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An Evolving Vision Statement
for ORD and Strategic Pian 2000
Report of the "ORD Vision Group"
to the Office of Research and Development
Prepared for:
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
February 1999
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This report was prepared forthe United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and
Development, Office of Science Policy by Environmental Management Support, Inc., 8601 Georgia
Avenue, Suite 500, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, under Contract Number: 68-D5-0132, Work
Assignment: 111-14. For further information, please contact Mary McCarthy-O'Reilly (202)564-6487.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
Contents
Foreword ii
Introduction 1
Part I: Preliminary Vision Statement for ORD 3
A. Development 4
B. The First Draft 6
Partn: Revised Vision Statement for ORD . 8
A. The Roll-out Process .. 9
B. Themes in Participant Comments from Vision Roll-out Workshops 11
C. Roll-out Based Revised ORD Vision Statement 15
Part HI: Current Vision Statement for ORD 17
A. Adoption of Vision Statement by ORD's Executive Council 18
B. Current ORD Vision Statement 19
C. Next Steps : 21
Appendix A. Participant Comments on the Vision Statement
from Vision Roll-out Workshops 23
Appendix B. Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
from Vision Roll-out Workshops 45
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
Foreword
With this report, EPA's Office of Research and Development presents its vision for the future. The Vision
Statement articulates an explicit common goal or vision for ORD. According to J. Collins and W. Lazier
in their book Beyond Entrepreneur ship, a well-thought-out and clearly articulated shared vision is a
powerful motivator that can create cohesion, teamwork and community. A compelling vision helps an
organization focus on a common aim, provides a context for strategic and tactical decisions, and lays the
groundwork for the organization to evolve past dependence on a few key individuals. It can help members
of an organization create a sense of shared ownership and responsibility. When all of these factors come
together, the shared vision becomes a vision for organizational alignment.
ORD's Vision Statement is the product of an inclusive process that actively involved people at every level
within the organization and in each of ORD's different labs, centers, and offices. Each offered a unique
perspective, which was considered and utilized in order to find the highest quality ideas. While this Vision
Statement is the result of input and hard work from throughout ORD, it also is a work in progress, which
may evolve still further as ORD's Strategic Plan 2000 is completed. It is a living statement that will evolve
as ORD continues to move down the road it has traveled over the three years since the first Williamsburg
Workshop, where ORD made a multi-year commitment to organizational improvement.
This report traces the evolution of the ORD Vision Statement from its initial drafting by a small but
representative "Vision Group," to its revision based on comments from ORD staff who participated in 46
employee workshops, through approval by ORD's Executive Council. Creating an organizational vision
has required us to craft a picture of an exciting future for ORD and also to come to terms with our current
reality. Our hope is that the difference between the desired future and current reality will create a
productive tension in the organization that will spur creativity and draw the organization toward its desired
future.
With these objectives in mind, the ORD Vision Group presents this record of the evolution of the Vision
Statement. The Vision Group gratefully acknowledges the important contributions of more than 1,200
"Roll-Out" participants in shaping this Vision Statement and in developing ORD's Strategic Plan 2000.
Dorothy Patton, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Science Policy
Lee Mulkey, Ph.D.
Associate Director, National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Co-Chairs, ORD Vision Group
February, 1999
11
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
Introduction
The development of a Vision Statement for ORD is another important milestone marking progress toward
ORD's commitment to improving the organization and providing the scientific foundation to support the
mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ORD's 1996 Strategic Plan for environmental
research instituted a new system for determining research priorities based on risk assessment and risk
management principles. It delineated ORD's research planning process, goals and objectives, and thus
served as a tool for ORD's partners, stakeholders, and peer reviewers to use to measure the organization's
success in providing practical, credible, and timely information and tools for risk-based decision-making.
Elements in ORD' s strategic plan were incorporated in the "Sound Science" goals in EPA' s 1997 Strategic
Plan undertaken in response to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1 993 . The GPRA
requires each federal agency to delineate goals and to develop a strategic plan and report annually to
Congress on progress.
In December 1996, ORD made an ambitious multi-year commitment to organizational improvement. More
than 200 ORD staff representing all levels of ORD laboratories, centers, and offices convened in
Williamsburg, Virginia, to begin a five-year process to identify critical needs, strengthen the scientific
mission of ORD, and improve the delivery of the best science for EPA. At this and a subsequent ORD
Workshop in the winter of 1997, ORD staff identified improvement areas for the organization and created
new mechanisms to reduce red tape and to foster bottom up change initiatives within ORD. The
Williamsburg group began the planning process leading to development of ORD's Strategic Plan 2000
("SP2K"), and set into motion a process to develop a Vision Statement for ORD.
The Vision statement describes our purposes, values, and envisioned future, while the strategic plan will
articulate how ORD will achieve this vision through its research priorities and strategies and by fostering
an internal workplace and culture that enables ORD to fulfill its role in supporting the Agency's mission.
Strategic Plan 2000 will focus both on ORD's research elements as well as its culture and internal
operations. It goes a step beyond previous strategic plans, which did not address internal organizational
issues or address how to create alignment within ORD towards achieving its research goals.
The development of a Vision Statement for ORD is an essential first step in the planning process for ORD
Strategic Plan 2000, which will be an inclusive and coordinated document that focuses on our research
strategies as well as our culture and internal operations. Strategic Plan 2000 provides a new opportunity
to build upon the foundation provided by
the planning process used to develop
ORD's 1996 and 1997 strategic plans and
strategic planning efforts under way in
ORD laboratories, offices, and centers, and
also to address areas where we feel we can
make improvements.
A Four Stage Process
VISIOfilNB
STRATEGIC
PIflNHIHG
Describes
our purposes,
values, and
envisioned
future
Articulates
how we
achieve
our vision
through our:
nlulon
wxtpimni
aOutt
flSSESSIKG
aflUGNIHG
IMPKMMMOH
Allows us
to make
business and
scientific
decisions
that flow
from our
vision and
strategic plan
Ensures we
continue to
apply our
vision and
strategic
screen to
make dally
decisions and
adjust to new
realities
Even with a formal strategic plan,
individuals within an organization often
operate independently of the overall plan
and move in different directions.
Alignment can be reached best with a
formal plana road map for where an
organization wants to goAND the
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
i
involvement and participation of its employees in both establishing the direction and making it happen.
That is the challenge we face as we turn our attention to Strategic Plan 2000. We invite all ORD employees
to take part in this important next step toward making our shared vision for ORD a reality.
This report has three parts, with progressive drafts of the Vision Statement presented at the end of each
part. Part I outlines the principles and process that guided the Vision Group in developing the preliminary
Vision Statement during the winter and spring of 1998. Part n describes the "rollout" process for
introducing the preliminary statement to ORD in a series of 46 workshops held at all ORD locations during
the summer and early fall. This part also includes a summary and synthesis of themes developed during
the workshops and used to create the next draft, a roll-out-based revision of the Vision Statement. The
themes are based on data from the rollout sessions, which are presented in the appendices. The Vision
Statement that the Executive Council has approved for use in developing the strategic plan appears in Part
m.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
Part I: Preliminary Vision Statement for ORD
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
A. Development
Formation of a Vision Group
In response to a directive from the Assistant
Administrator for ORD, the Office of Science
Policy formed a representative cross-office work-
group to develop a vision for the entire ORD
network. The 16-member Vision Group worked
with a strategic planning consultant to learn about
different approaches and techniques and agreed on
a conceptual framework for ORD's Preliminary
ORD Vision Statement.
Selection of a Conceptual Framework
The framework for ORD's Vision Statement chosen
by the Vision Group was developed by James
Collins and Jerry Porras and described in an article,
"Building Your Company's Vision," which
appeared in the Harvard Business Review (Septem-
ber/October 1996). Collins and Porras argue that
truly great organizations understand the difference between what should never change and what should
be open for change. An organization's vision provides guidance about what "core" to preserve and what
future to stimulate progress toward. Collins and Porras outline a conceptual framework that includes two
major components to delineate this important distinction: Core Ideology and Envisioned Future.
Vision Group
Dorothy Patton Co-Chair, OSP
Lee Mulkey Co-Chair, NRMRL
Gary Foley '..... NERL
Kay Austin NCEA
Clyde Bishop NCERQA
Michael Callahan NCEA
Roger Cortesi '. NCERQA
Peter Durant ORMA
Frank Freestone. NRMRL
Florence Fulk NERL
Ed Hanlon OSP
Steve Hedtke NHEERL
Betsy Howard NRMRL
Karl Jensen NRMRL
Lisa Matthews IOAA
Jim Morant ORMA
Mary McCarthy-O'Reilly OSP, Coordinator
CORE IDEOLOGY
Purpose
An organization's purpose is its fundamental reason for
existingits "raison d'etre." It is the role that the
organization plays within the larger organization (e.g.,
within EPA). The purpose of an organization endures
over a long period of time and provides a foundation for
the organization. Except for brand new organizations,
organizations do not invent their purpose. Rather, the
purpose is discovered through examination of the
organization's history.
Core Values
Values are the fundamental beliefs and principles that
members of an organization hold and which guide
organizational behavior. Like its purpose, core values
are foundational and enduring: they are discovered
rather than invented. Values are the principles organi-
zations try to ascribe to, although they don't always act
in accordance to their values.
Core Ideology contains two elementsPurpose
and Core Values. These comprise the non-
changing elements of a vision. The "purpose" is
the organization's reason for being and reflects
people's idealistic motivations for doing the work
of the organization. "Core values" are a small set
of timeless guiding principles which comprise the
essential and enduring tenets of an organization.
Together, the purpose and core values form a core
ideology, which provides the glue that holds an
organization together over time.
The second component of the Collins and Porras
framework is the "Envisioned Future," which also
consists of two parts: an "audacious," 10-to-30-
year goal that involves making a commitment to a
huge, daunting challengeplus detailed, or
"vivid" descriptions of what it would be like to
achieve the goal.
Together, the Core Ideology and Envisioned
Future form an organizational vision, which -works like a magnet pulling all of the structures of the
organization together in a concerted fashion toward a common goal.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
Once a conceptual framework was chosen, the
Vision Work group worked from the results of the
two Williamsburg workshops and skip level
meetings with each Division in ORD, studied the
Agency's GPRA goals, drew upon their experiences
developing previous research strategies and plans,
and reviewed responses from the 1996 and 1997
ORD Organizational Climate Surveys, particularly
questions 117 and 118 of the 1997 survey, which
asked what employees valued most about their jobs
in ORD. Through a series of face to face meetings
and conference calls over a three-month period, the
Vision Group used the Collins/Porras framework to
draft and refine the elements of a Preliminary
Vision Statement for ORD.
ENVISIONED FUTURE
Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)
Collins and Porras ask organizations to articulate a clear
and concrete long-term goal (10 to 30-year goal) as well
as an aspirational one. This "big, hairy, audacious goal,"
or "BHAG," provides a unifying focal point for the
whole organization. It goes beyond traditional goals and
objectives because it is an organization-wide goal that
will require a long time period to fulfill and require the
efforts of the entire organization.
Vivid Description
The vivid description is a vibrant, engaging and specific
description of what it will be like to achieve the BHAG.
What Is The Framework ORD Used
To Create Its Vision?
Current Reality Ahgnment
Actions
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
B. The First Draft
CORE IDEOLOGY
Purpose
To develop, catalyze, and evaluate science and technology in support of EPA's mission.
Core Values
We Value:
- Making a difference in the protection of human health and the environment.
- Excellence in science, engineering, management and administration
- Innovation and creativity in addressing complex environmental issues
- The knowledge, expertise, and commitment of our workforce
- The trust and respect of the American public
ENVISIONED FUTURE
BHAG
ORD's discovery and innovation drive a revolution in environmental decision-making.
Vivid Description
We plav a unique role in EPA's mission.
1. Our research builds a strong foundation for the decision-making essential to EPA's mission.
2. We provide technical assistance to all parts of EPA, working hand-in?glove with the Program Offices
and Regions. They regard ORD as a reliable and indispensable partner.
3. We collaborate intensively with other research labs, EPA Headquarters and Regions, academia, and
EPA's stakeholder community.
ORD is the world's preeminent environmental research organization.
1. ORD sets the standard for excellence in environmental research. Peer review of our programs
consistently confirms our ability to identify the most critical issues and develop innovative and
scientifically sound solutions. Other federal and non-federal research organizations are quick to follow
our lead.
2. All of ORD' s technical staff interact with the broader research community at national and international
symposia and conferences.
3. ORD ensures independence and objectivity in its research.
4. ORD's substantial and enthusiastic support of academic research makes us the most important single
funder of academic environmental research and the leader in developing new generations of
environmental scientists and engineers.
We develop innovative solutions using integrated approaches.
1. We develop some of the more remarkable scientific advances of our time that address pervasive
challenges to our environment.
2. We are a scientific community producing research integrated across media, discipline and scale.
3. Comprehensive solutions result from our understanding of the interdependencies and non-linear
relationships that are inherent properties of the natural and built environments.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
!i
:l
I
ORD is a great place to work!
1. ORD nurtures the spirit of scientific adventure that fuels discovery.
2. The currency of ORD is ideas, not resources.
3. We savor our opportunities to contribute to society, develop our careers and interact with colleagues.
We also enjoy the pleasant working conditions, achievement, fairness, and appreciation that ORD
offers.
4. ORD facilities are clean, healthy, safe, and designed to enhance the innovative and creative potential
of a workforce with diverse needs and talents.
5. Our stimulating research environment attracts and holds the best, brightest and most energetic
workforce in science, engineering, management, and administration.
6. The variety of perspectives provided by our diverse workforce drive innovation.
7. ORD offers the opportunity for all its members to keep up to date in their disciplines.
ORD's operations are efficiently managed and administered.
1. ORD provides an outstanding return on its research investments.
2. The knowledge and resourcefulness of ORD's administrative staff is the basis of its effectiveness.
3. ORD's leadership communicates in a clear, concise and open way that engenders trust.
4. The reasonable manner in which resources are distributed and managed is a hallmark of ORD's
outstanding leadership.
5. Managers, administrative staff, researchers and technicians cooperate to meet common goals.
6. ORD is a flexible organization that accommodates changing environmental needs and the changing
needs of its workforce.
7. The high regard the American public holds for our research ensures that we have the resources to
successfully do our job and to position ourselves to address the environmental challenges of the future.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
Part II: Revised Vision Statement for ORD
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
A. The Roll-out Process
The ORD Vision Roll-out Process
The Preliminary Vision Statement was formally presented to ORD employees at 46 Vision Roll-out
Workshops held throughout ORD between August and October, 1998. Vision Group members visited
ORD locations to brief ORD employees on the Preliminary Vision Statement and to gather feedback from
them. They facilitated small, participatory workshops with employees, at which participants voiced
opinions and offered suggestions about the Preliminary Vision Statement and the actions ORD should take
to implement it.
Facilitators of the Vision Roll-out Workshops followed an agenda that included two breakout sessions.
Feedback from the sessions was recorded on flipcharts, which were transcribed and submitted to the Office
of Science Policy by the facilitators for each session. In the first breakout session, participants were asked
for their reactions to the Vision Statement itself by responding to these questions: What do you like about
the Vision Statement? What excites you? What don't you like? What's missing from the ORD Vision
Statement that is critical given ORD's current and future challenges? (A compilation of more than 630
participant comments in response to these questions is included as Appendix A.) In the second breakout
session, participants were asked to suggest "alignment actions"specific activities to align the
organization with the stated goals of the Vision Statement. (A compilation of more than 1,100 comments
from participants related to alignment actions is included as Appendix B.)
Revision of the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
Members of the Vision Group met in Washington, D.C. October 28 and 29, 1998, to rework the
preliminary Vision Statement based on feedback from participants in the Vision Roll-out Workshops. The
group also developed its recommendations to ORD's Executive Council about Strategic Plan 2000 and
identified several alignment actions it thought could be implemented even before Strategic Plan 2000 is
completed.
Based .on data from employee meetings, the Vision Group reworked the Preliminary Vision Statement.
They made minor modifications to the Purpose and Core Values, which generally were well-received by
ORD employees. Revision of the BHAG proved to be a challenging task for the group. Vision Roll-out
Workshop participants disliked use of the Collins/Porras term, which the Vision Group renamed the
"Strategic Goal." More fundamentally, Vision Group members decided not to present a single strategic
goal for ORD to the Executive Council for consideration. Reflecting divisions of opinion expressed by
employees, the Vision Group instead drafted two alternatives, each of which articulates a different but
widely held conceptualization of an envisioned long-term direction for ORD.
The first, which they called the "Integration Theme," capitalizes on ORD's unique capability to provide
integrated solutions to environmental problems and to solve them by working in partnership with EPA
programs, Regions and the environmental community. The second alternative envisions an ORD whose
primary role is as a center for core research and research designed to solve specific environmental
problems.
Vision Group members also restructured the Vivid Description section of the Vision Statement by
collapsing the five original elements into three separate sections to address ORD's role within EPA, its
relationship with partners and customers, and ORD's internal operations.
ORD employees who participated in the Vision Roll-out Workshops identified hundreds of alignment
actions to align the organization with the stated goals of the Vision Statement. Although all of the ideas
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
generated during the Roll-out sessions were collected for use in developing a new strategic plan, the Vision
Group identified and forwarded for Executive Committee consideration several alignment actions that they
thought could be initiated in a relatively short time, along with a suggestion that ORD undertake three or
four of these actions to demonstrate the Vision Group's attention to messages delivered during the roll-out
sessions and ORD's commitment to implementing the kind of changes envisioned in the Vision Statement.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2OOO
B. Themes in Participant Comments from Vision Roll-out Workshops
More than 1,200 ORD employees at all levels of the organization took part in the Vision Roll-out
Workshops. The Preliminary Vision Statement elicited spirited discussion and debate throughout ORD
about the current state and the envisioned future of the organization. Employees expressed a mixture of
hope about ORD's future and skepticism about the ability of the organization to change sufficiently to
move toward the articulated vision. Perhaps the most striking feature of the discussions was the enormous
variety of opinions voiced by ORD employees, which are documented in the appendices. While comments
varied from location to location, several themes emerged. These were carefully considered and used to
guide subsequent revisions of the Vision Statement.
Isolating themes does not capture all the ideas generated in these lively and very productive sessions. The
themes outlined here were not chosen based on a rigorous analysis of comments or scientific sampling of
the data; rather, this summary highlights the comments heard most often and those which were particularly
illustrative of various points of view or widely held opinions. As such, the discussion here is meant to
convey general impressions of the Vision Roll-out Workshop discussions rather than to provide an
exhaustive analysis of the data.
Themes from Participant Comments on the Preliminary Vision Statement
In general, ORD employees liked the idealistic, "cutting edge" quality of the Preliminary Vision Statement,
and they agreed with all five elements of the Envisioned Future. Participants said they liked the fact that
the Preliminary Vision Statement recognized the importance of research to ORD's science mission, and
that recognizes the complexity of environmental problems and their solutions.
However, some Vision Roll-out Workshop participants found the Preliminary Vision Statement difficult
to understand and recommended streamlining the statement, simplifying language, and making it more
proactive. They also wanted greater emphasis on internal and external communications, engendering trust
and respect within ORD, and recognition of ORD's scientific contributions to EPA's mission to protect
human health and the environment.
Core Ideology
There was widespread support and enthusiasm for the Core Ideology outlined in the Preliminary Vision
Statement. Participants liked the Purpose and suggested editorial changes to make the language "convey
more excitement." There also was general consensus about the Core Values. Participants recommended
greater emphasis on serving client needs and customers, valuing trust and respect within the organization,
recognizing the dedication of ORD staff, and communicating ideas and accomplishments.
Envisioned Future
Vision Roll-out Workshop participants liked, but did not seem excited about the "Big Hairy Audacious
Goal"and they did not like the use of the Collins/Porras' term "BHAG." Many liked its emphasis on
discovery and innovation, but were concerned that the goal to "drive a revolution in environmental
decision-making" was too strong and implied that current decision-making is faulty. Others noted that the
purpose should refer to EPA's mission "to protect human health and the environment" rather than to
"environmental decision-making."
Discussion on elements of the Vivid Description spurred lively debate. Participants liked the first element
of the Vivid Description, which describes ORD's "unique role in EPA's mission"in particular, its focus
11
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
i'
on providing a strong foundation for environmental decision-making, emphasis on collaboration, and
characterization of ORD's role as an "indispensable partner to the program offices and regions."
Participants were perhaps most excited about the second element of the Vivid Description, which outlines
a goal to elevate ORD's stature to "the world's preeminent environmental research organization." Many
favored toning down language to emphasize that ORD works with other Federal agencies, and not in
competition with them. Participants enthusiastically supported the goal stressing interaction of ORD' s staff
with the broader research community and language describing ORD as "the leader in developing new
generations of environmental scientists and engineers." Discussion of this element sometimes spurred
debate about how to strike the appropriate balance between core and applied research and between in-
house and extramural research programs.
i ., -
,, , !|
On the other hand, there was little debate about the third element of the Envisioned Future, which
describes ORD's capacity to "develop innovative solutions using integrated approaches." Participants
liked the idea of developing "some of the more remarkable scientific advances of our time that address
pervasive challenges to our environment" and agreed with the goal of producing research "integrated
across media, discipline, and scale."
As might be expected, the fourth element of the Envisioned Future prompted spirited discussion about
what would make ORD "a great place to work." ORD employees value opportunities to contribute to
society, develop careers, and interact with colleagues. Participants suggested that this section place a
greater emphasis on the individual employee and on creating a collegial working environment that stresses
professionalism, fairness, mutual trust and respect. They did not like language stating the "currency of
ORD is ideas, not resources," and noted that "You cannot separate resources from ideas. We must have
the stability and perseverance to bring ideas to fruition, which requires time and money." They also
stressed the importance of a commitment to workforce diversity as part of creating "a stimulating research
environment."
Vision Roll-out Workshop participants also agreed with the fifth element of the Envisioned Future:
"ORD's operations are efficiently managed and administered." They recommended increasing emphasis
on communications issues and resource needs and adding language to link the efficient management and
administration of ORD to its scientific efforts.
Themes from Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Alignment actions are specific actions an organization can implement to close the gap between current
reality and vision. They are activities meant to stimulate progress toward the BHAG and to bring into
reality the picture of ORD depicted in the Vivid Description. Participants in the Vision Roll-out
Workshops offered more than a thousand comments with suggestions about actions ORD could take to
align the organization with the stated goals of the Vision Statement. Appendix B contains a compilation
of these data, organized according to each of the five elements of the Envisioned Future.
Roll-out Workshop participants voiced an enormous variety of comments related to alignment actions, and
many of their suggestions were repeated across the various elements of the Envisioned Future. Common
themes among these recommendations tended to fall into the following broad categories:
Research Goals and Research Planning
Vision Roll-out Workshop participants encouraged ORD to dedicate more resources to science and review
the balance between core programs and problem-driven research. They said ORD needs to identify
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
research priorities and better focus its efforts to avoid duplication between labs. Participants also
encouraged ORD to take steps to "increase freedom of inquiry and independence' and "make it safer to
take risks and encourage innovative solutions." Comments emphasized the need to work with stakeholders
to identify problems and solutions and to encourage problem-specific and multi-disciplinary workshops
for developing innovative solutions. Participants recommended that ORD provide the flexibility to do long-
term research and place greater emphasis on long-range stability of science priorities. Participants also
called for elimination of organizational barriers that prevent research programs from being fully integrated
across disciplines and media and recommended institutionalization of a scientific planning process that
involves various disciplines and media.
Decision-Making Process
Participants said ORD needs to better define its role in environmental decision-making and to make
Agency decision-making more inclusive of ORD. They said ORD needs to establish criteria for use in
decision-making and decision-makers need the flexibility to adapt schedules and actions to new scientific
findings. Participants also recommended that ORD increase awareness of decision-making processes by
scientists so they can better focus their research.
ORD's Organizational Culture
Many comments focused on the need to create an atmosphere of trust and respect within ORD, enable a
customer focus, and strive for continuous improvement. Participants also suggested researching the
organizations ORD would like to emulate and comparing ORD's organization and structure to other
respected scientific research organizations atthe National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control,
Department of Energy's national laboratories, and the National Cancer Institute.
Management/StaffRelations
There were several comments about the need to break down turf and communications barriers within ORD.
Participants recommended more frequent interaction and information exchange between staff and between
ORD laboratories, centers, and offices, and they provided specific suggestions for doing so. A number of
participants urged management to trust its employees and to provide timely and honest feedback to staff
on major issues and ORD initiatives. They asked management to encourage bottom up communications,
to listen more closely to technical and administrative staff, and to value and acknowledge the contribution
of non-scientific staff and their role as an integral part of the ORD team. Several groups recommended
retraining of ORD managers in human relations in order to increase their appreciation of science and
research and their ability to inspire employee productivity and creativity.
Collaboration Within ORD and With Program Offices and Regions
Participants stressed the need, to increase access to top scientists; promote scientist-to-scientist interaction;
and build new partnerships in academia and with other laboratories through the grants program, IPAs, and
state-of-the-science meetings, workshops and consortia. They recommended that ORD form inter-
laboratory and inter-regional workgroups to enable assessment of the need for collaboration and
recommend how to achieve better collaboration. Suggestions included rotational assignments and exchange
programs between program offices, regions and labs. Participants urged ORD to support research forums,
workshops, interdisciplinary teams and co-publications that would encourage communication across
disciplines, and to provide cross-cutting training and use cross-lab and interdisciplinary teams.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
11
Human Resources Issues
Human resources issues were in the forefront of issues raised by participants in the Vision Roll-out
Workshops. ORD employees offered hundreds of comments related to recruitment and hiring, training,
career development, rewards and promotions, diversity and workforce composition. Among the most often
heard themes were the need for ORD to actively recruit, hire, and retain the best scientists; and to expand
its role in training students, post-docs, and "the next generations of environmental scientists and
engineers." There were many suggestions for promoting career development by increasing opportunities
for training, details, sabbaticals, and rotational assignments. Participants offered various views about the
extent to which performance should be judged on the basis of peer-reviewed publications. Several
commented on the need to "allow the freedom to take risks and fail," and to ensure that the system of
rewards and promotions recognizes work that contributes to the Agency's mission and does not penalize
program office, regional or stakeholder collaboration.
Resources and Infrastructure
Many Vision Roll-out Workshop participants expressed the need to commit adequate resources to support
ORD's important scientific mission. They stressed the importance of providing the continuity necessary
to support long-term projects. Participants also cited the need to allocate adequate laboratory space,
increase access to the Internet and other technology, provide state-of-the-art information-sharing and
library services, update equipment, and increase funding for travel to scientific meetings and conferences.
Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements
I
There was much discussion of the need to maintain a balance between intramural and extramural research.
Many favored increasing in-house research and using internal grants to enhance integration and to integrate
innovative aspects of extramural research efforts with in-house efforts.
Internal Communications and Interaction
Vision Roll-out Workshop participants encouraged ORD to improve internal communications and methods
to communicate work goals, accomplishments, and lessons learned throughout the organization. They
suggested scheduling regular meetings and efforts to promote more frequent interaction and information
exchange. Participants said management needs to "offer opportunities to express disagreements." They
said ORD should help scientific, administrative, clerical, and technical employees understand how they
work for common goals and contribute to their achievement. In particular, participants noted that
"scientists [need] to better understand the political needs of the organization and management [needs] to
better understand scientific needs and influences."
Customer Service, Marketing, and Public Relations
i
Employees want to publicize ORD's role and enhance the visibility of the organization within EPA,
throughout the broader scientific community, and to the general public. They encourage ORD to increase
outreach, networking, media and public relations efforts, and travel. Specific suggestions included
developing in-depth newsletters of work in progress for program offices and regions and encouraging staff
to write papers for peer-reviewed journals and the popular press in order to increase public awareness of
important environmental and scientific issues and ORD's involvement in these issues.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 200O
C. Roll-out Based Revised ORD Vision Statement
Purpose
To conduct leading-edge research and foster the sound use of science and technology in fulfilling EPA's
mission to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment.
Core Values
We value:
- Making a positive difference in the protection of the environment and human health.
- The trust and respect of ORD staff, our EPA partners, the scientific community, and the American
Public.
- Innovation and creativity in solving complex environmental problems.
- Excellence in science, engineering, management and administration.
- The knowledge, expertise, dedication, and well-being of our employees.
Communicating ideas and recognizing our accomplishments.
Strategic Goal
Options presented to the Executive Council:
Integration Theme
1. ORD capitalizes on its unique capability to provide integrated solutions to environmental problems
and solves them by working in partnership with programs, regions and the environmental community.
2. ORD is transformed from a group of individual labs/centers producing individual products to a
community that produces research integrated across media, discipline, and scale.
Balance of Core Research/Problem-Solving Research
1. ORD' s research becomes the anticipatory beacon of emerging problems and the integrating engine for
environmental solutions.
2. Advances the scientific foundation for environmental decision-making through:
- A uniformly defined and agreed to core research program
- Problem-driven research focused on EPA program's and region's priorities.
- Informing EPA decisions through technical analysis, synthesis, and assessment.
Vivid Description
I. ORD's Role in EPA
1. Our research builds a strong scientific and technical foundation for the decision-making essential to
' EPA's mission.
2. ORD sets the standard for excellence in environmental research and ensures independence and
objectivity.
3. We address pervasive challenges to our environment and develop some of the more remarkable
scientific and technical advances of our time.
4. We produce results integrated across media, discipline, and scale.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
n. ORD's Relationship with Partners and Customers
!
1. ORD is an indispensable and reliable partner to the program offices and regions.
2. ORD is a magnet for collaboration with the broader environmental research community, academia,
and EPA's stakeholders.
3. ORD broadly stimulates academic research and trains the next generations of environmental scientists
and engineers.
4. ORD plays a vital role in national and international work groups and conferences.
HI. Internal ORD
1. ORD nurtures the spirit of scientific adventure and discovery.
2. Our stimulating research environment attracts, holds and values the best, brightest and most energetic
workforce in science, engineering, management and administration.
3. ORD provides opportunities to contribute to society, develop careers, interact with colleagues and
recognize achievement.
4. We communicate in a clear, concise and open way that engenders trust.
5. ORD operations are efficiently managed and administered and provide the infrastructure that allows
us to focus on science.
6. ORD's flexible organization balances the changing needs of the environmental agenda and the need
for a stable research environment.
7. We have a collegia! working environment where people support each other and their customersand
are rewarded for it.
8. ORD accommodates the changing needs of its diverse workforce.
9. ORD facilities are clean, healthy, safe and designed to enhance the innovative and creative potential
of a work force with diverse needs and talents.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
Part HI: Current Vision Statement for ORD
17
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11 ,-JI
I
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Pfan 2000
A. Adoption of Vision Statement by ORD's Executive Council
Vision Group co-chair Dorothy Patton, OSP, briefed ORD's Executive Council on November 3,1998, on
results of the Vision process and sought approval of the Revised ORD Vision Statement.
The Executive Council modified the Revised Vision Statement. The Council favored rewording the
original BHAG in the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement rather than using either of the options presented
by the Vision Group as a strategic goal. The Council suggested that the principles represented in these
options be incorporated as part of the Vivid Description. In addition to drafting a new Strategic Goal, the
most substantial change was the addition of new language to the "Role in EPA" section of the Vivid
Description to incorporate ideas expressed in the Vision Group's "Integrating Science" theme into the
body of the Vision Statement. Wording from the original BHAG (now called "Strategic Goal") was
changed from "drives a revolution" to "revolutionizes." A fifth item was added to this section of the Vivid
Description to describe ORD's role in anticipating new or future environmental problems.
Once these revisions were made, the Executive Council approved the ORD Vision Statement for use in
developing Strategic Plan 2000, with the understanding that the statement may undergo additional changes
as the Strategic Plan evolves.
18
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
B. Current ORD Vision Statement
CORE IDEOLOGY
Purpose
To conduct leading-edge research and foster the sound use of science and technology in fulfilling EPA's
mission to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment.
Core Values
We value:
- Making a positive difference in the protection of the environment and human health.
- The trust and respect of each other, our EPA partners, the scientific community and the American
Public.
Innovation and creativity in solving complex environmental problems.
- Excellence in science, engineering, management, and administration.
The knowledge, expertise, dedication, and well-being of our employees.
Communicating ideas and recognizing our accomplishments.
Strategic Goal
ORD's discovery and innovation revolutionize environmental decision-making.
ENVISIONED FUTURE
Vivid Description
I. ORD's Role in EPA
1. ORD's scientific and technical program is based on complementary "core" and "problem-driven"
research activities, with the core program building the foundation for problem-solving research and
environmental decision-making.
2. ORD is an experienced community of environmental experts working together on a broad range of
environmental activities and producing results integrated across media, discipline, and scale:
on all phases of the risk assessment paradigmeffects, exposure, risk assessment and risk
management
on human health, ecology, and pollution prevention, and
on problems arising in all media and EPA programsair, water, toxic chemicals, and multimedia.
3. ORD sets the standard for excellence in environmental research and ensures independence and
objectivity.
4. We address pervasive challenges to our environment and develop some of the more remarkable
scientific and technical advances of our time.
5. ORD research provides advance warning of new or future environmental problems.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
II. ORD's Relationship with Partners and Customers
!
1. ORD is an indispensable and reliable partner to the program offices and regions.
i
2. ORD is a magnet for collaboration with the broader environmental research community, academia,
and EPA's stakeholders.
3. ORD broadly stimulates academic research and trains the next generations of environmental scientists
and engineers.
i
4. ORD plays a vital role in national and international work groups and conferences.
m. Internal ORD
1. ORD nurtures the spirit of scientific adventure and discovery.
1 ' I
2. Our stimulating research environment attracts, holds and values the best, brightest and most energetic
workforce in science, engineering, management and administration.
3. ORD provides opportunities to contribute to society, develop careers, interact with colleagues and
recognize achievement.
4. We communicate in a clear, concise and open way that engenders trust.
i . I.
p i !
5. ORD operations are efficiently managed and administered and provide the infrastructure that allows
us to focus on science.
6. ORD's flexible organization balances the changing needs of the environmental agenda and the need
for a stable research environment.
1 i '
7. We have a collegia! working environment where people support each other and their customersand
are rewarded for it.
8. ORD accommodates the changing needs of its diverse workforce.
9. ORD facilities are clean, healthy, safe and designed to enhance the innovative
of a work force with diverse needs and talents.
and creative potential
20
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
C. Next Steps
The Executive Council approved a Vision Group recommendation to implement several actions that could
be initiated in the short term. They asked various parts of the organization to move forward with the
following initiatives:
1. Establish a formal system of rotational assignments as opportunities for growth.
2. Provide a formal system of organization-related training for new employees and re-orientation for
existing staff: ORD 101, GPRA, and the Agency's regulatory development courses were suggestions.
3. Develop a Web publication of technical reports that annexes contents for all ORD documents and an
electronic library of reports available to anyone.
4. Develop in-depth newsletters of laboratory work in progress for Program Offices and Regions.
Strategic Plan 2000 ("SP2K")
Strategic Plan 2000 provides an opportunity for ORD to move a step closer to the envisioned future
described in the Vision Statement. The Strategic Plan 2000 will address ORD's internal operations as well
as its research program and will address how to create alignment within ORD towards achieving its
research goals. It will articulate how ORD will achieve this vision through its research priorities and
strategies and by fostering an internal workplace and culture that enables the organization to fulfill its role
in supporting the Agency's mission.
ORD will initiate a comprehensive and inclusive planning process that will seek input and listen to the
views of staff in all ORD laboratories, centers, and offices, and at every level of the organization. Debbie
Dietrich (ORMA), Bill Farland (NCEA), and Tim Oppelt (NRMRL) are leading the ORD-wide program
for developing Strategic Plan 2000. The process will involve ORD employees and the workgroup will
provide mid-course reports to staff and seek feedback from them at critical points in the process.
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
22
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
Appendix A. Participant Comments on the Vision Statement
from Vision Roll-out Workshops
23
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000
24
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
ORD Vision Rollout
Participant Comments From ORD Vision Workshops
This compiles comments from more than 1,200 participants in 46 workshops facilitated by members of
the Vision Group. Feedback from the sessions was recorded on flipcharts, transcribed and summarized.
Facilitators of the Vision Workshops followed an agenda that included two breakout sessions. Participants
in the first breakout session were asked for their reactions to the Vision Statement by responding to these
questions: What do you like about the Vision Statement? What excites you? What don't you like? What's
missing from the ORD Vision Statement that is critical given ORD's current and future challenges? Data
from this breakout session are compiled here.
The second breakout session focused on specific activities, or alignment actions ORD could take to fulfill
each individual goal of the Vision Statement. Participant feedback from these sessions are complied in
Appendix B.
Following general responses, comments that relate to specific elements of the Vision Statement are
summarized under each Vision Statement element.
General Comments on the Preliminary Vision Statement
What do you like about the Vision Statement? What excites you?
Like that the Vision Statement "puts everything under one roof." It is unified and there is continuity
between goals and purpose.
Vision plan is well thought out, reasonable and doable.
Like that the Vision is very positive and idealistic.
Liked the conciseness and brevity of the Vision statement, and its "cutting edge" quality.
Excited about preeminent research organization, innovative solutions, and integrated approaches.
Agree with unique role in EPA's mission, great place to work, diversity, and spirit of scientific
adventure.
Agree with all five parts of the Envisioned Future; most excited about making ORD the "preeminent
research organization."
Especially like "innovative solutions" and "integrated approach." Like the idea of research to support
regulatory decisions, and setting a standard for excellence.
Like that it recognizes importance of research to science mission, and begins to recognize the
complexity of environmental problems and their solutions.
Recognizes the importance of adequate resources and good working conditions.
Enthusiastic about enhanced collaboration and endorsement of independent and objective research.
Recognizes that Vision should involve a bottom-up perspective.
- Like emphasis on science and focus on the environment. Captures idea that ORD and science drives
decision-making. Like independence and objectivity.
Like its emphasis on science and technology and that it is proactive. Like the unique role in serving
and respecting our customers, and emphasis on creativity, discovery, and innovation.
Like ORD as science advisor.
Excited about cooperation across levels, if we are better able to collaborate with Program Offices and
the Regions.
Like its commitment to focused research in areas that require long-term involvement that may span
changing Program Office concerns.
Like that it emphasizes the strengths of ORD in the research community.
Recognizes that we are in support of EPA's mission.
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
": " "" - ' ]
Overall, group likes itidealistic, encourages cutting edge research, facilitates pride in ORD, links
science to public needs.
It is forward-looking.
Like that no complete shake-up is needed.
What don't vou like?
Difficult to understand. Too many vision elements and sub-elements.
Vision lacks uniqueness; as presented it is applicable to most organizations.
* The vision is positive and great, but not obtainable. The gap between the reality and the vision is
enormous.
Lacks common sense and basis in reality.
Doesn't consider budget reality in advocating preeminence in internal and external research
excellence.
Exercise in futility: No one learned from the Williamsburg conference or implemented its
recommendations. Management will not listen to recommendations from lower-level employees so
why ask for input?
Not an integration of science and goals.
Lack of attention to scientific depth versus organizational breadth; disciplinarians working in an
organized multi-disciplinary fashion.
Doesn't address the competition between preeminent research and unique role in EPA. Need to
eliminate competition within ORD.
Does not speak to administrative or clerical staff except to encourage support of scientists.
Lacks emphasis on communication and on scientific leadership.
These statements will not attract new scientists to ORD.
Fails to address lack of resources and mechanisms necessary for implementation. Who will be
responsible for which changes?
i
What's missing from the Vision Statement that is critical given ORD's current and future challenges?
!|
Knowledge of what goes on with ORD and across EPA is lacking.
Fails to recognize there are powers above EPA/ORD that continually prohibit many of the goals in the
vision statement.
Missing understanding of exterior factors.
No recognition of competition for resources between ORD and academia.
Ignores how to realistically cope with "crisis of the week" and "pollutant of the month" mode of
operation currently in fashion.
Needs an over-arching theme of perseverance and stability.
Needs to reinvigorate sense of accomplishment and making a difference.
There is nothing about trust.
Lacks something about ORD leadership is rooted in both scientific and managerial excellence.
Needs to talk about collaborative environment both internally and externally.
Missing statement that ORD is an institution that attracts the best and the brightest.
Incorporate social/community-based needs.
Needs more emphasis on quality science and technology in the purpose and throughout stated goals.
Lack of bottom-up input for research plans.
Needs clear concise two-way communications.
Missing statement about serving the science needs of EPA and the environmental community.
Missing role as EPA's advocate for good science.
Missing focus on client needs and serving customers.
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
Missing discussion of working environment, workforce, individual needs, and professional
development.
There is nothing in the vision statement that addresses retiree replacement and a strategy for hiring and
training new scientists and technicians. Without this, the vision as now perceived cannot work.
Does not describe how progress and attainment of these goals will be assessed. Measures of success
should be included. Need to see results.
Missing communicationswithin Agency, with research community and with public. Needs
commitment to .communication, information accessibility, and information transfer.
Needs to identify where ORD' s strengths are in scientific research and where external resources/input
are needed.
Missing stronger commitment to communicating EPA successes to the public.
Need to focus on the customer, where is the public? No public outreach, questions ORD commitment
to change, how high up will commitment to change go? will hard questions be dealt with?
Missing goal to improve management's trust of employees, and trust and respect throughout Agency.
Too much administrative work is falling on researchers (but this does not imply need for more
administrative types).
Missing value on a diversity of ideas and approaches; and of challenge to status quo and limits.
Missing management's commitment to support scientists, who should not be burdened with
administrative/management tasks.
Needs to address risk assessment and data gathering more explicitly.
Needs to add the concept of anticipating needs (i.e., getting ahead of the emerging problems, and also
research tools/findings).
Missing goal to better characterize the variability in the sensitivity, susceptibility and exposure across
populations.
Missing goal to apply recent advances in genetics and molecular biology to the solution of environ-
mental problems.
Missing leadership role for ORD and greater role for science in environmental decision-making.
Does not adequately deal with the tension between conducting in-house research and supporting
extramural research.
Include an introduction that explains the relationship between "core ideology" and "envisioned future."
Other General Comments
The Vision Statement should be easily recognizable, understandable, and well known by all so that
all understand that we are moving to the common goals that have been identified.
ORD's goals and vision should have balance and programmatic and regional goals.
Audacious to hope that ORD will be allowed to create its own future.
The Vision process should be executed from bottom (scientists) up.
Past planning processes in EPA have reflected business structures. Suggest you look closely at the
strategic planning processes of major R&D companies whose operations would better fit ORD needs.
Identify measurable goals, BHAG, and outputs that are readily achievable and not just "pie in the sky."
Create a Vision for core research.
Are we doing basic research or just applied research?
If we identify the BHAG, goals, and other reachable vision elements, external groups will want EPA
to tell them when they will reach these goals, and how this will be done.
What is management's commitment to the Vision?
Need to increase understanding within EPA of ORD's role.
How will we get buy-in from Program Offices and EPA as a whole? If we go through this process in
ORD and no one else knows about it, what does that get us?
Need overall EPA Vision Statement.
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
* Need more involvement with local government, seminars, and teaching children about the
environment.
ORD should provide clear directives to Congress for prioritization of chronic environmental risks and
the science to most efficiently manage or reduce that risk. ORD should provide an environment and
structure for scientists and technicians to achieve clearing defined goals. This contributes to job
satisfaction. It also should provide training to provide skills for accomplishing goals and an
administrative structure that facilitates achievement of these goals.
Use plain English. Be concreteif intent is to have more labs work together, then say so. Use
language that inspires. Be emphatic. This is much too complicated and detailed; too long, not a vision
statement; should be customer-friendly.
Fails to address political aspects of EPA agendas. We have drastic changes in our mission every 5
years.
Ideal versus real Vision Statementtoo "far out" to believe. What hope is there of ever having the
resources of achieving these goals?
Comments on Specific Elements of the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
Core Ideology
Purpose
To develop, catalyze, and evaluate science and technology in support ofEPA's mission.
,
Purpose and core values are good. Purpose statement captures the essence of being here.
Purpose and Core Values that follow do not mesh.
Purpose is too long and hard to relate to. Change to "science that protects."
Purpose is OK. We all like efficient ORD operations, but with suggested changes, like order of
"develop," "catalyze," and "evaluate" if most important is first.
As written, the Purpose sounds industry-oriented.
Purpose not stimulating. Like the sense of the Purpose, but not necessarily the wording.
The purpose is too vague and not in plain English. Needs to be more descriptive and convey more
excitement. Needs to say why ORD is important.
Linking Purpose with EPA's mission may be too limiting. ORD may not be able to achieve the goal
of becoming the "preeminent research organization" if limited to EPA's mission.
ORD should respond to the needs of Regions and Program Offices.
Add concept of anticipating needs.
Where is the customer? Who is the customer? Currently clients are not clearly defined, so purpose is
unclear.
ORD drives EPA policy.
It is not clear from this purpose why ORD is needed versus NIEHS.
Purpose needs to specifically mention research. Add "conduct and support research."
"Suggest rewording to: 'To evaluate, develop and catalyze science and technology to protect health and
the environment."
* Add the following phrase to the Purpose: "to protect public health and to safeguard and improve the
natural environment."
Remove "in support of EPA's mission" and replace with "to impOrve and protect human health and
the environment."
Include aspects of improvement and restoration in addition to protection in Purpose and Core Values.
Revise Purpose to read: "To research, develop and demonstrate science and engineering."
Add "implement" and "apply" to Purpose.
Agree with core values, except in Purpose: "We play a role in EPA's mission."
' 28
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
Purpose needs a second component that relates to human relations, i.e., people friendly, etc.
Purpose doesn't address understanding how the environment behaves.
Elevate and define scientific image of ORD, especially to the public.
Don't like the word "catalyze." means inspire, doesn't capture funding support if that is the intent.
Change to "promote" or "stimulate." Other groups like "catalyze."
Purpose is good, but focus on doing research.
Purpose is too heavily weighted towards assessment. Remove "evaluate" and add "produce research
results."
Organizational trust lacking.
Add "and deliver science and technology to advance the cause of environmental protection in the
United States and throughout the world."
Consider 'To provide global leadership in the development, evaluation, and implementation of science
and technology in support of EPA's mission to protect human health and the natural environment."
Consider "To identify, conduct, and facilitate scientific research and technology to protect human
health and safeguard the natural environment."
Consider 'To conduct and foster world-class research that ensures sound science and technology
which will enable EPA to best fulfill its mission to protect public health and safeguard and improve
the natural environment."
Change "develop" to "advance."
Change to "To develop, promote, perform, and evaluate science..." Focus on "doing" research. Other
concepts to add: To apply, invent, communicate, coordinate, integrate, advocate, derive.
Misses ORD role in translating science into management and policy decisions.
Core Values
We Value:
Making a difference in the protection of human health and the environment.
Excellence in science, engineering, management and administration
Innovation and creativity in addressing complex environmental issues
The knowledge, expertise, and commitment of our workforce
The trust and respect of the American public
Like that the Vision Statement and the core values are direct and to the point. Trust and respect are
important. "Make a difference" is too vague. Needs to address accountability to the public in spending
of public funds.
Add "Development of our Workforce" to Core Values.
Missing esprit de corps. "We value pride in individual and group accomplishments."
Conflicting core values: trust of public and science and innovation. How do we know when we got
there?
Agree with #2 and #3.
Like all of the core values, as written, especially #2 and #3.
Agree with all of these. #5 should be emphasized by reordering it as #2.
Reorder the values, #4 should come first.
We' d like to make a difference, earn trust and respect of the American people and stay indispensable
to the rest of the Agency, but this eliminates independence in research.
The American public is not familiar with ORD, change to "The trust and respect of our clients, internal
and external.
Add "cost-effective" concept to the 1st value.
Add 'Training scientists for the future."
Add "Encouragement and intellectual freedom in pursuit of goals."
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
I,,/ i I/ ]
Add "Research results that enhance protection of human health and environments."
Add "Honest science addressing real problems."
Add elements on environmental education and environmental equity.
Add element on accountability, showing the value of dollars spent.
Add element on setting priorities and ORD's commitment to clients/customers.
Add "Communicating and encouraging the utilization of ORD's findings and products."
Add "Encouraging individual initiative."
Missing statement that we value the respect of our EPA colleagues. Add individual achievement and
each other's accomplishments.
Add element on commitment to valuing the employees.
Add reputation for highest ethical standards.
No mention of trust in the core values.
Add "ORD leadership values, respects, and trusts in-house scientific and administrative staff."
"Making a difference" may be more positively stated by saying "We value protection of human health
and the environment."
Like the idea of making a difference, but how? Like focus on Agency's mission.
Take out "Making a difference in the," and reword the first bullet to read, "Protection of human health
and the environment."
Address "people values" that communicate that employees are valuable and worthy of respect.
Put environment before human health, and reword to making a "positive" difference.
Eliminate "administration," and replace it with "leadership management."
Replace "management" with "leadership."
Replace "addressing" with "solving" complex ...
Add "...collaboration and objectivity" to #3.
Reword #4 to read: "Service to the American public and future generations."
Change #4 to "The knowledge, relevant expertise, commitment and job satisfaction of our workforce."
Add "The diversity of our workforce."
Add "...teamwork and individual accomplishments" to #4.
Add "...and mutual trust and respect of our workforce" to #4.
Add adjective "relevant" to qualify expertise. Add "and job satisfaction" after "commitment" and
before "of our workforce."
In #5, insert "and scientific community."
Reword #5 to say: "Value understanding, trust and respect of the American people and global
community."
In #5, add reference to the international community as well as to the American public.
Add "...Congress, the world scientific community, and the ORD workforce itself to #5.
Add practicality, realism, to #5.
Add item on building on what we have learned, continuity, integration, collaborative relationships.
ENVISIONED FUTURE
BHAG
OKD's discovery and innovation drive a revolution in environmental decision-making.
\
Excited about the BHAG. Like the energy and brevity of the BHAG.
The BHAG is an insult and unprofessional.
Offensive and insensitive to non-ORD people at EPA.
Get rid of the BHAG lexicon. Too vague. Too audacious.
The message of the BHAG is fine, but the wording needs revision.
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORP Vision Statement
The BHAG is too vague and needs to be in plain English.
Don't like the BHAG because it requires further explanation. It's our statement and we need to be able
to understand it. The core values are to the point, and the vision description should be also.
Not enough punch, neither compelling nor memorable, need a catchy slogan, e.g., Be all that you can
be, How about something capturing the trust/respect theme?
Use the EPA mission statement instead.
End-goal too weak. Should be "environmental protection," not "environmental decision-making."
Not clear and measurable. Clarify "environmental decision-making." Maybe "revolution in our
Nation's understanding of environmental problems."
Decision-making should be changed to "revolution in raising environmental consciousness and
environmental management."
Add: ORD provides legally and scientifically defensible data.
ORD has a reputation for fairness and balance. ORD demonstrates accountability to the public.
Should include a statement emphasizing risk assessment to emphasize that research should drive
regulations.
Too broad. Replace "discovery" with "contribution to."
ORD should distance itself from the regulatory role by considering whether to link itself to decision-
making.
Don't limit goal to influencing environmental decision-makers, this infers agencies only; we also
strongly influence academia, local governments, etc. Decision-making should refer to public, corporate
and individual.
Fails to emphasize the need for science-based decision-making as part of the "revolution."
Environmental decision-making may be involved in risk assessment, science research, interactions
between science and policy, and may be connected with EPA's mission. Also, recognize that
community groups, NGOs and others also make environmental decisions.
Decision-making should refer to public, corporate and individual decision-making.
Don't want to improve decision-making. Needs measurable goal: To improve human and
environmental health (e.g., to reduce asthma by 20% to reduce cancer by 20%, a 20% cleaner
environment, etc.
"Decision-making" is too narrow.
Envisioned future: ORD's discoveries and innovations create environmental solutions. (Creative
science creates creative solutions.)
BHAG should read: "ORD scientific disco very and innovation drive environmental decision-making."
ORD's discovery and innovation is the driving force in environmental decision-making.
Focus on the environment.
We value creativity, but we need to do it better.
Meaning of "discovery" is unclear.
Too vague. Suggest instead: "ORD's scientific discoveries and technical innovations provide the
scientific basis for shaping environmental decision-making. To provide the best scientific basis for
shaping environmental regulatory policy.
"Revolution" is too vague and needs to be defined
The word "revolution" is too strong. While a few felt it was appropriate, others felt it implied that what
had been done previously was wrong. Revolution could be good or bad. It could imply that current
decision-making is not good.
Change "revolution." Consider the following alternative wordings: "to support, ensure and to
revolutionize," "scientific breakthroughs," "an evolutionary process," and "cost-benefit analysis."
Should be a "revolution," but the speaker said it meant "to be at the leading edge," which is a lower
goal.
Drive to "evolution," not "revolution." Strive to be a "motivating force" rather than "revolution."
Should build on foundation rather than revolution, which implies overthrow.
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
, , . , , ' 1,
Change "drive a revolution" to "positively and significantly influence environmental decision-making
at the policy, strategy and implementation levels."
Change "in" to "to science-based" environmental decision-making.
Pluralize "discovery," "innovation," and "revolution."
Change to 'To become the world's preeminent and innovative research organization that provides a
strong foundation for environmental decision-making world-wide." or "ORD's scientific discovery
and innovation fosters global environmental improvement and decision-making" or "...provides the
best scientific basis for shaping environmental regulatory policy" or to "ORD's research and
discoveries drive environmental decision-making" or to "ORD's discovery and innovation make
science a preeminent force for environmental decision-making throughout the world" or "ORD's
discovery and innovation build the strong scientific foundation for environmental decision making
essential for achieving sustainable development."
* Change to "ORD sets the standard for excellence in environmental research. Other Federal and non-
Federal research organizations are quick to follow our lead."
Expand to "leading to positive, tangible improvements in environment and protection of public
health."
Should end with "...decision-making throughout the global community."
Add "communication" to "discovery and innovation."
Change to "ORD will drive the Agency' s decision-making with an anticipatory research agenda. ORD
will be looked upon for setting and leading the ever-changing environment research agenda for the
US."
ENVISIONED FUTURE
Vivid Description
I, We plav a unique role in EPA's mission.
Generally like this goal.
More of a sense of leadership is needed. Role of integrationist should be emphasized.
« Unique role too ambiguous, change to scientific leadership concept.
We play a "fundamental" role in EPA's mission.
ORD's discovery and innovation are essential to environmental decision-making and protection.
We should better understand what various ORD organizations do and how we can work together. We
should better understand what other scientists are doing.
#1 and #4 seem to conflict. There seems to be a potential conflict in supporting research and getting
peer-reviewed.
We agree with #1 and #3. Evenly divided on #2.
Instead of "We play" "ORD plays." Replace "unique" with "significant."
Change "unique" to "fundamental" or to "pivotal" or to "integral"or to "key" or to "necessary" or to
"important" or to "indispensable."
Change to "elements of EPA's mission."
Add "vital" after "unique."
Goal needs to be more quantitative, how will we know when goal is reached?
* Add a second element: "ORD should have a level of independent scientific leadership and credibility
to identify and resolve short- and long-term environmental problems."
Add item "ORD should conduct EPA's research (not program offices)." Also "ORD is EPA's good
science advocate."
« Add "Increase the confidence that ORD understands and supports the research needs of the program
offices so that they will rely on ORD to provide their research support (instead of doing it
themselves)."
32
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORP Vision Statement
Add "Support research that will facilitate the transition from clean-up and control to pollution
prevention."
Add element addressing risk assessment, data management, and information transfer responsibilities.
Add another element, as follows: "We develop and use creative and effective management approaches
that directly support our science mission."
Strengthen outreach by encouraging collaboration with external and internal groups, educate people
in and outside of EPA on mission.
1. Our research builds a strong foundation for the decision-making essential to EPA's mission.
Excited about this statement.
Unrealistic.
Our research builds a strong "scientific and technical" foundation...
Revise to read: "Our fundamental and applied research builds...."
decision-making is too narrow.
Change "builds" to "is."
Add "and management" after "Our research."
2. We provide technical assistance to all parts of EPA, working hand-in-glove with the Program
Offices and Regions. They regard ORD as a reliable and indispensable partner.
We don't want to become a service lab.
Agree and we should strengthen our focus on this.
Provide basic/applied research to all parts of EPA.
There is a major disconnect with EPA Regions and Program Offices so they do not always regard
ORD as a reliable and indispensable partner. Instead of this goal, suggest #3, with the addition of
Federal stewardship.
Remove "hand-in-glove. Replace with "in concert with," or "in close cooperation," or shorten to read:
"Program Offices and Regions regard ORD as a reliable and indispensable partner."
Change to "We provide scientific and technical guidance to..."
This item is OK, but ORD should not do only what these groups want from us.
Where is ORD's support for research findings that are not politically popular?
Group likes emphasis on partners in program offices, enthusiastic about enhanced collaboration.
ORD should be the FIRST place turned to for technical support and advice.
Define technical assistance.
3. We collaborate intensively with otherresearch labs, EPA Headquarters and Regions, academia, and
EPA's stakeholder community.
It would be exciting if this happened.
Collaboration is not always practical; it builds separate empires.
Federal stewardship is a goal, too. change to: "We collaborate intensively with other federal, state, and
other private sector research labs..."
Change "labs" to "organizations."
Add the word "extensively" after "collaborate" and before "with other research labs,..."
Remove "intensively" or replace with "extensively."
Shorten to: "ORD collaborates intensively with all parts of the environmental community."
Specify collaboration with Program Offices.
Missing focus on international collaboration.
The discussion of collaboration leaves out an important group: inventors. Academic researchers
generally are not inventors, and inventors play an-important part in technology development.
33
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
i
ii
* Change to "collaborate and cooperate intensively and extensively..."
Change labs to organizations.
* EPA should be doing the research it is funding in academia.
H. ORD is the world's preeminent environmental research organization.
Most excited about this aspect of the Envisioned Future: ORD has the potential to become the
"preeminent research organization."
All elements of this goal are good.
Needs to be more tied to purpose.
Delete this part of the Vision: "Preeminent research organization" conflicts with the purpose of the
National Science Foundation.
Good vision, but not current. Resources are not available for interaction of scientists with broader
community.
ORD should be preeminent in national and international environmental research, but this does not
mean abandonment of local issues.
"Become the world's preeminent environmental regulatory organization whose discovery and
innovation drive a revolution in environmental decision-making."
Change "preeminent" to "leading."
ORD is widely acknowledged as "a" preeminent environmental research organization, or "one of the
preeminent research organizations.
ORD's niche is neither in fundamental or applied research. It is somewhere in-between.
Need to reach consensus on ORD's research direction and clients.
'#1,2, and 3 are OK, but should say that "academic research is directed by ORD to support ORD," not
vice versa.
#1 and #4 are not realistic.
Disagree with #2 and #4. #4 would be alright if lab resources were not used.
Add a #5: "Have wise, respected, and energetic workforce."
Add an element that communicates how ORD educates and communicates with the American people.
Add environmental "education" and research organization.
Add something about ORD maintains state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for research, and ORD
sustains resources to meet goals and provides mechanisms for external support.
Research results are published and reported in preeminent journals and conferences and ORD provides
resources for this. Also, transfer results to Regions, Program Offices, and customers and stakeholders.
ORD should not be beholden to Program Offices and the Regions for technical support. We should
be allowed to do in-house research and not tie up hours in administrative chores.
insert "applied" before "environmental."
Pre-eminence is a key question when making research planning decisions, the vision wants us to
support other EPA offices that use data but also wants us to be out in front.
What's missing here is client focus and serving customers.
Needs to include protection of human health and environment, and U.S. vs. global environment.
How can we be premier research organization when we have 1) program office needs and 2) emerging
hazards? Who is our client?
Make sure general public knows who ORD is!
Foster ORD, academic and industrial partnerships.
Missing -strong in-house research programs and strong interaction between in-house scientists and the
academic community.
Add "We strive to balance research focused on long term major environmental issues, such as those
identified in the reducing risk report with the support for the regulatory needs of EPA offices" (some
want "regulatory" removed).
34
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
Other Federal agencies have a role too; they are not competitors; define our role in relation to others.
Add #5 ORD's role in research relative to other Federal Agencies is clearly defined."
Change focus from preeminence to ORD as part of a Federal Science Team, include allocation of
responsibilities among Federal agencies.
Include Collaborate/take lead in organizing agendas across organization/federal agencies, developing
complementary research programs.
Add item "Develop cooperative relationship/programs with other (federal, state, academic, and private
sector) preeminent research organizations.
Expand to demonstrating scientific leadership through education, communication, and interaction.
Add "ORD recognizes the skills and abilities of individual employees and uses these attributes to the
fullest extent."
Need to clearly state that ORD enthusiastically supports in-house research.
Speculative research is an important role, needs to be included.
The trust issue needs to be addressed in this section.
Add Knowledge, expertise, resourcefulness and commitment are bases for high effectiveness.
To be a world class organization needs innovation, free thinking and interactions. Consider moving
this up toward BHAG.
Change to "ORD achieves and maintains world-wide respect for the environmental research that it
conducts and supports."
Add item on making a permanent commitment to improving education, skills, training of staff.
Add ORD establishes (rather than reacts to) national environmental agenda.
Add #5 ORD's use of informational technology provides scientific and innovative solutions and
inspirational platforms to the community."
1. ORD sets the standard for excellence in environmental research. Peer review of our programs
consistently confirms our ability to identify the most critical issues and develop innovative and
scientifically sound solutions. Other federal and non-federal research organizations are quick to
follow our lead.
Worthwhile goal.
Disagree with this. ORD no longer sets the standard.
Shorten to one sentence.
Delete last sentence.
Define "environmental research."
Peer reviews often are disregarded.
Peer review does not equate to value; this does not necessarily increase our return on investment.
Peer review is biased.
Peer review is not done to determine our critical issues and develop our science; it answers, "did we
do science properly?"
Replace "peer review" with "public respect."
Agree: EPA sets high standards for research.
Add "Promoting a cooperative relationship with industry."
Replace "follow our lead" with "leadership" concept, or "quick to follow lead," or "eager to work with
us as partners."
Define "critical issues" or illustrate: number affected? potential for intervention? once defined deal
with tension between priorities.
Need to collaborate/leverage among groups.
Delete everything after the first sentence and replace with the following: "Our research and
management provides a solid foundation for an innovative and creative research program.
35
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
, i , . i . . ,, : |
2. All of ORD's technical staff interact with the broader research community at national and
international symposia and conferences.
Very positive on this element.
Extending to all technical staff is exciting.
Change the last three words to "national and international levels."
ORD is part of the research community, rather than interacts with it.
Agree about the need for interaction with the broader research community.
* Change to "EPA's technical staff is recognized for effectively interacting with the broader scientific
community," e.g., via national and international meetings, cooperative research efforts, and other
collegia! contacts.
Add "...and in the conduct of collaborative research efforts."
Why just symposia and meetings? too limited.
Change "all" to "relevant."
« Reword to read as follows: "ORD's technical staff collaborate with the broader research community
to incorporate national and international expertise in resolving critical environmental problems."
3. ORD ensures independence and objectivity in its research.
\
": ' i!
Ambiguous.
Define objectivity.
Agree with this statement, if we could get something done.
We do this very well and should continue.
Independence is not consistent with a joint vision.
» Change to "independence and objectivity in scientific thinking."
Change to "ORD ensures independence and objectivity in its research in support of EPA's mission."
Rework to include "ORD is objective and independent not only in research but in advice to the
Agency."
Reword as follows: "ORD ensures extramural collaboration in its research.
4. ORD's substantial and enthusiastic support of academic research makes us the most important
single funder of academic environmental research and the leader in developing new generations
of environmental scientists and engineers.
It would be exciting if this happened.
Confusing. Needs clarification.
Too much emphasis on dollars.
Shorten to convey ORD's enthusiastic support of academic research that nurtures and develops a new
generation of environmental scientists and engineers.
Disagree with the statement that EPA should be the foremost funder of academic environmental
research. Delete "most important single funder." We should do the work, not rely on outside experts
except for minor support. Paying for research is not research!
While we support the concept of contributing to the growth of new generations of environmental
scientists, it should not be as the most important single funder!
Eliminate the word "single," and restate to emphasize "to complement EPA's research."
Disagree with goal regarding funding of research. This means we can't do the work ourselves.
Should ORD be the funder of academic environmental research? This seems to contradict the goal of
becoming the preeminent research organization.
Distinguish between funding students and funding academic grants.
This is ridiculous because we don't have the money to support this goal. Maybe this should be part
oftheBHAG.
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
Should make it clear that this will not be done at the expense of in-house programs. Being the most
important single funder of academic research is not possible with our current budget.
Unrealistic and it takes dollars from internal operations. Include assurance of adequate in-house
funding, not just funding for academia.
Disagree with goal of making ORD the largest single funder. Do we want to be the most important
single funder of academic environmental research in terms of dollars or prestige; this goal is OK if in-
house research is not jeopardized.
Don'tsay we're doing grants to be; preeminent, rather to get answers. Rework to say "Use funds to get
the best scientists to do the best work possible."
Change to "a" leader.
Replace with "guiding, encouraging, promoting world research, providing seed money."
Disagreeinterest is in getting work done effectively, not always through academia.
ORD is more than just a funder. Delete this element.
Delete the first half of this element, start with Be the leader...
Change to "ORD takes advantage of the research capabilities inherent in academia via a strong
collaborative research program with ORD labs and centers."
Change "enthusiastic" to "judicious."
Change to "ORD's support of academic research makes us an enthusiastic funder and partner of
academic environmental..."
Show that research is driven by human health and environmental concerns.
Reword as follows: "ORD's substantial and enthusiastic support of academic research integrates
federal and academic research to make us a leader in health and environmental sciences and in
developing new generations of environmental scientists and engineers."
HI. We develop innovative solutions using integrated approaches.
Agree with all three statements. . .
No comments.
Group did not concur with this elementsounds like AT&T! Integrate statements into other groups
of elements.
Vision here seems to include all possible roles ORD could be, not narrow enough.
Delete this section.
Use plain English!
Rapidly identify emerging problems by staying abreast of environmental problems.
This sounds as if ORD really can solve pervasive problems, but perhaps we only can clarify.
Recognize first that flexibility in this organization, is foreign to its culture.
Recognize that we need to collaborate with other researchers in specific fields.
Missing discussion of integrated approaches requiring discipline-specific excellence.
Change solutions to approaches.
Replace "innovative" with "comprehensive."
Add "respected" before "solutions."
Need to add concept of anticipating needs/getting ahead of the curve.
Add "Provide infrastructure for strong in-house capability."
Add "Use sound science to conduct environmental research."
Change to "We catalyze innovative solutions to environmental problems."
Change to "We develop innovative and effective solutions using integrated approaches."
Ensure a balance between basic and applied research.
This is ambiguous in core research versus research to support Program Offices.
Convey idea of being proactive, not reactive.
Add "Improve our ability to utilize current information technology and disseminate research and
technology transfers."
37
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
I
Include peer review.
Change to "We develop and apply innovative solutions, some of which may require integrated
approaches."
* ORD will work with stakeholders to identify problems/solutions.
ORD will take the lead in interpretation analysis of environmental data for the public and decision
makers (e.g. IRIS) and establish criteria for use in decision-making.
ORD will listen to regulatory drivers and program office needs when deciding on our research
directions/activities.
Work with programs to incorporate our results in their activities.
Will try to predict where science needs to go.
ORD should move toward supporting more research through grants, moving away from in-house "test
tube" research.
i
L We develop some of the more remarkable scientific advances of our time that address pervasive
challenges to our environment
I
Agree with this element.
Delete this element. It would be a good BHAG.
Delete "of our time" and replace "pervasive" with "major."
Define or illustrate "remarkable scientific advances..."
Is science of risk assessment innovative? Target better prediction of consequences, decision making,
e.g. a clean environment or an "acceptable dirty" environment.
Add "that address the pervasive challenges."
Group does not agree with this, cites National Academy of Sciences, outside sources.
Add "...and impact the daily existence of humanity."
2. We are a scientific community, producing research integrated across media, discipline and scale.
This currently happens in spite of the organization.
This isn't a realistic goal for all research areas, where possible it's OK.
Agree with this element. Some felt this element should be its own stand-alone goal.
Change to: "We are a research community dedicated to producing solutions to scientific problems that
are integrated across media, discipline, and scale."
. " . i
3. Comprehensive solutions result from our understanding of the interdependencies and non-linear
relationships that are inherent properties of the natural and built environments.
il
il
Means nothing to us. Sounds like scientific jargon. Translate into plain English. (5 groups)
Replace "non-linear" with "complex."
Replace with language that conveys that complex problems require complex solutions.
Delete "non-linear." It indicates it is quantitative.
Too technical for some ORD support staff and the public, at minimum, delete "non-linear."
Delete "comprehensive solutions" in this element.
Delete this element.
Reword to read as follows: "Comprehensive solutions result from our understanding of the effects of
multiple, interacting stressors in a complex and dynamic environment."
IV. ORD Is a great place to work!
i
ORD is a great place to work and is a great goal. Agree with all seven statements and hope they can
be achieved in the future.
, i
38
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
ORD is a great place to work! Agree with all elements.
What does this really mean?
"Great place to work" sounds sophomoric.
Language is a little too excited, compared to rest of Vivid Descriptiontone down or tone others up!
Bullets don't support a great place to work.
Focus on the individual employee. Add ORD offers an environment where employees are nurtured and
mentored, fostering individual growth.
Needs greater emphasis on fairness, trust and respect for each other.
Make it more explicit regarding professionalism and the way we treat each other (behavioral values).
Add compensation and respect elements commensurate with industry, or "...attracts and holds the
best."
Need to indicate timeliness and efficiency values.
#1 and #2 are meaningless. #3 is too broad.
#5, 6, and 7 are good.
Add #8: efficient and effective acquisition and assistance vehicle.
Missing mention of competitive salaries and does not mention opportunities for alternative work
environments (telecommuting, sabbatical, etc.)
Needs a statement explicitly defining goals for scientific intellectual freedom.
Add "provides a professional work environment."
Add "Provide basic support for innovation."
Add "Appropriate cost-effective protection of public health and welfare."
How do we measure? How do we communicate results?
Where is employee recognition and management support?
Missing: Empowerment of people and consistency for grade level and pay based on experience and
job responsibilities.
Add: "ORD embodies a collegial working environment where people support each other."
Add: "ORD encourages innovative input from the workplace and values staff input, time and
judgment."
Add: "ORD recognizes and rewards the world-class scientific expertise and accomplishments of its
scientists by providing timely opportunities for advancement of in-house staff (e.g. by appointment
of senior-level ORD scientists to ST positions versus only bringing in outside "Nobel prize winners"
to such positions. This would motivate younger, up and coming ORD staff.
Add an element about comprehensive benefits and competition to retain the "best and the brightest."
' Add an element stating that management supports ORD's research mission.
1. ORD nurtures the spirit of scientific adventure that fuels discovery.
Make more realistic.
Delete.
Add "and opportunity" after "scientific adventure."
2. The currency of ORD is ideas, not resources.
This would be great if it were true, but it'snot true yet.
Confusing. Needs clarification.
Use plain English.
Too cute. Eliminate.
Ideas are our currency (take out resources) is a good statement, it is associated with working with
others.
The currency of ORD is ideas and its major resource is its people.
39
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
1 ' i ',.,,' !|
Disagree with "Ideas as currency." Should balance ideas and resources. Resources should follow great
ideas. You cannot separate resources from ideas. We must have the stability and perseverance to bring
ideas to fruition, which requires time and money.
"Currency" should be products/what ORD delivers rather than processes and resources. Discussions
should focus on products and client needs rather than on fighting for resources.
Add the word "innovative" before ideas.
Change to "The currency of ORD is not only resources, but also ideas."
* Change to "ORD management successfully obtains the resources necessary to implement ideas
generated by staff."
Be proactive: The most valuable asset of ORD is ideas, not resources.
Delete "resources," and replace with "actions, and results."
3. We savor our opportunities to contribute to society, develop our careers and interact with
colleagues. We also enjoy the pleasant working conditions, achievement, fairness, and appreciation
that ORD offers.
,. . , , , |
Excited about this element.
Does appreciation include compensation?
More tolerance and consideration of others.
Diversity is respected and fostered in the workplace.
"We savor,.." is OK, but delete "We also enjoy..."
,i ! ii
i
4. ORD facilities are clean, healthy, safe, and designed to enhance the innovative and creative
potential of a workforce with diverse needs and talents.
I ,,,,; , '' ' " ' ' ' |
. , | . | .
Like the emphasis on creating a comfortable workplace to do meaningful and exciting work.
« Value contributions of individuals and provide respect and recognition. Replace the word "workforce,"
which is too impersonal. Use "employees" instead.
Need a better office and laboratory environment.
Add "comfortable" (relates to noise at workstations).
Trite, too fantastic.
ORD provides work environment that balances workplace and personal and family needs.
,i
i , ...
5. Our stimulating research environment attracts and holds the best, brightest and most energetic
workforce in science, engineering, management, and administration.
Excited about this element.
Add "attracts, holds, and values the best, brightest..."
Delete "stimulating."
Add "and rewards them for their accomplishments."
How does "stimulating research environment" attract administrative people? Add DIVERSITY!
Add "diverse."
Diversity is respected and fostered in the workplace.
Retain remarkable scientific direction (leadership) and continue to attract high quality staff.
Add that ORD values the contributions of individuals and provides respect, trust, and recognition.
Use the word "employees" instead of workforce.
6. Tlie variety of perspectives provided by our diverse workforce drive innovation.
Change to "Our diverse workforce provides a variety of perspectives."
40
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
Emphasis should be on excellence in the necessary range of disciplines as much/more so than on
diversity.
Elaborate on this.
7. ORD offers the opportunity for all its members to keep up-to-date in their disciplines.
It would be exciting if this happened.
Specify that these opportunities are multi-disciplinary.
At the end of the statement, add: "and public and scientific community."
Emphasize professional development.
Change to "ORD offers an equal opportunity for all of its members to keep up-to-date in their
respective disciplines."
Change to "ORD' s management and staff are noted for their spirit of cooperating with one another to
ensure that the ORD vision statement is achieved."
Drop this element, it is redundant with develop our careers in element #2 above.
V. ORP's operations are efficiently managed and administered.
Good goal: Efficient management.
Excited about management of resources intent of the vision statement.
Simplify to "Best people will seek to work in ORD."
Too top-down. Needs something about empowerment of scientists.
#1,4, and 7: It is not for us to say how we are viewed and how many resources come to us. That's not
a vision statement.
#3, 5, and 6 are good.
Modify the goal to read: ORD's operations are efficiently managed and administered "for the public
sector."
Add additional bullets: ORD management and administration are there to serve researchers in the
advancement of science; and possibly additional bullets that convey that ORD management provide
national leadership.
How will these be measured? What do these mean?
Missing Link: Management is committed to advancing these visions and descriptions to meet visions.
There's too much focus on management/administration, these are necessary functions but are really
part of core value.
Communications issues are a predominant theme, along with resource needs.
Add client focus, individual needs, working environment. "We establish our priorities jointly with our
clients." and "Communicate scientific findings to our customers effectively."
Add ORD's administrative operations are efficiently managed and administered to support scientific
effort.
Add career mobility.
AddGPRA.
What's needed is a strong emphasis on the need to build research infrastructure resources and more
communication.
Completely unrealistic for a government agency, still have too much bureaucracy.
1. ORD provides an outstanding return on its research investments.
Vague.
Add "provides outstanding long-term return."
Add ORD provides "adequate resources to enable" an outstanding..."
Explain "research investments" further.
41
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
|
, - ; , . i
2. The knowledge and resourcefulness ofOKD's administrative staff is the basis of its effectiveness.
Change "is" to "are" and "basis" to "bases."
* Change "basis..." to "contributes to its effectiveness."
Add "Desire on part of staff and managers is basis..."
Add "commitment," before "knowledge, and resourcefulness...."
Add "ORD's management staff is knowledgeable, resourceful and effective."
Change to: "The knowledge, resourcefulness, and support of ORD's administrative staff aid in the
effectiveness of the scientific mission."
j
3. ORD's leadership communicates in a clear, concise and open way that engenders trust.
* Attainable but not easy.
Leadership communicates in a clear, concise, and open way that engenders trust.
Replace the word "engenders" to "generates."
Change to: "ORD has a consistent streamlined research planning process which efficiently includes
the perspectives of both scientific staff and management."
Leadership demonstrates trustworthiness.
Include concept: Communicate/understand constraints of administration/management to scientists and
vice versa.
j
4. The reasonable manner in which resources are distributed and managed is a hallmark of ORD's
outstanding leadership.
, , i
> Like optimistic statements.
This would be great.
Desperately needed, but hard to attain.
' Change "reasonable" to "equitable."
Resources are distributed and managed in a reasonable manner.
Efficiently select best extramural instruments and manage funds.
Delete the words "reasonable" and "distributed and" from the sentence.
'"! ' «i" j
5. Managers, administrative staff, researchers and technicians cooperate to meet common goals.
Agree with this element.
Management's and administration's purpose is to support science.
» Emphasize leadership communications.
* Add concept: Don't take no for an answer, find a way to get things done.
Change wording to: "Managers, administrative and technical staff cooperate..."
6. ORD is aflexible organization that accommodates changing environmental needs and the changing
needs of its workforce.
Confusing. Needs clarification.
How will this be accomplished? Staff often obstruct.
Change "the changing needs of its workforce" to "balances the need for completing environmental
research."
Flexibility does not extend to highly variable budgets, inability to order equipment, etc.
42
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORP Vision Statement
Replace the word "flexible" with "dynamic," and add ", new research and management approaches"
after "accommodates changing environmental needs".
7. The high regard the American public holds for our research ensures that we have the resources to
successfully do our job and to position ourselves to address the environmental challenges of the
future.
Write clearly: Management is expected to publicize our work.
Change "the high regard" to "trust."
Emphasize good communications for research products.
Delete here, this is a core value.
43
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Appendix A: Participant Comments on the Preliminary ORD Vision Statement
44
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 20OO Draft 1/6/99
Appendix B. Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
from Vision Roll-out Workshops
45
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An Evolving Vision Statement for ORD and Strategic Plan 2000 Draft 1/6/99
46
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
ORD Vision Rollout
Participant Comments From ORD Vision Workshops
This compiles comments from 1,200 participants in 46 workshops facilitated by members of the Vision
Group. Feedback from the sessions was recorded on flipcharts, transcribed and summarized.
Facilitators of the 46 Vision Workshops followed an agenda that included two breakout sessions. Participants
in the first breakout session were asked for their reactions to the Vision statement by responding to these
questions: What do you like about the Vision Statement? What excites you? What don't you like? What's
missing from the ORD Vision Statement that is critical given ORD's current and future challenges? Data
from this breakout session were summarized in Appendix A.
The second breakout session focused on specific activities, or alignment actions ORD could take to fulfill
each of the individual parts of the Vision Statement: (1) We play a unique role in EPA's mission; (2) ORD
is the world's preeminent environmental research organization; (3) We develop integrated solutions using
innovative approaches; (4) ORD is a great place to work; and, (5) ORD's operations are efficiently managed
and administered. Participants were asked to suggest specific actions ORD could take to fulfill each part of
the Vision. Participant feedback is summarized below:
Research Planning and Goal Setting, Decision-Making Process, and Accountability
Research Planning
Develop a list of specific impediments to doing science.
Examine why past plans have not been successful.
Provide flexibility in fitting research to the goals.
Implement strategic plans.
Include unplanned activities in our plans.
Formulate clearer statements of research goals and needs.
Promote grassroots input into research planning and direction.
Work with stakeholders to identify problems/solutions.
Make effective use of stakeholder input early.
Ensure that problems are clearly identified and prioritized and that ORD's research plan focuses on
solving them. Provide scientists with the latitude they need to pursue these solutions.
Create a balance between basic and applied research.
Select core research areas with long term commitment (dollars and FTEs) free from political redirection
(out 10 years).
Maintain evaluated balance between core and problem-driven research.
Maintain core research program expertise and readiness.
Institutionalize a scientific planning process that involves various media and disciplines.
Eliminate organizational barriers to a completely integrated research program across disciplines and
across media.
Apply recent advances in genetics and molecular biology to the solution of environmental problems.
Put science before regulations.
Review balance between core programs and specific problems.
Ensure balance between basic and applied research.
Develop strategy to combine in-house and external capabilities to conduct research.
Review research as to benefit for ORD, not only their personal scientific advancement.
Spend more time integrating and re-analyzing data to make maximal use.
Develop/maintain specific expertise (we can't be experts in everything).
Clear distinction between science and science policy. Find a mechanism to maintain scientific credibility
in the face of needed decision-making.
Conduct collaborative research planning with outside evaluation of the proposed plan and require
collaborative STAR grants.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Provide some opportunity for conducting unstructured science for science's sake.
Identify certain areas to concentrate on.
Place major emphasis on development. Put the "D" back in ORD.
Increase investigator-initiated, peer-reviewed competition.
» Provide a well-thought-out basis for research.
Have science advisor panel evaluate research plans.
Review and assess the state of the science as a first step in the planning process.
Allow exploration of preferred areas of research.
* Follow research through to completion to provide stability.
Better align our scientists with the needs of the Agency.
Provide opportunities for research as opposed to assessment/analysis/paper studies.
* Allocate time for research not tied to existing programs.
Provide basic support for innovation.
Offer genuine support for "outside the box" research.
* Make it safer to take risks and encourage innovative solutions. Risk-takers must be encouraged and
rewarded.
Take better advantage of ORD's ability to do types of research not possible in academia such as large-
scale interdisciplinary integrated research.
Remove internally imposed barriers (e.g., CMD, HRO) to quality research.
Maintain consistency in research areas over time so ORD can achieve a higher level of expertise and
recognition.
Focus on interdisciplinary science with value to multiple program offices.
Fund more directed research in order to improve return on research investments.
Develop a schematic approach for budget/research planning that includes discretely timed events.
Concentrate on certain areas of study. There isn't enough funding to be preeminent in all areas.
Define priority research areas that require inter-lab research.
Reduce the number of groups working on same issue
Provide more administrative resources in field.
Provide flexibility to do long-term research on problems on the horizon.
Place more emphasis on long-range stability of science priorities and budget.
Establish short-term and long-term action teams.
Make long-term commitment to research goals and needs.
Select core research areas with long-term commitment (money and FTE' s) free from political redirection
(i 10 years).
Provide core science support and stable funding over more than three-year period.
Eliminate rapid changes in research focus. This inhibits publications on which rewards are based for
scientific staff.
'',:,'," .1. 'I
Recognize that research takes time and it is inefficient to cut off a project before it's finished.
Recognize when questions have been answered and move on to the next one.
Provide more lead time.
Setting Research Goals
Ensure that work is linked to mission.
Identify emerging issues.
Avoid duplication of programs by prioritizing needs; bring in expertise from wherever it exists in ORD.
Develop programs that realistically reflect our scale (resources staff, skills) rather than trying to be all
things to all people.
Develop research themes broad enough to allow scientists discretion in closing projects.
Maintain a long-term commitment to EPA projects which require the kind of long-term information and
understanding that outside organizations do not provide. This also would feed information to shorter-
term^ questions. Management should prioritize technical assistance to ensure reliability and solid
partnerships, especially for long-term projects.
48
:m i., i .,,... .' ,,. y i it; .,,:.' ..; a. , : ,L , .i. . . . ... :. .11 ' .i : I..:
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Foster and encourage research on fundamental mechanisms.
Better characterize the variability in the sensitivity, susceptibility, and exposure across populations.
Set technical goals that are appropriate to research as opposed to assessments and paper studies.
Develop scientific depth in some areas.
Define how research will be used.
Provide solutions rather than simply identifying the problems.
Support research that will facilitate the transition from clean-up and control to pollution prevention.
Develop risk assessment guidelines that help link ORD research to EPA's regulatory decisions.
Develop more clear-cut definition of research needs to guide selection of research projects.
Use multipathway approach to identifying research areas and needs, for example, internal identification
by private industry, the public, and community-based organizations.
Encourage cutting-edge research by funding innovative projects rather than saying it cannot be done.
Encourage problem-specific multi-discipline workshops for developing innovative solutions.
Set aside money for future "hot topic" items.
Decision-Making Process
Be more proactive.
Better define ORD's role in environmental decision-making.
Make Agency decision-making process more inclusive of ORD.
Establish rather than react to national environmental agenda (e.g., through OSTP and CENR rotational
assignments.)
Make stable decisions on science priorities and budgets and dedicate less staff time to planning exercises.
Encourage transparency of management decisions.
Increase ORD's capability to respond quickly to current public concerns and to anticipate and respond
to future environmental concerns.
Reduce political influence on ORD management.
Reduce political interventions to ensure true independence and objectivity in research.
Stop reorganizations.
Encourage ORD scientists to play a more active role in EPA mission
Increase awareness of decision-making process by scientists so they can focus their research better.
Allow scientists with expertise in the field to set priorities.
Provide decision-makers with flexibility to adapt schedules and actions to new scientific findings.
Establish criteria for use in decision making (e.g., IRIS, slope factors)
Discuss vision and research goals with stakeholders.
Listen to regulatory drivers and program office needs when deciding on our research directions and
activities and integrate program office personnel into the planning procedures.
Use bottom-up research planing through scientist meetings and conferences organized by topic with
ongoing standing committees.
Require total organization buy-in to vision statement.
Establish a panel of scientists as an internal science review board.
Establish Research Councils made up of team leaders, senior scientists, and management to prioritize
research, propose "new" areas, and insure integration with rest of organization.
Establish an ORD task force to review and revise planing process, roles, and responsibilities.
Devise an effective and useful planning and tracking system that can be used by managers, administrative
staff, and scientists.
Promote advance planning and timely guidance/information requests to allow time for response from
lower levels, (e.g., account structure and staffs information to GPRA).
GPRA, Accountability and Measures of Success
Require more accountability on all levels (Staff and Managers)
Make GPRA goals more succinct to improve accountability
Create cross-lab and cross-center APM (GPRA goals).
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Let products, rather than peer reviews, be measure of success of programs.
. Establish measurable goals and objectives for each organizational role.
Develop a system/method to evaluate our investments.
« Develop qualitative measures of success.
Workforce and Workplace Actions
Workforce Actions
Promote workforce planning to better balance professional and technical support staffing.
Cultivate and respect expertise in core disciplines.
Continuously invigorate the workforce.
* Create, develop and maintain a knowledge database (employee and field of expertise).
Be more aggressive by providing incentives to attract the best and the brightest to ORD. Offer
competitive salaries and family-friendly policies.
Work to maintain continuity of staff.
Establish means to reward and correct as needed.
Eliminate out-of-field assignments.
Improve management and planning of personnel resources.
Develop a lean, competent administrative support staff (more technical staff/less "support" staff).
Hire adequate staff to reach critical mass in new areas (e.g., children's health).
Provide adequate FTE and skill mix.
Attract young scientists (AAAS, post docs, and permanent hires) and world-class scientists. Increase FTE
to hire new scientists to bring in new ideas.
Expand post-doc program to improve efficiency to management/administration.
Expand our role in training students, post-docs, and visiting professors. Use post-doc fellowships more
effectively.
Hire top level people and new graduates and redirect less productive members or retrain.
'* Support more EPA apprenticeship programs and EPA-university coop programs. Provide incentives for
effective interactions with academia, industries, and NGOs.
Nurture students, interns and fellows to stay with the Agency. Implement a formal mentoring program.
Hire entry people in both science and administrative jobs. Need FTBs for Grades 7/8/9/10 technicians.
Increase funding for pre-docs and post-docs. Increase support for continuing education for staff at all
levels.
Revive stay-in-school program.
Encourage STAR fellowship program.
Retrain or remove individuals that break the accountability chain.
* Recruit missing expertise of backfill expertise lost to retirement/departures, taking into consideration
problems and issues to be addressed in the future.
Reevaluate and peer review individual scientists to eliminate dead wood or find ways to motivate.
Be flexible in staffing (Le., students, post-doctoral fellows, and sabbaticals).
f Hire more scientists and bench level technicians.
Implement skill-ladder structure.
Convert brightest contractors to EPA employees.
Convert promising post-docs to permanent positions.
Replace administrative staff retirees with young scientists.
Supply adequate technical/support staff.
Pay administrative staff well.
Select managers for their managerial capabilities.
Liberalize guest worker policy.
Liberalize ability to hire short-term temporary technical support.
> Offer adequate training and education.
Establish a requirement for continuing education and require attendance at national or international
meetings for all research personnel.
I . .
50
iiiiiiil : ,' "tilli, , tit; , ... ... ,,',' ', I!"; i,, B , :,';,!,',. .:',' ,,..:...:;, I'll //Jilt
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Appendix B; Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Clarify structure of skill ladder.
Create opportunities for secretaries to move out of secretarial positions.
Offer more training, mentoring, and upper mobility.
Set up program of effective mentoring.
Concentrate more on individual career development. Offer new positions, develop the workforce
internally, reward merit over seniority, provide clear expectations and real consequences. Reward
continuing education and value the skills ORD employees already have.
Reevaluate training requirements for relevance. Increase on-site training.
Provide more funds to attend outside seminars and courses.
Develop career tracks for all levels of staff.
Offer on-site graduate degrees.
Support mentoring, development, and advancement that support scientific development. Appoint ORD
scientists to ST positions.
Provide specific guidelines to enable scientists to keep up with their disciplines.
1 Pay scientific dues in societies and encourage participation.
1 Remove ceilings and other constraints that limit opportunities for creativity and career development.
1 Create better incentives for career/mid-level employees.
Offer more opportunities for training, career development, and personal growth.
Make permanent commitment to providing funds for improving education, skills, training of staff.
1 Recognize the abilities and interests of current employees for career advancement and educational
opportunities.
1 Eliminate perceived/real inequity between organizational units in ORD for promotions/rewards.
1 Reduce or eliminate hurdles in promotion along scientific tenure track.
Offer better access to scientific training, sabbaticals, and scientific meetings.
Allow staff time to prepare appropriately to participate in international work and meetings.
Provide new employees with orientation, education, and training in communications.
Develop a career development program with rewards.
Support and encourage staff to stay up to date with the state of the science.
Encourage post-graduate education leading to degrees.
Provide mechanisms for in-house sabbaticals to allow exchanges of people between offices, labs, and
centers. Provide sabbatical vs. intramural or extramural grants.
Encourage more dialogue between ORD scientists and their customers through Regional visits and
details and through peer-to-peer interactions.
Encourage temporary off-site assignments.
Require limited rotations.
Encourage site visits between ORD labs.
Implement and encourage plan for sabbaticals.
Provide opportunities to go on detail or sabbatical to Regions and Program Offices.
Offer sabbaticals, intermediate training, and PAs to maintain state-of-the-art science.
Expand resources for sabbaticals, rotations.
Encourage rotational assignments/training among laboratories, agencies, universities, and industry. (3
groups)
" Enforce rotational assignments for division and laboratory management.
Reward research that contributes directly to the Agency's mission.
Encourage management to explain to employees that their mission is to identify problems and develop
tools to solve themnot to publish articles.
Base promotions on quality of work/contributions rather than counts of peer-review journal articles.
Continue to encourage and emphasize peer-reviewed publication.
Don't measure performance solely on peer-reviewed journal articles; measure performance on the basis
of usefulness of work.
Increase internal recognition and promote outside recognition for ORD employees.
Facilitate promotion potential of bench level scientists.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Reward performance with raises and promotions.
Increase salaries.
Reward individuals for good work, improve working environment, eliminate unnecessary paperwork.
Improve incentives and promotion policy and make promotion policies consistent across ORD.
Increase formal and informal recognition of individual accomplishments.
Compensate people for scientific excellence.
Establish a functional award/recognition system. PERFORMS is inadequate.
Increase RTF locality pay.
Provide feedback so employees can see the fruits of their efforts.
Offer more than nominal rewards for exceptional performance. Tie to rank and salary.
Place more emphasis on product than on process.
Offer staff more recognition.
* Reward efficiency, not spending.
Simplify the process of promotion (e.g., GS 14 & 15 promotion review package).
Expand opportunities for advancement for administrative and support staff.
Workplace and Work Environment Actions
Create a work environment that attracts the brightest scientific minds.
Create academic culture rather than corporate culture.
Spend more time on science and less time on red tape.
* Split ORD from EPA to become NTE.
Identify benchmark organizations that ORD wants to emulate.
Compare our organization and structure to recognized preeminent research organizations, such as CDC,
NTH, DOE National Labs, and the National Cancer Institute.
Develop new management styles to deal with public health issues rapidly.
Develop fast-response mechanism to allow an ORD presence in internationals environmental events (as
CDC does with outbreaks of waterborne diseases).
* Think of ORD as a whole; not individual labs/center/offices.
Give each lab or center a specific focus to avoid duplication of effort.
Be willing to reorganize when necessary.
Accept challenges and work through problems.
Encourage "flexiplace."
Create new image and logo.
Come to closure on open-ended issues from all the workshops/surveys conducted.
Speed implementation of Vision Statement elements.
Continue activities such as this roll-out, but with a better explanation of purpose from management.
Offer good management, career development, and compensation to build good morale.
Enable a customer focus.
Encourage independent thinking.
Strive for continuous improvement.
Provide opportunity for success and failure.
* Increase trust both horizontally and vertically on the organizational chart. Instill values of trust, respect,
and responsibility. Exhibit faith in scientific staff. Treat people with respect.
Nurture the current staff.
Make work fun.
Treat professionals as professionals.
Discourage non-performance.
Eliminate the "us-versus-them" mentality within ORD and EPA.
Put aside anger, share knowledge, and give up proprietary concerns.
Encourage others with a positive attitude.
Improve morale by giving credit where it is due and treating people fairly.
Articulate and enforce code of conduct.
i
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Relieve scientists of administrative work.
Remove as much administrative work from the scientist/engineer as possible. Explore different
organizational and staffing structures. Currently, scientists are being squandered.
Reduce paperwork and administrative red tape.
Stop giving scientists customer-service and administrative tasks while still expecting research results:
Allow them to do their work.
Free up technicians from administrative work.
Revise duties to be commensurate with positions, e.g., research biologists are being used as purchasing
agents.
Hire certain types of administrative staff to reduce administrative burden on scientist, e.g., "Super
WAM."
Provide more diversity in job tasks.
Eliminate job stagnation by offering more cross training.
Increase freedom of inquiry and independence.
Open decision process and improve communication.
Create a place for controversial science Agency wide.
Create a no-risk research environment.
Encourage risk-taking in research.
Make it safer to take risks and encourage innovative solutions. Risk-takers must be encouraged and
rewarded.
Offer flexibility in work schedules and in work-at-home policies.
Standardize personnel rules across all of ORD regarding overtime guidelines, credit hours, work
schedules (4-10 hr days), and promotional guidelines.
Allow lateral transfers.
Nurture relationship between person and organization.
Ensure that rules are simple, clear, and consistently applied.
Reduce paperwork/review/signature requirements/time requirements to effect program actions.
Develop orientation book for new employees that spells out administrative policy and procedures,
training, promotions, and leave.
Create staff-level policy review group.
Ensure that employees' special needs are accommodated.
Offer flexible working conditions. Don't put obstacles in the way of productivity.
Emphasize accomplishing goal over the process taken (without breaking the law).
Institute computerized routing and transmittal for tracking current status of documents.
Keep internal competitive research grants.
Staff/Management Actions
Continue the Williamsburg process.
Continue surveys.
Reduce territoriality among executive management.
Provide timely and honest feedback to staff on action items from Henry Longest visits and Williamsburg
sessions.
Encourage bottom-up communication of potential problems.
Determine if support staff is meeting current needs and trends.
Gain Agency support of ORD's scientific mission. Upper management must have scientific credentials
and understanding of scientific method and organization of large science.
Help scientists to better understand the political needs of the organization; and management to better
understand scientific needs and influences. Help scientific, administrative, clerical and technical
employees understand how they work for common goals and contribute to their achievement.
Change attitudes of support staff servicing offices.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
; .. , . . " ;.. " ; " ; , ; r
Retrain OJRD management to increase their appreciation of science and research. Provide training in
basic human relations. Improve training for managers to enable them to encourage staff to be contribute
more, be more creative, and communicate more effectively.
Encourage management to be more aware of their people's research and insure alignment with rest of
organization.
Involve management with research projects, i.e., review project/research plans and provide feedback,
track deliverables, ask for periodic status reports and provide feedback, visit the facilities where the work
is done, advertise and publish successful project results, reward research teams' success.
Administrative/management should meet regularly to foster understanding of each others role in
organization operation.
Improve coordination between science and management.
Change management view of what type of research earns a researcher a promotion.
Clarify and communicate roles and responsibilities of ALDs, DDs, BCs, Pis, technicians, administrative
staff and support staff. Institutionalize and hold people accountable.
Extend peer review to management, not just science.
Hold upper management accountable to AA and Deputy Administrator.
Provide ways to elevate ideas and obtain buy-in from management.
Adopt a hands-off management style.
Reduce micro-management and give scientists room to work. This includes more flexibility with funding.
Increase flexibility and recognition for the unpredictability of research results. (2 groups)
Value and acknowledge the contributions of ORD non-scientific staff and their role as an integral part
of the ORD team.
Educate science and technical staff on basic administrative and resource processes and emphasize that
this is part of their job.
Delegate authority and encourage independent thinking and empowerment. Require accountability and
responsibility once empowered.
Empower staff to make decisions at lower levels.
Allow decision-making at the lowest level with appropriate accountability.
Give responsibility to all levels of administration for effective communications, implementations and
outcomes.
Educate staff that management and administration's purpose is to support science.
Encourage management to really listen not just give lip service to presentation of ideas.
Listen more to technical/administrative staff on technical and facility issues.
Build trust between management and staff. Provide opportunities to express disagreements.
Treat employees as adults, not children.
Focus on positive, not always the negative.
Devise method for communicating issues without risks.
Work at tough issues. Don't take no for an answer immediately.
Eliminate political appointment of AA for ORD to provide more stable direction at top.
Do not rotate leaders so often.
Rotate managers back to bench.
Standardize structures, attitudes, and disciplines.
Don't redesign systems that are working well.
Ensure more stable management with fewer "acting" positions.
Lower supervisor-to-staff ratio from 1:25 to 1:11 and evaluate variation in ratio across ORD.
Increase ability of managers to address planning and technical issues.
Eliminate influence of matrix managers. Use more traditional line/staff structure.
Improve internal communications. Schedule regular meetings to address work goals, accomplishments,
and lessons learned. Improve methods to communicate these throughout the multi-level organization.
Encourage more communications (meetings, memoranda) with immediate bosses. More face-to-face
contact between management and bench scientists in the labs.
Improve top-down communication of needs, goals and directions of research
i
54 !
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Provide opportunities for face-to-face meetings for administrative staff to solve organizational problems
ofORD
Make internal communications meet the same clarity standards as outside communications.
Work to improve communication between scientific and "non-scientific" staff.
Increase communication among principal investigators.
Institute required staff meetings to discuss and share information.
Offer more non-mandatory input programs such as suggestion boxes so all individuals can provide
constructive input.
Promote bottom-up planning: Ask "troops" what needs to be done; obtain buy-in from those who do the
work, emphasize consensus-building.
Collaboration, Teamwork and Communications
Collaboration
Remove barriers to collaboration
Encourage collaboration early in the research process to reduce turf battles.
Overcome turf issues and promote flexibility.
Foster closer communication/collaboration between labs/centers.
Develop mechanisms to ensure communication and collaboration among disciplines and organizations.
Reduce or eliminate barriers to encourage cooperation and improve integration and performance.
Provide motivating incentives for scientific collaboration acros.s the Agency, academia, international
organizations, and the private sector.
Emphasize role of "integrationist."
Design an effective collaborative mechanism within the Agency and among other agencies and industry.
Create a mechanism at the mid-management level to promote cooperative efforts to meet common goals
across ORD.
Align initiatives across Labs and Centers.
Promote interaction with Labs, center, and offices (ORD Exchange Program).
Increase scientific exchanges across laboratories and across locations.
Put out RFA for inter-lab research project.
Cross infiltrate across disciplines by supporting research forums, workshops, interdisciplinary teams, and
co-publications.
Form inter-laboratory and inter-regional workgroups to enable assessment of need for collaboration and
to make recommendations about how to achieve better collaboration.
Form smaller organizational units focused by science disciplines and coordinated at Division level.
Create workgroups only for issues that are clearly defined.
Increase travel to enhance collaboration.
Provide equitable distribution of resources to allow for travel to interact with peers.
Provide a scientific/administrative exchange program to allow personnel exchanges between Program
Offices, Regions, and other labs. Rotate division and lab directors and Assistant Lab/Center Directors.
Apply expertise over multiple program offices.
Minimize involvement with program offices and the Regions.
Put program office and Regional office research under ORD umbrella to consolidate funding, eliminate
redundancy, simplify planning, and encourage interaction.
Identify collaborators through scientist-to-scientist and organizational interactions.
Develop new types of collaborative vehicles.
Provide integrated products and have more collaboration among labs.
Establish ad hoc creative science teams, e.g., the 3M model.
Empower principal investigators to develop collaborative research with whomever they need.
Increase investigator-initiated, peer-reviewed competition.
Foster intra- and inter-lab contact and cooperation.
Follow through and provide funds for cross-lab issues and commitments.
Provide more incentives for technical assistance and collaborations.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
» Encourage cooperative agreements.
' Build new partners in academia and other labs through the grants program, EPAs, state-of-the-science
meetings, workshops, and consortiums.
Make available mechanisms and funds for intense collaboration.
Increase communication across organizations to evaluate potential for collaboration, not duplication.
Encourage synergy program within ORD and beyond.
Form scientific study groups (internal and external) to evaluate program/projects and exchange ideas.
Improve collaboration by making ORD scientists more aware of each other's qualifications.
Don't allow promotion process to penalize program office, regional or stakeholder collaboration. The
current staffing and system of rewards and promotions does not support this.
Interact with broad community.
Foster "centers of excellence" outside of ORD.
Partner on emerging issues.
Build and improve visiting scientist and fellowship programs.
Allow collaboration with local or best universities on mutually beneficial projects.
Reduce red tape associated with university partnerships.
« Increase means to establish long-term ties to university collaborators. Foster specific collaboration with
other government agencies and with the Regions and states.
Offer more post-doc/intem/rotating assignments to increase academic interactions.
Revive "super scientist" program (i.e., bring in a few world renowned experts to stimulate research in
critical areas and offer them support they need).
Bring in more scientists to provide fresh ideas and facilitate communication to outside organizations.
* Increase level of collaboration with other institutions (NIEHS, etc.).
Foster scientific exchange through details; FTTA; IPA exchange.
Take lead in organizing agendas across organizations, federal agencies. Design complementary research
programs.
« Examine relationship between ORD's research activities and those of other Federal agencies.
Instigate more interagency collaborative projects.
Develop and implement systems that support collaboration in a global environment.
Remove barriers to international collaboration and communication.
Promote environmental tech transfer by establishing international liaisons.
Expand the scope of the Research Exchange program globally.
Provide seed money to guide, encourage, and promote world research.
l '
Teamwork
Implement Total Quality Management. Instill a customer-service approach. Increase team identity as
opposed to functional identity.
Activate and empower teams.
Improve and foster team building.
Develop culture that supports and rewards teams. Tailor awards system to reward team efforts.
Give team leadership cross-laboratory authority to achieve specific research goals.
Use consensus processes.
* Integrate team objectives.
Use cross-teaming for hot and emerging issues.
« Encourage team efforts within Divisions and labs.
t Promote team work.
Let the team concept evolve to meet needs instead of forcing it.
Provide training on teamwork skills.
Include both experts and "new blood" in teams.
* Improve team building in research areas.
« Organize research around fully interdisciplinary teams. Support integrated, multi-stressor, multi-
disciplinary projects over the long term. Use a bottom-up approach.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Expand team membership to include ADD, Program Offices, community, academia and other agencies.
Include feedback from meetings, projects, goals, etc. Team leaders need to articulate goals more clearly
to team members.
Create mega-teams that coordinate and communicate to solve problems. Also encourage individuals, not
just groups, to share ideas. Provide a small financial award to encourage competitions between
individuals and groups for innovative and integrated approaches.
Require researchers to participate in teams with programs.
Communications
Promote more frequent interaction and information exchange
Improve communication of research processes and outcomes between ORD and labs.
Increase interaction among ORD scientists and improve communication between different ORD
disciplines. Communicate across media. Provide cross-cutting training between groups. Reward
collaborative approaches.
Provide opportunities for scientists/engineers to meet on a routine basis, within and across disciplines.
They must know what is going on in their discipline and their research areas within ORD, the Agency,
other federal and state agencies, the private sector and academia.
Improve understanding across labs of what the promotional review board is about.
Encourage site visits between ORD labs, remove barriers to attendance at national and international
meetings.
Promote scientist-to-scientist interaction with grantees (academia) and other government laboratories.
. Be more involved in planning and running international scientific symposia and meetings.
Produce on-going reports on work-in-progress.
Emphasize feedback instead of planning.
Require those that attend meetings to pass along information to rest of team.
Conduct peer review of plans.
Provide internal program reviews.
Provide venues for technical staff to meet, get updates, leam of changes.
Develop direct communication links between offices, programs, and Regions.
Increase communication between researchers and those who write regulations.
Foster communication between ORD and headquarters to implement EPA's mission.
Customer Service. Marketing, and Public Relations
Customer Service
Maintain commitment to our clients. Base commitments on EPA statutory and regulatory requirement,
not politically driven policies.
Build customers' confidence in our work.
Fully acknowledge diversity of customer base.
Redefine "customer" to mean those that provide or direct funding.
Obtain early input from AA and external stakeholders.
Involve the customer early in planning and along the way.
Involve all stakeholders in solutions and get more feedback from the public.
Create means for better communication between parts of EPA.
Conduct more outreach to program offices and Regions at high levels.
Understand vision statements and needs of Regions and program offices so we can server them better.
Examine what works with the program offices that we serve well and clone it for other program offices.
Negotiate a clear, formal understanding of ORD and program office missions.
Provide incentives to Regions and program offices to work with ORD.
Negotiate a clear, formal understanding of ORD and program office missions. Provide program Offices
and Regions with perspective about what we do and how it contributes to their goals, and vice versa.
Develop a career development program that supports rotational assignments to Program Offices and
Regions and to stakeholder organizations and universities, and rewards people who do so.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
* Interact more cfpsely with program staff to improve research focus and to make ORD a reliable and in
dispensable partner.
« Align and focus grants program to program office needs
Enhance ALD role in establishing contacts with program offices. We need marketing, not budgeting.
* Convene meetings between ALD and Divisions to discuss ALD's role in programs they represent.
Require more advance forecasts (early warnings) from program offices.
Include staff, not just management and planners, with Regions and program offices.
Work with programs to incorporate our results in their activities.
Convene joint seminars to bring ORD and Program staff together for discussion of projects.
Provide resources for ORD scientists to meet with Program staff regularly as well as to travel to other
customer sites and professional forums.
Increase communication and interactions between ORD scientists and program office decision-makers.
i
Marketing
Increase ORD's visibility through outreach, networking, media and PR, and travel.
* Write a communication strategy presenting the vision and research approach. Ensure it is targeted to the
proper audience and provides a mechanism for responding to comments.
* Advertise EPA mission by making it more visible to employees and the public.
* Develop strong communication and marketing to the decision-makers and the public.
Publicize ORD's role and enhance visibility. Market what we do more effectively.
Follow-up on research results and interpret them for the rest of the Agency and the public/private sector.
Encourage scientists/engineers to actively participate in professional societies, attend meetings, chair
sessions, participate on committees, and by becoming officers.
Encourage the writing of papers for peer-reviewed journals to develop one's standing in the field of
expertise, and writing articles for the popular press to increase public awareness of important
environmental or scientific issues and ORD's involvement in these issues.
Develop people-friendly products
Launch EPA version of Environmental Health Perspectives.
Develop in-depth newsletters of work in progress for program offices and Regions.
Develop a technical directory of expertise and have Public Affairs distribute it.
* Raise visibility of skills and capabilities within ORD so sites of specific knowledge can be identified.
Requires better cross-ORD communication.
. List contacts in specialty areas on Web.
1 ' " 1 ... , '
Public Relations
Develop an effective public relations program for ORD to increase its visibility to the general public.
Effectively communicate the value of research products within ORD, throughout the Agency, throughout
the research community, and internationally..
Improve communications through outreach activities.
Increase public awareness of environmental issues through local community education for children and
adults.
Increase awareness of the different roles of EPA.
Improve public relations so potential employees are aware of what EPA offers.
Encourage Administrator and AA to be more visible to the public promoting EPA interests.
Encourage positive interactions between EPA personnel and the public.
Survey outside organizations about their perceptions of EPA science and about what EPA can do to
influence or improve those perceptions.
Change the perception of the American public that ORD's research may be politicized through the peer
process and through involvement with stakeholders.
Demonstrate that we can focus on and understand problems and provide solutions.
Take the lead in interpretation and analysis of environmental data for the public and decision makers
., IRIS).
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Provide more opportunities for decision-makers to become educated on use of research results.
Create group to review and disseminate ORD advances to clientssomething more than a clearinghouse.
Sponsor a rotating "renaissance fair" at all ORD locations. Hold at six-month intervals and include local
researchers, academics, and the public.
Broaden communications with States, locals, regions, other agencies, EPA programs.
Improve relationships with academia and private industry.
Specific/Special ORD Actions
Create better balance between grants, cooperative agreements, and in-house research.
Develop new extramural mechanism for getting outside direct mission-related support.
Continue to emphasize intramural program vs. extramural research.
Increase in-house scientific expertise and reduce dependence on contractor support.
Authorize personal service contracting to help increase efficiency when no FTEs are available.
Provide better contract management.
Reduce by half the time required to award a contract.
Simplify and minimize contract regulations (align with other agencies).
Reinforce and strengthen the Internal Grants Program.
Make criteria for awarding academic grants stricter.
Tie extramural research more closely to in-house research (grants via mega-labs).
Remove restriction of EPA scientist collaborations with external grantees.
Move grants program into labs to integrate into programs.
Improve NCERQA grants programs.
Increase in-house research (fewer grant dollars, more FTEs).
Eliminate grants program and give money back to ORD scientists.
Use internal grants to enhance integration.
Integrate innovative aspects of extramural research efforts with in-house efforts.
Eliminate distinction of extramural and R&D funds.
Efficiently select best extramural instruments and manage funds.
Revisit "Adopt a Grant."
Promote flexibility by maintaining a balance between intramural and extramural research.
Increase "forecastability" of environmental needs through intramural research.
Adopt by the grants program the NIH approach of study section whose rankings cannot be overturned
by administrative "relevancy" reviews.
Establish new administrative rules to allow externally peer-reviewed internal grants to provide funds to
Pis directly, not requiring existing mechanisms.
Replace grants with cooperative agreements to collaborate with preeminent researchers.
Modify grant program to be a cooperative agreement research program conducted by the national
laboratories to effectively interact with academia.
Reinstate possibility of cooperative agreement and sole-source cooperative agreements.
Foster lAGs by removing NERL's 35 percent cost-sharing policy.
Reinvest in cooperative agreements in which EPA scientists are the principal investigators.
Re-direct funding into cooperative agreement programs (external).
Maintain peer review and QA so independence with groups outside the Agency is evident.
Expand the scope of the peer review program to connect with international research organizations and
to improve ongoing science.
Create mega-lab Science Advisory Boards.
Insure appropriate level of usage and reviewers for peer reviews.
Elevate criticality of peer review.
Establish peer review period of greater than five years.
Reduce number of peer reviews.
Determine how to make the best peer reviewers eligible despite connection to their work.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Institute multidisciplinary peer reviews.
Do not put internal work through external peer review.
Develop peer review portfolio and process similar to that in academia with other than just "mega"
reviews as checks on progress.
* Devise system of self-help for repetitive technical assistance and support.
Better define or eliminate AD and ALD positions.
Create an independent oversight group that looks deep into organization, not just high-level SAB
reviews.
Administer HRMD and AMD locally.
Strengthen IFMS.
Revise OMIS to reduce multiple time-intensive maintenance or inputs by administrative staff.
Reevaluate need for OMIS.
Travel. Conferences, Resources and Infrastructure
Travel and Conferences
Increase visibility of research efforts (individual and organizational) at national and international
meetings.
Provide sufficient travel funds to attend conferences.
Allow more project-based travel.
Provide more travel for communication. Develop a travel development plan that promotes preeminence
of the organization. Identify and allow travel to a select group of important meetings that will allow
ORD showcase ijs research. Make more money available for staff interaction with the research
community at international conferences and meetings. Provide sufficient travel money to support
attendance at one meeting per year and support and encourage travel to attend local and national
meetings.
Encourage attendance at meetings and reduce red tape required to attend.
Support EPA-sponsored meetings and symposia at the laboratory level.
Send appropriate researcher to national and international meeting rather than high-ranking staff.
Drop restrictions for number of ORD/EPA participants at international meetings.
Improve foreign travel policies to diminish barriers.
Eliminate in-kind travel the last three months of the fiscal year.
.., . . ,1
I
Resources
Secure commitment to and resources for EPA/ORD from Congress.
Increase budget to permit flexibility. Try to remove politics from resource allocation.
Provide enough resources in the right places. Sufficient dollars, people and training must be provided.
Establish and maintain external fiscal relationships to build a gradually increasing resource base.
Provide sustained, adequate level of support for innovative research.
Dedicate more resources to science.
Make science and customer-need drive budget
Align ORD's internal budget and schedules with program goals.
Align resources with research priorities.
Offer more infrastructure support for research.
Avoid budget changes and reorganizations to provide stability.
Determine budget by scientific goals rather than a set percentage.
Improve core budget proportion devoted to innovative research.
Provide stable level of funding sufficient to work collaboratively with extramural scientists on large-
scale interdisciplinary ecological research. Current funding sufficient only for narrowly focused research.
Stimulate in-house research through additional funding and increased FTEs.
Increase ability to identify outside resources.
Make it easier to accept funds from Program Offices and Regions.
Allow and encourage scientists to compete for funding outside of EPA.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Enlarge the funding base for what ORD does.
Tap into resources across labs.
Shift resources in-house and recognize the need to marshal outside resources. De-emphasize travel for
the Science Council and encourage more conference calls.
Share funds to develop innovative solutions using integrated approaches.
Provide adequate resources across ORD divisions and organizations.
Learn to say noif resources aren't there, don't promise to do it.
Realign the current management structure to support cross-laboratory teams and set aside cross-lab
resources.
Give ORD scientists more substantive involvement in research investment, especially grants and other
external investments.
Respond to needs and requests of reputable scientists in EPA.
Provide more support to Regional Scientists.
Give 75 percent of the budget to managers to direct and nurture research along with goals; give 25
percent of the budget to scientists to give stability and allow them to spend it as they see fit.
Improve and increase funding to merit promotion process to attract and keep world-class scientists and
engineers.
Improve split of resources to academia.
Improve timely distribution of resources to allow prudent management of resources.
Eliminate end-of-year "spend down" and first quarter lack of budget. Flatten distribution of supply and
equipment money over all quarters.
Institute a two-year budget cycle.
Improve continuity in budget process.
Simplify planning and budget. Make sure that the entire organization knows its roles.
Make draft budgets available to all on a real-time basis.
Increase flexibility in funding categories.
Eliminate separate categories for R&D, extramural, and travel.
Eliminate travel fund designation. Allow branches, divisions etc., to use their resources as needed.
Travel/training expense should be prioritized with scientific and technical purposes taking precedence.
Increase autonomy over funds.
Delegate decision-making regarding travel to local level.
Devise an equitable distribution of travel and resources.
Promote use of end-of-year travel funds over first quarter of next fiscal year.
Be accountable for efficient management of resources at next lower level.
Re-prioritize FTE allocations.
Manage FTE allocations to achieve a reasonable balance between managers and scientists.
Increase FTE ceiling and allow contractor conversions.
Enable procurement department of OARM to be more responsive.
Provide easy to use funding mechanisms. (3 groups)
Use blanket purchase orders with major suppliers and judicious use of bank cards to streamline
purchasing.
Develop a system for timely and flexible delivery of resources.
Infrastructure
Provide better infrastructure and support, including equipment, computers etc.
Develop and implement state-of-the-art technology in the labs.
Provide state-of-the-art equipment and library services.
Develop a system to allow sharing of equipment and resources.
Improve telecommunications opportunities to diminish barriers.
Increase use of technology (i.e., Internet) to interact/collaborate with research community.
Improve communication technology, video conferencing.
Hire a system administrator.
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Appendix B: Participant Comments on Alignment Actions
Develop a Web publication of technical reports that annexes contents for all ORD documents and an
electronic library of reports available to anyone.
Obtain Geographic Information System (GIS) for HSD/Chapel Hill.
Provide training and access to the latest technologies and instrumentation to achieve the best science.
Improve information resources and libraries. Provide better scientific literature access online.
Provide documentation and training to use upgraded computer programs is needed as soon as possible
after installation.
Provide sufficient funding to support communication such as computer literature searches and library
resources.
Allocate lab space using future research projects as the criteria.
Use staff growth, future research to allocate adequate lab space. Eliminate historical "turf."
Move to environmentally safe facilities and enforce health and safety rules
Remodel older facilities, using employee input.
Eliminate cubicles and distracting environments. Provide more quiet space for creative thinking.
Conduct review of state-of-the-art thinking on cubicle living.
Offer a fitness center to employees.
Provide a 24-hour, first rate cafeteria at ORD facilities.
Continue to improve Wellness Center.
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