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ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
 
Program Assessment

Program

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National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration: Navigation Services

This program provides positioning and navigation products to help ensure that people and goods move safely through the offshore waters of the United States. These services include the National Spatial Reference System, water depth surveys, tide and current data, and global positioning surveys.

Rating

What This Rating Means

PERFORMING
Moderately Effective

In general, a program rated Moderately Effective has set ambitious goals and is well-managed. Moderately Effective programs likely need to improve their efficiency or address other problems in the programs' design or management in order to achieve better results.
  • The program is achieving results in providing accurate positioning and navigation products to ensure safe navigation. The program has met most of its targets for long-term and annual performance measures.
  • The program uses state-of-the-art technology to collect and disseminate navigation data. NOAA continues to develop Electronic Navigation Charts to support mariners who now navigate with electronic systems. NOAA is also investigating the use of autonomous vehicles to increase the efficiency of hydrographic survey data collection.
  • The program partners with private industry to meet mapping and charting requirements, while maintaining core expertise for effective oversight. However, the program is not yet able to demonstrate that it employs the optimal mix of in-house versus private-sector capabilities.

Improvement Plan

About Improvement Plans

We are taking the following actions to improve the performance of the program:

  • Performing a rigorous analysis of the hydrographic surveying component of the program to ensure that NOAA uses the most effective approach to addressing hydrographic survey requirements.
  • Proposing funding for state-of-the-art technology including Electronic Navigation Charts and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).

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