04/10/2023 1

Chartering EarthCube

04/10/2023 2

Why all this thinking, planning, exploring, collaborating, prototyping….?

A federated system of systems

EarthCube’s success looks something like…

04/10/2023 3

Critical Functions of Governance

Leadership & Vision

• Setting the strategic direction• Coordinating, communicating,

developing policies, etc.• Coordination with NSF

Guiding Technical

Implementation

• Explicit connection between scientific process and technical functions

• Alignment of funded projects• Stewardship of reference architecture

Advocacy & Engagement

• Disseminate, engage, connect, partner• Other organizations and initiatives,

end-users, educators, professional societies, publishers, and more

04/10/2023 4

The Charter

Standing Committees

Steering Committee Office

Council of Data Facilities

Partner-ship ProgramTechnology/

Architecture Committee

Engagement & Advocacy Committee

Science Committee

Participants

Technical Funding

Team Working Groups

Science Funding

Team

Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups

Working Groups

Working Groups

Comprehensive Survey Review:GeneralComprehensive document with room

to grow & adjust once implementedConsensus that the Charter must lead

to defined metrics and measurable outcomes

Current balance of power is unclear – Where does the action happen?

Learn from past experiences

Comprehensive Survey Review:FunctionsFunctions generally represented the

communities’ needsMetrics need definition: what’s

working, priorities, who defines?Additional functions proposed

04/10/2023 8

Vision and Mission

Vision: EarthCube enables transformative geoscience by fostering

a community committed to providing unprecedented discovery, access, and analysis of geoscience data.

Mission:EarthCube streamlines the path to scientific discovery by

overcoming social, institutional, and technical barriers to data sharing and access through a network of

interoperable, computational resources. This will be developed and supported by a community of practice consisting of data

and software providers, end-user geoscientists, computer and information scientists, and related communities.

04/10/2023 9

Goals

• Facilitating new opportunities for transformative geoscience• Maintaining a knowledgebase• Making it easier to share, identify, access, use and evaluation

quality data• Enable data-driven hypothesis and answering questions

otherwise not possible• Enabling trust in data and software• Developing/implementing interoperable software and

hardware resources• Building tech and social interfaces with other efforts• Facilitating cyberinfrastructure projects

04/10/2023 10

Steering Committee

Strategic direction

Oversight of all the moving parts of EC

Policies, procedures, communication

Coordination with NSF

Comprehensive Survey Review:Steering Committee

Should aim for rough consensus; 2/3 vote, if necessary

Term limits for the Chair are generally positive; incoming/acting/outgoing situation provides continuity; but ripe for oligarchy?

Chair should be compensated, particularly travel supportMixed feelings on salary support

Legal issues may require attorney assistance outside Steering Committee

04/10/2023 12

Office

Implements partnership program

Supports all parts of governance

Manages online collaboration platform

Coordinates the All Hands Meeting

04/10/2023 13

Partnership Program

Proactive engagement of related effortsMay include formalized MOUs or informal

Reaches out to/identifies new potential partners

Comprehensive Survey Review:Structures Headquarters/Support

Office/Secretariat/National Coordination Office: 71%: office should be self-supporting and self-managed with the Manager as a non-voting member of the Steering Committee AND funded at 5-year increments

Partnership Program is a positive, but should be part of the Office (nuance – “Alliance” or “Liaisons”)

92%: working group model as outlined is reasonable and encourages participation

04/10/2023 15

Standing Committees

Open-membership

Self-selected leadership

Engages with working groups

Fulfills critical functions to support the value and content of EC

04/10/2023 16

Standing Committee List

Technology/Architecture

Engagement & Advocacy

Science

Council of Data Facilities

Comprehensive Charter Review:Standing Committees & TeamsStanding Committees need clearer lines

of communications and further definition of overlapping functions, particularly on the Science Committee

Concern that the Architecture and Technology Committee functions are more top-down than system of systems or requirements driven development rather than agile, evolutionary development

Comprehensive Charter Review:Standing Committees & Teams77% of respondents believe Council of

Data Facilities should be an independent Standing Committee

62% of respondents felt that Teams should NOT be part of the Standing Committees and should remain autonomous. HOWEVER, collaboration should occur and be mandated in new NSF awards

04/10/2023 19

Funded Project Teams

Coordinating mechanism

Technical Awardee Team

Science Awardee Team

Maintain alignment of funded projects

04/10/2023 20

Nimble, Adaptive Engagement

Working Groups (can seek funding)

Special Interest Group (no funding)

Contributing Members

Partner Organizations

Comprehensive Survey Review:Membership Institutional and Individual (80%)Dislike tiered membership – EarthCube

should be wide openConflicting responses on how to

mitigate favoritism

Strategic Questions: Issues That May EmergeWhat is EarthCube going to be when it

grows up? Inclusion/Retention/Support of End-

User Scientists, including Public Affairs and Community Engagement

Past cyberinfrastructure failures may overshadow current progress

Strategic Questions: Issues That May EmergeSustainability of small projects

(including lessons learned)Operational issues on interoperability,

architecture flexibility, data archivingToo much legislative branch, not

enough judiciary or executiveNSF resources

Standing Committees

Steering Committee Office

Council of Data Facilities

Partner-ship ProgramTechnology/

Architecture Committee

Engagement & Advocacy Committee

Science Committee

Participants

Technical Funding

Team Working Groups

Science Funding

Team

Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups

Working Groups

Working Groups

04/10/2023 25

Tackling the Tough Issues Facing EC

EC Architecture Forum

Kick-off & Introducing the

Charter

Opening Remarks

Day 1

Outcome: Exploration and learning

about systems architecture, governance and other EC

issues.

Day 3

Overall Outcome:

Slingshot EC forward into 2014 – 2015 funding cycle,

with well defined governance, direction on systems architecture, and greater understanding of

what’s in development and what’s still needed.

Breakout Groups

Reception/Poster Session

Day 2

Outcome: Driving EC forward –

setting the agenda for 2014 – 2015 and making key

decisions.

First Steps on EC Priorities

Welcome & Selecting EC Priorities

EC Architecture Guiding the Future

Workshops & Technology

Demonstrations

Breakout Groups

Business Meetings

Presenting the Revised Charter

Working Groups

Breakout Groups

04/10/2023 26

Not your typical conference…

Future focused

Action focused

Ready to compromise and take informed risks

Able to see beyond our individual needs

Source: Adapted from “Getting to Maybe” by Frances Westley, Barbara Zimmerman and Michael Quinn Patton

Simple

The right “recipe” is essential but once you’ve discovered it, replication will get you almost the same result every time

Example: Baking a Cake

We solve these kinds of problems with ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES

Complex

There are no “right” recipes or protocols that work in every situation. There are many outside

factors that influence the situation, and every situation is unique.

Experience helps, but in no way guarantees success

Example: Raising a Child

Complicated

The right “protocols and formulas” are needed, as

are high levels of expertise and training – experience is built over time to get to the

right result, which can be repeated over time with

the expectation of success

Example: Sending a Rocket to the Moon

04/10/2023 28

It takes more than rocket science to map the road ahead and engage all

the stakeholders in going down it together

04/10/2023 29

Taking Action in 2014-2015

Sign up to participate on Standing Committees

Self-nominate

for the Steering

Committee

Sign-up to help

develop the Partnership

Program

1 2 3

Sign-up sheets are posted on the walls by the registration table (large poster board)

04/10/2023 30

Tackling the Tough Issues Facing EarthCube in 2014-2015

Exploring and mapping the road ahead on two critical

issues while testing whether we developed a robust

structure

04/10/2023 31

Choose Your Own Adventure Pick a Table to Pick Your Role

Steering Committee Office

Technology Standing

Committee

Council of Data

Facilities

Engagement Standing

Committee

Science Standing

Committee

I don’t care - assign me!