ASSIST

Customer Outreach Tool - Help

ASSIST is the Office of Coast Survey's stakeholder engagement and feedback tool, which allows customers to submit questions and comments or to report an error with NOAA's nautical charts and products.

Coast Survey aims to respond to all ASSIST inquiries within 2 business days. Those who prefer to communicate by telephone can contact Coast Survey at 1-888-990-NOAA (1-888-990-6622).

How to use ASSIST

ASSIST can be accessed from a computer or mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. ASSIST is divided into two parts - an entry form and a map window. The entry form is used to enter information about the question, comment, or error. Required questions are denoted with an asterisk (*) - all other questions are optional. Users also have the ability to attach files, such as images or PDF, to their submission.

The map window can be used to identify the location of an error, or to see errors that have been reported by others. Information about previously reported errors can be seen by clicking on any red triangle in the map window. No personal information (names or e-mail addresses) will be displayed.

Submitting a Question

To submit a question or comment, first select the "Questions" tab on the entry form. Next, provide your e-mail address (so that we can respond back), indicate your user type (e.g. professional mariner, recreational boater), enter your question, and add any attachments. After you hit the submit button, you will receive an e-mail informing you that your question has been sent and providing you with an inquiry number which can be used to track your question.

Note that no position is required to submit a question and you will not be able to choose a point on the map. You can still pan and zoom in the map window and to get information about unresolved errors.

Reporting an Error

To report an error, first select the "Report an Error" tab on the entry form. In addition to the information that is required to submit a question, it is also necessary to provide the position of the error and the product that you are using. You can also enter the date that the error was observed. Positions can either be entered manually, by typing in the coordinates or by selecting a location on the map.

To enter the position manually, first choose the preferred format and enter the coordinates as shown:

DD	decimal degrees (ex. 39.24N 076.56W)
DDM	degrees & decimal minutes (ex. 39 14.19N 076 33.36W)
DDS	degrees, minutes, and decimal seconds (ex. 39 14 11.40N 076 33 21.60W)

To enter the position via the map, first click the point icon  . The entry form will disappear and the map window will expand. Use the tools in the top right corner to pan and zoom, then click on your desired location. A new blue symbol will show up where you clicked and the position of your point will be automatically populated in the user form. To return to the user form without selecting a point, click the arrow on the left side of the map window.