LWA Proposed management structure

The four institutions currently participating as full members of the Southwest Consortium (SWC) are: the University of New Mexico (UNM); the University of Texas at Austin through its Applied Research Laboratories (UT-ARL); the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) of the Department of Energy; and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) of the Department of Defense.

In addition, the SWC has significant collaborations with non-member entities including individuals who are participating in this proposal.  The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in particular is closely collaborating with the SWC, although not formally a member.  Its working relationship with the SWC will be established through a Letter of Understanding (LoU) between NRAO and UNM. UNM will provide fiscal and program oversight and control of the LWA program.

LWA Program Management

The SWC has established an Executive Committee (EC) that will serve as an oversight and a policy-making body and a management plan has been agreed to as basis for establishing working relationships. The SWC is not a legal entity and each member may act independently with respect to its dealings with or through the other members. However, all parties have agreed to support the LWA program to the greatest extent permitted by their existing or future legal and moral commitments. UNM will provide the program PI along with fiscal and program oversight and establish control for the LWA program as the lead institution acting for the SWC, with co-Is at the other member institutions.  Additional participants will be at collaborating institutions/universities. Significant subcontracting will occur on the project in order to closely involve collaborating institutions/universities and this will require close coordination and communication.  An experienced Project Manager (PM) will be hired by UNM to work under the direction of the PI and to provide the day-to-day coordination, communication, and operations needed for the project.  The PM role will remain critical even after the initial phases as the project moves from construction to operation and continuing development.

Overall guidance for the LWA program will be provided by SWC Executive Committee (EC) consisting of the directors of the several institutes involved in the program.  Day-to-day management will be provided by the PM as a member of the LWA Management Group (MG) which consists of the PM, PI and co-Is, and ex-officio members.  The MG will be chaired by the PI or his/her designate and the MG will receive advice from an Advisory Committee (AC) consisting of leading scientists with expertise relevant to the LWA program.  The AC will be independent of the management and operation of the LWA.

For day-to-day construction and operations, three groups will report to the MG – the Algorithm and Software Group (AS/WG), the Technical Group (TG) and the Science Group (SG).  Each of these groups will be chaired by a co-I and these groups will interface with institute/university team members performing the actual construction/operation.

The project management answers to a “Board of Directors” level Executive Committee (EC). The EC is comprised of senior management from the member institutions.  

• The Principal Investigator (PI) has sole responsibility for the project and will Chair of the Management Group (MG).  While the PI will be a UNM employee, he/she will report to the EC on significant matters of construction, operations, and policy.  The PI,  co-Is, will work closely as a team with the Program Manager (PM) handling day-to-day operations.
• The project will engage the scientific community through an Advisory Committee (AC). The AC will serve as an outside resource to the MG for independent review of the goals and plans, both technical and scientific, for the LWA.
• The project will engage the participating institutions/universities through three steering groups, the Algorithm and Software Group (AS/WG), The Technology Group (TG), and the Science Group (SG). These three groups will also serve as resources for the MG.
• Institution/university Project Teams are at the member or participating institutions/universities and are responsible for carrying out agreed work plans, and will report to the appropriate steering group.
• Although the structure may appear rigid, the overlapping of memberships on the steering groups (AS/WG, TG, SG), the institute/university teams, and the MG will insure effective communication within the organization.