HUMAN CAPITAL PLAN FOR MISSION EXECUTION, TRANSITION, AND RETIREMENT

OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Sue Leibert

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?

Space Shuttle Civil Service Workforce June 2005 Actual

JSC870

MSFC523

KSC469

LaRC 81

Others 50

SSP CS Workforce by Project(SLEP not Included)

80 7790 124 126

0

100

200

300

400

500

SSME RSRM SRB ET PSI Orbiter EVA MOD FCOD SSPO SLSD L & L

MSFC JSC

KSC

271

11

172125

243

22

TOTAL 2022(SLEP Included)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

CS Workforce Projection (FTE)

DFRC GRC ARC GSFC

FT

E

SSC 29

469

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.

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:– NASA’s 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

What Is In The Plan?

• Introduction– Background– Goals– Principles and Purpose– Roles and Responsibilities

• Human Capital Tools– Retention– Transition– Alternative Staffing

• Our Approach—Communication and Collaboration

Background

• NASA’s 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.

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 programs—when that’s 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.

NASA’s missions drive critical skills and human capital needs.

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.• Engage Mission Directorates and Agency offices when Center efforts are insufficient to resolve workforce transition issues at the

Center level.

Agency Office of Human Capital Management • Responsible for integrated workforce transition planning and management efforts across the Agency• Provide Agency-level leadership, expertise, and policy direction in workforce transition issues• Apply Agency resources or influence to resolve workforce issues that cannot be solved by Centers or Programs alone

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.

Civil Service Retention Tools

• Not all retention tools require the traditional financial incentives.

• One of NASA’s 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.

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.

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.

Our Approach—Communication 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.

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 facilities—talking directly to contractor employees in the field.

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.

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 workforce—focusing on the critical positions.

– Identify risk mitigation strategies for unexpected critical skills losses.

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

Back up Charts

Retention Tools

• Retention Allowance-Individual & Groups

• Retention Bonus

• Critical Pay Authority

• NASA Excepted Appointments

• Awards Program

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

Alternative Mechanismsfor Filling Vacancies

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

Other Tools

• Communicate with our folks – SOMD will be executing operations for Exploration– Sharing what’s 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