1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
A Project Management Toolkit for
Space Flight Projects
Vincent J. Bilardo, Jr., PMP
Susan E. Kolibas, PMP
NASA Glenn Research Center
Presented at NASA Project Management Challenge
Conference
February 23, 2012
www.nasa.gov

2. Content
• Context
• Toolkit Current State
• Toolkit Data Flow
• Demonstration
• Lessons Learned
• Toolkit Future State
• Payoff
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 2

3. Context
Toolkit development driven by NASA Glenn
Research Center’s Strategic Action Plan
Strategic Goal 3:
Deliver Program and Center
Governance
Structure
Project Management Established
Operating Rigorous
Excellence (PPME) Cadence
(Monthly
Processes
(NPR, GLPR, HBK,
that results in Reviews, PPBE, Mile
stone Calendar)
etc)
successful missions PPME
Framework
for our customers and Execution Standardized
Metrics Tools
challenging, long-term (EVM, Budget
(Project
Execution, Procure
Management
assignments for ment
Execution, etc) Trained Proficient
Toolkit)
continued Staff
(PMs, PP&C Staff,
achievements. Team Members)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 3

4. A Little History…
What is the Project Manager’s Toolkit?
PROJECT MANAGER’S TOOLKIT
A web-served collection of
user friendly tools that enable
rigorous project planning!
• Incorporates NASA standards
and best practices:
•NPR 7120.5c and 7123
•Competency Mgt System
• Fully tailorable to user’s unique
project needs
• Puts powerful project formulation
tools at user’s fingertips:
•Historical Program Database NASA SimVision® models people at work
•Design Structure Matrix
Organization Simulation Technology
•Analytical Hierarchy Process
•Project Simulation Organizational norms shape
their work, communications,
2006
Page 5
Meeting decisions, and leadership
Decision
Meeting
Rework Twenty-five years of Stanford
Rework
Communication Direct Work University research and ten
Direct Work
Decision years of commercial application
Communication
Direct Work
validate its accuracy and
Delivering an reliability
We have modeled NASA's VAMS
(Virtual Airspace Modeling
operational Rework
System) project and the
Constellation Systems
Coordination
Engineering organization
2011
Toolkit is not SimVision is part of the NASA
Project Manager’s Toolkit
easy! 2008
2/13/2012 PMC 2008 Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator Team 12
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 4

5. Current Toolkit Portal – Feb 2012
The PPME Toolkit is an
online one-stop portal
developed to facilitate
rigorous, compliant,
life cycle-based:
- Proposal
Development
- Project Planning
- Project Execution
- Project Control &
Reporting
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 5

6. Current Toolkit Portal
GLenn Procedural Requirements
(GLPRs) developed to implement
NASA Procedural Requirements
7120.5, 7123.1, 7150.2, 8700.X
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 6

7. Current Toolkit Portal
Toolkit brings GLPRs “to life” by
serving up the process flows
and templates via mouse clicks
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 7

8. Toolkit Standardizes Project
Planning
WBS:
• Standard Work
X
Level 0 Top Level Project Life Cycle
Milestones
Breakdown
WBS:
X.Y Structure
Project
Level 1 WBS Elements /
through each
Control Accounts
Team
defines WBS: project phase
X.Y.Z
the Level 2 Work / Planning Packages
Resource
Loaded
Schedule WBS: • Facilitates
X.Y.Z.A
(RLS)
Level 3 communication
Tasks / Deliverable Products
between
Performi WBS:
ng Orgs X.Y.Z.A.B Projects and
assign Level 4 Staffing Assignments Performing Orgs
staff by
name to
project
tasks
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 8

9. Toolkit Data Flow
PPBE Cycle
Planning Mode Execution Mode
(prior to FY start) (after FY start)
Project Planning &
Estimating (PP&E) EVM System Obs, Costs Actuals
Template Baseline Plan, Cobra / Winsight
.xlw Enterprise Schedule, Budget
Server Updates
Resource Loaded Reporting
Data
Translator Schedule (RLS) Templates
.mpp .xlw , .pdf, .ppt
GRC
ICA Financial
Data
Translator Template Systems
.xlw or .pdf e.g. SAP/BW
Data GRC Cost
Translator Model
.xlw
Agency
Data
Phasing Plan Budget
Translator Template
Systems
.xlw
e.g. PMT
Schedule
PPME Toolkit Status
Legacy Tools/Systems Schedule Updates Reports
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

10. Project Planning & Estimating (PP&E)
Template Demo
• PP&E to Resource Loaded Schedule (RLS)
Data Translation
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 10

11. Demo: Project Planning & Estimating Template enables
single point of entry WBS definition and resource estimating,
automatically translated into Microsoft Project
Define the WBS
Elements
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Flight Systems Project Forum 09/26/2011 11

12. The Project Planning & Estimating Template enables
single point of entry WBS definition and resource estimating,
automatically translated into Microsoft Project
Define the WBS
Elements
Add
Tasks,
Durations
, and
Resource
Document
Estimates
Basis of
Estimate
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Flight Systems Project Forum 09/26/2011 12

13. The Project Planning & Estimating Template enables
single point of entry WBS definition and resource estimating,
automatically translated into Microsoft Project
Define the WBS
Elements
Add Tasks
and
Resource
Estimates
Import
into
Microsoft
Project
Resource
Loaded
Schedule
template
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Flight Systems Project Forum 09/26/2011 13

14. Resource Loaded Schedule (RLS)
Demo
• RLS to Cost Model Data Translation
• RLS to Phasing Plan Data Translation
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 14

15. RLS to Cost Model Translation
Scheduled
resources
generate
cost via
standard
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 15

16. RLS to Cost Model Translation
Translator
setup:
Filter by
date
range, FY,
or WBS
Output by
year,
quarter,
or month
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 16

17. RLS to Cost Model Translation
Output to
Excel
Includes
estimate per
resource code
(hours for
labor, $K for
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 17

18. RLS to Cost Model Translation
Output to
Excel
includes
 Cost by FY
of each WBS
Element
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 18

19. RLS to Cost Model Translation
Output to
Excel-based
GRC Cost
Model
includes:
 Cost by FY
of each WBS
Element
 Total
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012
Project
February 23, 2012 19

20. RLS to Phasing Plan Translation
Output to Excel-based
GRC Phasing Plan
template includes:
 FTE labor hours by
month
 Procurement cost or
obs basis phasing by
month for each
discrete procurement
Phasing Plan templates
rolled together by GRC
OCFO and loaded to
Agency Program
Management Tool (PMT)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Flight Systems Project Forum 09/26/2011 20

21. Lessons Learned to Date
• Develop and baseline a standard GRC Resource Breakdown Structure for use
in all Toolkit tools and templates.
• Develop set of RLS templates with standardized WBS/task structures by
project category.
- Develop standardized list of typical project deliverables and associated
BOEs based on mining historic project actuals.
• Develop work instructions, guidance, and training for each of the Toolkit
modules to assist project teams with successful adoption.
• Define a CM process for establishing the integrated cost-schedule baseline,
and controlling changes to it.
• Provide tailored level of scheduling support for smaller projects.
• Solve the detail-level issues to ensure the RLS captures the complete
integrated cost-schedule baseline:
- Cost basis scheduling vs. obligation basis planning
- Prior year un-costed carry-in
- Center assessments and service pools
- Accounting for “overhead” (e.g. meetings, training, etc.)
- Balance RLS standardization (e.g. custom data field use) vs. scheduling
flexibility
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Project Management Challenge 2012 February 23, 2012 21

22. PPME Toolkit Portal - Future State
Transition current
PPME Toolkit portal
from .html to MS
SharePoint to enable:
• Management
Dashboards
• Project Budget,
Schedule, Risk
Reporting
• User & Project Team file
sharing
• Improved file
management & search
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 22

23. Resource Loaded Schedules –
Future State
Activate Portfolio
Management via MS
Project Enterprise Server
Importing An Existing Schedule
Imports
and Saves Works Schedule Publishes Manages Schedule Monitors
Existing and Saves to Schedule and Executes Portfolio
Schedule Draft Database when ready Subsequent Data
Onto (Does NOT Publications on
Project Publish) the Server
Server
Scheduler
Portfolio Analyst
Draft / Published Reporting Archive
Working (PWA)
Production
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 23

24. The Payoff: Why are we doing this?
• Improve up front project planning.
• Integrate cost, schedule, and technical baselines.
• Increase efficiency and hands-on labor savings.
• Streamline PPBE process and enable rigorous and
faster PPBE responses.
• Enable rapid “what if” analysis in response to budget
& schedule changes.
• Enable rapid, accurate requirement/technical change
impact assessments.
• Enable quick, accurate, centrally handled data call
responses.
• Enable true Space Flight Portfolio Management.
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