hamptonguy

Comment Threads

• possum commented on New NASA Governance Structure Under Development
  The issue is that the Centers right now have no authority. All of the authority flows through the MDAA's to the programs and the Center Directors' opinions are only recommendations. The Centers want to be back under the Mission Directorates (used to be Divisions) so they are in the chain of authority. Right now, a project or program at a Center calls all the shots, determines who gets what FTEs and funding, and whether or not the program is going to follow institutional requirements. The Centers have no mechanism to enforce anything, they are just bystanders. If a program decides...

• greytguy commented on New NASA Governance Structure Under Development
  Possum, I disagree. The Centers are an administrative entity, not a programmatic/functional one. Under the current governance model we have somewhat of a clear programmatic management chain and I like it that way. Interjecting the Centers into that chain will just muddy things up without making much of a contribution programmatic decisions. As it is now, the Centers still interject themselves into budgetary and workforce processes in an effort to protect their own administrative "rice bowls". Projects often end up funding people they don't want and can't use, directly or indirectly. The lack of innovation and rapid decision-making in NASA...

• Stillastillsfan commented on New NASA Governance Structure Under Development
  greytguy - let me give you some points to chew on related to present project-driven structure at NASA related to R&T projects: No or little FTE or WYE allotment by project managers for young employee training because the project is only concerned with project goals. Related to the last point, little ability to train young employee in one area of expertise because they have to be spread among different projects since the projects rarely provide enough FTE to cover them fully. Lack of concern by projects for core competency maintenance and development - the project is only interested in project...

• Miles Gray commented on New NASA Governance Structure Under Development
  I think we have 2 prime examples of how the program management structure which leaves out the center expertise does not work. These are called Constellation and ISS. Lets name some more in-house experts that have no relevant education or experience to manage our technical programs. Lets not develop any pedigree of expertise before we put the people in charge. Maybe its not so important to know what it is we ought to be doing, as long as the US taxpayer continues to pay and as long as we can rely on our international friends to do the serious technical...

• justagal commented on LaRC Management Wants To Know Why People Show Up for Work
  I'm agreeing with eep that looking for the reasons that people are motivated to go to work is a good thing, and should be supported. Ideally, we should all be motivated to go to work. However, there are plenty of examples of people who just go because "it's a job". I am finding that there are a lot of employees who seem to lack much motivation beyond getting a paycheck. They aren't the people I want to work with, but in many cases, I have to. I applaud LaRC's decision to investigate this. I agree that other centers could benefit...