HUMAN CAPITAL PLAN FOR MISSION EXECUTION, TRANSITION, AND RETIREMENT OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

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HUMAN CAPITAL PLAN FOR MISSION EXECUTION,
TRANSITION, AND RETIREMENT OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE
PROGRAM

• Sue Leibert

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Agenda

• Snapshot of the Shuttle Workforce
• What is the requirement?
• Who has been involved?
• What is in the plan?
• What are our forward actions on the plan?

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Space Shuttle Civil Service Workforce June
2005 Actual
CS Workforce Projection (FTE)
MSFC 523
LaRC 81
JSC 870
SSC 29
KSC 469
Others 50
SSP CS Workforce by Project (SLEP not Included)
TOTAL 2022 (SLEP Included)
KSC
500
469
400
MSFC
JSC
300
FTE
271
243
172
200
125
126
124
90
80
77
100
22
11
0
L L
SSME
RSRM
SRB
ET
PSI
Orbiter
EVA
MOD
FCOD
SSPO
SLSD
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What Is The Requirement?

• This plan is submitted to Congress in response to
  the requirement stated in Section 502(c) of the
  2005 NASA Authorization Act.
• PERSONNEL.The Administrator shall consult with
  other appropriate Federal agencies and with NASA
  contractors and employees to develop a transition
  plan for any Federal and contractor personnel
  engaged in the Space Shuttle program who can no
  longer be retained because of the retirement of
  the Space Shuttle. The plan shall include actions
  to assist Federal and contractor personnel in
  taking advantage of training, retraining, job
  placement and relocation programs, and any other
  actions that NASA will take to assist the
  employees. The plan shall also describe how the
  Administrator will ensure that NASA and its
  contractors will have an appropriate complement
  of employees to allow for the safest possible use
  of the Space Shuttle through its final flight.
  The Administrator shall transmit the plan to the
  Committee on Science of the House of
  Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
  Science, and Transportation of the Senate not
  later than March 31, 2006.

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Who Has Been Involved?

• Space Shuttle Human Capital Team
• HC reps from KSC, MSFC, HQs, and JSC
• Representatives from SOMD and Office of
  Legislative Affairs
• Has been or will be reviewed by
• NASAs Office of Human Capital
• Directors of Human Resources at all Centers
• Space Shuttle Project/Element representatives
  through the Points of Contact at KSC, MSFC, and
  JSC
• ISS and Exploration Programs through the JSC
  Point of Contact
• Senior Center Management at KSC, SSC, MSFC, and
  JSC
• Key concepts were briefed to SSP Council

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What Is In The Plan?

• Introduction
• Background
• Goals
• Principles and Purpose
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Human Capital Tools
• Retention
• Transition
• Alternative Staffing
• Our ApproachCommunication and Collaboration

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Background

• NASAs first Strategic Goal is to Fly the
  Shuttle as safely as possible until its
  retirement, not later than 2010.
• SSP has identified retaining critical skills as a
  top Program Risk for safe and successful mission
  execution.
• The importance and magnitude of this challenge
  requires an integrated approach to workforce
  management.

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Key Principles

• The program will conduct an orderly phase out of
  the Space Shuttle Program and a smooth transition
  of the Shuttle workforce.
• NASA is committed to capitalizing on the
  potential of the Shuttle workforce by using
  existing skills in future programswhen thats
  the right thing to do.
• Manage the workforce transition process in a way
  that balances Agency/Space Shuttle Program and
  employee needs.
• This effort is managed at the project/element
  level due to the uniqueness of the contracts and
  follow on environments of the Projects.
• Requires a high degree of coordination and
  integration with Agency and Mission Directorate
  workforce planning and assessment activities.

NASAs missions drive critical skills and human
capital needs.
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Roles and Responsibilities

• Human capital management at NASA is shared
  between
• Project/Element Managers
• Responsible for managing human resources within
  their Project to ensure mission success
• Plan for future workforce needs and potential
  workforce transition costs related to significant
  Project changes
• Program Manager
• Responsible for managing human resources within
  the Program to ensure mission success
• Plan for future workforce needs and potential
  workforce transition costs related to significant
  Program changes
• Mission Directorates
• Responsible for workforce planning required to
  support programs and projects
• Facilitate smooth, effective transition of
  workforce through assignment or redistribution of
  programs/projects/work to Centers as appropriate
  to sustain 10 healthy Centers
• Provide information on program content to enable
  Centers to determine how to plan for future
  workforce needs
• Center Management and Center Human Capital
  Offices
• Responsible to work together to design and
  implement human capital strategies to ensure
  mission success.
• Human Capital Officers/Human Resource Directors
  will serve as an Advisory Group and help
  integrate human capital strategies for the Space
  Shuttle Program.

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Civil Service Transition Tools

• NASA is committed to transitioning as much of the
  civil service workforce to the new Exploration
  Program as is practicable and appropriate
  (timing).
• As appropriate, to facilitate workforce
  transition, the Shuttle and Exploration Programs
  will use workforce sharing, matrix, and detail
  arrangements.
• For employees who are not assigned to the
  Exploration Program, NASA will make every effort
  to place them elsewhere with the Agency or assist
  them in transitioning outside of the Agency if
  they desire.
• NASA has a contract to provide comprehensive
  career transition assistance and placement
  services to displaced employees.

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Civil Service Retention Tools

• Not all retention tools require the traditional
  financial incentives.
• One of NASAs most important retention tools is
  our mission.
• Proposed architecture for the Exploration Program
  draws heavily on Shuttle heritage.
• When necessary to retain critical skills in
  specific cases, NASA has a range of tools such as
  retention incentives, qualifications pay, and
  temporary promotions.

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Civil Service Alternative Staffing Tools

• Even with effective retention strategies, NASA
  recognizes that the loss of valued skills will
  inevitably occur. Tools include
• New flexible term appointment authority
• Emergency appointments
• Hiring retired employees
• Experts and consultants
• Other special hiring authorities.

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Contractor Tools

• Contractor Community also has a range of
  transition, retention and alternative staffing
  tools available.
• Varies with the individual contractor and the
  unique parameters of their specific contract.
• As the Exploration Program architecture is
  finalized and they are able to compete and award
  new contracts--the Agency will be in a better
  position to make future decisions.
• May impact the contractors workforce retention
  and transition workforce strategies.
• Space Shuttle Projects/Elements and their
  contractor partners will collaborate on retention
  and transition issues through the development of
  Project level Human Capital Plans.

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Our ApproachCommunication And Collaboration

• Communications
• An essential element of successful Transition
  will be updating personnel on the status of their
  work, their benefits and entitlements, and their
  follow-on employment opportunities.
• Requires a coordinated effort between all levels
  of NASA management and the contractor community.
• Key tool used to limit program risk throughout
  the remaining years of the program.
• NASA is committed to open and frequent sharing of
  information with its unions.

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What Have We Done To Communicate?

• Examples include
• The Space Shuttle Program Transition Manager has
  briefed NASA Field Center Human Capital
  Officers/Human Resources Directors on Transition
  activities
• The Senior Space Shuttle Program Leadership Team
  (civil service only) has been briefed on HC
  Capital activities and were provided information
  and a presentation for them to update their
  employees,
• The Space Shuttle Program Manager has
• hosted All Hands meetings for civil service and
  contractor employees at 3 Centers.
• hosted All Hands meetings at a number of the
  contractor plants and facilitiestalking directly
  to contractor employees in the field.

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What Are We Planning For Communications?

• Tools include All Hands meetings, project level
  briefings, plant/facility visits, newsletters, a
  Transition web portal, etc.
• Key messages will focus on follow on work for the
  Space Shuttle community, retention and transition
  activities, and status of the Shuttle Program.
• The Program will develop methods and tools to
  track and assess employee morale.
• The Space Shuttle Program Leadership team will be
  continuously advised on transition, retention,
  and change management strategies and tools.

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Project Level HC Plan

• Based on budget data, the Projects will build
  Project-level Human Capital Plans. In
  partnership with their prime and sub-contractors
  and the Human Capital Community, the Projects
  will
• Describe the current situation of the Project
• Build a workforce profile (based on the FY07
  budget data) that will show the workforce
  requirements against expected attrition (civil
  service and contractor)
• Identify which positions are critical to fly out
  the Program
• Develop Project appropriate retention and
  transition strategies for the civil service and
  contractor workforcefocusing on the critical
  positions.
• Identify risk mitigation strategies for
  unexpected critical skills losses.

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Where Do We Go From Here?

• Brief JICB on 3/14
• Final Draft due to SOMD on 3/15
• HQs approval process 3/15 30
• Due to Congress by 3/31

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Back up Charts
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Retention Tools

• Retention Allowance-Individual Groups
• Retention Bonus
• Critical Pay Authority
• NASA Excepted Appointments
• Awards Program

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Transition Tools

• Those we have
• Qualifications Pay
• Temporary Promotions
• Relocation and Redesignation Bonuses
• Career Transition Assistance Program
• Those to consider
• Guaranteed job placement
• Early Out/Buy Out
• Trial or part-time retirement

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Alternative Mechanismsfor Filling Vacancies

• Temporary Hires (
• Term Hires (1 year
• NASA Excepted
• Emergency Appointments
• Re-employed annuitants
• Experts and consultants
• Intergovernmental Personnel Agreements
• Part-time
• Telecommuting arrangements
• Rotations/TDY

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Other Tools

• Communicate with our folks
• SOMD will be executing operations for Exploration
• Sharing whats going on with Transition and
  Retirement
• Build on the emotional commitment to the Program
• Treat people with respect
• Satisfaction with supervisors and co-workers
• Perceptions of fair treatment
• Investigate different organizational models
• Matrix versus direct
• Shared work arrangements