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Research to Operations

Basic Transition Plan Template Instructions

(Version: November 15, 2023)

A transition plan provides the vision or roadmap for the proposed capability and guides transition efforts toward use, including operations. It is a living document to be amended with increasing detail as the project matures. It will remain valid for the life of the project, including its satisfaction of end user-defined Line Office metrics for success and operational constraints, and it clearly surpasses each of the associated gates or requirements for transition.

This Basic Transition Plan Template is a simplified initial project transition plan; low maturity level R&D for projects at RL4 or less. This simplified template is meant to accelerate the documentation, situational awareness, and acknowledgment of a transition plan, requiring fewer details than a plan outlining a new transition path. Key sections are derived from NAO 216-105B Handbook Appendix D[1].

The ultimate decision to transition this project to operations resides with the appropriate decision maker of the receiving Line Office or external end-user or adopters. The signing of a transition plan provides situational awareness of the work and review / acknowledgement to move forward. It does not represent a binding agreement and/or funding availability. Signatures for the review and acknowledgement process will be dependent upon the maturity of the technology, type of transition, end users/adopters, and their requirements. For projects that are intended to transition outside of NOAA, every attempt should be made to obtain letters of support from end user(s) or adopters as well as the appropriate NOAA signatures. External end-users or adopters cannot sign a NOAA transition plan.

Transition Plan Review and Acknowledgement


Stages: The NAO 216-105B Handbook describes the review and signature process through stages, and each stage involves both the research and development (R&D) and adopter review/acknowledgement.

  • Stage 1: Working level review/signing, including appropriate NOAA division chiefs, other resource managers, or end users/adopters.
  • Stage 2: Review and signing by the affected NOAA LOTM(s).
  • Stage 3: Review and signing by the affected NOAA Line Office Assistant
    Administrators (AA(s)) or their delegate(s).

Applicability: It is reasonable to expect projects that are less mature and many years from implementation may only be required to undergo Stage 1 and 2 review and signing, unless otherwise specified by the LOTM(s), adopter(s), or funding program manager, who can request to elevate any transition plan to Stage 3. Any projects that aim to exceed RL6 (regardless of their current RL) must undergo Stage 3 approval (unless otherwise specified by the affected LOTMs). See NAO 216-105B Procedural Handbook (Appendix E 2.): โ€œIt is reasonable to expect that projects that are less mature and many years from implementation may have less developed transition plans that may not require the full review or approval [acknowledgement] process.โ€

A primary principal investigator (PI) that is a Federal employee should be identified on the title page. However, if the project PI is affiliated with a Cooperative Institute (CI) or other external entity, a designated NOAA point of contact (POC) or NOAA funding program manager should be named on the transition plan first, followed by the affiliated PI(s). External team members, (i.e. Co-PIs, collaborators, etc.) may be identified in the version control table as content contributors and reviewers. Please note that all transition plans are internal NOAA documents. Transition plans shared outside of NOAA must have sensitive information redacted, including, but not limited to vendor costs/estimates, vendor proprietary information (technical specifications, designs, blueprints, etc.), Cooperative Institute financial information, proposal/grant awards, personally identifiable information, and NOAA financial information.

If financial or other information is sensitive, it is recommended that you include this information in an appendix so that it can be easily redacted or removed prior to sending it to non-NOAA personnel. Note: No sensitive, personal identifiable information (PII) and/or proprietary information should be contained in a Transition Plan.

Please contact the Office of Research, Transition, and Application for additional questions on developing and customizing transition plans.

[1]NAO 216-105B Handbook: https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/document/2020/Mar/Handbook_NAO216-105B_03-21-17.pdf