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Program Evaluation

By Climate Adaptation Science Centers

Each CASC is a collaborative arrangement between the USGS and a regional host university. Each CASC holds an Annual Cooperator Meeting to discuss host agreement activities on an annual basis, and a larger external review is undertaken near the conclusion of each agreement. These requirements help ensure appropriate oversight of public resources and support USGS funding decisions.

Annual Cooperator Meetings

An annual cooperator meeting is held to discuss the performance of each CASC on an annual basis. These meetings focus on implementation of the host agreement and the science activities of the university side of the CASC. They are meant to highlight accomplishments that are particularly "actionable" or otherwise successful, innovative, or noteworthy. The reviews also allow opportunities to discuss challenges that have arisen and potential solutions regarding implementation of the science program. The National CASC began implementing an annual cooperator meeting for each CASC in 2018.

 

External Reviews

Near the conclusion of the host agreement, an external review team conducts an evaluation of the scientific content, approach, and results of each CASC's hosting agreement. These reviews are generally held in the year before the award's end, in advance of the issuance of a notice for re-competing the host award. These external reviews evaluate the status of commitments made in the hosting agreement for each CASC, including the host-university relationship, to ensure that established goals and obligations are being met, as well as to identify obstacles and areas of improvement for future agreements. The Cycle 1 external reviews were completed by the Cornell University Human Dimensions Research Unit, in conjunction with the American Fisheries Society. The Cycle 2 external reviews are being carried out by Donna Silverberg Consulting. The results of these reviews are outlined in the reports below.
 

Cycle 2 External Reviews:
Cycle 1 External Reviews: 

Notes:

Program name: The Climate Adaptation Science Centers were formerly known as the Climate Science Centers (CSCs). The name of the centers changed in March 2018; as such, some of these reports refer to the centers as "CSCs" as opposed to "CASCs". Similarly, the National CASC was formerly known as the National Climate Change & Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC).