Newsgroups: sci.space.news Path: coplex.coplex.com!uunet!news.larc.nasa.gov!ames!dont-send-mail-to-path-lines From: yee@atlas.arc.nasa.gov (Peter Yee) Subject: STATION FACT SHEET 1 Message-ID: <1993Jun8.104726.24220@news.arc.nasa.gov> Apparently-To: sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov Followup-To: sci.space Originator: yee@atlas.arc.nasa.gov Sender: usenet@news.arc.nasa.gov Reply-To: yee@atlas.arc.nasa.gov (Peter Yee) Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1993 10:47:26 GMT Approved: sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov Lines: 109 Space Station Fact Sheet Management Structure The Station Redesign Team has proposed new management structures for the redesigned space station options. Common management characteristics, regardless of the design selected, are: o Build a single team under a Program Manager with budget authority, contract management responsibility and accountability for the program; authority to add and remove people and appraise performance. Initially locate the team at the same site but allow members to re-locate to contractor plants as the products move from design, to construction, to test. Dissolve the distinction between the "Program" management (typically at Headquarters) and "Project" management (typically at a field center). o Organize the management organization for development around a systems engineering and integration function and "Integrated Product Teams." The tiered product team approach would provide teams at each level of buildup - component, subsystem, system, and ultimately the launch package stage. Teams would follow product through all stages of development - design, integration, construction, test and initial on-orbit operation. Teams are fully accountable for technical aspects of deliverable product, as well as cost and schedule. o Select a single prime contractor to be responsible for integration of the space station, thus removing this responsibility from the Government, and manage this contractor out of the Program Office. All hardware contractors will be subcontractors to the prime. Program Manager will be the fee determination official. o Limit the use of Center institutional capabilities only to cases where the task is clearly defined, will contribute to an end product or provide a needed facility, and is cost effective. o Combine Space Shuttle and Space Station under a single Associate Administrator. o Limit the growth of the organization by clear job descriptions and accountability, and assign each job once. o Safety criteria and independent advice to the Program Manager is provided by the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, but Product Teams conduct safety analysis and quality control of hardware and procedures to ensure safety criteria are met. o Establish a single, independent verification and validation function to conduct a single check and balance on Vehicle Manager and prime contractor effort. o Strengthen Utilization and Science office under Program Manager and fund development of some payloads to enhance builder-to- user relationships and create a more focused user constituency for the space station. Specific Recommendations for Option A and Option B o Locate the Program Manager and core team at a "Host" center. o As the launch package moves through its development, launch processing and on-orbit phases, allow the Integrated Product Teams to move with it until it is successfully on-orbit at which time they can transition into part of the mission management team or they can move on to the next launch package. Specific Recommendations for Option C o Locate the Station Program Manager and the core team at the same site as the Shuttle Program Manager to increase communications between the two organizations. o Analytical support for the new Integrated Launch Vehicle will be performed by the Shuttle's system integration organization. o An alternative approach would be to place both the Shuttle and Space Station programs under a single Program Manager. Ways New Management Structure Will Save Money and Increase Efficiency NASA estimates at least a 10 percent savings in overall program management costs can be achieved with the new proposed management structure based on analysis of Government and Industry programs which used a single prime contractor and Integrated Product Team approach in major development programs. Those savings come from: o Program Manager's core team of civil service will be about 1/3 the size of the current combined Level 1, 2 and 3 organizations. Supporting institutional civil service manpower can be reduced nearly in half. o Fewer boards, panels will result in fewer civil servants and corresponding contractors which will improve efficiency and increase speed in decision making and decision implementation. o Assigning civil service to operations capability development and operations tasks, currently being performed by contractors. o Moving to a single prime contractor to reduce overlap created by multiple contractors performing similar functions. o Giving contract management authority to the core team to avoid costs to subcontractors resulting from excessive management by NASA at too low a level.