Letter from LNO LPI
The National Science Foundation (NSF) conducted a midterm site review of the LTER Network Office (LNO) from October 10-11, 2005. Members of the site review team included Steve Carpenter (NTL), Chris Jones (University of California, Santa Barbara), Debra Peters (JRN), Dwayne Porter (University of South Carolina), Brenda Shears (CAP), Wade Sheldon (GCE), and Russ Schmitt (MCR). The principal outcome of the site review was a strong recommendation that the NSF invite a renewal proposal from the Network Office at the University of New Mexico (UNM).
The site review team was “impressed by the high quality of work being performed by the LNO in support of the Network.” The report from the site review, which is available in the LTER document archive (http://intranet.lternet.edu/), highlighted key accomplishments of the LNO and evaluated the performance of the office in four broad categories: (1) performance in key areas dictated by the statement of work, (2) role of the LNO in a changing Network, (3) role of the LNO in information technology and associated fields, and (4) communication among the LNO, site information managers, project managers, staff, and LTER scientists.
The three LNO Associate Directors (James Brunt, John Vande Castle, and William Michener) coordinated a series of presentations and demonstrations highlighting the accomplishments of the LNO during the last three years. Topics discussed included the successful move of the LNO from the UNM Research Park to the main campus in 2004, capabilities of the new Informatics Training and Software Usability Testing Lab, use of the Request Tracker software, demonstration of the web content management system, improvements to the document archive, implementation of metadata standards, progress on the Network Information System, status of remote sensing resources at LNO, implementation of new technologies, revisions to Network publications, development of partnerships with other networks and agencies, and meeting coordination. Interesting and fruitful discussions with the Site Review Team focused on the strengths and weaknesses inherent in our approaches to these and other topics.
Several very constructive suggestions were put forth by the Site Review Team. One such recommendation focused on the development of new metrics of performance that focus on the impact of the LNO on the LTER Network and the broader ecological community. These new metrics would simplify and focus reporting of LNO accomplishments and provide indices that are more relevant to the success of the LTER Network as a whole. Henry Gholz pointed out in the letter accompanying the report that the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) faces a similar challenge and that a joint discussion of this issue might be useful. The review report also suggested that the LNO take a proactive role during this period of transition for the LTER Network. The Network is facing changes in leadership, scientific goals, diversity of disciplines, and governance, and the LNO should play a key role in facilitating a smooth transition to a new LTER vision. More specifically, the LNO should develop a strategy to capitalize on existing and new resources to meet scientific goals arising from the Network Planning process.
The LNO welcomes these recommendations, and we will work with the Executive and Coordinating Committees to implement them for the benefit of the Network. We are grateful to the members of the Site Review Team and to Henry Gholz for an exciting a stimulating visit.