The National Academy of Public Administration

Current Project

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center: “An Independent Assessment of NASA’s Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements”

Client/Funder:
NASA- Kennedy Space Center

Purpose and Scope:
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center has asked the National Academy of Public Administration to conduct an independent assessment of how well NASA’s Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is meeting the requirements of NASA Directive 7120.5, “NASA Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements.” The assessment will cover financial, contract, staffing, and scheduling practices, procedures and policies.

Recognizing that Directive 7120.5 is highly complex and all encompassing, the Launch Services Program and the Academy are jointly deciding what aspects of the Directive will receive the most emphasis or highest priority, and at what depth the assessment will be undertaken.

The project staff are interviewing knowledgeable KSC staff and reviewing documents, processes, policies and practices. The study will produce an independent, credible, professional report within 10 weeks, with the project staff working on site at the Kennedy Space Center for three to four weeks. The project panel is guiding and overseeing the work of the project professional staff and will review and approve the final report to NASA-KSC.

Project Director:

Joe Thompson

Panel:

The Academy has appointed the following individuals to a Panel to oversee and direct the study. The public may send comments on the composition of the panel for a period of seven (7) days after the posted date to mditmeyer@napawash.org.

Edward E. David, Jr., Chair*—Principal, The Washington Advisory Group, LLC; President, EED, Inc. Former Science Advisor to the President; Director, Office of Science and Technology; Executive Director, Research, Bell Telephone Labs; Vice President, Exxon Corporation (Withdrew from Panel 9/01/2006)

Statement of Ed David regarding potential/perceived Conflict of Interest August 18, 2006.

Robert T. Golembiewski*—Distinguished Research Professor of Political Science and Management, Political Science Department, University of Georgia. Former Department Head and Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Management, University of Georgia; Visiting Professor of Public Management, University of Calgary.

Patrica Healy*— Deputy Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Former positions with U.S. Department of Agriculture: Acting Chief Financial Officer; Director, Foundation Financial Information System Project Office. Former positions with U.S. Internal Revenue Service: National Director, Systems and Accounting Standards Division; Chief, Office of Automation Support; Team Lead, IRS Project to Implement Automated Financial System; Staff Assistant, Systems Development Division

* Academy Fellow

J. William Gadsby,* Vice President for Academy Studies-(wgadsby@napawash.org)

Terry F. Buss, Program Area Director-(tbuss@napawash.org)

Joe Thompson, Project Director-(jthompson@napawash.org)

F. Stevens Redburn,* Senior Advisor-(sredburn@napawash.org)

Shirita Turner, Research Associate-(sturner@napawash.org)

John Conway, Consultant

Elliot Zimmerman, Consultant

Meetings:

2006 Panel Meetings

Meeting 1
August 16, 2006 1:30- 3:00pm
(via Conference Call)

Meeting 2
September 20, 2006 12:30-5:30pm
(open)

For further information, contact Marty Ditmeyer at (202) 347-3190, or at mditmeyer@napawash.org.

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Academy Fall Meeting November 15-17, 2006 The Mayflower
Washington, DC

Academy Calendar

Academy Fellow Publishes Memories

“Apartheid South Africa was on fire around me.” So begins the memoir of Academy Fellow and Career Foreign Service Officer Edward J. Perkins, the first black U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan gave him an unparalleled assignment: dismantle apartheid without violence. As he fulfilled this assignment, Perkins faced enormous challenges posed by the American media, Afrikaner government, white South African citizens, and initially black South African revolutionaries. It was Perkins’ advice to President-elect George H.W. Bush that helped modify American policy and hasten the release of Nelson Mandela and others from prison.

Perkins’s up-by-your-bootstraps life took him from a cotton farm in segregated Louisiana to the U.S. Foreign Service, where he became the first black officer to ascend to the top position of director general.

This is the story of how one man turned the page of history.

Buy“Mr. Ambassador: Warrior for Peace”

The views expressed in this book are those of the Fellow. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Academy as an institution.

Mr Edward J. Perkins First black U.S. ambassador to South Africa