NASA celebrated its 50th anniversary on October 1, 2008. Its mission is to pioneer space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research. NASA uses knowledge management strategies like NASAsphere, an internal social network, to facilitate communication across its 10 centers. NASAsphere helped capture expertise, accelerate information sharing, and create a collective intelligence within the agency. However, establishing expectations and moderating content were important to focus the network on work issues.

1. KM World 2008
Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 1

2. NASA's quot;birthdayquot; is October 1, 1958
NASA's mission is to pioneer
the future in space exploration,
scientific discovery and
aeronautics research.
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 2

3. Taking astronauts and scientists into
space.
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 3

4. Image Credit: Image Credit: NASA, The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), Y.‐H. Chu (UIUC), S. Kulkarni (Caltech) and R. Rothschild (UCSD)
Bringing the Universe down to Earth.
This Hubble image depicts the delicate filaments debris from a stellar explosion in a neighboring galaxy.
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 4

5. KM Pain Points for NASA
Geographically Dispersed
Aging Workforce
Mission Transition
• 10 centers in 8 • Long duration • Focus from
state projects mean a Shuttle to
• Plus many other high probability Constellation
facilities of team turn means changes
• 18,722 civil over to buildings,
service1; 43,500 • Ave age1=46.4 workforce,
contractors/ • Ave federal contractors, and
others2 service1= 17.9 budget
• Constellation years • A 4 year gap
Program work is • Eligible for between
shared across all Retirement1 in programs too!
NASA centers ’07=328
1 As of August 2008, http:// 1 Forcivil servants only, http://
wicn.nssc.nasa.gov/
2 Data as of June 2006, FAIR 2006 wicn.nssc.nasa.gov/
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 5

6. About NASAsphere
Sphere: as in shape
and circle of peers
Grew from 78 to 295
in 60 days via
colleague invites
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 6

7. NASAsphere Benefits
Accelerates Captures individual
Creates peer‐to‐peer
communication and knowledge worker know‐
communication in context,
problem solving, creating how for reuse by many,
deepening understanding
peer‐to‐peer creating collective
for decision making
communication capability intelligence
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 7

8. The Radar O'Reilly Effect
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 8

9. How NASAsphere Works
k of a
“The networ Knowledge
conversation
Worker!
ed on
spreads bas
her
its topic rat
on-
than by pers
to-person
Knowledge Knowledge
Worker! Worker!
sharing.” ~
NASAsphere Topic!
participant!
Knowledge Knowledge
Worker! Worker!
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 9

10. How NASA Used Online Social
Networking for Business
Sharing a “day‐in‐the‐life” of a NASA scientist
Asking where to find critical information and data
to support NASA tasks
Presenting and vetting ideas to NASA’s collective
intelligence
Enhancing the employee directory with interests,
expertise, and contact information
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 10

11. Tags Used
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 11

12. Yes We Overcame the Radar
Effect Questions and Answers
93% of answers were by
people from a different
NASA center
Lots of people supporting
NASAsphere content
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 12

13. Our NASAsphere Pilot
Experience
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 13

14. Some Suggestions
Set the Expectations for Participants
Set rules of engagement
 Provide boundaries of “how” and “what” they can discuss to keep down,
or eliminate the “what I did last night” postings and focus on work‐related
questions and comments.
Give them a task
 Ask participants to do some tasks like post X number of questions,
comment on X number of questions or idea. This gives people meaning
and purpose for participating during a pilot.
Allow them to invite work colleagues
 Set restrictions on the backend of your invite system, tell the participants
what they are and then stand back and watch the online social network
grow.
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 14

15. Contact Info
Celeste Merryman
Knowledge Management Leader
Computer Sciences Corporation
Knowledge Management & Collaboration
Technologies Office
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Celeste.Merryman@jpl.nasa.gov
KM World 2008, Celeste Merryman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CL#08‐3075 15