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1.2.2 Develop Overall Safety and Mission Assurance Plan

Section 5.e of NPD 8700.1C, NASA Policy for Safety and Mission Success states that program and project managers are responsible for:

1. "The safety and mission success of their program/projects.
2. Implementing SMA policies, plans, techniques, procedures, and standards, including the implementation of ISO 9000 standards, within the programs and projects.
3. Formulating, in conjunction with the Center SMA Functional Managers, the program and project SMA Plans.
4. Proposing, in coordination with the Center SMA Functional Managers, the adoption, utilization, and documentation of appropriate qualitative and quantitative risk management plans and techniques for programs and projects."

As described in Section 3.2.1.2.i of NPR 7120.5C, NASA Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements:

"Project Managers shall perform assessments to identify, analyze, reduce, and/or eliminate hazards that might cause the following:

(i) Loss of life or injury/illness to personnel;
(ii) Damage to or loss of equipment or property (including software);
(iii) Unexpected or collateral damage as a result of tests;
(iv) Failure of mission;
(v) Loss of system availability; and/or
(vi) Damage to the environment.

In completing the plan to achieve safety and mission success, the Project Manager shall ensure close integration with the appropriate Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) organization. The resulting plan shall be incorporated into the Project Plan, Part 3, Safety and Mission Assurance."

1. Each of these activities are covered in subsequent chapters of the overall Safety and Mission Assurance Plan, or
2. Each of these activities are covered in separate documents (i.e., System Safety Plan, Quality Assurance Plan, Surveillance Plan, etc.) which are referenced by the overall Safety and Mission Assurance Plan.

1. Safety and Mission Assurance Enterprise Agreements for each Enterprise are available at the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (Code Q, Office of Safety and Mission Assurance) Plans and Reference Documents page.
2. NASA SMA Training is available at the SOLAR SMA page, Site for On-line Learning and Resources.

See the following examples of Safety and Mission Assurance Risk Management Plans from the PBMA Best Practices:

• System Safety and Mission Assurance Program - Space Technology 5 Mission, System Safety and Mission Assurance Program Mission
• Mission Assurance Plan - Outer Planets/Solar Probe Project, Mission Assurance Plan
• Space Shuttle, Safety, Reliability, Maintainability, and Quality Provisions for the Space Shuttle Program for the Space Shuttle Program
• Safety and Mission Assurance Plan - International Space Station Alpha Program
• Safety and Mission Assurance Plan - X-33 Reuseable Launch Vehicle, Safety and Mission Assurance Plan
• Safety and Mission Assurance Program - DELTA IV, SSC Safety and Mission Assurance Program
• Safety and Mission Assurance Program - NASA/CNES PICASSO-CENA Project
• Safety and Mission Assurance Program - Materials Science Research Rack 1 (MSRR-1), Safety and Mission Assurance Plan

1.2.2.1 Include SMA Goals and Objectives Within Overarching Program/Project Goals and Objectives

NPR 7120.5C, NASA Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements, explains:

1.2.2.2 Include Documented and Defined Mission Success Criteria

It is important to document and define, from the beginning, mission success criteria within the program and project plans - these are typically quantitative (metrics). These performance criteria establish the thresholds against which success or failure will be measured.

1. NASA Integrated Action Team (NIAT) Report, Enhancing Mission Success- A Framework for the Future, Part 7.
2. Section 6.3.2 (Establishing Mission Success Criteria) of NASA STD-8729.1 (Planning, Developing and Managing an Effective Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) Program) (available by searching at the NASA Technical Standards Program Web site).

1.2.2.3 Ensure Adequate Resources For Mission Success

1. NASA Integrated Action Team (NIAT) Report, Enhancing Mission Success- A Framework for the Future, Part 8.
2. Section 4.5 of the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook SP-610S.
3. Several sections on resource planning in the NASA text Readings In Program Control (SP-6103):
   • Cost Estimating Methods for Advanced Space Systems
   • But What Will It Cost? The Evolution of NASA Cost Estimating
   • Improving Cost Efficiency in Large Programs
   • Estimating the Costs of Human Space Exploration

1.2.2.4 Provide Team Formation, Training and Professional Development

As explained in NPR 7120.5C, NASA Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements , Section 2.0e:

The NASA Integrated Action Team (NIAT) Report, Enhancing Mission Success- A Framework for the Future emphasizes that:

"The Program Manager should develop a cooperative and performance-oriented team that includes the Project Managers. It is imperative that team members be mutually supporting and empower each other to do their functions with full and open communication. Each Project Manager shall be responsible for providing defensible estimates of his/her project's life-cycle cost and priority level, whereas the Program Manager shall be responsible for concurrence."

"Continue to remove communication barriers and foster an inclusive environment where open and candid communication are the norm."

• Leadership Training begins with APPL. From the NASA curriculum, participants are encouraged to develop their own path of study. Each program is assigned to one of four different levels, offered as a guide for your individual stage of management training:
• Level 1 (Team Member) of the PMDP program consists of entry-level and mid-level NASA employees who are at the beginning stages of their careers and who primarily work on small portions of larger projects.
• Level 2 (Subsystem Manager) consists of NASA employees who have established a solid base of technical expertise and who work independently and manage definite portions of projects.
• Level 3 (System Manager) consists of NASA employees who manage larger portions of projects and are responsible for evaluating and developing Level 1 and Level 2 personnel.
• Level 4 (Program Manager) consists of upper-level managers who serve as leaders and promoters of entire projects and programs.

Visit APPEL, Academy of Program, Project and Engineering Leadershipfor further information regarding APPL, program management and career development.

1.2.2.5 Facilitate Program Communications

NASA Integrated Action Team (NIAT) Report: The NASA Integrated Action Team (NIAT) Report, Enhancing Mission Success- A Framework for the Future emphasizes that:

"A recurring theme throughout the (NIAT) recommendations was the need to improve communication at all levels. Failures in communication are an endemic problem that constantly threatens organizations, and particularly large complex organizations like NASA. ...An organization and management team that communicates in an open environment and rewards the achievements resulting from that communication will set the path of success for others to follow."

"Continue to remove communication barriers and foster an inclusive environment where open and candid communication are the norm."

• Ensure that teams maintain full communication with contractors and scientists without institutional or geographical barriers,
• Workers should be trained to detect, broadcast, interpret and elevate problems to the highest level necessary for resolution,
• Project Managers to foster an environment where problems are raised without fear of reprisal,
• Communications meetings must be regular and frequent and attendance must be open to the entire project team, including contractors and science elements,
• Roles, responsibilities and accountabilities must be made explicit and clear for all partners on a project and a visible leader appointed over the entire operation,
• Senior management must be receptive to communications of problems and risks,
• Clear lines of responsibility and authority should be established at the initiation of each project,
• Maintain data base of lessons learned and communicate widely.

Report of the Mars Climate Observer (MCO) Mishap Investigation Board:
The Mars Climate Observer (MCO) Report states that:

"Most mission failures and serious errors can be traced to a breakdown in existing communication channels, or failure to follow existing processes..."

• Inadequate communications between project elements led to a lack of cross-discipline knowledge among team members.
• There was a lack of early and constant involvement of all project elements throughout the project life cycle.
• Project management did not develop an environment of open communications within the operations team.
• There was inadequate communication between the project system elements and the institutional technical line divisions at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The Mars Program Independent Assessment Team (MPIAT) Summary Report explains:

"Frank communication of objectives, requirements, constraints, and risk assessment throughout all phases of the program is critical to successful program/project implementation."

"Senior management must be receptive to communications of problems and risks."

The Space Shuttle Independent Assessment Team (SIAT) Report also discusses communications issues.

"The SIAT observed issues within the Program in the communication from supervisors downward to workers regarding priorities and changing work environments. Communication of problems and concerns upward to the SSP from the 'floor' also appeared to leave room for improvement. Information flow from outside the program (i.e., Titan program, Federal Aviation Administration, ATA, etc.) appeared to rely on individual initiative rather than formal process or program requirements. Deficiencies in problem and waiver tracking systems, 'paper' communication of work orders, and FMEA/CIL revisions were also apparent."

• Errant procedures, work instructions, etc.
• Misinterpretation of Agency or program goals and objectives
• Interface control issues between integrating teams,
• Critical communication channels, uplink procedures, etc.

Communications errors encompass an enormous scope. These reports have indicated many factors in which the program manager should consider vulnerabilities within their own program. For complete details refer to the complete reports, all of which are available from the NASA APPL Resources page.

1. NASA Integrated Action Team (NIAT) Report, Enhancing Mission Success- A Framework for the Future
2. Mars Climate Observer (MCO) Report
3. Mars Program Independent Assessment Team (MPIAT) Summary Report
4. Space Shuttle Independent Assessment Team (SIAT) Report

last modifed: Jun 29 2005 5:31PM

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