Gene Whitney

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COMMUNICATING GEOSCIENCES TO POLICYMAKERS PERSPEC
TIVE FROM OSTP
Gene Whitney Assistant Director for Environment
Office of Science and Technology
Policy Executive Office of the President
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OFFICE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY POLICY EXECUTIVE
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT Dr. John H. Marburger
III, Director and Presidents Science
Advisor 50 staff 20 Ph.D. scientists

• OSTP dual roles
• Reactive Ensure that President and
  Administration officials are fully informed about
  current scientific and technical issues (many!)
• 2. Pro-active Develop interagency strategies
  to implement Presidents science and technology
  priorities.

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NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
COUNCIL Committees, Subcommittees and Working
Groups
Science
Env. Nat. Res.
Technology
Nat. Home Sec.
Research Business Models
Global Change Research
National Security RD
Technology Dev.
Education Workforce Dev.
Radiological/Nuclear Countermeasures
Air Quality Research
Networking Information Technology
Large Scale Science
Disaster Reduction
International
Nanoscale Science, Eng. Technology
Aquaculture
Ecosystems
WMD Medical Countermeasures
Human Subjects Research
Toxics Risks
Aerospace
Water Availability Quality
IWG Physics of the Universe
Standards
US Group on Earth Observations
Biotechnology
IWG Plant Genome
Infrastructure
IWG Dom. Animal Genomics
Future of Land Imaging
Oceans
Key Earth science components
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• Some Earth Science Issues of National and Global
  Concern
• Climate change
• mechanisms (e.g., paleoclimate)
• impacts (e.g., disasters)
• mitigation (e.g., carbon sequestration)
• Water availability and quality
• Energy supply / materials supply
• Nuclear waste disposal - Yucca Mountain
• Earth observations monitoring
• Natural hazards and disasters
• Coastal and ocean processes and management
• Earth science from space and planetary science
• Etc.

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HOW BRAINS WORK
Scientist brain Data ? Interpretation ?
Hypothesis ? Test . ? Position Politicia
n brain Position ? Search for support ?
Data
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How decisions are made
Laws Regulations
Economics
Morals Ethics
DECISION or POLICY
International Politics
Domestic Politics
Science Technology
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How do policy makers become informed about
scientific issues? 1. Individual study 2.
Staff work 3. Expert briefings or
testimony 4. Dialog with or tutorials from
scientists
Involvement of scientists or societies
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Why are you communicating with policy makers or
decision makers? To inform a policy or
decision To persuade? Who should do it?
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• FIVE SKILLS A SCIENTIST NEEDS TO INFORM POLICY
• Ability to communicate technical issues in
  layman's terms.
• Ability to communicate the uncertainty inherent
  in scientific information without sending the
  message that there is no right answer.
• Ability to effectively communicate possible
  consequences or outcomes of decisions using
  scenarios.
• Ability to understand how scientific information
  might be used (or misused) by proponents of
  either side of an issue.
• Ability to actively participate in a highly
  confrontational or contentious policy debate
  without losing sight of the objective scientific
  evidence.

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• TEN STEPS FOR SCIENTISTS TO AFFECT POLICY
• Identify the real decision makers not always
  obvious.
• Identify other scientific participants know
  what they are thinking.
• Anticipate dont wait for panic mode early
  information is the best information, but provide
  it when they need it.
• Face-to-face is better than paper or e-mail (
  more difficult).
• Establish technical credibility stay in your
  lane.
• Establish political credibility know the
  context of the issue.
• Offer to help be a resource. Follow up.
• Understand the calendar for budgets and
  legislation.
• Learn the rules of institutions yours and
  theirs.

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• Some intangibles in the process
• (just suggestions, not rules)
• Try to get to know decision makers and their
  staff before you make a request.
• Have a specific goal or specific request
  policymakers are busy and dont want to chat or
  deal with long laundry lists.
• Make short presentations (30 minutes) and leave
  concise materials (1-pagers).
• Understand the authority and limitations of a
  policymakers role in addressing your science
  issues.
• Put yourself in their shoes what else are they
  worried about?

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• SUMMARY
• Key federal policymakers include Congress and
  staff, Administration officials and staff, agency
  officials and staff.
• Policymakers need scientists to inform rational
  policy development.
• Scientists need policymakers to implement a
  scientific vision or to support institutions.
• Reliable, timely information is the currency of
  DC.
• We must work together to achieve goals that are
  in the best interest of the Nation.