Department of Commerce

Although the National Weather Service (NWS) is nearing completion of its systems modernization effort, it faces two significant challenges in 1999: deploying the final system of the modernization and ensuring that all of its mission-critical systems are Year 2000 compliant. NWS has made progress on both fronts. In the fleet area, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) now outsources for more of its research and data needs but plans to spend $185 million during the next five years to acquire four new replacement fisheries research ships. GAO believes that continued congressional oversight, as well as NOAA budget requests for replacement or upgraded ships, are needed to ensure that NOAA pursues the most cost-effective alternatives for acquiring marine data.

GAO noted that: (1) although NWS is nearing completion of its systems modernization effort, two significant challenges face it this year: (a) deploying the final system of modernization; and (b) ensuring that all of its mission-critical systems are year 2000 compliant; (2) NWS has made progress on both fronts; (3) in the NOAA fleet area, NOAA now outsources for more of its research and data needs but plans to spend $185 million over the next five years to acquire four new replacement NOAA fisheries research ships; and (4) thus, GAO believes that continued congressional oversight of this area, as well as NOAA's budget requests for replacement or upgraded ships, is needed to ensure that NOAA is pursuing the most cost-effective alternatives for acquiring marine data.