9.1.3 Organizational Strategies for Systems Engineering Capability Improvement

Abstract

Abstract. There is an increased focus on systems engineering as the key to mission success within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The agency has embraced a systems engineering excellence initiative to enhance the capabilities of systems engineering across the agency. This paper addresses some of the organizational steps that are being taken at the Goddard Space Flight Center to improve the systems engineering capability in support of the Center's programs and projects.Introduction. The NASA common systems engineering framework consists of three elements that make up systems engineering capability to produce quality products and achieve mission success 1 . The relationship of the three elements is illustrated in Figure 1. The integrated implementation of the three elements of the Systems Engineering Framework is intended to improve the overall capability required for the efficient and effective engineering of NASA systems. These three elements are common technical processes, workforce, and tools and methods. Together, these elements comprise the capability of an organization to perform successful Systems Engineering.

Defining a strategy for development of systems capability in the workforce

“…The Systems Engineering Education Development (SEED) Program is based on four fundamental elements: mentoring by senior systems engineers, a curriculum of courses, on the job training through rotational assignments, and human systems leadership training [Bagg et al, 2004]. In contrast to the successful SEED program for younger, less experienced engineers, the “JumpStart” program targets experienced discipline engineers who have an interest in serving as future end‐to‐end mission systems engineers [So, Andary and Caldwell, 2007]. Once experienced discipline engineers are selected into the program, they are apprenticed to funded work assignments as part of the systems engineering team on a flight project.…”

“…This NPR primarily addresses the common processes; however, other NASA initiatives address the workforce and tools and methods. A description of how the Mission Systems Engineering Branch at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center addressed the full spectrum of the systems engineering capability framework—processes, tools/methods, and workforce— is given in a paper by So, Andary, and Caldwell 2007. This paper illustrates an integrated strategy to develop systems engineering capability in an organization.…”