scope and governance framework of the NOAA Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS®) program: final report

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) has contracted Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG) to conduct an external assessment of the scope and governance framework of the NOAA Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) Program. The objectives of this research are to (1) better understand requirements to fully build out the PORTS® Program, and (2) better understand stakeholder sentiment regarding PORTS® Program Governance, including financial and equity considerations. ERG’s detailed approach, results, limitations, and key takeaways and recommendations are outlined in the subsequent sections of this report.