PCC Decision Tree Streamlines Workflow
The ask: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Division of Extramural Research and Training (DERT) staff sought to evaluate and clarify the logic underlying the application of Program Class Codes (PCC) to awarded extramural grants. The PCC assigned to each NIEHS extramural research grant contains important information, such as the grant’s relevance to the NIEHS Strategic Plan, primary and secondary science topic areas, and the assigned program administrator. DERT also was interested in streamlining the use of PCC, such as retiring codes that are rarely used or creating more specific codes for larger topics that captured too many grants.
The solution: MDB worked with DERT Program Analysis Branch staff and leadership to create a visual describing the workflow and decision points for assigning PCC codes. This iterative process required discussions with staff to reach consensus on the steps involved in the decision-making process. MDB used this information to create a decision tree in Visio to help DERT staff visualize the existing process and document any adjustments to the PCC assignment process.
Notable outcomes: The PCC decision tree helped identify areas where the existing guidance was unclear or required more nuanced decisions. We also created detailed data visualizations in Tableau showing how primary and secondary science PCC were used over time to facilitate these conversations and decisions.
