Res Communis

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The NASA Inspector General has released a report titled NASA’s Most Serious Management and Performance Challenges. The challenges outlined include:

• Transitioning from the Space Shuttle to the Next Generation of Space Vehicles. Effectively planning, implementing, and monitoring transition activities while maintaining the capabilities required to fly the Space Shuttle safely and effectively.

• Managing Risk to People, Equipment, and Mission. Ensuring that effective risk management, safety, and mission assurance controls are in place to provide robust and reliable operations in the context of very challenging mission schedules and budget constraints.

• Financial Management. Ensuring that the Agency implements the appropriate processes, controls, and resources to improve NASA’s ability to efficiently provide reliable information to management; address continuing problems, such as NASA’s internal control over property, plant, and equipment (PP&E); and comply with the Chief Financial Officers Act and other Federal requirements.

• Acquisition and Contracting Processes. Ensuring that adequate requirements and cost estimates are developed, program costs are adequately managed, and the most advantageous acquisition and procurement strategies and safeguards are in place to promote competition and ensure programs and projects are within schedule and performance parameters.

•Information Technology (IT) Security. Continuing efforts to address management, operational, and technical weaknesses and to implement effective controls to protect the information and information systems vital to the Agency’s mission.