NOAA Environmental Data Management (EDM) Framework

This is the official download page for the NOAA EDM Framework, which was first issued by NOAA's Environmental Data Management Committee (EDMC) on March 27, 2013.

This Environmental Data Management (EDM) Framework defines and categorizes the policies, requirements, activities, and technical considerations relevant to the management of observational data and derived products by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These data are an irreplaceable national resource that must be well-documented, discoverable, accessible, and preserved for future use. This Framework recommends that environmental data management (EDM) activities be coordinated across the agency, properly defined, and adequately resourced in order to ensure the usability, quality, and preservation of NOAA data.

The NOAA EDM Framework includes Principles, Governance, Resources, Standards, Architecture, and Assessment that apply broadly to many classes of data. The concept of the Data Lifecycle is introduced and separated into planning and production, data management, and data usage activities. Relevant NOAA policies, procedures, and groups are highlighted. Specific recommendations are enumerated in an Appendix.

The EDM Framework was developed in response to a recommendation from NOAA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) at their Spring 2012 meeting. The transmittal letter from SAB Chair Raymond J. Ban to NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco refers to "the urgent need to establish a NOAA-wide Environmental Data Management Framework ... that incorporates both access and archive elements of data management" in order to "integrate disparate environmental data management initiatives into an enterprise-wide environmental data management system meeting NOAA's critical mission requirements as well as those of its constituents and users, over the long term."

The current version of this document is version 1.0.

		Click to download current version as an Adobe file (pdf)
		Click to download current version as a Microsoft Word file (doc)

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Version History

Version 1.0     Issued March 27, 2013