PMS 900 - National Wildfire Coordinating Group

A publication of the
National Wildfire
Coordinating Group
National Wildfire Coordinating Group
Operating Principles
and Guidelines
PMS 900 April 2013

National Wildfire
Coordinating Group
Operating Principles and
Guidelines
April 2013
PMS 900
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.1 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2 Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3 NWCG Strategic Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.4 NWCG Strategic Guiding Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
NWCG Organization
2.0 Organization Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1 NWCG Executive Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2 Subgroup Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2.1 Committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2.2 Subcommittees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2.3 Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2.4 Subunits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2.5 Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2.6 Task Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.3 Establishing Subgroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3.1 Charter Amendments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4 Program Management Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.0 Members & Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.1 Executive Board Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1.1 Primary Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1.2 Associate Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1.3 Non-member Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2 Executive Board Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2.1 Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2.2 Vice Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2.3 Liaisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.3 Subgroup Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.3.1 Primary Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.3.2 Associate Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.3.3 Non-member Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4 Subgroup Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4.1 Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4.2 Vice Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.5 NWCG Program Management Unit Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.5.1 NWCG Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.5.2 NWCG Administrative Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.5.3 Branch Coordinators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.5.4 Training Branch Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.5.5 Enterprise Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.5.6 Communication Specialist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.5.7 Web Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

4.0 Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.1 Branch Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.2 Liaisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.3 Stewardship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
NWCG Planning
5.0 Strategic Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.1 Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.1.1 Strategic Planning Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.1.2 Strategic Plan Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.1.3 Prioritization of Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.2 Action Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.3 NWFEA Blueprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.0 Tactical Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.1 Annual Work Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6.2 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6.2.1 General Budget Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
6.2.2 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
6.2.3 Training Request Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6.2.4 Information Technology Request Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6.2.5 Project Prioritization and Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6.2.6 NWCG Project Proposal Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6.2.7 Project Expenditure and Accomplishment Reports . . . . . . . . . . 28
6.2.8 Budget Roles & Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
6.3 Taskings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
NWCG Operations
7.0 Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
7.1 General (Group) Meeting Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
7.1.1 Meeting Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
7.1.2 Meeting Schedules & Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
7.1.3 Meeting Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
7.1.4 Meeting Hosting & Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
7.1.5 Meeting Attendees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
7.1.6 Meeting Agendas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
7.1.7 Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
7.1.8 Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
7.1.9 Action Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
7.2 NWCG Executive Board Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
7.2.1 Monthly Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
7.2.2 Tri-annual Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
7.2.3 Special Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7.2.4 Meeting Schedules & Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7.2.5 Meeting Agendas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7.2.6 Meeting Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
7.2.7 Meeting Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

7.2.8 Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
8.0 Document Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
9.0 Investment Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
9.1 Information Technology Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
9.2 Information Technology System and Project Affiliation . . . . . . 42
9.2.1 NWCG Affiliation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
10.0 Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
10.1 Product Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
10.2 Product Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
10.2.1 Additional Planning Considerations for Printed Products . . . 46
10.2.2 Courses & Training Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
10.2.3 Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
10.3 Product Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
10.4 Product Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
10.4.1 Federal Publication Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
10.4.2 NWCG Product Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
10.4.3 Format Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
10.4.4 Logo Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
10.5 Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
10.5.1 Optional and Standard Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
10.5.2 ICS Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
10.5.3 NWCG Form Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
10.6 Approval and Publication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
10.7 Product Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
11.0 Records Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
12.0 Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
12.1 Communication Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
12.2 Communication Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
12.2.1 Issue Escalation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
12.2.2 Information Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
12.2.3 E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
12.3 Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
12.4 NWCG Email Addresses and Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
13.0 Interagency Cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
13.1 Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
13.2 Collaborative Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
13.2.1 Issue Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
13.3 Collaborative Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
14.0 Accountability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
14.1 Group Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
14.2 Member Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
14.3 Accomplishment Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
14.4 Recognition and Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
NWCG Organization Management

15.0 Organization Lifecycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
15.1 Organization Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
15.2 Organizational Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
15.3 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
15.3.1 Organizational Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
15.3.2 Group Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
15.3.3 Featured Committee Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
15.4 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
15.5 Decommissioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Appendices
1 Acronym List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
2 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
3 Change Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

NWCG Operating Principles & Guidelines
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this document is to provide general, consistent and uniform guidance to the National
Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) organization for use in conducting its business.
This document is applicable to, and for use by the NWCG organization, including its executive board, staff,
committees, and all other groups or subgroups.
1.2 Intent
The operating principles and guidelines presented in this document are intended to result in predictable and
consistent organizational behavior. The principles and guidelines provide the foundation for repeatable
business practices shared by all NWCG groups, thus eliminating the inefficiencies of each group
developing its own processes.
This document will be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure the guidance is always timely and
relevant to the operations of the NWCG organization.
This document is organized around a series of fundamental, organizational management questions and their
answers regarding the NWCG organization:
Who are we?
What should we do?
How do we do it?
How do we keep things going?
Part 1, NWCG Organization, addresses the question, "Who are we?" in sections 2, 3, & 4.
Part 2, NWCG Planning, addresses the question, "What should we do?" in sections 5 & 6.
Part 3, NWCG Operations, provides answers to the question, "How do we do it?" Administrative
activities are covered in sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, & 12; behavior is covered in sections 13 & 14.
Part 4, NWCG Organizational Management, addresses the question, "How do we keep things going?" in
section 15.
1.3 NWCG Strategic Mission
Provide national leadership and establish, implement, maintain and communicate policy, standards, and
guidelines for wildland fire program management.
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NWCG Operating Principles & Guidelines
1.4 NWCG Strategic Guiding Principles
SAFETY: We believe safety is our core value, therefore, public and firefighter safety is the first priority in
all wildland fire management activities.
COST EFFECTIVENESS: We believe the wise and efficient use of funds is a high priority, therefore, we
will consider and evaluate the costs associated with implementing NWCG’s objectives.
INTERAGENCY COMMUNICATION, COORDINATION & COOPERATION: We believe that
interagency communication, coordination and cooperation are vital to the effective and efficient use of the
nation’s wildland fire management resources, therefore, we will base our actions on the collective needs
and capabilities of the interagency community.
LEADERSHIP: We believe effective wildland fire management is the result of leadership at all levels,
therefore we will provide and promote leadership throughout all NWCG activities.
TRUST & INTEGRITY: We believe trust and integrity are inherent to the success of the NWCG,
therefore deliberations will be open and transparent and we will honor, respect, and support the decisions
of the NWCG.
RESPECT: We believe in mutual respect for the differences in member organizations’ responsibilities,
missions, and capabilities, therefore, NWCG decisions represent a consensus and are supported by all.
EXCELLENCE: We believe in excellence throughout all NWCG activities, therefore, we are deliberative
in our decision-making process and are accountable for our actions.
For information about NWCG strategic planning, see 5.0 Strategic Planning
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NWCG Operating Principles & Guidelines
NWCG Organization
2.0 Organization Structure
The NWCG is a collaborative and cooperative partnership of governmental agencies, the National
Association of State Foresters (NASF), and the Intertribal Timber Council with national responsibilities
for wildland fire management. The NWCG provides national leadership and establishes, implements,
maintains and communicates policy, standards, guidelines, and qualifications for wildland fire program
management and supports the National Incident Management System.
The NWCG organization consists of an Executive Board, its staff, and a subordinate hierarchy of
subgroups. Subgroups may be committees, subcommittees, units, subunits, boards, or task teams. This
organizational structure has been developed to establish consistency, provide appropriate span of control,
reduce duplication of activities, increase horizontal and vertical coordination, enhance communications,
optimize technical expertise, and improve decision-making processes.
2.1 NWCG Executive Board
NWCG Executive Board is a permanent body established through a memorandum of understanding
between partnering agencies and organizations, and chartered by the Fire Executive Council, NASF Fire
Committee and the Intertribal Timber Council.
For Program Management Unit organization information, see 2.4 Program Management Unit
For more detailed membership information, see 3.1 Executive Board Membership
2.2 Subgroup Types
2.2.1 Committees
A committee is a long-standing body chartered by the Executive Board. A committee's primary purpose is
to serve as the stewards of the business, data, applications, and technology relating to an exclusive set of
one or more of NWCG's functional business areas.
A committee is formed with a charter, signed by the Executive Board chair. If workload demands, a
committee may delegate segments of its stewardship responsibilities to one or more subcommittees.
2.2.2 Subcommittees
A Subcommittee is a long-standing body of subject matter experts (SMEs) chartered by a committee. A
subcommittee is delegated the stewardship responsibilities for a subset of its sponsor's functional business
areas.
A Subcommittee is formed via a charter, signed by its sponsoring committee's chair, with a concurrent
signature from the designated branch coordinator.
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NWCG Operating Principles & Guidelines
2.2.3 Units
A unit is a long-standing body of individuals organized to perform a specific set of business services or to
maintain a specific set of products.
Units may be formed by the Executive Board. Units may also be formed by committees, subcommittees, or
other groups, if authorized to do so in their charters.
Units can be formed through a variety of mechanisms (memoranda of understanding (MOU), memoranda
of agreement (MOA), service level agreements (SLA), charter, etc.) to perform services or maintain
products for one or more NWCG groups. A unit must have a designated leader. If workload demands, a
unit may create subunits to perform subsets of its service offerings.
2.2.4 Subunits
A subunit is a long-standing body of individuals organized by a unit to handle a subset of its undertakings.
A subunit can be formed by a unit, if so authorized, via a variety of mechanisms (MOU, MOA, SLA,
charter, etc.) to perform services or maintain products for one or more NWCG groups. Subunits are not
allowed to form any long-standing subordinate groups.
2.2.5 Boards
A Board is a special type of unit chartered specifically to filter proposals or provide operational advice for
their sponsoring body.
Boards may be chartered by the Executive Board. Boards may also be chartered by committees,
subcommittees, or other groups if authorized to do so in their charters.
Boards provide advice and/or maintain change prioritization criteria for specific NWCG business areas,
meet as needed, and may be delegated the decisional authority to recommend or reject proposals. Boards
are not allowed to form any long-standing subordinate groups.
2.2.6 Task Teams
A task team is a body of individuals formed via a tasking agreement or project charter to accomplish a
specific time-bounded undertaking for their sponsoring body.
A task team can be established by any NWCG group, if authorized to do so in their establishing documents.
Task teams are not allowed to form any long-standing subordinate groups. Project teams are a type of task
team, but are required to be created by a charter and must have a designated project manager.
For guidance specific to taskings and tasking orders, see 6.3 Taskings
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2.3 Establishing Subgroups
All formal NWCG groups shall have some form of establishing documentation. Committees and
subcommittees must be established through a charter. Other subgroup types may be established through
various documents including, but not limited to, charters, memoranda of understanding, memoranda of
agreement, service level agreements, or tasking memoranda.
The Executive Board shall approve the establishment of all committees. The Executive Board also shall
approve the establishment of other subgroups immediately subordinate to the Executive Board. The
Executive Board chair shall sign all committee charters and the establishing documents for any subgroups
immediately subordinate to the Executive Board.
Establishing documents for all other subgroups shall be approved and signed by the parent group chair and
must have concurrence of the respective branch coordinator.
For assistance with the preparation and approval of charters and other establishing documents, contact a
branch coordinator.
See SOP(s):
P-008, rev. 1.0
Approving and distributing copies of
approved committee charters.
(Planned, date TBD)
2.3.1 Charter Amendments
NWCG subgroups should be periodically reviewed by their respective parent groups to evaluate the
continued relevance and need for the subgroups.
The Executive Board must approve all changes to committee charters or to the establishing documents for
any subgroups immediately subordinate to the Executive Board.
Changes to charters or other establishing documents for all other subgroups must be approved by the
subgroup's parent group and must have concurrence of the respective branch coordinator.
For additional information regarding periodic reviews, see 15.3.2 Group Review
2.4 Program Management Unit
The NWCG Program Management Unit is a permanent group established to manage, coordinate and
support the NWCG organization.
3.0 Members & Positions
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3.1 Executive Board Membership
NWCG Executive Board consists of a decision-making membership (primary members) of representatives
from the federal wildland fire management agencies (Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land
Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and the U.S. Forest Service), the U. S.
Fire Administration, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Intertribal Timber Council.
Executive Board membership is limited to the signatory agencies specified in the establishing 2007
memorandum of understanding and amendments. Accordingly, membership is limited to one individual
representative from each of the following member organizations:
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Park Service
U.S. Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management
U.S. Forest Service, Fire Research
U. S. Fire Administration
National Association of State Foresters
Intertribal Timber Council
3.1.1 Primary Members
Primary members are those organizations listed above and are considered the decision-making members of
the NWCG Executive Board.
Primary member agencies and organizations have national-level authority and responsibility to address
wildland fire management issues and initiate actions to improve coordination and integration of state, tribal,
local and federal wildland fire programs.
Primary member agencies and organizations must be able to demonstrate their inclusion is value added:
1. for the development and maintenance of interagency standards, guidelines, training, and
qualifications for use in wildland fire operations;
2. for implementation in wildland fire program management, and
3. for strategic wildland fire policy and program coordination between fire, natural resources, aviation,
and other related program areas.
Primary members have a shared value for firefighter and public safety as an organizational priority.
Primary member agencies and organizations must be able to demonstrate their inclusion presents no
conflict of interest.
For information regarding decision making, see 13.2 Collaborative Decisions
3.1.2 Associate Members
The Executive Board may confer associate membership to other groups or entities that have expertise,
interests, or resources that may help the mission of NWCG. Each associate member organization is limited
to one individual member representative. Associate member representatives participate in discussions, but
do not participate in decision making.
Current associate member organizations:
Australia/New Zealand Forest Fire Management Group (ANZ FFMG)
For information regarding decision making, see 13.2 Collaborative Decisions
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3.1.3 Non-member Participation
Individuals may be asked to participate in an Executive Board meeting or activity. Such individuals may be
asked to represent an agency or organization, or may be asked to participate as a subject matter expert,
advisor or consultant based on their knowledge and expertise.
Such participation does not confer membership. Such individuals serve at the request of the Executive
Board chair. The chair and the participant must ensure there is no conflict of interest.
3.2 Executive Board Leadership
The Executive Board will elect, from among its primary members, a chair and vice chair to serve a
minimum term of two (2) years. Elections will be held at the fall tri-annual Executive Board meetings;
terms of service begin in January of the following calendar year.
Generally, nominations of the chair-candidate and vice chair-candidate are rotated to avoid overlap of the
NWCG Chair with the National Multi-Agency Coordination (NMAC) Group chair.
3.2.1 Chair
The chair calls and conducts meetings, establishes subgroups of the NWCG Executive Board, submits
NWCG recommendations to member agencies and other entities for action, and signs NWCG
correspondence and memoranda.
To facilitate the daily business of the NWCG, the chair will be elected from primary membership based in
Boise, Idaho.
A six month transition period between chairs will help ensure a seamless transition. Beginning in October,
following election, the chair-elect will shadow the chair for three months. Beginning with the new term in
January, the past chair will serve as an advisor to the new chair for three months.
3.2.2 Vice Chair
The vice chair is responsible for serving as chair in the chair's absence and for performing delegated duties.
When the chair is absent from a meeting or unable to perform the duties of the chair, the vice chair assumes
the full authority and responsibility of the chair.
The vice chair may be elected from primary membership not based in Boise, Idaho, provided travel is not
restricted.
3.2.3 Liaisons
NWCG Executive Board members serve as NWCG Liaisons for internal groups and external agencies and
organizations. Individual Board members volunteer for many of these liaisons roles based on overlap with
their role as a liaison for NMAC or because of expertise in a business area.
With an external agency or organization, the role of the liaison is to represent NWCG’s interests and to
keep the Executive Board apprised of the entity’s interests and activities. The liaison may also identify
opportunities for NWCG to work collaboratively with the external entity on issues of mutual interest and
that meet the NWCG mission and goals. The liaison may participate in a group's meetings as a way of
staying current and identifies opportunities for routine briefings or updates to the group regarding NWCG’s
activities.
An Executive Board member is appointed as a liaison to each of the NWCG branches. A liaison may also
be appointed to subgroups immediately subordinate to the Executive Board.
The NWCG Administrative Assistant will maintain a current roster of appointed liaisons.
For additional information about liaisons, see 4.2 Liaisons
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3.3 Subgroup Membership
To maximize effectiveness, a subgroup’s membership should provide knowledgeable representation of
business area expertise with equitable NWCG member organization participation. Candidate members will
be nominated by the constituent business areas/groups, coordinated by the branch coordinators.
Agencies will select their respective member representatives with full acknowledgement of the collateral
duties and potential impacts to agency work and the employee’s workload.
NWCG Executive Board members shall not serve as members of NWCG subgroups, with one exception:
an Executive Board member may serve as a representative of the Executive Board on a task team chartered
by the Executive Board.
The NWCG Executive Board will approve the member rosters of all NWCG committees and any
subgroups immediately subordinate to the Executive Board. Rosters of all other subgroups shall be
approved by the respective parent group leads/chairs with the concurrence of the respective branch
coordinator. Executive Board members will not request or agree to an agency or organization’s
membership without the agreement of the full Executive Board.
Each member agency may individually determine the need for agency participation in a subgroup’s
membership. A member agency may appoint an agency employee to serve as exclusive representative for
the agency, or may coordinate with one or more other agencies to have a single person equally represent
multiple agencies.
Contractors shall not be primary or associate members of any NWCG group. However, they may serve at
the request of a group's chair for a limited time as subject matter experts for specific topics. Contractors
will not participate in decision making.
Subgroup membership shall be invited from agencies and organizations having the expertise and interest in
the particular subject matter or business area of the subgroup. Agencies or organizations that are not
NWCG members may be allowed membership on a subgroup with the approval of the Executive Board (for
committees or subgroups immediately subordinate to the Executive Board) or the branch coordinators (for
subgroups below committees.) Candidate member organizations must be able to demonstrate their inclusion
is value added and presents no conflict of interest.
A group's membership composition will be documented in the Membership section of the group's
Organization Intent document.
3.3.1 Primary Members
Members participating in decision making are termed "primary members". No agency or organization shall
have more than one primary membership on an NWCG group. Exceptions may be considered by the
Executive Board based on justification from a group chair. Exceptions may be based on such criteria as:
Need for subject matter expertise specific to a geographic area or ecosystem type.
Expertise or skills not normally available within the fire management organizations' personnel; e.g.,
social scientists, technical equipment specialist, etc.
When more than one primary member is appointed from a single agency or organization, the member
representatives will have one voice in the decision discussion.
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3.3.2 Associate Members
Members participating in discussions, but not in decision making, are termed "associate members". A
group or entity may be represented by more than one associate membership on an NWCG group; typically,
such memberships would represent different business areas, expertise, or resources that are of help to the
mission of the group. Membership in the group must add demonstrable value and must not present a
conflict of interest nor an appearance thereof.
Rationale for associate membership on a group will be documented in the membership section of the
group's intent document.
For information regarding decision making, see 13.2 Collaborative Decisions
3.3.3 Non-member Participation
Individuals may be asked to participate in a group meeting or activity. Such individuals may be asked to
represent an agency or organization, or may be asked to participate as a subject matter expert, advisor or
consultant based on their knowledge and expertise.
Such participation does not confer membership. Such individuals serve at the request of the group chair.
The chair and the participant must ensure there is no conflict of interest nor appearance thereof.
3.4 Subgroup Leadership
3.4.1 Chairs
The NWCG Executive Board will appoint all chairs of committees. The NWCG Executive Board also will
appoint all chairs of other subgroups immediately subordinate to the Executive Board. The Executive
Board may, at its discretion, request recommendations or nominations for chairs from the groups or branch
coordinators.
For all other subgroups, chairs will be appointed by the respective parent groups. At the discretion of the
parent group, a chair appointment may be based on recommendations from the subgroup members.
Subgroup chairs may be selected from primary or associate members, unless a parent group has chosen to
restrict the selection to only primary or only associate membership.
3.4.2 Vice Chairs
It may be determined that a vice chair is needed to assist with the leadership of a group.
The NWCG Executive Board will appoint all vice chairs of committees. The NWCG Executive Board also
will appoint all vice chairs of other subgroups immediately subordinate to the Executive Board. The
Executive Board may, at its discretion, request recommendations or nominations for vice chair from the
groups or branch coordinators.
For all other subgroups, vice chairs will be appointed by the respective parent groups. At the discretion of
the parent group, a vice chair appointment may be based on recommendations from the subgroup members.
Subgroup vice chairs may be selected from primary or associate members, unless a parent group has chosen
to restrict the selection to only primary or only associate membership.
3.5 NWCG Program Management Unit Positions
The Program Management Unit (PMU) is an office of interagency NWCG positions responsible for
supporting the operations of the NWCG organization.
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NWCG Operating Principles & Guidelines
3.5.1 NWCG Manager
Serves as administrator for the NWCG Staff:
Manages business operations, and
Supervises the Program Management Unit (PMU) positions and manages workload:
NWCG Administrative Assistant,
Branch Coordinators,
Training Branch Manager,
Enterprise Architects,
Communication Specialist,
Support Services, and
Contracted positions.
Serves as Chief Architect for the National Wildland Fire Enterprise Architecture (NWFEA):
Leads the strategic planning and alignment, and maintenance of the NWFEA,
Leads the development and update of the NWFEA Blueprint, and
Facilitates the implementation of the NWFEA Blueprint.
Formulates long- and short-term strategies to meet NWCG objectives and to support the Wildland Fire
Leadership Council (WFLC) and Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC).
Oversees the project management and coordination functions of NWCG.
Facilitates the change review process.
3.5.2 NWCG Administrative Assistant
Records the actions and decisions of the NWCG Executive Board,
Distributes minutes to committees and subgroups,
Posts decisions, actions and NWCG memoranda to the NWCG Web portal,
Assists the NWCG Executive Board chair and NWCG Manager with organizing and preparing for
Executive Board meetings, and
Supports the functions of the Program Management Unit.
3.5.3 Branch Coordinators
NWCG committees are grouped into virtual "branches". For each branch, a branch coordinator position
exists to provide enhanced programmatic efficiencies. Branch coordinators serve to represent the business
of their committees to the Executive Board, and the direction of the Executive Board to the committees.
For the NWCG Executive Board, branch coordinators:
Draft taskings,
Draft briefings for the meetings, and
Evaluate the readiness of presentations, proposals and requests.
Branch coordinators also:
Help to refine NWCG structures and processes,
Coordinate between branches,
Mentor committee chairs,
Participate in in at least one committee meeting per year, and
Manage special projects as assigned.
See also: 4.1 Branch Coordination
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3.5.4 Training Branch Manager
NWCG training development staff is grouped into a virtual "branch" under the Program Management Unit.
The Training Branch is led by a branch manager.
For the NWCG Executive Board, the branch manager:
Drafts taskings,
Drafts briefings for the meetings, and
Evaluates the readiness of presentations, proposals and requests.
The branch manager also:
Helps to refine NWCG structures and processes,
Coordinates between branches,
Participates in in at least one committee meeting per year,
Oversees the development and maintenance of the NWCG curriculum, and
Manage special projects as assigned.
See also: 4.1 Branch Coordination
3.5.5 Enterprise Architects
Data Architect
Develops and implements data policies, standards and stewardship,
Guides and advises project teams and NWCG groups on data management,
Manages enterprise data model,
Maintains the Business Reference (Wildland Fire Functions) Model,
Supports the development and maintenance of enterprise process models and business templates.
Knowledge Architect
Defines and designs information structures and processes that enable knowledge to be captured and
shared,
Manages the focus areas that currently serve as the framework for the enterprise architecture
knowledge base:
the NWFEA Repository,
the Enterprise Content Management System,
the Web Portal, and
NWCG records.
Application Architect
Ensures NWCG IT projects align with fire business needs,
Provides architectural oversight and quality assurance for NWCG applications,
Serves as interagency portfolio coordinator—maintains the consolidated inventory of all wildland
fire applications,
Facilitates the alignment of the 10-year Implementation Strategy, NWFEA Blueprint, and the NWCG
strategic and tactical plans.
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3.5.6 Communication Specialist
Develops NWCG quarterly newsletters and posts them to the Web portal,
Oversees content of communication products and documents on the NWCG home page on the portal,
Coordinates and updates key communication products such as key messages and questions and
answers,
Develops and updates Executive Board briefing materials,
Develops the communication strategy, plans, and products for the Wildland Fire Institute and may
develop similar products for other significant NWCG Task Teams under the Executive Board, as
requested,
Assists NWCG staff with accessibility of documents and products to be posted to the NWCG Web
portal,
Assists in the design, development, and presentation of NWCG e-Share materials, and
Designs, implements, and facilitates e-Share sessions, conference calls and meetings, as requested.
3.5.7 Web Manager
Ensures compliance with federal Web site regulations and laws regarding accessiblity;
Collaborates with and supports stakeholders in developing and maintaining a Web presence;
provides training to contributors;
Manages Web content, including posting files, editing pages, troubleshooting and testing;
Facilitates resolution of production issues and bugs;
Interacts with the user community by responding to inquiries and handling customer service issues.
4.0 Coordination
Group activities, products, projects, or recommendations that may affect other groups must be coordinated
with those groups. The concurrence of the involved groups will be evident and documented prior to
presentation to the Executive Board (or subgroup's parent group) for approval
or implementation.
Taskings, originating as action items, flow from the Executive Board to branch coordinators and the
training branch manager; the NWCG Manager is informed as a courtesy. Branch coordinators and the
training branch manager work with the NWCG Manager as needed, for further coordination.
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4.1 Branch Coordination
Branch coordinators provide the first-level liaison functionality to committees. For each committee, the
liaison role of the branch coordinator is to:
Receive taskings from the Executive Board, track the progress of each tasking from beginning to
end, and keep respective Executive Board liaison updated on the progress of taskings;
Review and screen Executive Board agenda requests from the committee;
Balance committee workload and resolves priority conflicts and optimizes efforts between
committees;
Review performance of committee and subcommittee members, assure and maintain appropriate
scope and effectiveness of committee projects, and ensures committee projects are completed timely;
Provide assistance to the committee and its subgroups in preparing briefings for Executive Board
reviews;
Review and receive communications between the Executive Board and the committee;
Recommend branch budgets and projects;
Keep the NWCG Manager informed of significant activities;
Keep the committee informed of Executive Board deliberations, decisions and direction; and
Provide monthly updates of committee activity to the Executive Board.
The branch coordinators work closely with each other to ensure constant coordination among the branches
and to ensure interaction and communication among committees and their subgroups. Each branch
coordinator has also been assigned, and works with, an NWCG Executive Board liaison to help facilitate
the business of the NWCG.
This structured coordination is intended to facilitate the ability of committees (or other groups) and their
chairs to communicate directly and efficiently among themselves or with NWCG Executive Board
members when necessary. Branch coordinators represent committees' concerns and issues to the Executive
Board.
4.2 Liaisons
NWCG Executive Board liaisons are assigned to serve as points of contact between the Executive Board
and branch coordinators. The liaison assignments will be reviewed annually and adjusted as needed.
For additional guidance on NWCG Executive Board liaisons, see 3.2.3 Liaisons
Subgroups, in collaboration with other subgroups, may designate members to serve as liaisons between the
groups.
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4.3 Stewardship
Stewardship is the act of fulfilling delegated responsibilities for applying leadership, knowledge and
expertise to the issues, matters, or concerns relevant to an assigned wildland fire business area.
NWCG was formed to provide national leadership for the establishment, maintenance, and constant
improvement of policy, standards, and guidelines for wildland fire program management. To that end,
NWCG has established a number of groups in which wildland fire program management issues, both shortand
long-term, can be verified and validated. These groups serve to provide the national-level interagency
coordination necessary to establish, maintain, monitor, and improve the effective and efficient use of the
nation's wildland fire management resources. The groups also provide a forum for agencies, wildland fire
organizations, and other wildland fire stakeholders and external entities to bring forward wildland fire
issues, innovations and concerns.
Stewardship groups provide the fundamental underpinning necessary to constantly monitor and improve the
wildland fire program. NWCG committees are assigned responsibility for stewardship over one or more
assigned areas of NWCG and wildland fire business. A committee may delegate some stewardship
responsibilities to one or more subcommittees, if so authorized in their charter. Subcommittees are not
allowed to further delegate their stewardship responsibilities to any subordinate groups.
Group members have a high degree of skill or knowledge in their particular field and serve as outstanding
resources to deal with issues such as:
Assuring compliance with laws,
Assessing and ensuring safety,
Monitoring and assessing program effectiveness,
Discovering and eliminating wasteful or inefficient practices,
Solving problems,
Establishing and maintaining standards and guidelines,
Providing business area expertise as requested,
Providing national products, publications, and services, and
Ensuring public trust is maintained through the wise and efficient use of funds.
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NWCG Planning
5.0 Strategic Planning
5.1 Strategic Plan
Through strategic planning, the NWCG Executive Board sets the overall vision for the organization,
identifies the key strategies to achieve the vision, and establishes the critical measures to monitor progress.
The strategic plan is executed through the activities, special projects, policies, and procedures of the
various groups that make up the organization.
The strategic plan provides strategic direction by answering the question: Where are we going?
The NWCG Strategic Plan will contain the NWCG’s vision of the future, mission statement, guiding
principles and NWCG goals. Each of the identified goals will have a set of objectives, critical success
factors, and barriers. The final component of the strategic plan is a set of prioritized strategies.
The current NWCG Strategic Plan is available online at http://www.nwcg.gov/nwcg_admin/strategicplan.pdf.
5.1.1 Strategic Planning Principles
The NWCG Strategic Plan is developed for a 5 to 10 year timeframe.
The NWCG Strategic Plan will be reviewed annually for needed updates by the Executive Board.
The following should be addressed during these updates:
Identify new drivers which affect the interagency wildland fire community,
Validate vision, mission, goals and objectives,
Review and evaluate progress made against each objective,
Assumptions should be re-verified and validated,
Trends should be reviewed for relevance and impact on the plan,
Strategies that have been completed are checked off and are evaluated for their actual impact on the
vision wherever possible,
Remaining strategies are corrected and/or reprioritized as needed, and
Additional strategies can be added to the priority list as resources become available.
Committees and sub-committees may develop their own strategic plans that supports NWCG’s strategic
plan.
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5.1.2 Strategic Plan Content
The strategic plan contains the following:
Vision: A picture of the “preferred future”. It is a statement that describes how the future will look
if the organization achieves its aims.
Goals: Broad, long-term aims that define accomplishment of the mission.
Mission: A statement of the overall purpose of an organization. The mission should state what you
do, for whom you do it, and the benefit.
Objectives: Specific, quantifiable, realistic targets that measure the accomplishment of a goal over a
specified period.
Guiding Principles: Provide a vehicle for “operationalizing” an organization’s values, beliefs, and
traditions. They are general guidelines that set the foundation for how an organization will operate.
Critical Success Factors: Are major items or issues that must go right to achieve one or more
objectives.
Barriers: Existing or potential challenges that hinder the achievement of one or more objectives.
Strategies: Broad activities required to achieve an objective, control a critical success factor, or
overcome a barrier.
5.1.3 Prioritization of Strategies
The Executive Board will prioritize the strategies based on impact on vision, probability of success, and
cost effectiveness. The prioritized NWCG strategies form the basis of the NWCG Executive Board, staff,
and group annual work plans.
For guidance on annual work plans, see 6.1 Annual Work Plans
5.2 Action Plans
Guidance is under development for this topic. Guidance is planned to be included in future releases of
this document. Interim guidance may be released by NWCG memorandum.
5.3 NWFEA Blueprint
Guidance is under development for this topic. Guidance is planned to be included in future releases of
this document. Interim guidance may be released by NWCG memorandum.
6.0 Tactical Planning
Much of the work of the NWCG is carried out through the efforts of the NWCG groups. The objectives of
each group must be consistent with objectives of the NWCG, its members, and the agencies and
organizations they represent.
In order for a group to effectively meet the needs of its parent group and the NWCG Executive Board, and
to secure the funds necessary to carry out their work, the group must have a plan that sets its direction.
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6.1 Annual Work Plans
Each group's annual work plan will be for the immediate fiscal year and the next two out years (three years,
total). The plan will clearly specify group direction, goals and objectives, including future funding needs.
The plan will provide information on costs and measurable outputs for all projects proposed for the threeyear
period. Goals must be clearly linked to the NWCG Strategic Plan. Specific products and timelines for
product delivery will be identified.
Each committee annually shall submit a work plan for the coming year to their respective Branch
Coordinator for review and concurrence. The committee's annual work plan should be a comprehensive
"roll up" incorporating planned work of any subcommittees and other subgroups.
Committees' annual work plans will be negotiated with respective branch coordinators. Meeting schedules,
financial considerations, recommended areas of investigation, work schedules, and work area descriptions
will be submitted with work plans.
For guidance on budget and future funding needs, see 6.2 Budget
6.2 Budget
NWCG funds come from federal agencies fire management program allocation. The percent each agency
invests is negotiated and documented in a memorandum of understanding. Annually the U.S. Fire
Administration determines their level of investment and their program emphasis. NWCG funding is
determined during the regular federal wildland fire budget cycle and is conveyed to the Program
Management Unit (PMU) by the NWCG Budget Advisory Unit (BAU). Because the federal budget cycle is
two years ahead of the current fiscal year, the cap for NWCG spending for any fiscal year is initially
established as an estimate two years earlier. Adjustments to this estimate may occur during the following
year.
The PMU is responsible for providing annual program budget guidance and process direction to the
NWCG organization. The guidance and direction is developed in partnership with the BAU with input from
committees. Annual program budget guidance provides a framework to fund appropriate projects to meet
NWCG goals in a cost-effective manner. Only projects that are within the scope and meet the goals of
NWCG are recommended to the Executive Board for funding. The NWCG budget process is reviewed and
updated as needed based on guidance from the Executive Board, user feedback and lessons learned.
To be considered for NWCG funding, committees, subcommittees and other NWCG sponsored programs
are required to submit annual budget requests for new and recurring projects. Quarterly accomplishment
reports are required for all funded projects reporting on specific accomplishments and fund expenditures.
The branch coordinators, the training branch manager, and the BAU monitor NWCG expenditures on a
quarterly basis. Funds that are not obligated or spent by April may be re-allocated to another project. The
Executive Board, based on recommendations from the PMU and BAU will determine where to reallocate
the unspent funds following mid-year and third quarter budget reviews.
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6.2.1 General Budget Timeline
Specific dates are identified in the annual budget guidance.
January/February
NWCG budget guidance released
January - April
New information technology (IT) investment proposals due (Wildland Fire IT Investment Proposal
Form), if funds are to be requested in next fiscal year budget cycle
May/June
Budget requests due to branch coordinators (NWCG Budget Request Form)
June – September
Branch coordinators, training branch manager, IT portfolio coordinator and BAU review proposals
and draft the NWCG budget
September
NWCG Executive Board discusses and gives preliminary approval of draft budget
October – January
Following enactment of agency appropriation NWCG approves final budget and project list
6.2.2 Travel
State Travel
Travel funding will be provided, within the limits of the available funding, for state employees to
travel to and from group meetings. All state group members must submit and have an approved
Request for Travel Authorization on file prior to making travel reservations.
Committees do not request state travel funds for committee/subcommittee meetings in the annual
budget process. Funds will be dispersed to committees and subcommittees based on the following:
Number of state members on the approved roster
average of two or three meetings per year
average trip costs based on prior year travel expenditures
Federal Travel
Federal travel costs are not supported by NWCG funds.
All federal agencies are currently operating under travel caps. This limits the ability of federal
members to travel.
NWCG groups should give strong consideration to budget impacts when planning how to accomplish their
program of work and associated tasks. All groups should take advantage of other methods (for example
electronic means such as webinars, teleconferences) to meet their work objectives when an in-person
meeting is not an option due to funding issues.
For additional guidance specific to state travelers, see 7.1.4 Meeting Hosting & Logistics
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6.2.3 Training Request Process
The NWCG Training Branch Manager is responsible for reviewing training-related budget proposals. This
includes course assessments, new training proposals, maintenance or revisions of existing courses, and
digital training media. This does not include publications referred to by a training course, but not
developed for the purpose of the course. (For example, RX-410 refers to the Smoke Management Guide for
Prescribed and Wildland Fire, but the Guide was not developed specifically for this course.)
Funding requests for NWCG sponsored training, submitted through any other channels will not be
considered for NWCG funding.
The NWCG Traiing Branch Manager reviews all submitted NWCG training budget requests to validate
they are within the scope of NWCG training. The branch manager prioritizes all submitted training requests
(with input from branch coordinators) based upon considerations identified in the annual budget guidance.
The training branch manager provides the prioritized list to the PMU for inclusion with other budget
requests.
6.2.4 Information Technology Request Process
Information technology (IT) projects are projects that involve the development, implementation, or
maintenance of computer hardware and software systems. This includes such systems as databases, data
warehouses, and Web sites.
New IT proposals may be submitted at any time during the year. However, in order to be considered for
funding in the upcoming fiscal year, New IT proposals need to be submitted early enough to be reviewed
by NWCG Committees, Program Management Unit, agency investment boards, and other stakeholders as
appropriate. Inputs from the review are considered by the NWCG Executive Board. All reviews and
decisions must be completed before the investment can enter the budget process. The specific date for new
IT proposals is identified in the annual NWCG budget guidance.
See 9.1 Information Technology Investment
6.2.5 Project Prioritization and Selection
NWCG committees are stewards for specific areas of business to meet the NWCG mission of coordinating
wildland fire management programs. To accomplish this responsibility, committees routinely conduct a mix
of new and on-going work. Some of this work will require NWCG funding, some will not. Every year
project prioritization and selection is revised based on strategic direction identified by the Executive Board
at their fall tri-annual meeting and is included in the budget guidance.
6.2.6 NWCG Project Proposal Process
All projects being considered for NWCG funding must be submitted on the NWCG Budget Request Form.
This form could change yearly with the annual NWCG Budget Guidance. For the most current budget
form, questions or requests for assistance, please contact the appropriate branch coordinator or the training
branch manager.
For additional information about state travel for group meetings, see 7.1.4 Meeting Hosting &
Logistics
See SOP(s):
BUD-002, rev. 1 Project Proposal and Funding Request (Active, 11/1/2010)
NWCG publications proposed for updates or revisions must be coordinated with the respective Branch
Coordinator before requesting NWCG budget funds.
See 10.2 Product Planning
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6.2.7 Project Expenditure and Accomplishment Reports
Quarterly reports are required for every NWCG funded project at mid-year (April), third quarter (July), and
end of year (October) on specific accomplishments and funds expended.
Quarterly reports include the following information:
Accomplishments
Funds Expended
Excess Funds
Additional Funds Needed
Purpose of Additional Funds
A review is conducted by the branch coordinators, the training branch manager, the NWCG Manager, and
the BAU at mid-year and third quarter to determine if the funded projects are on schedule to be completed,
need to be revised based on new information, and determine if any assistance is needed by the committees
of project leads.
Submitted projects may be approved but not funded due to insufficient funds available to NWCG. The
NWCG Executive Board may approve reallocation of funds to unfunded approved projects or partially
funded projects. Excess funds may also be used to fund projects that requested additional funds at mid year
or third quarter.
The end of year report identifies completed and uncompleted projects, project accomplishments, and total
funds expended to complete the projects.
The information in these reports is also used during the next fiscal year’s budget selection process. One of
the criteria used to evaluate budget proposals for funding is successful past performance and includes
evaluating prior year’s budget management and project accomplishments.
See SOP(s):
BUD-003, rev. 1 Project Expenditure report
(Planned, 2/1/2011)
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6.2.8 Budget Roles & Responsibilities
NWCG Executive Board
Approve and issue annual NWCG Budget Guidance.
Approve annual NWCG funding and projects or programs to be funded.
Approve mid-year and third quarter requests based on recommendations from the PMU and BAU.
Budget Advisory Unit
Execute the budget process.
Work with the branch coordinators and training branch manager to resolve any issues identified in
the budget review process.
Agency facilitating the funds distribution will prepare the NWCG Shared Costs Spreadsheet.
Develop a process to account for funds allocated to the committees or projects.
Monitor committee/project expenditures quarterly at mid-year, third quarter, and end-of-year; advise
the branch coordinators and training branch manager of concerns.
Review prioritized project list and identify concerns/issues to the PMU.
Work with the branch coordinators and training branch manager, and the NWCG Manager to
develop recommendations for the Executive Board for modifications to committee/project funds.
Comply with budget timelines.
Determine funding available for annual NWCG allocations by Agency.
Assist PMU with development of the NWCG Budget Guidance.
Advise all agencies budget personnel annually of NWCG budget allocations.
Assist in review of results and recommendations to NWCG Executive Board for any changes based
on committee and other reports at mid-year and third quarter accomplishment reports.
Collaborate with the PMU to provide recommendations to the Executive Board regarding
unexpended current year funds and allocation adjustments of these funds at mid-year and third quarter.
Advise PMU and Executive Board of project funds not obligated by April each fiscal year which
may be rescinded or re-allocated.
Monitor expenditures monthly beginning in April (mid-year) each fiscal year.
Annually determine any NWCG carryover funds by agency and advise PMU.
NWCG Budget Liaison
Maintain all budget project files for the NWCG Staff.
Key contact for PMU budget processes.
Develop an annual budget guidance, template for NWCG project requests, and execution tracking
with assistance from the Branch Coordinators, Training Branch Manager, NWCG Manager, and BAU.
Project Management Unit (PMU)
Develop annual budget guidance to committees and other NWCG sponsored projects and programs.
Prioritize projects submitted through the branch coordinators and training branch manager.
Annually, in collaboration with the BAU, recommend for funding projects to the NWCG Executive
Board.
Review mid-year, third quarter and end of year accomplishment reports.
Collaborate with the BAU to provide recommendations to the Executive Board regarding
unexpended current year funds and allocation adjustments of these funds at mid-year and third quarter.
Prepare NWCG annual report.
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Branch Coordinators
Assist in development of annual budget guidance and budget template for NWCG project requests
with the budget liaison, training branch manager, BAU, and NWCG Manager
Assist committees with questions on budget and direct to appropriate agency budget contact as
needed.
Provide guidance to committee chairs on how to complete the NWCG budget process.
Receive committee funding requests.
Facilitate branch board prioritization of all projects submitted within the branch.
Annually advise committees of approved projects.
Collaborate with other branch coordinators, training branch manager, IT portfolio coordinator,
application architect and NWCG Manager to prioritize annual funding requests, and mid-year and third
quarter adjustments.
Identify if there is overlap within requests and rectify them.
Review Committee program of work and work with committee chair to resolve any discrepancies in
funding requests and workload.
Monitor accomplishment reports through-out the year for committee’s in relation to their program of
work.
Receive mid-year, third quarter, and end of year accomplishment reports from committees and
subcommittees.
Collaborate with the BAU to provide recommendations to the Executive Board regarding
unexpended current year funds and allocation adjustments of these funds at mid-year and third quarter.
Monitor committee expenditure of funds and/or accomplishments.
Training Branch Manager
Assist in development of annual budget guidance and budget template for NWCG project requests
with Budget Liaison, Branch Coordinators, BAU, and NWCG Manager
Provide guidance to committee chairs on training budget requests.
Receive training funding requests.
Collaborate with other branch coordinators, IT portfolio coordinator, application architect and
NWCG Manager to prioritize annual funding requests, and mid-year and third quarter adjustments.
Identify if there is overlap within requests and rectify them.
Collaborate with the BAU to provide recommendations to the Executive Board regarding
unexpended current year funds and allocation adjustments of these funds at mid-year and third quarter.
IT Portfolio Coordinator
Review IT funding requests and provide recommendations to branch coordinators on project
readiness, need, or other issue.
Review mid-year and quarterly accomplishment reports on IT projects and provide recommendations
for modifications to project funding based on accomplishment and mid-year requests.
Committee Chairs
Follow specific processes to get prior approval for projects that include: training, publications and IT
Develop project request.
Prioritize projects within committee and subcommittees.
Submit prioritized requests on the NWCG budget template to the appropriate branch coordinator or
training branch manager.
Participate in Branch Board prioritization process. Support agreements of Branch Board.
Monitor and ensure project and program budget obligations are accomplished in a timely manner.
Ensure committee and subgroups submit required report on accomplishments and budget status at
mid-year, third quarter, and end-of-year.
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6.3 Taskings
During discussions, collaboration efforts, reactions to emerging issues, or responses to top-down mandates,
NWCG groups may periodically identify the need for one or more of their subordinate groups to formally
perform timely actions that are not in the subgroups' current plans of work.
If the work is appropriate for inclusion in an annual work plan, but time constraints don't allow waiting to
include the work in a subsequent year's plan, then the work should be assigned through a tasking.
The process used to define and track a tasking assignment is the NWCG tasking process. A "task lead" is
assigned to draft a written description (tasking memorandum) of the work to be performed, including its
intent, parameters, and deliverables. Once the tasking memorandum has been formalized, the NWCG
group, at the discretion of its leader, may be asked to review it for accuracy before it is delivered to the
subordinate group for action.
The branch coordinator or manager (NWCG Manager or training branch manager) for the tasked group
will track the progress of the tasking from beginning to end and will keep the NWCG branch liaison
updated on the progress of the tasking.
Upon completion of an assigned tasking, the tasking NWCG group provides closure to the tasking by
giving final approval that the task has been completed satisfactorily. This approval should be evidenced in
writing (i.e., in meeting minutes or a decision document).
No organization or person outside of NWCG (i.e., National Multi-Agency Coordination (NMAC) Group,
Fire Executive Council (FEC), DOI Office of Wildland Fire Coordination (OWFC), Wildland Fire
Leadership Council (WFLC), or other non-NWCG organization or person) may assign work of any type to
an NWCG group. Requests for such work must be submitted to the NWCG Executive Board for approval
and assignment.
See also: 6.1 Annual Work Plans
See also: 7.1.9 Action Items
See also: 7.2.7 Meeting Results
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NWCG Operations
7.0 Meetings
All NWCG meetings are conducted in an environment of courtesy and mutual respect. Common ground
rules include:
Attendees agree to treat each other with respect and courtesy,
Attendees show respect when someone is speaking – remain quiet and listen,
All members have the right to express their viewpoint and to be heard.
Disruptions during meetings must be minimized. To that end, meeting attendees agree to the
following:
Attendees must leave meeting areas before using cell phones and will strive to minimize any
disruption to meetings,
Side conversations are distractive and must be minimized,
Attendees will arrive at meetings, and return from breaks at scheduled times.
7.1 General (Group) Meeting Information
This section (and subsections) provides guidance applicable to all meetings of all NWCG groups, including
the executive board, committees, and other groups.
For additional guidance, specific to NWCG Executive Board meetings, see 7.2 NWCG Executive
Board Meetings
7.1.1 Meeting Purpose
The primary purpose of any NWCG group meeting is to utilize the skills and experience of group members
for decision making based on the NWCG mission and strategic guiding principles. Administration and
information sharing will be minimized during meetings and, to the extent possible, will be done by other
means such as mailings and conference calls.
Use of e-mail, conference calls, video conference, and electronic meeting and collaborative workspace
tools is preferred for most administration and information sharing needs, rather than using time in face-toface
meetings.
7.1.2 Meeting Schedules & Calendar
Meeting frequency will be determined based on purpose and need. Meeting frequency must be evaluated
periodically to ensure that it continues to be based appropriately on purpose and need. Meeting dates and
locations will be selected far enough in advance to facilitate planning - 12 months is recommended for
major meetings.
Meetings will be scheduled in advance and a calendar of scheduled group meetings will be maintained on
the NWCG Web site.
Between regular group meetings, issues may arise that mandate meetings via teleconference or video
conference. Teleconference and video conference meetings should be scheduled to accommodate members
from all domestic time zones.
Meeting durations should be determined based on the agenda. Face-to-face meeting duration should be
limited to a maximum of three days. Video conference, or at least teleconference, capability should be
provided for members unable to attend in person.
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7.1.3 Meeting Locations
The selection of locations for face-to-face meetings should be based on a balance of three criteria:
1. Achieving maximum membership participation,
2. Convenience (easy access to airports, suitable hotel and meeting rooms within an hour's drive), and
3. Most economical (based on total travel costs).
A fourth criteria that may be considered, but should not be a predominate factor, is:
4. Related purpose (conduct meetings in alternating regions or by alternating host agency, coordinate
with subgroup, stakeholder or related business event, or site visit).
For a committee or other subgroup, the respective branch coordinator can provide guidance on
appropriateness of meeting sites and can facilitate inter-committee coordination, as appropriate.
7.1.4 Meeting Hosting & Logistics
The hosting agency or organization is responsible for arranging facilities. The group's chair is responsible
for contacting and confirmation of all group members and invited attendees.
Travel
Salary, travel, and incidental costs of representatives and committee members shall be borne by their
respective agencies. Any extraordinary costs shall be covered by a written agreement among the
agencies.
Travel costs (airfare, lodging, and per diem) for state representative members attending NWCG group
meetings may be covered by funds administered by the NASF through a grant from the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS). Such state travel funding will be provided, within the limits of the available funding,
for state employees to travel to and from committee meetings. Travel in association with
accomplishing a committee’s program of work, such as attending another organization's meeting as the
committee's representative, will be considered when requested if funds are available. All state travelers
must be approved in advance by the NASF representative to the NWCG Executive Board; the state
traveler must be on the current roster of the respective NWCG group for which they are traveling.
See checklist(s):
A-001, rev. 001 NWCG Travel Procedures for State (Active, 6/1/2009)
Invitational Travelers
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7.1.5 Meeting Attendees
Primary members should attend all group meetings. Associate members are encouraged to attend all group
meetings.
Primary members who are unable to attend a group meeting should make every attempt to ensure that their
organization (or business area) is represented with an alternate participant. The alternate must have the
authority to make binding decisions on the regular member's behalf.
An alternate should be fully briefed by the regular member to enable the alternate to fully participate in all
discussions and to contribute to well informed decisions.
Associate members who are unable to attend meetings are also encouraged to send alternate representation.
Contractors and non-government organization (NGO) representatives may not serve as alternate
representatives of government agencies.
In general, an NWCG group meeting is open to anyone who wishes to attend. However, the chair may
restrict discussion to members and invited participants only. If seating is limited, priority will be given to
group members and invited participants.
Depending on specific agenda topics, the chair may restrict attendance to primary members only for all or
part of a meeting in an executive session.
When appropriate, individuals from outside the group membership may be requested to participate in all or
part of a meeting to provide needed expertise.
7.1.6 Meeting Agendas
Meeting agendas should be distributed in advance to inform stakeholders of business to be conducted at upcoming
meetings.
Agendas will be provided in advance to group members and the appropriate branch coordinator, branch
manager, or parent group – committees will give agendas to their branch coordinator or branch manager;
all other groups will give agendas to their respective parent group’s chair, leader, clerical contact, or
designated liaison.
Agenda items must originate from group members. Agenda items from subgroups will be coordinated
between the subgroup chair and the group chair or member designated as liaison to the subgroup. Other
agenda items, including those from a group’s parent group, or branch coordinator or manager, will be
coordinated through the group chair.
The chair will make the final decision to include or exclude agenda topics based on time constraints and
business relevance. The preliminary agenda and all associated information for decisional items must be
distributed to group members with adequate time for review prior to scheduled meetings. The chair may
elect to add informational items to the agenda without prior notice.
All agenda items should be labeled in the agenda as informational or discussion only, or as requiring
decision or action.
For a committee or other subgroup, the respective branch coordinator or branch manager can provide
guidance on appropriateness of agenda and can facilitate inter-committee coordination, as appropriate.
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7.1.7 Presentations
Presentations made to a group should be clear, concise, and relevant. Once a presentation is concluded and
issues clarified or questions answered, only the group members will discuss the issue and make any related
decisions. The presenter may be asked to remain at the meeting to respond to subject matter questions and
issues during the discussion.
Presenters should provide electronic copies of presentations so accurate and complete meeting notes can be
maintained. Electronic copies should be provided to the meeting chair, note taker, or other designated
person.
Informational materials should be provided, electronically when possible, in advance (usually, at least 10
working days) of the meeting to the meeting chair, note taker, or other designated person. Materials should
be provided with sufficient time to allow distribution and review prior to the meeting.
When informational materials cannot be distributed in advance, copies may be distributed during the
meeting at the discretion of the meeting chair. Presenter is responsible for providing printed copies
sufficient for all attendees. The presenter should also provide an electronic copy,if possible, to the meeting
chair, note taker, or other designated person so accurate and complete meeting notes can be maintained.
Efforts should be made to ensure any meeting participants attending via teleconference or video conference
are also provided with copies of the informational material.
For additional guidance specific to presentations at NWCG Executive Board meetings, see 7.2.6
Meeting Management
7.1.8 Meeting Minutes
Historical records are a key reference component for the success of the NWCG and its subgroups. Group
chairs have the responsibility to assure notes/minutes are taken during each meeting and properly finalized
and recorded. The minutes will serve as a permanent record of each proceeding; all documented decisions
therein are considered final.
Minutes should not be a verbatim transcript, but must reflect the business conducted during the meeting.
Minutes should be complete, coherent, and accurate. Minutes must include the date, time, and location of
the meeting, names of attending members and guests, main topics of discussion, and all decisions made by
the group. Minutes should also identify action items assigned, and any agenda items established for future
meetings.
For further guidance on action items, see 7.1.9 Action Items
The minutes will be approved and released for general distribution no later than the subsequent scheduled
group meeting.
Members are responsible for distributing meeting minutes to keep their respective agencies and
organizations informed of NWCG proceedings and decisions.
To maintain maximum continuity, and to develop their understanding of the group’s mission and
objectives, alternates should be encouraged to read group communications, including meeting minutes,
reports, and plans.
The group chair/lead will ensure the NWCG records management procedures are followed for appropriate
creation, maintenance, and disposition of electronic and hardcopy meeting records.
See also: 11.0 Records Management
See SOP(s):
P-003, rev. 1.0
Drafting and finalizing meeting minutes
for NWCG group meetings
(Planned, date TBD)
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7.1.9 Action Items
Typically, group meetings are intended to be productive working sessions. During the course of meetings,
certain efforts may be identified that require completion outside of the meeting. These efforts are referred
to as “action items” and must be documented to clearly describe the work to be accomplished, the person(s)
responsible for completion, and the completion target date. Group members responsible for action item
completion agree to apply due diligence to assigned activities and to make every effort to comply with due
dates.
The group chair has the responsibility to assure that an action item list is maintained. Members are
encouraged to periodically review this document to stay informed of individual assignments. Action items
may also become part of the group’s annual work plan.
The group chair has the responsibility to assure assigned activities are being addressed in a timely manner.
See SOP(s):
P-004, rev. 1.0
7.2 NWCG Executive Board Meetings
Action Item Lists
(Planned, date TBD)
For general guidance applicable to meetings of all NWCG groups, see 7.1 General (Group) Meeting
Information
The following supplemental guidance is specific to NWCG Executive Board meetings.
A quorum for conducting business shall be a minimum of two-thirds of the NWCG Executive Board
primary members.
7.2.1 Monthly Meetings
Executive Board monthly meetings are generally scheduled on the third Wednesday of each month for a
one-day meeting. The following Thursday morning is reserved as an "overflow" day, if needed. The
meeting date may be changed with consensus by the Executive Board. These monthly meetings are held in
Boise, Idaho.
Monthly meetings are generally focused on program implementation and operational aspects of the
interagency wildland fire community; however, the timing of the need for issue resolution may require a
strategic topic be part of a monthly meeting.
7.2.2 Tri-annual Meetings
Executive Board spring, fall, and winter meetings are scheduled in May, October, and February,
respectively. These tri-annual meetings are intended for strategic discussion and making major standards
and guidelines decisions; therefore, all members are expected to attend.
The NWCG Administrative Assistant is responsible for contacting and confirming the attendance of all
NWCG Executive Board members and invited attendees.
The winter meeting will be held in Boise, Idaho, and will be hosted by the NWCG Program Management
Unit. This meeting will be a joint meeting with the Executive Board, the NWCG PMU, and the NWCG
committee chairs.
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The spring and fall meetings may be held in field locations with the purpose of connecting with the field.
The field locations should provide learning opportunities (discovering issues, challenges, and successes
faced by that area) for the Executive Board, as well as exhibit NWCG’s presence to the field.
The spring and fall tri-annual meetings will be hosted by member organizations. The following list will be
used as a guide for the rotation of hosts, beginning with the fall 2012 meeting. This list is only a guide:
member organizations may mutually agree to exchange places in the list.
U. S. Forest Service
Intertribal Timber Council
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Fire Administration
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Indian Affairs
National Association of State Foresters
National Park Service
7.2.3 Special Meetings
The Executive Board has the discretion to schedule additional meetings when deemed necessary by its
chair or primary members.
7.2.4 Meeting Schedules & Logistics
Monthly and tri-annual meetings will be scheduled in advance and a calendar of scheduled meetings will be
maintained on the NWCG Web site.
Tri-annual meeting dates and hosting agencies are set at least twelve months in advance of the meeting
dates. Monthly meeting dates are set at least three months in advance of the meeting dates.
The hosting agency is responsible for arranging facilities for tri-annual meetings in coordination with the
NWCG Administrative Assistant. The NWCG Administrative Assistant is responsible for arranging
facilities for monthly and special meetings.
Selecting the location of tri-annual meetings outside of Boise will be based on a balance of four criteria:
1. Achieving maximum membership participation
2. Convenience (easy access to airports, suitable hotel and meeting rooms within an hour's drive)
3. Most economical (based on total travel costs)
4. Related purpose (conduct meetings in alternating regions or by alternating host agency, coordinate
with subgroup, stakeholder or related business event, or site visit)
7.2.5 Meeting Agendas
Agendas are developed in advance of meetings to allow adequate time for each topic to be fully staffed
before the meeting. Generally, agendas are developed three (3) weeks prior to monthly meetings and six (6)
weeks prior to tri-annual meetings. Agenda items should be requested prior to agenda development through
an appropriate sponsor listed below.
Agenda items may be sponsored by:
an Executive Board member,
the NWCG Manager,
a branch coordinator (committees submit agenda items through the branch coordinators),
the traing branch manager,
an agency representative (through the representative fire director on the Executive Board), or
the NWCG portfolio coordinator (for information technology proposals from non-NWCG groups).
See SOP(s):
P-005, rev. 1.0
Submittal and review of requested
agenda items for NWCG meeting agenda
(Planned, date TBD)
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The NWCG Administrative Assistant will collect possible and proposed agenda items. The branch
coordinators, training branch manager, administrative assistant, NWCG Manager, and the NWCG Chair or
NWCG Vice Chair will develop the agenda.
Executive Board members may request that the chair remove an agenda item in cases where it is evident
that the objective of the agenda item cannot be met. The NWCG Chair will make the final decision to
include or exclude agenda topics based on relevance, importance, and time constraints.
Agenda item requestors must submit electronic copies of any supporting documents to the administrative
assistant in advance of the meeting. For agenda items that include a presentation, the presenter should
provide an electronic version of the presentation to the administrative assistant. Materials must be
submitted to the administrative assistant at least two weeks prior to tri-annual meetings and at least one
week prior to monthly meetings to allow sufficient time for distribution and review. The administrative
assistant will include copies in the meeting binders distributed to NWCG Executive Board members,
branch coordinators, training branch manager, and the NWCG Manager prior to the meeting.
For agenda items that require a decision by the Executive Board, advance submittal of supporting
documentation is mandatory; if the required documentation is not delivered with sufficient time for
distribution and review, the topic will either be changed to a non-decisional item or will be removed from
the agenda. Decision documents should include, as appropriate, an issue statement, discussion, pros/cons, c
ost alternatives, expected outcomes of conducting the proposed activity, and consequences for not doing
the proposal.
Advance copies of NWCG Executive Board meeting agendas and related documents and materials will be
distributed to Executive Board members and the Program Management Unit. Advance copies of the
agendas will also be distributed to the NWCG committees chairs. The chairs should distribute the agenda to
all their members and subgroup chairs (for further distribution, as appropriate) so agency representatives on
the committees can brief their respective fire directors regarding relevant agenda items prior to the
Executive Board meeting.
At the discretion of the chair, advance copies of the agenda may also be distributed to invited guests and
presenters.
See SOP(s):
P-007, rev. 1.0
7.2.6 Meeting Management
Distributing the NWCG Executive
Board meeting agenda in advance of the
meeting.
(Planned, date TBD)
Meeting Purpose
The primary purpose of any NWCG Executive Board meeting is to utilize the skills and experience of
its members for wildland fire management leadership and decision making based on the NWCG
mission and strategic guiding principles.
The Executive Board depends upon the branch coordinators, the training branch manager, and the
NWCG Manager to ensure that meeting agendas include only those items that have been well thought
out and reviewed by appropriate peers.
Meeting Procedures
At the beginning of each meeting, the chair will review the agenda with the meeting attendees and
make modifications as needed. By unanimous consent, the Executive Board may add unforeseen issues
without prior notification. Typically these added items will be quick briefings on an emerging issue or
informational items of interest to all.
The Executive Board chair will facilitate, or will appoint someone to facilitate, the meeting discussions
and ensure the stated desired result for each agenda item is achieved.
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The administrative assistant will record the meeting proceedings to document key discussion points,
decisions, action items, and future meeting agenda items. Each action items will be assigned to an
appropriate NWCG Executive Board member, branch coordinator, the training branch manager, or the
NWCG Manager for monitoring. An action item will include:
a description of the activity,
the expected deliverables,
lead person (and other key participants, if known), and
due date(s).
All decisions and action items will be read aloud (by the meeting recorder/administrative assistant)
once agreement appears to have been reached, to validate the decision or action is clearly understoond
and was correctly documented.
For additional information on action items, see "Action Items" in 7.2.7 Meeting Results
For additional guidance on decision making, see 13.2 Collaborative Decisions
Presentations
Presentations should be clear, concise, and relevant. Once the presentation is concluded and issues
clarified or questions answered, only the NWCG Executive Board members will discuss the issue and
make decisions. The presenter may be asked to remain at the meeting to respond to subject matter
questions and issues.
7.2.7 Meeting Results
Each agenda item may result in one or more of the following decisions:
approval (direction to proceed with proposal, with approved funding, if applicable) or disapproval,
action item assignment (direction to an Executive Board member, a Program Management Unit
member, or a group chair to follow-up on an agenda item.) , or
deferred decision (a decision to defer a decision for a subsequent meeting or to follow-up on an
agenda item with a status update).
The branch coordinators will be responsible for communicating the result to the appropriate committee or
subgroup chairs within one week of the meeting. The NWCG Manager will be responsible for
communicating the result to other groups, as appropriate. The branch coordinators are also responsible for
monitoring and follow-up reporting at subsequent NWCG meetings regarding assignments to the branches.
For additional guidance on decision making, see 13.2 Collaborative Decisions
Action Items
Action item additions and changes will be incorporated into the Action Item Tracking Table following
a meeting. A meeting summary (including action items) will be distributed with the meeting minutes.
Prior to each regularly scheduled meeting, the Action Item Tracking Table will be reviewed by the
NWCG Manager, branch coordinators, training branch manager, administrative assistant, and the
NWCG Chair. An updated Action Item Tracking Table will be provided in the meeting handouts as
informational materials.
For action items directing a branch coordinator to assign work to a committee or subgroup, the branch
coordinator will follow the established tasking process.
Action Items are the only type of work assignments made during an NWCG meeting. To prevent
confusion, action items should never be referred to as “taskings”.
For additional information and guidance on taskings and the tasking process, see 6.3 Taskings
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7.2.8 Meeting Minutes
A draft meeting summary (listings of decisions, action items, and future agenda items) will be distributed to
the Executive Board, PMU and agenda item presenters within five (5) working days after the conclusion of
each monthly meeting and within ten (10) working days after a tri-annual meeting.
Draft meeting minutes will be distributed to the agenda item presenters for review and corrections within
five (5) working days after the conclusion of each monthly meeting and within ten (10) working days after
a tri-annual meeting; corrections will be forwarded to respective branch coordinators or the NWCG
Manager, depending on the topic, for incorporation into the final meeting minutes.
Branch coordinators and the training branch manager should forward corrections to the NWCG Manager,
who will forward all corrections to the NWCG chair and vice chair for their review and edits. A copy will
also be sent to the NWCG Administrative Assistant for tracking purposes.
Upon receipt of corrections from the chair and vice chair, the administrative assistant will prepare the final
draft minutes for distribution to the Executive Board prior to the next meeting for their review and
approval.
See checklist(s):
EX-1, rev. 1.1 NWCG Executive Board Meeting (Active, 7/1/2012)
Minutes Review
The administrative assistant will follow the NWCG records management procedures for appropriate
creation, maintenance, and disposition of the NWCG Executive Board electronic and hardcopy meeting
records.
See also: 11.0 Records Management
8.0 Document Management
Guidance is under development for this topic. Guidance is planned to be included in future releases of this
document. Interim guidance may be released by NWCG memorandum.
For additional information and guidance regarding document numbering, see 10.3 Product Numbers
9.0 Investment Management
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9.1 Information Technology Investment
The Information Technology (IT) Investment Evaluation Process is intended to give greater oversight to IT
investments made for wildland fire and to allow for new ideas from the field to be reviewed and forwarded
when appropriate. Existing investments are monitored to ensure they continue to meet their objectives. For
purposes of the NWCG IT Process, IT projects are defined as projects that involve the development,
implementation, or maintenance of computer hardware and software systems. This includes such systems
as databases, data warehouses, and Web sites.
A key element of the IT Investment process is to enable anyone in the wildland fire community to propose
ideas for IT investments. People with investment ideas are encouraged to contact the appropriate NWCG
committee or the IT Portfolio Coordinator for sponsorship of their idea.
Once sponsorship is determined:
The initial proposal is developed using the Wildland Fire IT Investment Proposal Form and
forwarded to the branch coordinator of the sponsoring committee or to the portfolio coordinator if the
proposal is not from a committee. Assistance is available through the Program Management Unit in
developing an initial proposal.
See SOP(s):
P-010, rev. 1.0 Submitting information technology
(Active, 1/3/2011)
proposals to the NWCG
The proposal is reviewed for completeness by the branch coordinator, portfolio coordinator and
Information Technology Committee. If needed, the appropriate branch coordinator or portfolio
coordinator will work with the proposer to complete the proposal package.
The proposal package and feedback form is sent through the branch coordinators to all committees
and the NWCG enterprise architects for feedback. A recommendation is developed which includes all
the feedback responses and becomes a part of the final proposal package.
The final proposal package, consisting of the proposal, feedback from the committees and architects,
and the PMU-developed recommendation is sent to the Information Technology Committee and the
NWCG Executive Board. The Information Technology Committee acts as subject matter experts
(SMEs) to their respective agency representatives. The Executive Board reviews all proposals and
approves, disapproves, or returns the proposal for further development. The approval is for the
proposal’s concept, not approval for funding.
Once the proposal is approved by the Executive Board, the proposal proponent is responsible for
submitting the IT proposal into the NWCG budget process. Investment proposals above the funding
capability of NWCG are sent to the Wildland Fire Executive Committee with a recommendation from
the NWCG Executive Board.
The portfolio coordinator submits the approved proposal to the DOI/FS IT Framework. (This process
is being developed. Interim guidance may be released by NWCG memorandum.)
For specific information about submitting IT proposals into the NWCG budget process, see 6.2.4
Information Technology Request Process
The portfolio coordinator will send the results of the review to the proposer. For investments in
steady-state (operations and maintenance), requests for funding are accomplished following the
NWCG Budget Process.
See 6.2 Budget
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9.2 Information Technology System and Project Affiliation
An IT system or project will be considered to have NWCG affiliation when documented evidence of
acceptance and support of the NWCG Executive Board exists. Such documented evidence could be in the
form of a project charter for new development, or a memorandum of understanding, memorandum of
agreement or service-level agreement for a production system. In addition, the system must:
1. Support the NWCG mission, goals and objectives. NWCG exists to provide national leadership and
establish, implement, maintain and communicate policy, standards, guidelines, and qualifications for
wildland fire program management. In addition to supporting this mission, systems that are affiliated
with NWCG must align with all relevant NWCG standards, guidelines, and principles.
2. Be national and interagency in scope, intent, design, and application. NWCG provides an
overarching structure in support of its partnering organizations. An NWCG affiliated IT system must
embody that principle.
3. Have a primary customer base within the wildland fire community. Unlike generalized IT systems
that are managed to support users from a wide variety of enterprise disciplines (such as corporate
email, travel, or payroll systems), NWCG affiliated IT systems principally support users from the
wildland fire community.
4. Be partially or fully funded by NWCG or through expressed agreement of the NWCG Executive
Board. An agreement by the NWCG Executive Board on a particular funding strategy indicates
explicit support and approval of an IT project or system.
5. Allow NWCG to govern and manage all NWCG intellectual content. NWCG retains control over its
intellectual content. NWCG intellectual content is the inventory of standards, rules, processes,
procedures, publications, designs, ideas or any other compilation of information created by and
managed through NWCG.
NWCG requires affiliated systems and projects to comply with the following rules:
NWCG affiliation is expressed by:
a. Use of the NWCG logo in accordance with NWCG policy, and/or
b. Use of the term “NWCG affiliated”
NOTE: Non-affiliated systems are not permitted to display the NWCG logo or express NWCG
affiliation
For guidance on use of the NWCG logo, see 10.4.4 Logo Standards
Must adhere to relevant NWCG policies, standards, and guidelines
Must adhere to the NWCG IT Investment Process
For guidance on the NWCG IT investment process, see 9.1 Information Technology Investment
Operate under a Service Level Agreement (SLA), Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), or other
agreement with NWCG
a. NWCG interests must be represented in the collaborative management of the system as
designated in the agreement
b. Must have a problem escalation process
c. Must have a feedback mechanism for performance measurement and system refinement
9.2.1 NWCG Affiliation Process
NWCG affiliation begins with the development of a proposal to be submitted through the wildland fire IT
investment process. A legacy system enters into the wildland fire IT investment process at its current
system life cycle stage. All other proposals enter the process at the pre-select stage.
See 9.1 Information Technology Investment
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10.0 Products
Products is an all-encompassing term for anything produced by or on behalf of an NWCG group. This may
include, but is not limited to, documents, PowerPoint presentations or similar slide shows, videos (DVD, or
other format), and Web pages.
Authority for NWCG committees to create interagency operational guidance comes through a delegation
from the NWCG Executive Board to its committtees. Products created through this authority are considered
established best practices that NWCG provides for its members.
All NWCG products are under the stewardship of specific NWCG groups. The planned development,
review and maintenance of products should be reflected in the respective groups' annual work plans.
All NWCG products are in the public domain. If copyrighted material is used within a product, written
permission must be obtained for the use of such material. The owner of copyrighted material must
understand that the information will be used within a public domain forum.
All products will be identified as National Wildfire Coordinating Group products with the NWCG logo.
Only NWCG logos may be used on an NWCG product. "National Wildfire Coordinating Group",
"NWCG", and the NWCG logo are trademarks of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and should be
identified as such whenever used.
For further guidance on the use of the NWCG logo, see 10.4.4 Logo Standards
NWCG products are managed by product services within the Program Management Unit. Product services
provides planning and review services to product developers, coordinates product releases, and manages
the distribution of products for the NWCG.
A list of NWCG products will be maintained in the Product Management System. The list will be
distributed annually, usually in January, showing the stewardship group and indicating any changes such as
revisions, eliminations or creations during the past calendar year.
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10.1 Product Criteria
NWCG published information: any NWCG product that is made available outside the NWCG organization.
NWCG information may be distributed electronically through an NWCG Web site or “hard-copy”, on a
disc, or in any other accessible form. NWCG published information must meet the following minimum
criteria:
1. Must be generic (non-agency specific) to all NWCG users and must meet NWCG objectives. It is
the decision of NWCG whether a particular item is appropriate and technically accurate for NWCG
sponsorship and distribution. Visuals, including slide (e.g., PowerPoint) presentations, photographs,
and videos, should portray a broad range of representative agencies in the wildland fire community,
along with representing the nation’s diverse work force. Visuals from only one agency may not fully
indicate the interagency scope of the information.
2. Must be within the topic area of the designated NWCG stewardship group. The risk of producing
mixed messages from NWCG exists. To mitigate such risk, a committee or other NWCG group should
not produce or endorse information outside its business scope.
3. Must not be available from another agency or private concern. The National Wildfire Coordinating
Group is not replacing the need for agency distribution of agency-specific information. Nor is it in
competition with private business.
4. Must be technically accurate. This is accomplished through the appropriate reviews by the
responsible NWCG groups.
5. Must be produced within appropriate NWCG product and format standards. This includes formats
posted on the www.nwcg.gov site that may be downloaded and printed by field audiences.
6. Must have permission to use copyrighted material. Permission must be submitted with the master
material. NWCG products are considered to be in the public domain, therefore if any copyrighted
material is included, permission must be obtained in advance and the copyrighted content must be
clearly identified as such.
For product standards, including electronic document accessibility requirements, see 10.4.2 NWCG
Product Standards
For format standards, see 10.4.3 Format Standards
Additional Criteria for Products Distributed Through the Cache
7. Must be a technical product intended for use by NWCG and the NWCG member agencies.
Technical is defined as being meaningful and of use or interest to persons with specialized knowledge
(i.e., agency employees) rather than addressing the layperson (i.e., public.)
8. Must have a minimum shelf life of one year. Shelf life of a product is a primary consideration.
NWCG will not distribute through the Cache products such as meeting notes, newsletters, or computer
software instructions that have a dynamic shelf-life with version updates occurring at unscheduled
intervals. Items with a shelf-life of one year will be based on the calendar year, with revisions expected
at or near the beginning of each calendar year. This aids users of the information to determine when
the revisions will take place.
Note: NWCG is responsible for the buy out of obsolete, outdated, or erroneous printed products that
are determined to be unsalable.
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10.2 Product Planning
Committees or other groups determine when and what kind of information needs to be developed and
works with product services to determine what media and format is best for delivering the message to the
information users.
If a product, produced external to an NWCG committee, is brought to the attention of an NWCG
committee for possible use, the committee may choose to review the product to determine if the
information meets NWCG objectives and goals of the committee. The committee may then choose to
endorse the product as submitted or use the information to aid in development of an information goal.
NWCG committees initiate product development or revision projects through annual work plans. Product
development or revision projects should be shown as line items on a committee's proposed work plan and
budget.
As part of the annual planning process, product services (within the PMU) needs to know:
what new products will be produced,
what existing products will be discontinued, and
what products will be updated, amended, or replaced with new versions.
Product development or revision projects must be planned in advance to ensure adequate and appropriate
coordination with stakeholders. Issues to consider when planning a project include:
Human issues
Define roles and responsibilities and expectations
What does success look like (from each perspective)
Brainstorm objectives and desired final product
Process issues
Timelines or due dates
Approvals
Vetting across NWCG subgroups
File management, version control, and archiving
Leaving tracks for future revisions
Managing workloads and staffing
Technical issues
508 compliance, posting to the Web, is it an app, etc.
Technical edits
Formatting
NWCG formatting protocols (cover and title page template; video; CD; etc.)
Coordinating with cache (printing, stocking)
Final product specifications (printing, binding, electronic, etc.)
See checklist(s):
PMS-001, rev. 03
NWCG Product Development
Checklist
(Planned, date TBD)
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While products are being developed – or existing products are being updated or modified – coordination
needs to occur with product services. This coordination will enable product services to:
facilitate appropriate reviews and edits,
determine appropriate distribution methods,
ensure the product meets appropriate NWCG product and format standards, and
prepare for publication of the product to minimize delays in making the product available to its
intended audience.
All products will be prepared to be posted electronically on the NWCG Web site. Currently, the only
exceptions are classroom-based training course materials and DVD videos. Field guides and pre-course
work for classroom-based training courses will be posted.
If the information contained in a product becomes outdated, the NWCG committee with stewardship over
the product should coordinate with product services to remove it from the published view. NWCG
information on the Web site or printed and stocked in the cache should never be obsolete and useless to a
user.
For product standards, including electronic document accessibility requirements, see 10.4.2 NWCG
Product Standards
For format standards, see 10.4.3 Format Standards
10.2.1 Additional Planning Considerations for Printed Products
Printing and stocking copies of products is expensive. To avoid unnecessary expense, product services
should be informed of planned revisions as soon as plans are made. This can help prevent the expense of
reprinting and then discarding unused copies.
When planning a printed product, the group should keep it as simple as possible while keeping in mind the
objectives and message. Saddle-stitch or perfect binding are usually the most cost-effective methods of
binding books and booklets. Printed products should be designed for 8.5" x 11" or 5.5" x 8.5" finished size.
Exceptions to this should be discussed with product services prior to formatting. Folded brochures do not
adapt well to Web posting – because a brochure is folded, the sides of the brochure do not read in order.
Photographs may be used if black and white, and are necessary to further explain or depict the message.
Don't use color photographs or color ink (other than black) unless it is necessary to communicate the
technical message to the reader. If the group has any questions, contact product services for guidance.
10.2.2 Courses & Training Materials
All course and training material designed as instruction should be coordinated with the training branch
manager. All NWCG courses are certified by the NWCG Executive Board.
Development of training material sponsored by the NWCG should follow the NWCG Curriculum
Development Guide. This Guide is available by request; contact the NWCG Evaluation Unit at
208-387-5310 or BLM_FA_NWCG_Evaluation@blm.gov.
10.2.3 Videos
Producing a video is as complex as writing a document. The same planning process should be used as for a
printed product, except in the case of a video production, the storyboard is an integral development part.
A flowchart for video production is discussed in detail in the NWCG Curriculum Development Guide.
Many of the NWCG agencies have video production specialists who can be tasked to produce a video.
However, the group needs to be aware that the storyboard should be developed to meet the message or
objective given the group, and that is the group’s responsibility.
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10.3 Product Numbers
NWCG products will be assigned a product number, depending on the type and subject matter of the
product. Product numbers are assigned by stewards at appropriate stages of the product development.
NWCG training course numbers are under the stewardship of the Training Branch.
NWCG ICS form numbers are under the stewardship of the Operations and Workforce Development
Committee.
NWCG computer system identification is under the stewardship of the Information Technology Committee.
NWCG memoranda numbering is under the stewardship of the NWCG Administrative Assistant. The
number format for internal memoranda is "NWCG#I-nnn-yyyy", external memoranda is "NWCG#nnnyyyy",
and tasking memoranda is "TM-yyyy-nnn", where yyyy is the calendar year and nnn is a sequential
number from the following schema:
001-499 external memoranda, reset to 001 at the beginning of each calendar year
500-999 internal memoranda, reset to 500 at the beginning of each calendar year
001-999 tasking memoranda, reset to 001 at the beginning of each calendar year
The NWCG Administrative Assistant also has stewardship over the format and numbering system for
meeting minutes.
All other NWCG product numbers are under the stewardship of the NWCG Product Management System.
"PMS" prefixed product numbers are assigned from the following schema:
000-099 Indexes and Glossaries
100-199 Operational System Description and Planning
200-299 System Organization, Function, and Procedures
300-399 Qualifications System
400-499 Operations
500-549 Aviation
550-599 Risk Management, Safety & Health
600-699 reserved
700-799 Public Relations
800-899 Research and Development
900-999 Administration
1000-1399 Reports to NWCG
10.4 Product Standards
10.4.1 Federal Publication Standards
All printing by Federal agencies is accomplished through the Government Printing Office (GPO). GPO
printing is mandated by the United States Congress through the Joint Committee on Printing, ("Government
Printing and Binding Regulations", Joint Committee on Printing, Congress of the United States, No. 26,
February 1990, available from Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402) and further enforced and defined by Department of Agriculture or Department of
the Interior regulations and agency-specific regulations. All NWCG publications distributed by the NIFC-
Great Basin Cache are printed through GPO.
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The United States Government Printing Office Style Manual should be used as the basis for all editing.
Almost all questions regarding capitalization, abbreviations, compound words, etc. can be answered using
this guidance. The manual is available online from the GPO at
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/index.html.
The manual is available for purchase from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 or by on-line ordering from the GOP Bookstore at
http://bookstore.gpo.gov/ .
The GPO provides guidance for electronic file preparation in The Guidelines – Best Practices for
Submitting Electronic Design and Prepress Files, available from GPO at
http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/customers/sfas/3006_10_2004.pdf .
10.4.2 NWCG Product Standards
Every NWCG product produced electronically, regardless of final distribution method, must comply with
the accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220), August 7, 1998. Detailed information about the Act,
and links to resources related to meeting the requirements of the Act, are available at GSA's Section 508
resources page at http://www.section508.gov .
The NWCG Curriculum Development Guide is to be used when developing NWCG course materials. The
following standards apply to all other NWCG products.
Every NWCG product will have a title that is concise. The title should reflect exactly what the product
(document, video, form, etc.) is about. If the product gives guidance in a particular subject area, the word
“guide” should be part of the title. Products should not be arbitrarily titled “handbook”.
Every NWCG product will have an assigned publication date. This date (usually a year; occasionally a
month and year) identifies the product edition. Every NWCG product should include an edition history.
Every NWCG product should identify the NWCG committee responsible for the development and
maintenance of the product and its content. Included with this stewardship identification, should be NWCG
contact information for users who may have questions or want additional information about the product or
its content.
Every NWCG product should include information on where an authoritative copy may be obtained. For
products available for download from a Web site, an appropriate NWCG Web site URL should be
included. For products available for order from the Great Basin Cache, the NFES order number should be
included.
Every NWCG product should include a statement indicating the NWCG has approved the content
information. A statement of intended use should also be included; this should include a disclaimer of
responsibility for inappropriate use.
Every NWCG product should include a statement regarding the public domain, copyrighted, or proprietary
nature of the content information. Copyrighted content and proprietary information must be identified as
such within the product. All copyrighted and proprietary content must have owner permission for use; such
permission should be included in the product.
If trademarks, trade names, corporation or vendor names are used within the content information, an
appropriate disclaimer regarding the intent and purpose for such use should be included.
Every NWCG product should be appropriately labeled with the NWCG name and logo. No other logos
should be used. A statement regarding the use and trademarked nature of the NWCG name and logo should
be included.
For further standards and policy information regarding the use of the NWCG logo, see 10.4.4 Logo
Standards
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Title Page Content
The following text may be used as a template to address the above requirements; the text should appear in
the lower half of the title page. The final paragraph is optional if such names are not used within the
product.
Sponsored for NWCG publication by the NWCG . Questions
regarding content of this product may be directed to . Questions and
comments may also be emailed to BLM_FA_NWCG_Products@blm.gov.
Previous editions:
This product is available electronically from the NWCG site at http://www.nwcg.gov
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has approved the contents of this product for
the guidance of its member agencies and is not responsible for the interpretation or use of this
information by anyone except the member agencies.
It is NWCG's intent to specifically identify all copyrighted content used in NWCG products. All
other NWCG information is in the public domain. Use of public domain information, including
copying, is permitted. Use of NWCG information within another document is permitted, if NWCG
information is accurately cited to the NWCG. The NWCG logo may not be used except on
NWCG authorized information. “National Wildfire Coordinating Group”, “NWCG”, and the
NWCG logo are trademarks of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
The use of trade, firm, or corporation names or trademarks in this product is for the information
and convenience of the reader and does not constitute an endorsement by the National Wildfire
Coordinating Group of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.
10.4.3 Format Standards
It is recommended that one font be used throughout a document. Times Roman is a recommended font – it
is easy to read and is available on many platforms.
All documents will be designed with adequate margins suitable for Web posting and, if applicable, printing.
1” margins should be used. This ensures no information will be cut off when printed or copied.
Covers will reflect the NWCG logo, title, date, and PMS number. An NFES number will be added only if
printed and stocked for distribution through the cache. Authors' names will not be printed on the cover.
Authors may listed on the title page or in a preface.
When PDF files of large documents are created for Web posting, the PDF file should be bookmarked to
facilitate browsing and ensure navigation through the document is user-friendly.
CD-ROMs & DVDs
Discs will be labeled with title, PMS number, date, and NFES number if assigned. The jewel case cover
will also have the NWCG logo, title, PMS number, date, and NFES number if assigned. The inside cover of
the jewel case will contain instructions for the use of the disc. CD information will include software used.
Videos
Videos will have the NWCG logo shown at the beginning of the video. The title should be shown next. The
title may be accompanied by the tag line, "A presentation of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group." At
the end of the presentation, the NWCG logo should be shown again with the words, “A presentation of the
National Wildfire Coordinating Group, sponsored by , . . ." Specific credits should appear after this NWCG information.
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Reports to NWCG
Reports to NWCG will be wrapped with a standard NWCG PMS cover and title page. The cover and title
page will prepend the report title with the series title, "Report to the National Wildfire Coordinating
Group". The PMS publication date shown on the cover and title page will be the date of NWCG release
and distribution, which may be a later date than the report date. Applicable letters of transmittal (NWCG
approval or distribution memoranda) may be included following the title page.
10.4.4 Logo Standards
NWCG Logo
NWCG consists of multiple partners working together to provide more efficient and effective wildland fire
management. For many years, the logo of NWCG has symbolized this teamwork and endures today to
signify quality, cooperation, and stability within the wildland fire community. The logo demonstrates the
collective endorsement of all the NWCG partner agencies.
To maintain the high degree of merit associated with the NWCG logo, the following standards of use are
defined:
Use of the NWCG logo must be in support of the NWCG mission and portray a positive image of
NWCG.
The NWCG logo must be legible, recognizable, and annotated with the “TM” symbol outside the
lower right portion of the logo. Contact the PMU for official NWCG logos.
The NWCG logo may be used on NWCG affiliated projects and systems.
All NWCG products will display the NWCG logo.
The NWCG logo will be the only logo to appear on NWCG memorandums signed by the
NWCG Chair.
No individual NWCG member agency logo will be used with the NWCG logo.
If an NWCG product is produced in cooperation and collaboration with another country, the
logo and identification of the other country may also be used.
The NWCG logo will be the dominant logo on memorandums and subgroup Web pages.
Specific, individual agency-endorsed policies, products, or documents will not display the NWCG
logo.
NWCG Subgroup Logos
NWCG subgroups may create and use their own logo.
The NWCG Logo Board will approve all subgroup logos.
Only approved logos will be used.
All logos associated with NWCG subgroups will be electronically filed in the official NWCG
records database.
Any new subgroup logos must meet the following logo development standards. Exisiting logos will be
reviewed by the NWCG Logo Board and updated to these standards on an as-needed basis.
Logo Development Standards for Web Use
72 dpi, maximum
Section 508 compliant, including alternate text describing the logo
RGB colors
Should include a black-and-white or greyscale version
Generally, use a .jpg file type (compatible with most prorams, is eaasiest to use, productes the
smallest file size)
For situations where a transparent backgound is needed, use .png or .gif
Font should be legible and of a size that is easy to read
640 x 640 pixels dimension
If using a photo:
Consider the media that the photo will be used on (e.g., a photo can't be embroidered)
Must have full permission to use the photo
Animated logos are acceptable to use if they meet all other standards
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Logo Development Standards for Print Use
Examples of print use include posters, publications, brochures, letterhead, mugs, etc.
300 dpi, maximum
CMYK colors
Should include a black-and-white or greyscale version
file type: .tiff
Font should be legible and of a size that is easy to read
Should be scalable
Dimensions should be appropriate for the media being printed on. The larger the print size, the larger
the dimensions should be.
If the above logo guidance is in conflict with NWCG partner agency logo policy, the agency policy must be
followed. Any use of the NWCG logo beyond what is outlined in this guidance must be authorized in
writing from the NWCG Chair.
10.5 Forms
Creating a new form is not as easy as it may appear. Nor is it essential sometimes. Often quite a bit of
research needs to be done when a group wants to create a form. Does the form exist already? Is there a
similar form that exists already? Does the existing form need to be revised? Why is the form needed and
who is the recipient of the information?
All the NWCG partner agencies have internal form systems. The essence of any agency form system is to
assign a local form number to a form that is used locally. An area or regionally used form would be
assigned a regional or area form number by the agency. Agency-wide forms are assigned an agency
number.
10.5.1 Optional and Standard Forms
When forms used by one agency are also used by another agency, the form may be considered for
application as a standard form (SF) or optional form (OF). Standard forms and optional forms are
interagency and usually, but not always, stocked by General Services Administration. The procedure to
have a form considered for SF or OF assignment is regimented and is usually accomplished through an
agency's forms manager. This procedure does not necessarily involve NWCG product services or the
Product Management System. NWCG product services may advise an NWCG stewardship group in
accomplishing its goals in regard to forms. However, many times the information is available through a
forms manager, particularly at a state, regional, or area level.
10.5.2 ICS Forms
The Incident Command System (ICS) forms originated when the National Interagency Incident
Management System (NIIMS) and ICS were first implemented within the NWCG member agencies. The
ICS forms are operational in nature and were considered as test forms because the ICS team thought they
may need to be revised as the ICS was used and refined. Eventually the ICS forms may become standard
forms or optional forms because they are interagency. However, the evaluation process is on-going and the
ICS forms remain in the domain of the NWCG.
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10.5.3 NWCG Form Standards
As a minimum, NWCG forms will have a form number, date, and title. NFES catalog numbers are assigned
for ordering purposes when stocked at the NFES caches.
Electronic versions of forms are becoming an accepted way of doing business. Three approaches to
electronic forms are in popular use:
1. The form is designed to be completed on-line, when submitted the information (data content) is
directed to a central site or database. There usually is no paper copy.
2. The form is available on-line, but entering data is not possible. The user prints the form and uses the
printed copy like other paper forms.
3. The form is designed as a word processing template. The user can enter form data and then save the
form as an electronic document. The saved document can be used as any other electronic document
would be used.
The form number, date and NFES catalog number (when applicable) should appear in the form footer in
this format:
ICS-123 (2/10) NFES 004567
The footer should be aligned to the left margin; the form number and prefix are joined with a hyphen and
followed by a single space; publication month and year are separated by a forward slash and are enclosed in
parentheses followed by three spaces; and when applicable, the six-digit NFES catalog number is appended
preceded by "NFES ".
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10.6 Approval and Publication
Approval for NWCG products is strictly an NWCG Executive Board function, as it has granted the
authority to the committees to create them. Any formalization of an NWCG guide or other best practices as
policy is an agency or bureau decision.
The NWCG group with stewardship over the information and product is responsible for ensuring the
correctness and completeness of the product and its content.
The group chair or lead should ensure the product has been reviewed by the group's members and other
agency representatives, as appropriate, and approved by the group. The group chair or lead should forward
the product through the parent committee, when applicable, to the respective branch coordinator or
manager. The branch coordinator or manager is responsible for ensuring that other NWCG groups and
branches, if applicable, have also had adequate reviews and input.
Only the NWCG Manager, the training branch manager, or a branch coordinator may submit an approved
product for publication. This is accomplished by electronic or written request from the manager or
coordinator to product services. A committee's publication request should originate from the chair of the
steward committee to the branch coordinator. The product submittal and publication request should certify:
there is a valid need for the product;
the appropriate reviews have been done and agencies have agreed to the product's content; and
the committee chair and the branch coordinator or training branch manager are approving the product
for release and publication.
The e-mail or written request should specifically state these conditions have been met.
The request should:
include the title and date of the product;
indicate whether the product is a new product, or a revision or replacement of an existing product;
specify the requested action – Web-only posting, Web posting and stocking in the Cache, video
duplication for cache distribution, etc.;
include any specific needs or requests (type of binding, packaging quantity, etc.);
identify the existing product by title, date and PMS number, if the product is a revision or
replacement of an existing product.
For printed products, the publication request also should include any available information about the
number of copies to be printed and the expected life-span of the information (annual, bi-annual, no time
limit).
The NWCG intent is that all approved NWCG information will be posted on the NWCG Web site at
http://www.nwcg.gov. If the information also needs to be “hard copy”, that is, printed for stocking and
distribution through the NFES, then that need should be discussed with product services before the
publication request is submitted.
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Depending on the product medium and whether the product is to be Web-only distribution or stocked for
cache distribution, additional materials need to accompany the publication request.
For products to be posted on the Web, include:
original (source) files and
PDF files.
For products to be printed and stocked for cache distribution, include:
hard copy "mock up" of the document,
PDF files,
GPO form 952, and
original (source) files. Note: for documents developed in InDesign® or other approved desktop
publishing environments, submit a CD containing the electronic source files; CD should be
marked with software and version used to create.
For CD-ROMs or DVDs to be duplicated and stocked for cache distribution, include:
master disc, and
a CD that contains only the information and artwork for the jewel case cover and inside cover,
and the disc label.
The PMU product services has responsibility to retain all master materials entered into the NWCG Product
Management System and to archive the obsolete material.
For information about archiving materials, see 11.0 Records Management
10.7 Product Distribution
New products are released through NWCG memorandum. With some exceptions, subsequent revisions are
announced less formally through sponsoring committee channels.
The NWCG Web site at http://www.nwcg.gov is intended to contain or have links to all NWCG published
information.
Some wildland fire prevention education material is distributed through the NFES Cache at Grand Rapids,
MN, which also distributes USDA FS Smokey Bear products. Their Web site is at http://www.symbols.gov
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) works closely with the Wildland Urban Interface
Mitigation Committee on developing new items for information. The NFPA-sponsored Firewise Web site
at http://www.firewise.org provides information for this group. Some items are also distributed by NFPA
and some are distributed through the Great Basin Cache at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).
For information produced by an agency or other NWCG cooperator that may be of interest to other NWCG
members, links have been set up on the Web sites to aid the user in moving from one site to another related
site. This helps prevent duplication and reduces the need to update many sites. If the home site is updated,
then all viewers will see the updated site or product using the links.
The NIFC Great Basin Cache receives most of the NWCG documents that need to be published and made
available hard copy. The four distinct functions accomplished within the Great Basin Cache regarding
NWCG publications are:
Accepting new items from the NWCG Publication Management System, assigning NFES (ordering)
numbers, and procuring items for stocking.
Maintaining stock on existing items in coordination with NWCG product services.
Planning for and accommodating revisions or elimination of stock at least cost, in coordination with
NWCG product services.
Providing a method of accepting, processing and shipping orders.
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11.0 Records Management
The NWCG partnering agencies have agreed to work together and support each other in the national effort
to make improvements in the filing, maintenance, use, and archiving of records created as a result of the
collective efforts of the NWCG Executive Board and its subgroups. A Memorandum of Understanding for
Coordination and Cooperation for Management of NWCG Records between the partnering agencies has
been established to serve this purpose. NWCG has been assigned Record Group Allocation number 583.
The Schedule of Disposition for NWCG records has been approved by NARA (National Archives and
Records Administration) is currently being updated by NARA to include electronic records. The Schedule
of Disposition is provided as guidance regarding the organization and disposition of records used to
conduct NWCG business. Further instructions and guidance will be forthcoming upon NWCG's receipt of
the schedule.
As guidance is developed, it will be included in future releases of this document.
12.0 Communications
Additional guidance is under development for this topic. Additional guidance is planned to be
included in future releases of this document. Interim guidance may be released by NWCG
memorandum.
12.1 Communication Planning
In the past, wildland fire stakeholders and partners were introduced to, and became familiar with, NWCG
through traditional training opportunities and standards. With NWCG’s metamorphosis into a more
inclusive wildland fire organization, we must maintain effective and proactive communications and
relations with them.
Communication planning is a cornerstone to a successful implementation of the NWCG organization. An
NWCG communication plan identifies key audiences, communication goals, objectives, and strategies to
inform the diverse wildland fire community regarding key NWCG actions and policies. The plan is
reviewed and updated on an annual basis to maintain currency and remain responsive to the broad wildland
fire community.
The foundation of any communication effort is a collection of consistent compelling messages used
in proactive and reactive communication efforts.
Communication techniques and strategies are reviewed to determine if they continue to be the most
effective way to share NWCG information.
Templates for some communication products are available to assist groups. Currently these templates
include white paper templates with guidelines, logo graphics, and attendance forms for meetings. The
templates can be found on the NWCG shared drive at: S:\01 PMU\10 Tools. When the NWCG Web portal
is fully functional, these templates will be made available on the portal.
Communication plan
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for communication
Brochures
Displays
Presentations
Memoranda
Letters
Web pages
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12.2 Communication Protocols
The intent of communication protocols is to enhance honest communication between all entities within the
NWCG organization in a timely manner. The NWCG communications is a multi-dimensional flow of
information, which originates from a variety of sources:
NWCG Executive Board members:
Communicate internally with each other to coordinate information and interagency policy,
Communicate internally with the branch coordinators and training branch manager directly,
through the NWCG Manager, or through the NWCG Chair, and
Communicate externally with stakeholders including upper level management, governing bodies,
fire management personnel within their respective agencies, and external groups.
Branch coordinators and training branch manager:
Communicate and synchronize their efforts with each other to identify overlap between the
branches and coordinate actions to ensure consistency.
Interpret information from the NWCG Executive Board to committee chairs within their branch
and serve as a conduit of information from the Executive Board.
Interpret information from the committees within their branch to the NWCG Executive Board
and serve as a conduit of information to the Executive Board.
Committee chairs:
Communicate their efforts internally with each other and the Executive Board through the branch
coordinators, and
Communicate externally with peers and specialty stakeholder groups.
Communication products:
Standardized communication products will be made available for use by the NWCG Executive Board,
PMU staff, and NWCG groups for presentations to stakeholders. These products include quarterly
newsletters, annual reports, PowerPoints, and project-specific briefings. For more information on these
products, contact the NWCG communications specialist.
12.2.1 Issue Escalation
Issues are managed through the NWCG organizational structure. Example: An issue paper from the field
is raised to a committee; to Branch Coordinator; to NWCG Chair; to Executive Board for action.
Standard Operating Procedures will guide specific channels and contacts.
12.2.2 Information Sharing
All NWCG public information will be posted on the NWCG Web site at http://www.nwcg.gov/. Such
information includes:
Standards, policies and procedures
Training materials
NWCG memoranda
NWCG organization information for each group, including the Executive Board:
Charter
Strategic intent
Roster/contact information
Meeting calendar
Meeting minutes (summaries, decision log, etc.)
Recent annual reports
Group information posted on the NWCG Web site should be reviewed annually by the respective groups.
This information should be reviewed, and maintained, for currency, relevance, accuracy and completeness.
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12.2.3 E-mail
Correspondence intended for a group should use the official group roster posted on the group’s section of
the NWCG Web site.
In general, e-mail involving any activities of a group should be sent to the entire group. Limited distribution
may be appropriate, however, for discussions among members who have been assigned specific tasks or
action items.
Prior to replying to an e-mail message, remove existing large attachments. If forwarding an e-mail, retain
attachments. For larger attachments, members are encouraged to upload the attachment to the group’s
collaborative workspace on the NWCG Web portal. E-mail messages can then simply refer to these
documents, which can be downloaded at the readers’ discretion.
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12.3 Surveys
NWCG occasionally needs to use surveys to gather data from federal government employees, state, local,
and tribal government employees or the public.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is responsible for and has the authority to protect the public
from unnecessary burden in complying with Federal Government requests for information. The Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 requires agencies to submit requests to collect information from the public to the
OMB for approval.
OMB approval is not needed for NWCG surveys where the target audience is federal government
employees only. To conduct a survey that includes state, local and tribal government employees, and the
public, use the criteria below to determine if OMB approval is needed.
What Needs Approval for Public Information Collection
1. Any collection of information which places a burden on the public should be considered for review.
This includes surveys.
If the collection asks identical questions of 10 or more persons, or if it is addressed to all or a
substantial majority of a business area, and if it is not part of an exempt category, it needs
approval.
If the collection involves fewer than 10 people, the sponsor should state on the collection
instrument that it is not subject to OMB approval.
The collection format may be a form, questionnaire, survey, or a series of questions.
2. Public information collections which require approval by OMB include:
Application forms
Disclosure requirements
Interviews
Permits
Plans
Questionnaires
Schedules
Surveys
What Does Not Need Approval for Public Information Collection
The following categories are generally not deemed to constitute information collections, therefore, do not
need OMB approval.
1. Facts or opinions requested from one to nine persons.
2. Information solicited through follow-up questions designed to clarify responses to approved
collections of information.
3. Items similar to those in paragraphs 1-3 that the Director of OMB determines it to be exempt.
Timeframes:
The following time frames for the OMB approval process are estimates.
1. Request for New Approvals. Six to seven months prior to the beginning of the collection.
2. Extension of Current Approvals. Six to seven months prior to its expiration date.
The above information has been derived from the US Forest Service and the USDI.
Questions regarding conducting surveys should be directed to the Program Management Unit or to the
specific agency responsible for sponsoring the survey.
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12.4 NWCG Email Addresses and Accounts
Non-personal email addresses and accounts for NWCG can provide consistent and stable points of contact
between NWCG and its stakeholders.
Addresses and accounts may be authorized for functional business areas of NWCG. Each authorized
account will be under the stewardship of an NWCG group; this stewardship should align with the
functional business area.
The Program Management Unit (PMU) manages all NWCG email accounts. The PMU is responsible for
authorizing the creation of accounts and is responsible for the on-going tracking and management of all
NWCG accounts.
Each account will have a designated primary and backup person assigned to monitor and respond to email
as it is received.
Each address will appear on the NWCG Web site on a “contact us” list of contact addresses.
Requests for an NWCG email account should be submitted to the PMU. If the account is authorized by the
PMU, it will be submitted to the appropriate email/network administrator for creation.
Requests should include:
1. Business functional area – describe the functional area for which the email account will be used.
2. Purpose and expected use – describe the anticipated use of the account. How will it be used for
internal (to NWCG) communications; how will it be used for external (to NWCG) communications.
3. Stewardship group – which NWCG group will have stewardship over the account.
4. Proposed monitors – identify the proposed primary and proposed backup persons who will be
monitoring the email address. These monitors should be representatives of the stewardship group.
5. Address publication plan – describe where the address will appear. How will NWCG stakeholders
know the address is available, and how will they know when to use it?
13.0 Interagency Cooperation
13.1 Collaboration
Collaboration principles:
Operating as an interagency group, everyone has a voice
The group chair doesn't override
Discussion of issues – values statement of how we work together…
Common support of group decisions
For guidance on collaborative decision making, see 13.2 Collaborative Decisions
For guidance on handling collaborative disagreement, see 13.2.1 Issue Resolution
13.2 Collaborative Decisions
The NWCG Executive Board empowers each NWCG group to make decisions and advocate those
decisions to the group's respective parent group. Issues requiring a decision may be brought to a group by a
member of the group, through the group's respective branch coordinator, or through the group's chair.
Typically, NWCG decisions must be implemented by each member organization in order to be effective;
therefore, time must be allowed during the decision making for due deliberation by the affected agencies
and organizations. However, issues requiring more urgent decisions, such as security or safety and health
issues, will be expedited by the group.
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Issues requiring decision should be documented and presented, along with appropriate reference and
background material, to other group members prior to a meeting.
Decision making by NWCG groups is by consensus of the primary membership. Each group member shall
be responsible to express their level of consent on issues before them and the group shall determine the
consensus solution. The chair will facilitate the consensus process. Members with concerns should offer an
alternate proposal/solution.
Consensus decision making does not require unanimous or unqualified agreement by members; however,
consensus does require every member be able and willing to support the decision of the group. During the
decision making process, each member of a group takes responsibility to air dissenting opinions for group
consideration and deliberation, and most importantly to provide an alternative solution where there is
disagreement. When a member holds a dissenting position, but is willing and able to support the position of
the remainder of the group, that member has the right to have their position documented for the record.
If documented dissent is insufficient to resolve disagreement, see 13.2.1 Issue Resolution
For non-trivial decisions made during scheduled meetings, all primary member agencies, organizations or
functional areas not represented at the meeting will be contacted for their concurrence. “Non-trivial” will
be determined at the time of the discussion during the meeting.
Once consensus has been reached, all members agree to support the group's decision. Once meeting
minutes have been finalized, decisions are considered final.
In some cases, member agencies and organizations may find it necessary to vary the decision to fit within
their respective rules and regulations. When this occurs, the respective agency representative will provide a
written description of the variance and will meet with the NWCG Manager and appropriate branch
coordinator to explain the variance.
Regarding abstention: Consensus requires the participation of all primary members – rather than
abstaining, a participant can express a neutral ("it doesn't matter to me") position, but must still be involved
and able to support the decision. One main point of consensus is to avoid future stances of, "I wasn't
involved in the decision, so I don't have to support it".
13.2.1 Issue Resolution
Once consensus has been reached, all members agree to support the group's decision.
If a member feels so strongly that agreement is unattainable, the issue may be tabled until the next meeting
or until a more acceptable decision can be attained.
When no consensus can be reached within the meeting (or other appropriate) time frame, a small subgroup
of members may be assigned to develop a recommendation for the full group's consideration.
If consensus still cannot be achieved, an issue paper will be created and escalated to the group’s parent
group or branch coordinator for facilitated resolution.
See 12.2.1 Issue Escalation
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13.3 Collaborative Workspace
Groups may use a discussion center-style Web site to facilitate communication among the group
membership.
A Community of Practice Neighborhood may be established by a group at the My Fire Community (MFC)
site at http://www.myfirecommunity.net/, maintained by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center at the
National Advanced Fire and Resources Institute (NAFRI). Appropriate notice should be given to members
when items are posted to the site for review or comment.
Information posted on this site should be in considered in “draft form”; the site should not be used as a
repository for official records, nor should it be considered to be a permanent system of records. Group
members should keep in mind the public nature of this site.
At this time, the MFC collaborative space is the primary location for internal sharing and discussion of
documents and issues by NWCG groups.
For guidance on document management, see 8.0 Document Management
For guidance on records management, see 11.0 Records Management
14.0 Accountability
14.1 Group Expectations
Groups are expected to:
Be informed and active, as appropriate, in the wildland fire business areas for which they are NWCG
stewards,
Perform actions necessary to accomplish items in their Annual Work Plan,
Provide timely response to taskings,
Keep their branch coordinator or parent group informed of concerns and issues,
Keep their branch coordinator or parent group informed of work activities and progress,
accomplishments and successes,
Collaborate on work activities with other groups as appropriate, or as directed,
Collaborate with NWCG Training Branch Manager on wildland fire course development,
Collaborate with IT Portfolio Coordinator on information technology project lifecycles,
Assure that actions are in line with NWCG strategic goals and strategies, and
Assure Web site information is accurate and timely.
14.2 Member Expectations
All group members are expected to fulfill their roles and responsibilities in a professional manner. This
implies appropriate participation in group meetings, support of group decisions, completion of work
assignments, and fulfillment of assigned liaison responsibilities. Performance issues that cannot be resolved
by the committee chair will be escalated to the respective branch coordinator for facilitated resolution.
14.3 Accomplishment Reports
In 2011, interim guidance removed the requirement for committees to submit annual accomplishment
reports. Groups may require their subgroups to periodically submit progress or accomplishment reports, but
at this time, annual committee accomplishment reports are optional. Budget expenditure reports should be
submitted in accordance with budget guidance.
For additional information about quarterly accomplishment reports for budgeted expenditures, see
6.2 Budget
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14.4 Recognition and Awards
Generally, NWCG awards are non-monetary recognition of outstanding achievement and leadership. All
NWCG awards will be approved by the NWCG Executive Board.
Processes and further guidance are under development for this topic. For interim guidance, contact the
NWCG Manager.
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NWCG Organization Management
15.0 Organization Lifecycles
The organization as a whole, the Executive Board, and its subgroups are formed, reviewed, chronicled and
decommissioned as described in this section.
15.1 Organization Definition
Guidance is under development for this topic. Guidance is planned to be included in future releases of
this document. Interim guidance may be released by NWCG memorandum.
15.2 Organizational Documentation
15.3 Review
Guidance is under development for this topic. Guidance is planned to be included in future releases of
this document. Interim guidance may be released by NWCG memorandum.
15.3.1 Organizational Review
Guidance is under development for this topic. Guidance is planned to be included in future releases of
this document. Interim guidance may be released by NWCG memorandum.
15.3.2 Group Review
Annual Review
Committees and, by extension, their subgroups are reviewed annually by their respective Branch
Coordinator. This review focuses on annual accomplishments with respect to a Committee’s annual
program of work.
A review will include the following as a minimum:
Planned work, accomplished, on-going, and incomplete;
Unplanned work received during the year (e.g. taskings), accomplished, on-going, and incomplete;
and
Committee capacity to do work:
Adjustments in membership or expertise, to meet demand.
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Periodic Review
Committees and subgroups immediately subordinate to the NWCG Executive Board will be periodically
reviewed by the Executive Board. Other subgroups should be periodically reviewed by their respective
parent groups. Such reviews may be conducted by the Executive Board or parent groups, or may be
delegated to a task team. A review should focus on validating the continued relevance and need for the
group with respect to the NWCG Strategic Plan and should result in a recommendation for continuation, rechartering
with appropriate changes, or decommissioning the group.
A review will include the following as a minimum:
Briefing by the subgroup chair:
History of subgroup as related to current issues,
Past performance, and
Emerging Issues;
Validation of charter;
Review of strategic intent (as documented in the group's Organization Intent document); and
Recommendation for future status (continuation, re-chartering, sunsetting, etc.).
15.3.3 Featured Committee Events
Periodic “Featured Committee” events bring committees and the Executive Board together and
complement the current lines of communication. With the large number of committees and a limited
number of Executive Board meetings, a flexible approach is used to arrange featured committee events.
Branch coordinators work to schedule featured committee events throughout the year based on availability,
relevance and value. These events may occur during Executive Board or committee meetings. With
appropriate advance scheduling, committee agendas could allow for a one- or two-hour featured committee
event with all or some Executive Board members in attendance. Three key objectives for each event are:
1. Perspective and Guidance
The NWCG organizational structure is not intended to eliminate or prevent direct interaction
between the Executive Board and its committees. Committees' achievement of their annual
programs of work or taskings will benefit from direct interaction and discussion with the
Executive Board about the issues involved. These discussions are needed to help the committees
understand different perspectives from the Executive Board, and if needed, to provide guidance
and direction to help them achieve their goals.
2. Affirmation
The Executive Board will affirm the role of the featured committee within NWCG and its
importance to the wildland fire community as a whole, as well as the necessity and importance of
each individual’s collateral duty commitment to the work of NWCG. This is an opportunity for the
Executive Board and the committee to explore how each group might better support the other.
3. Team building
The tiered organizational structure of NWCG creates distance between the Executive Board and
its committees. Time will be taken during a featured committee event for individuals to get to
know each other to facilitate future collaboration and understanding. When they meet together, all
members of the Executive Board and the featured committee should attend.
Examples of possible featured committee event activities include:
Detailed introductions,
Social gathering (field trip, evening social mixer, lunch…),
Group photo of the Executive Board and featured committee members,
Presentation of awards to the committee or its members for service,
Discussion of specific aspects of the committee’s annual work plan, and
Creative dialog examining how each group might better support the other.
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15.4 History
Every NWCG group is responsible for maintaining a chronicle of its cumulative history. This chronicle
contains the following information:
All charters under which the group has functioned,
History of group leadership,
History of group membership,
History of group meetings (dates, locations, associated field trips), and
History of group project accomplishments.
Group histories shall be made available to the public on the NWCG Web portal.
15.5 Decommissioning
Every NWCG group is responsible for ensuring its subgroups are relevant and contributing to the
fulfillment of the group's mission. If a subgroup is no longer relevant or needed, it is the responsibility of
the respective parent group to properly decommission that subgroup.
Only the establishing parent group and the NWCG Executive Board have the authority to decommission a
subgroup.
A group shall be decommissioned when:
The group's mission has been completed,
The functionality of the group has been subsumed by another group,
The group is no longer relevant to the needs or mission of the NWCG, or
The group's activities no longer align to the NWCG strategic direction.
A group may make a decision to decommission a subgroup based on a recommendation or on the findings
of a periodic review of its subgroups. A group may recommend its own decommissioning based on
completion of its assigned tasks. A group's chair or respective branch coordinator also may recommend the
group be decommissioned.
For more information regarding periodic reviews of subgroups, see 15.3.2 Group Review
See checklist(s):
ORG-002, rev. 2.0 Decommissioning an NWCG Group (Active, 7/1/2012)
The decommissioning of a group will be documented with a Record of Decision to Decommission an
NWCG Group.
See SOP(s):
O-001, rev. 1.0 Documenting a decision to
(Active, 11/17/2010)
decommission an NWCG group
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Appendices
1 Acronym List
The following acronyms are used within this document:
ANZ FFMG - Australia/New Zealand Forest Fire Management Group
BAU - Budget Advisory Unit
DAWG - Data Administration Working Group
DOI - Department of the Interior
FS - Forest Service
GPO - Government Printing Office
ICS - Incident Command System
IT - information technology
MOA - memorandum of agreement
MOU - memorandum of understanding
NAFRI - National Advanced Fire and Resources Institute
NASF - National Association of State Foresters
NFES - National Fire Equipment System
NFPA - National Fire Protection Association
NGO - non-government organization
NIFC - National Interagency Fire Center
NIIMS - National Interagency Incident Management System
NMAC - National Multi-Agency Coordination [Group]
NWCG - National Wildfire Coordinating Group
NWFEA - National Wildland Fire Enterprise Architecture
OF - optional form
OWDC - Operations and Workforce Development Committee
OWFC - Office of Wildland Fire Coordination (DOI)
PMS - Product Management System
PMU - Program Management Unit
SF - standard form
SLA - service level agreement
SME - subject matter expert
SOP - standard operating procedure
USDA - U.S. Department of Agriculture
USFA - U.S. Fire Administration
WFEC - Wildland Fire Executive Council
WFIEB - Wildland Fire Investment Evaluation Board
WFLC - Wildland Fire Leadership Council
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2 Glossary
action item: work identified during an NWCG group meeting that is assigned to one or more of the
meeting participants and documented in the meeting minutes
alternate participant: a proxy attending a meeting or serving in place of a member
associate member: a member not authorized to participate in decision making
conflict of interest: any situation in which an individual or corporation (either private or government) is in
position to exploit a professional or official capacity in some way for their personal or corporate benefit
group: a generic term used to refer to any of the organizational components of the NWCG. The Executive
Board, committees, subcommittees, team, units, and subunits are all "groups"
member organization: an agency or organization holding a primary or associate member position on an
NWCG group
member representative: an individual person appointed by a member organization and authorized to
represent the member organization in NWCG group activities
membership: the collective group of member organizations of an NWCG group; may also refer to the
collective group of member representatives
member: an individual member organization or member representative
parent group: the group which chartered a subordinate group
partner agency: an agency or organization holding primary membership in the NWCG (per NWCG
charter) and the NWCG Executive Board.
primary member: a member authorized to participate in decision making
subgroup: within the context of an NWCG group, a generic term used to refer to any of the subordinate
organizational components of the group. E.g., within the context of a committee, subgroups are
subcommittees, task teams, and units.
tasking: any work assigned from an NWCG group to a subordinate group that has not been identified in
that group’s annual plan of work. Tasking assignments are developed and documented using the NWCG
tasking process and tasking memorandum template.
3 Change Log
July 2012 revisions
The detailed list of revisions made in the July 2012 version of this document has been replaced by the
following list of revisions made to this current version.
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April 2013 revisions
Title page
updated date
updated edition history
updated use and approval statements to meet current standard
Section 3.2.1
first paragraph: inserted "and memoranda" at the end of the paragraph
Section 3.2.3
final paragraph: replaced lists of liaison names with the paragraph text
Section 3.5.1
sub-bullet list: sequenced items to correspond with the order of subsequent subsections
Sections 3.5.4 - 3.5.7
inserted new section 3.5.4
renumbered subsequent sections
Section 4.0
final paragraph: inserted "and the training branch manager" in two places
Section 6.2
final paragraph: inserted "the training branch manager," in first sentence
Section 6.2.2
first paragraph: changed "approved travel request" to "approved Request for Travel Authorization" in
second sentence
Section 6.2.3
final paragraph: edited paragraph to reflect changes to process
Section 6.2.4
final paragraph: replaced "Wildland Fire Investment Evaluation Board (WFIEB)" with "NWCG
Executive Board"
Section 6.2.6
final paragraph: edited paragraph to reflect changes to process
Section 6.2.8
BAU, PMU and Committee Chairs bullet lists: changed "Branch Coordinators" to "the branch
coordinators and training branch manager"
Section 6.3
initial paragraph: inserted " or the training branch manager"
Section 7.1.6
entire section: replaced "branch coordinator" with "branch coordinator or training branch manager"
fifth paragraph: inserted "or discussion only,"
Section 7.2.6
Meeting Procedures, first paragraph: removed final sentence
Section 7.2.8
second paragraph: inserted 5 day/10 day timelines for clarity
third paragraph: inserted " and the training branch manager"
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Section 9.1
bullet list: edited to reflect changes to process
Section 10.0
final paragraph - PMS product number schema: updated number blocks to remove gaps and
accommodate medical standard (risk management) products
Section 10.1
criteria #2: edited to clarify intent
Section 10.2
first four paragraphs: reorganized content for easier reading
fifth paragraph: inserted paragraph and bulleted list
checklist: edited the linked Product Development Checklist
Section 10.3
second paragraph: inserted paragraph
fifth paragraph: inserted tasking memoranda number format; corrected "fiscal year" to "calendar year"
Section 10.4.2
Title Page Content - second paragraph: edited to clarify sponsorship and contact information
Section 10.4.3
entire section: edited for consistent use of terms
Videos: added "

NWCG Operating Principles & Guidelines
INDEX
508 compliance
abstention
– 5 –
– A –
10.4.2
13.2
accessibility
section 508 compliance 10.4.2
Accomplishment Reports
Accountability
Acronym List
14.3
6.2
14.0
Appx 1
action item
(definition) Appx 2
Action Item Tracking Table
7.2.7
Action Items
4.0
7.1.9
from NWCG Executive Board meeting 7.2.7
Action Plans
Additional Planning Considerations for
Printed Products
5.2
10.2.1
administrative assistant
NWCG staff 3.5.2
administrative assistant, NWCG
responsibilities of 3.5.2
affiliation
process 9.2.1
projects 9.2
system rules 9.2
systems 9.2
agenda
compiling 7.2.5
distribution 7.2.5
7.2.5
preparation 7.1.6
provided in advance 7.1.6
submitting items 7.2.5
supporting documentation 7.2.5
agenda development
7.2.5
agenda items
from members 7.1.6
from outside group 7.1.6
agenda, meeting
7.1.6
alternate participant
7.1.5
(definition) Appx 2
annual report
see: accomplishment report
annual reports
12.2
annual review
of groups 15.3.2
annual work plan
7.1.9
related to NWCG strategies 5.1.3
roll up from subgroups 6.1
Annual Work Plans
application architect
see: technical architect
application forms
6.1
3.5.5
12.3
approval
charter 2.3
of products 10.6
Approval and Publication
10.6
master materials 10.6
submittal 10.6
architect
3.5.5
archive
products 10.6
associate member
(definition) Appx 2
associate member representatives
3.1.2
Associate Members
3.1.2
3.3.2
rationale 3.3.2
associate membership
rationale 3.3.2
attendees
at meetings 7.1.5
Australia/New Zealand Forest Fire
Management Group
awards
– B –
3.1.2
14.4
barriers
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
5.1.2
blueprint, NWFEA
5.3
board
chartering 2.2.5
subgroup type 2.2.5
Boards
2.2.5
bookmarks
PDF files 10.4.3
branch
Branch Coordination
3.5.3
3.5.4
4.1
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branch coordinator
as advocate for groups 4.1
budget roles and responsibilities 6.2.8
committee meetings 4.1
liaison role 4.1
NWCG staff 3.5.3
publication request 10.6
see also: branch manager
Branch Coordinators
branch liaison
3.5.3
6.3
branch manager
NWCG staff 3.5.4
briefings
12.2
Budget
6.2
requests 6.2.1
timeline 6.2.1
Budget Advisory Unit
budget roles and responsibilities 6.2.8
budget guidance
budget liaison
see: NWCG Budget Liaison
6.2.5
budget proposal
training related 6.2.3
budget proposals
information technology (IT) projects 6.2.4
budget request form
6.2.6
Budget Roles & Responsibilities
6.2.8
continued 6.2.8
budget timeline
6.2.1
business area
stewardship of 4.3
– C –
calendar
meetings 7.1.2
CD-ROMs
labeling 10.4.3
Chair
3.2.1
appointed by 3.4.1
committee 3.4.1
responsibility - see: chair responsibility
subgroup 3.4.1
chair responsibility
action item assignments 7.1.9
action item list 7.1.9
chair, group
appointment of 3.3
chair, vice
Chairs
3.4.2
3.4.1
Change Log
Appx 3
April 2013 revision Appx 3
January 2010 revision Appx 3
January 2011 revision Appx 3
July 2012 revision Appx 3
charter
approval 2.3
changes to 2.3.1
Charter Amendments
2.3.1
Collaboration
13.1
13.2
14.1
ground rules 13.1
principles 13.1
workspace 13.3
Collaborative Decisions
13.2
abstention 13.2
consensus and documentation 13.2
non-trivial 13.2
Collaborative Workspace
13.3
committee
chartering 2.2.1
subgroup type 2.2.1
committee chair
budget roles and responsibilities 6.2.8
publication request 10.6
Committees
2.2.1
communication
protocols 12.2
communication plan
Communication Planning
communication products
12.1
12.1
12.2
Communication Protocols
branch coordinators 12.2
committee chairs 12.2
communication products 12.2
Executive Board 12.2
Communication Specialist
3.5.6
communication, interagency
guiding principle 1.4
Communications
communications specialist
12.0
12.2
concurrence
documentation of 4.0
conflict of interest
3.1.3
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conflict of interest
3.3
3.3.3
(definition) Appx 2
consensus
abstention 13.2
disagreement 13.2.1
group decisions 13.2
issue resolution 13.2.1
see also: decision making
contacts
NWCG email addresses 12.4
contractors
participation in a group 3.3
cooperation, interagency
guiding principle 1.4
Coordination
4.0
between branches 4.1
between groups 4.1
documentation of 4.0
with Executive Board 4.1
coordination, interagency
guiding principle 1.4
coordinator, branch
see: branch coordinator
copyright
4.1
10.4.2
copyrighted material
10.0
permission to use 10.1
correspondence, electronic
cost effectiveness
guiding principle 1.4
12.2.3
course, training
planning development of 10.2.2
Courses & Training Materials
10.2.2
credits
videos 10.4.3
criteria
NWCG product 10.1
critical success factors
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
5.1.2
Curriculum Development Guide
see: NWCG Curriculum Development
Guide
data architect
– D –
3.5.5
decision making
abstention 13.2
collaborative 13.2
see also: associate members
see also: consensus
see also: primary members
decisions
13.2
from NWCG Executive Board meeting 7.2.7
non-trivial 13.2
Decommissioning
15.5
documenting the decision 15.5
disbanding (a group)
see: decommissioning
distribution
of agenda 7.2.5
Document Management
document sharing
8.0
13.3
documented dissent
in consensus decisions 13.2
editing standards
edition history
see also: editions
editions
– E –
electronic forms
see: forms, electronic
E-mail
email accounts
email addresses
end of year reports
enterprise architect
Enterprise Architects
10.4.1
10.4.2
10.4.2
10.5.3
12.2.3
12.4
12.4
6.2.7
3.5.5
3.5.5
enterprise architecture
blueprint 5.3
e-Share
Establishing Subgroups
3.5.6
2.3
excellence
guiding principle 1.4
excess funds
6.2.7
Executive Board
monthly meetings 7.2.1
see also: NWCG Executive Board
special meetings 7.2.3
tri-annual meetings 7.2.2
Executive Board Leadership
3.2
Executive Board meetings
meeting procedures 7.2.6
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Executive Board Membership
executive secretary
see: administrative assistant
3.1
executive session (meeting)
attendance 7.1.5
– F –
Featured Committee Events
15.3.3
federal employees
travel 6.2.2
Federal Publication Standards
10.4.1
GPO style manual 10.4.1
Fire Committee, National Association of
State Foresters
form management
3.2.1
10.5
form numbers
ICS forms 10.3
form standards
10.5.3
format
of products 10.4.3
of publications 10.4.3
of reports to NWCG 10.4.3
Government Printing Office (GPO)
GPO Style Manual
see: United States Government Printing
Office Style Manual
Great Basin Cache
10.4.1
10.4.1
10.7
ground rules
for meetings 7.0
group
(definition) Appx 2
decommissioning 15.5
periodic review of 15.3.2
Group Expectations
group history
14.1
15.4
Group Review
15.3.2
annual review 15.3.2
periodic review 15.3.2
Group type
2.2
guiding principles
1.4
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
5.1.2
– H –
format standard
10.1
History
15.4
Format Standards
10.4.3
reports to NWCG 10.4.3
Forms
10.5
electronic forms 10.5.3
form standards 10.5.3
Incident Command System (ICS) form 10.5.2
optional form (OF) 10.5.1
standard form (SF) 10.5.1
fund expenditure
reporting 6.2
funding
6.2
excess funds 6.2.7
expended funds 6.2.7
funds
see also: budget
see: funding
– G –
General (Group) Meeting Information
General Budget Timeline
Glossary
7.1
6.2.1
goal
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
Appx 2
goals
NWCG strategic plan 5.1.2
host agency
for a meeting 7.1.4
hosting
tri-annual meetings 7.2.2
tri-annual NWCG meetings 7.2.2
hosting agency (meeting)
– I –
7.2.2
7.2.4
ICS Forms
10.5.2
form numbers 10.3
information architect
see: data architect
Information Sharing
information technology
investment review process 9.1
Information Technology Committee
12.2.2
9.1
Information Technology Investment 9.1
review and approval 9.1
steady-state investments 9.1
Information Technology Request Process
6.2.4
Information Technology System and Project 9.2
Affiliation
system rules, additional 9.2
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Information Technology System and Project
Affiliation
system rules, logo 9.2
system rules, policies and procedures 9.2
information, public
NWCG Web site 12.2.2
initialisms
see: acronyms
integrity
guiding principle 1.4
Intent
1.2
intent document
associate membership rationale 3.3.2
interagency
collaboration 13.2
guiding principle 1.4
Interagency Cooperation
interagency positions
Intertribal Timber Council
interviews
Introduction
editorial guidelines: General Guidance
& Capitalization – (notes)
editorial guidelines: Preferred Usage &
Timeframes – (notes)
13.0
3.5
2.1
12.3
1.0
1.0
1.0
investment
information technology (IT) 9.1
Investment Management
investment review process
Issue Escalation
Issue Resolution
IT
see: information technology
IT Investment Proposal Form
see: Wildland Fire IT Investment
Proposal Form
9.0
9.1
12.2.1
13.2.1
IT portfolio coordinator
9.1
budget roles and responsibilities 6.2.8
knowledge architect
– K –
– L –
3.5.5
layout
of products 10.4.3
leadership
1.3
guiding principle 1.4
subgroup 3.4
letter of transmittal
10.4.3
liaison
branch coordinator as 4.1
Executive Board member as 4.1
group member as 4.2
liaison, Executive Board
assigned to branch 3.5.3
3.5.4
Liaisons
3.2.3
4.2
liaison list 3.2.3
subgroup liaisons 4.2
location, meeting
criteria for selecting 7.1.3
logistics
meeting 7.1.4
logo
NWCG subgroup 10.4.4
use of NWCG logo 10.4.4
Logo Board
see: NWCG Logo Board
Logo Standards
10.4.4
logo development standards for print use 10.4.4
logo development standards for Web use 10.4.4
subgroup logos 10.4.4
mailing list
– M –
manager, NWCG
see: NWCG Manager
12.2.3
meeting
agenda 7.1.6
agenda - see also: agenda
duration 7.1.2
frequency 7.1.2
ground rules 7.0
hosting 7.1.4
information sharing 7.1.1
location, criteria for selecting 7.1.3
logistics 7.1.4
non-member participation 7.1.5
presentations 7.1.7
7.2.6
purpose 7.1.1
teleconference 7.1.2
video conference 7.1.2
meeting agenda
see also: agenda
Meeting Agendas
7.1.6
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Meeting Agendas
7.2.5
agenda distribution 7.2.5
compiling agenda 7.2.5
meeting attendance
alternate participant 7.1.5
by non-members 7.1.5
executive session 7.1.5
restricted 7.1.5
Meeting Attendees
meeting facilitation
7.1.5
7.2.6
meeting guidance
Executive Board 7.2
general 7.1
Meeting Hosting & Logistics
7.1.4
travel 7.1.4
Meeting Locations
7.1.3
Meeting Management
7.2.6
Meeting Procedures 7.2.6
Meeting Procedures - administrative 7.2.6
assistant & decisions
Meeting Purpose 7.2.6
Presentations 7.2.6
purpose 7.2.6
Meeting Minutes
7.1.8
7.2.8
approval of 7.1.8
as official records 7.1.8
records management 7.1.8
7.2.8
meeting notes
see: Meeting Minutes
7.1.8
meeting procedures
Executive Board meetings 7.2.6
facilitation 7.2.6
Meeting Purpose
7.1.1
Meeting Results
7.2.7
Action Items 7.2.7
Meeting Schedules & Calendar
alternative meetings and meeting
durations
Meeting Schedules & Logistics
meeting summary
see: meeting minutes
7.1.2
7.1.2
7.2.4
Meetings
7.0
Executive Board 7.2
hosting 7.2.2
monthly, Executive Board 7.2.1
purpose 7.2.6
special, Executive Board 7.2.3
tri-annual, Executive Board 7.2.2
member
alternate participant at meetings 7.1.5
associate 3.3.2
primary 3.3.1
member (definition)
Member Expectations
Appx 2
14.2
member organization
(definition) Appx 2
member representative
(definition) Appx 2
member representatives
Members & Positions
3.1.2
3.0
membership
(definition) Appx 2
associate members 3.1.2
3.3.2
Executive Board 3.1
group 3.3
NWCG 2.1
Organization Intent 3.3
primary members 3.1.1
3.3.1
subgroup 3.3
membership, group
non-NWCG member participation 3.3
selection of 3.3
memoranda numbers
10.3
memorandum of agreement
for establishing a subgroup 2.3
memorandum of understanding
for establishing a subgroup 2.3
minutes
meeting - see: meeting minutes
minutes, meeting
see: meeting minutes
mission
NWCG 1.3
NWCG strategic plan 5.1.2
mission statement
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
Monthly Meetings
7.2.1
My Fire Community
collaborative workspace 13.3
MyFireCommunity.net
13.3
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– N –
NASF representative
to the NWCG Executive Board 7.1.4
National Association of State Foresters
National Association of State Foresters Fire
Committee
National Fire Equipment System (NFES)
newsletters
2.1
3.2.1
10.7
12.2
Non-member Participation
3.1.3
3.3.3
on Executive Board 3.1.3
on subgroups 3.3.3
non-voting
see: decision making
notes, meeting
see: meeting minutes
numbering
see also: product identification
NWCG Administrative Assistant
NWCG Affiliation Process
3.5.2
9.2.1
NWCG Budget Liaison
budget roles and responsibilities 6.2.8
NWCG Budget Process
NWCG Budget Request Form
NWCG Curriculum Development Guide
NWCG Email Addresses and Accounts
9.1
6.2.6
10.2.2
10.2.3
10.4.2
12.4
NWCG Executive Board
2.1
6.2.4
9.1
budget roles and responsibilities 6.2.8
liaisons 4.2
NWCG Executive Board Meetings 7.2
following guidance 7.2
NWCG Form Standards
NWCG funding
see also: funding
10.5.3
NWCG logo
10.0
use of 10.4.2
10.4.4
NWCG Logo Board
10.4.4
NWCG Manager
3.5.1
as chief architect 3.5.1
NWCG staff 3.5.1
NWCG positions
Program Management Unit 3.5
NWCG Product Standards
10.4.2
copyright, trademarks and logos 10.4.2
curriculum development 10.4.2
standards 10.4.2
title page content 10.4.2
NWCG Program Management Unit 2.4
positions 3.5
NWCG Program Management Unit
Positions
NWCG Program Manager
see: NWCG Manager
3.5
NWCG Project Proposal Process
6.2.6
publications 6.2.6
NWCG staff
see also: staff, NWCG
see: NWCG Program Management Unit
NWCG Strategic Guiding Principles
NWCG Strategic Mission
1.4
1.3
NWCG Web site
committee page 12.2.2
NWFEA Blueprint
– O –
5.3
objectives
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
5.1.2
operations
Optional and Standard Forms
Organization Definition
3.5
10.5.1
15.1
Organization Intent
membership 3.3
Organization Lifecycles
Organization Structure
Organizational Documentation
Organizational Review
– P –
15.0
2.0
15.2
15.3.1
parent group
(definition) Appx 2
partner agency
2.1
(definition) Appx 2
PDF files
bookmarking of 10.4.3
periodic review
of a group 15.3.2
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photographs
use in publications 10.2.1
plan
action plan 5.2
annual work plan 6.1
strategic plan 5.1
plan of work
see: annual work plan
planning
annual work plan 6.1
by groups 6.0
communication 12.1
consistent with objectives 6.0
products 10.2
projects 10.2
publications 10.2
strategic planning 5.0
tactical planning 6.0
PMS numbers
10.3
policy
1.3
printing and binding 10.4.1
portfolio coordinator
see: IT Portfolio Coordinator
positions, NWCG
see: NWCG positions
Presentations
12.2
7.1.7
copies of 7.1.7
informational material 7.1.7
primary member
(definition) Appx 2
Primary Members
3.1.1
3.3.1
principles
guiding principles 1.4
strategic planning 5.1.1
printing and binding regulations
printing policies
Prioritization of Strategies
product availability
Product Criteria
additional criteria for products
distributed through the cache
10.4.1
10.4.1
5.1.3
10.4.2
10.1
10.1
Product Distribution
10.7
distribution points 10.7
memoranda numbers 10.3
publication numbers 10.3
training course numbers 10.3
Product Numbers
see: product identification
10.3
Product Planning
10.2
coordination 10.2
PMS coordination 10.2
training courses 10.2.2
videos 10.2.3
product release
product services
Product Standards
product stewardship
10.7
10.0
10.4
10.4.2
10.4.2
Products
10.0
approval of 10.6
archive 10.6
budget 6.2.6
content standards 10.4.2
developing 10.0
disclaimer statement 10.4.2
distributed through the Cache 10.1
format standards 10.4.3
maintaining 10.0
master materials 10.6
minimum shelf life 10.1
NWCG approval statement 10.4.2
NWCG sponsored 10.1
planning 6.2.6
posted on the Web 10.2
posted to Web site 10.2
product services 10.0
public domain 10.0
request to publish 10.6
review of 10.6
see also: publications
slide shows 10.0
stewardship 10.0
title page 10.4.2
training courses 10.2.2
use of color 10.2.1
use of photographs 10.2.1
videos 10.0
10.2.3
program management
wildland fire 1.3
product identification
computer systems 10.3
ICS form numbers 10.3
Program Management Unit
see: NWCG Program Management Unit
10.0
2.4
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program manager, NWCG
see: NWCG Manager
program of work
project affiliation
Project Expenditure and Accomplishment
Reports
6.1
9.2
6.2.7
Project Management Unit
budget roles and responsibilities 6.2.8
project planning
products 10.2
Project Prioritization and Selection
6.2.5
project team
task team, type of 2.2.6
public domain
10.0
10.4.2
public information
NWCG Web site 12.2.2
publication date
publication management
Publication Management System
publication policies
publications
see also: products
10.4.2
10.2
10.0
10.4.1
10.0
Purpose
1.1
of meeting 7.1.1
report, annual
see: accomplishment report
reporting
accomplishments 14.3
fund expenditure 6.2
quarterly accomplishment reports 6.2
reports
end of year 6.2.7
quarterly 6.2.7
reports to NWCG
representation
group membership 3.3
representative
membership 2.1
10.4.3
request
for product publication 10.6
respect
guiding principle 1.4
responsibility
of group 14.1
of group members 14.2
Review
15.3
annual, by branch coordinator 15.3.2
of products 10.6
revisions
see: editions
– Q –
quarterly accomplishment reports
quarterly meetings (NWCG Executive
Board)
see: Tri-annual Meetings
quarterly report
see also: accomplishment report
see: quarterly accomplishment report
quarterly reports
questionnaires
– R –
6.2
6.2.7
12.3
roster
7.1.4
as mailing list 12.2.3
roster, membership
– S –
3.3
safety
guiding principle 1.4
section 508 compliance
service level agreement
for establishing a subgroup 2.3
slide shows
Special Meetings
10.4.2
10.0
7.2.3
recognition
see: awards
Recognition and Awards
14.4
records
record group allocation number 11.0
schedule of disposition 11.0
Records Management
11.0
meeting minutes 7.1.8
staff, NWCG
administrative assistant 3.5.2
branch coordinator 3.5.3
branch manager 3.5.4
NWCG Manager 3.5.1
see also: NWCG staff
staff, Program Management Unit
standards
3.5.1
1.3
release memorandum
10.7
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state employees
travel 6.2.2
state traveler
7.1.4
Stewardship
10.1
4.3
of products 10.0
product, identification of 10.4.2
products 10.0
storyboard
strategic mission
NWCG 1.3
10.2.3
Strategic Plan
5.1
committee 5.1.1
subcommittee 5.1.1
Strategic Plan Content
5.1.2
strategic plan, NWCG
updating annually 5.1.1
Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning Principles
5.0
5.1.1
strategies
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
5.1.2
prioritizing 5.1.3
structure
organization, NWCG 2.0
style manual
see: United States Government Printing
Office Style Manual
United States Government Printing
Office
10.4.1
subcommittee
2.2.1
chartering 2.2.2
stewardship responsibility 2.2.2
subgroup type 2.2.2
Subcommittees
2.2.2
subgroup
(definition) Appx 2
establishing 2.3
Subgroup Leadership
3.4
Subgroup Membership
3.3
documented in Organization Intent 3.3
Non-NWCG partners allowed 3.3
Subgroup Types
subject matter expert
2.2
2.2.2
subunit
chartering 2.2.4
subgroup type 2.2.4
Subunits
2.2.4
success factors, critical
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
sunsetting (a group)
see: decommissioning
Surveys
system affiliation
system architect
see: technical architect
Tactical Planning
task lead
– T –
12.3
9.2
6.0
6.3
task team
chartering 2.2.6
subgroup type 2.2.6
Task Teams
2.2.6
tasking
2.2.6
6.3
(definition) Appx 2
from an action item 7.2.7
tasking agreement
see: tasking memorandum
2.2.6
tasking memorandum
6.3
for establishing a subgroup 2.3
Taskings
4.0
4.1
6.3
team
project 2.2.6
task 2.2.6
team, task
2.2.6
technical architect
see: application architect 3.5.5
title page
NWCG products 10.4.2
standard content 10.4.2
trademarks
10.4.2
Training Branch Manager
3.5.4
budget roles and responsibilities 6.2.8
publication request 10.6
training course
planning development of 10.2.2
training material
planning development of 10.2.2
Training Request Process
Travel
6.2.3
6.2.2
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NWCG Operating Principles & Guidelines
travel costs
to meetings 7.1.4
travel funding
7.1.4
Tri-annual Meetings
7.2.2
hosting 7.2.2
7.2.2
7.2.4
location 7.2.4
locations 7.2.2
spring and fall meetings 7.2.2
trust
guiding principle 1.4
wildland fire business
stewardship of 4.3
Wildland Fire Executive Committee
Wildland Fire Executive Council
Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC)
Wildland Fire Investment Evaluation Board
(WFIEB)
Wildland Fire IT Investment Proposal
Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC)
wildland fire program management
work plan
9.1
3.2.1
3.5.1
9.1
9.1
3.5.1
1.3
6.1
– U –
unit
chartering 2.2.3
subgroup type 2.2.3
United States Government Printing Office
Style Manual
Units
updates made in this edition
10.4.1
2.2.3
Appx 3
– V –
versions
see: editions
Vice Chair
3.2.2
appointed by 3.4.2
committee 3.4.2
subgroup 3.4.2
Vice Chairs
3.4.2
Videos
10.0
10.2.3
credits 10.4.3
labeling 10.4.3
vision
NWCG strategic plan 5.1
5.1.2
voting
see: decision making
– W –
Web Manager
3.5.7
Web site, NWCG
see: NWCG Web site
Web sites
www.firewise.org 10.7
www.nwcg.gov 10.7
www.symbols.gov 10.7
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