Article I - Scope
This Implementing Arrangement describes the
scientific and technical activities to be undertaken
by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), through
its designated representative, the Forecast Systems
Laboratory (FSL) of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States
Department of Commerce. It provides for continuing
development of the forecast system being developed
by the Joint Forecast Systems Project. This project
is a cooperative effort between AIT's designated
representative, NOAA/FSL, and the Central Weather
Bureau (CWB), the designated representative of the
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office
in the United States (TECRO).

Article II - Authorities
The activities described in this Implementing
Arrangement will be carried out under the general
terms and conditions established by the Agreement
between the American Institute in Taiwan and the
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office
in the United States for Technical Cooperation in
Meteorology and Forecast Systems Development, and
any subsequent revision as agreed to by the
parties. This Implementing Arrangement is the
seventeenth such arrangement under a succession of
umbrella agreements between TECRO and AIT.
NOAA has authority to participate in the
meteorology and forecast systems development
project with AIT under:
A.15 U.S.C. 1525, the DOC Joint Project Authority,
which provides that DOC may enter into joint
projects with nonprofit, research, or public
organizations on matters of mutual interest, the
cost of which is equitably apportioned;
B.22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq., the Taiwan Relation Act
of April 10, 1979, Public Law 96-8, which
authorizes agencies of the United States
Government to perform services for, and to accept
funds in payment from AIT;
C.15 U.S.C. 313, the Weather Service Organic Act,
which authorizes the Secretary to perform
meteorological services;
D.49 U.S.C. 44720(b), the Federal Aviation Act,
which authorizes the Department of Commerce to
promote safety and efficiency in air navigation;
and
E.An agreement between AIT and the Taipei Economic
and Cultural Representative Office in the United
States (TECRO), which authorizes AIT to provide
technical assistance from a designated agency to
an agency designated by TECRO. AIT has designated
NOAA to provide technical assistance in
meteorology and forecast systems development.
TECRO has designated the Central Weather Bureau
(CWB) of Taiwan to receive such technical
assistance.
This Implementing Arrangement is hereby attached to
that Agreement and becomes part of the Agreement.

Article III - Services
During the period of Implementing Arrangement #17
the FSL-CWB joint team will focus on four ongoing
tasks. The four ongoing tasks are: 1) the Local
Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS), which
performs high-resolution analyses and provides
short-range forecasts of the weather using both
locally and centrally available meteorological
observations, 2) the development of a Warning
Decision Support System (WDSS), 3) the
continuation of enhancing CWB's current forecast
workstation including a new system called SAFESEAS
(System AWIPS for Forecasting and Evaluation Seas
and Lakes), SAFESEAS will provide a nowcast
assistance tool for monitoring marine weather, and
4) continuing integration on earlier cooperative
projects.
Tasks under this agreement range from full scale
developmental collaboration to system upgrades and
support that allow systems to operate with the
latest technical and scientific capabilities and
specifications. These ongoing activities,
described in more detail in the Statement of Work,
will include the following four tasks:

Task #1 - Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS)
During Implementing Arrangement #16, FSL and CWB
added additional backgrounds such as NFS-15km and
NFS-45km as options for LAPS analysis and Hot
Start MM5 runs. FSL and CWB also implemented an
initial version of the LAPS real-time
verification system (LRTVS) for state variables
for Hot Start MM5. FSL and CWB continued to
improve the cloud scheme and radar QC to enhance
LAPS wind analysis. The CWB visiting scientist
also began to investigate using typhoon radar
derived wind observations for LAPS analysis. FSL
has established a shadowing system of CWB's Hot
Start MM5 at FSL.
During Implementing Arrangement #17, FSL and CWB
will continue to improve the LAPS analysis in the
areas of cloud microphysics (Water In All Phases)
and assimilation of vertical motion estimates
from convective and stratus cloud analysis. FSL
and CWB will also investigate any new motion
retrieval algorithms based on the horizontal
convective wind field using radar winds.
FSL and CWB will begin to adapt the WRF (Weather
Research and Forecast) system to link to Taiwan
LAPS. Together, we will explore higher model
resolution to improve model performance for
typhoon rain bands. FSL will implement the
typhoon bogussing system in the shadowing system.
FSL and CWB will continue to improve the LAPS
real-time verification system (LRTVS) for point
verification of precipitation and for gridded
verification of model QPF with LAPS QPE. FSL will
continue running the CWB shadowing system at FSL
during Implementing Arrangement #17.

Task #2 Warning Decision Support System (WDSS)

The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) will
continue research towards the refinement and
development of applications and algorithms
required for the CWB and the WRA (Water Resources
Agency) operations. The NSSL research is directed
towards improving the monitoring and prediction
of flash floods and severe storm short-term
identification and forecasting for the Taiwan
environment. The NSSL research and development
will focus on four core areas: 1) data
integration and quality control, 2) multi-sensor
Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE), 3)
0-1 hour Quantitative Precipitation Forecast
(QPF), and 4) distributive hydrological model
(Vflo).

During IA#17, NSSL will provide algorithm
documentation and source code where appropriate
in addition to conducting biannual training for
CWB and WRA.

Task #3 Forecast Assistant System

FSL and CWB will continue to enhance CWB's
current forecast workstation, the Weather
Integration and Nowcasting System (WINS), to take
advantage of continued AWIPS modernization. FSL
will support enhancement of WINS II in the area
of severe weather warning and forecast
capability.

During IA #16, FSL provided forecasters training
on using SCAN and IFPS. FSL also provided
technical support on D3D and FX-C software
customization to CWB so that CWB can include
these components as part of WINS II. During IA
#16, FSL and CWB have investigated an existing
0-3 hour probability QPF system of short range
forecasts of precipitation from remote-sensor
observations using statistical extrapolative
techniques. During IA #17, FSL will provide
support to CWB to customize this 0-3 hour
probability QPF system using statistical data
collected in Taiwan.

Like SCAN (System for Convection Analysis and
Nowcasting), FFMP (Flash Flood Monitoring and
Prediction) is another integrated nowcast
assistance tool for analyzing and monitoring
precipitation and other data sets in order to
detect and predict flash flood events. It
automatically alerts forecasters of flash flood
potential. FFMP uses small basin areas to improve
accuracy of the basin average rainfall and
provides a better estimate of accumulation and
therefore flash flood potential. FFMP provides
forecasters with accurate, timely, and consistent
heavy precipitation warnings. FFMP can serve CWB
as a "first alert" warning system and minimize
False Alarms Reports (FAR). During IA #17, FSL
will provide design approach information to CWB
that follows the AWIPS/FFMP implementation
document so CWB can assess the future value of
their FFMP implementation in the Taiwan area.

SAFESEAS (System AWIPS for Forecasting and
Evaluation Seas and Lakes) is another integrated
nowcast assistance tool for monitoring weather
conditions that threaten marine vehicles (ships,
buoys, etc) and for helping forecasters to decide
when to alert the marine community when dangerous
conditions exist. During IA #17, FSL will provide
support to port SAFESEAS code to WINS II, so CWB
can expand SAFESEAS to monitor general point
observations.

FXC (FX-Collaborate) has provided collaborative
functions and elaborate drawing capabilities
(analogous to white-boarding) to forecasters in
US. FSL will provide technical support to
customize FXC as a drawing tool for CWB
forecasters during IA #17.

Task #4 - Continuing Interaction on Earlier Cooperative
Projects

Several earlier cooperative tasks have been
completed. Technology has been transferred
successfully and is beginning to be used
operationally at CWB. FSL's development
activities in these areas continues, and further
CWB/FSL interaction is important to keep CWB
staff up-to-date on current developments. This
task will allow continuing interaction at an
appropriate level, including new software
releases of the forecast information system
including the internet-based forecast
workstation, data assimilation, forecaster
training, exchange of visits, copying papers and
reports, and e-mail interaction.

Article IV - Financial Provisions
In accordance with the Agreement, NOAA/FSL is
undertaking this work as the designated
representative of AIT. TECRO is required to
reimburse AIT for all costs incurred by AIT's
designated representative, NOAA/FSL, in association
with the project covered by this Implementing
Arrangement. AIT shall transfer to NOAA/FSL all
payments made by TECRO to AIT for costs incurred by
NOAA/FSL in association with this Implementing
Arrangement.
The total cost for activities described in this
Implementing Arrangement is mutually agreed to be
U.S. $920,000.00. TECRO agrees to transfer fifty
percent of the funds to AIT in advance, with the
remaining fifty percent to be transferred upon
completion of the year's activities.
The funding arrangement represents an equitable
apportionment of project costs. NOAA's performance
of activities under this Implementing Arrangement
is subject to the availability of funds.

Article V - Intellectual Property Considerations
No intellectual property considerations are expected
to arise in conjunction with activities described in
this Implementing Arrangement. Existing system
designs and computer software of the FSL Forecast
System are in the public domain. Reports,
specifications, and computer software prepared under
this Implementing Arrangement also will be in the
public domain once NOAA and CWB have approved them
in final form.

Article VI - Effective Date, Amendment, and Termination
This Implementing Arrangement is effective on the
date of the last signature hereto. This
Implementing Arrangement may be amended and/or
terminated in accordance with the terms of the
Agreement. The estimated completion date for the
activities described in this Implementing
Arrangement is December 31, 2005.


FOR THE TAIPEI ECONOMIC AND FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN
CULTURAL REPRESENTATIVE TAIWAN
OFFICE IN THE UNITED STATES

裘兆琳 Barbara Schrage
____________________________ ____________________________
Barbara Schrage
Managing Director Ad Interim

8/17/2005 6/9/2005
____________________________ ____________________________
Date Date