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2012 APPEL News and Events
November 2012
NASA’s Journey to Project Management Excellence Released
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Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership (APPEL) is pleased to release its latest publication NASA’s Journey to Project Management Excellence written by APPEL Director Dr. Ed Hoffman and APPEL Communications lead Matt Kohut.
Given that one-of-a-kind complex projects require innovation, learning is a precondition of success. Over a span of more than two decades, APPEL has developed a three-level approach for addressing the learning needs of NASA's project and engineering workforce. By focusing on individuals, teams, and organizational knowledge as a whole, the Academy creates multiple “touch points” for professional development. In the process, individuals build their competencies skills, teams get the support they need in the field, and the agency matures as a learning organization.
Download a PDF version of the book or find it on APPEL’s iTunes U site.
September 2012
APPEL Releases Orbital Debris iBook
Orbital Debris Management & Risk Mitigation iBook now available:
Download iBooks File | PDF File
The NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership (APPEL) is excited to announce the public release of Orbital Debris Management and Risk Mitigation, its first publication of NASA training materials using the iBook format. This new electronic book platform, introduced in the spring of 2012, enables the seamless integration of text with videos, 3-D models, image galleries, and interactive graphics.
APPEL’s Orbital Debris Management and Risk Mitigation (ODM) training course provides mission-critical knowledge that helps NASA missions implement with agency’s overarching strategic goals and the U.S. National Space Policy goals for sustainability in space. The new iBook supplements the existing course taught by Dr. Nicholas L. Johnson, Chief Scientist in the Orbital Debris Program Office at Johnson Space Center. These supplementary materials are now freely available to anyone.
Learn more about APPEL's Orbital Debris iBook.
July 2012
Goddard Organizational Silence Event
Organizational silence can affect any organization. The effects are hard to detect until something major occurs. Often very subtle characteristics of the organization culture can inadvertently contribute to people not feeling entirely free to speak up. The Goddard Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer will host a full-day event on the discussion of this topic.
Learn more about the speakers and see the agenda.
NASA Case Study: The Pursuit of Images of Columbia
Soon after the launch of Columbia (STS-107) on January 16, 2003, a piece of insulting foam struck the orbiter’s left wing. Launch video did not reveal the extent of the damage, and engineers’ analyses were inconclusive. Partly because the foam was a known issue that had not led to significant problems in the past. Concerns voiced by engineers trying to determine the extent of the possible damage were not heard and no action was taken. The effects during Columbia’s reentry into the atmosphere on February 1, 2003, were catastrophic, with the loss of the spacecraft and all seven members of its crew.
The case follows futile attempts of the Chief Structural Engineer at Johnson Space Center to persuade upper management that obtaining images of Columbia's wing is critical to the safe return of ship and crew.
Glenn Research Center employees are invited to come and participate in a facilitated discussion with fellow GRC employees of what we can learn, and what we have learned from the Columbia Accident. What can you do to ensure that your voice is heard?
You will receive a copy of the NASA case study to read in advance of the session so come prepared to share your thoughts and questions.
Contact Kathy Clark (kathy.m.clark@nasa.gov) for more information.
June 2012
2012 SELDP Class Graduates
The 2012 Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program (SELDP) class graduated from its yearlong program on June 20, 2012. In addition to completing a six-month rotational assignment at a new center or an unfamiliar project, participants also went through a series of interactive workshops. Video from the event and pictures from the year will be made available on the APPEL website soon.
Read more about the 2011 class.
Updated APPEL RSS Feed Has Gone Live
In early March, the Academy released the NASA APPEL RSS feed live on the appel.nasa.gov home page. RSS, or Real Simple Syndication, is an easy way to publish online content that is updated regularly from websites. In essence, by signing up for the feed, the latest APPEL content is delivered directly to you.
Since it was first released, thousands of you subscribed to the feed to get the latest stories, courses, and knowledge available on the APPEL page. We have now released an improved RSS feed that provides a better user experience and is more optimized with RSS feed readers like Flipboard, Currents, Google Reader, etc.
APPEL aims to bring you the learning and knowledge materials you need through the media of your choice. RSS is one way for us to do that. Please take a moment to update your NASA APPEL RSS feed with the newest version:
If you have not yet signed up for the feed, please use the link above to sign up.
March 2012
International Project Management Committee Workshop
The International Project Management Committee (IPMC) held its first-ever Lessons Learned Workshop in March to compare best practices at identifying, capturing, and disseminating lessons learned. ESA hosted the event at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Participating organizations included Astrium, CNES, Comau, Czech Space Office, DLR, ESA, JAXA, and Thales Alenia.
Learn more about the International Project Management course.
Learn more about the IPMC. (PDF)
February 2012
Academy Hosts Third International Forum at PM Challenge
The Academy hosted the third annual International forum at PM Challenge February 22-23, 2012. The sessions over two days featured panelists from several space agencies, industry partners, and professional organizations. Download the schedule to view the topics and participant from the session.
Seventh Session of International Project Management Course
Forty participants from 12 countries took part in the seventh session of the ‘International Project Management’ course, which the Academy hosted at Kennedy Space Center from February 26 through March 3, 2012. Participants came from eight NASA centers, ten international partner organizations, and NASA headquarters. The agenda included sessions led by instructors from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), as well as a panel on "Other International Perspectives," featuring representatives from Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), INVAP, German Aerospace Center (DLR), and Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
January 2012
Annual Publications Released
2011 marked the beginning of a new era for NASA. With the retirement of the space shuttle after the successful completion of its final missions, the agency embraced a transition to new forms of collaboration with international and commercial partners to reach low-Earth orbit. Science missions such as Aquarius and aeronautics research such as the Integrated Systems Research Program also highlighted the growing importance of innovative partnerships. The consolidation of space operations and human exploration into one mission directorate represented a new level of integration as the agency undertook the development of a heavy launch vehicle that will carry humans deeper into space. The Academy’s annual publications provide a snapshot of its efforts to help the NASA workforce meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
The Academy's Annual Report details the Academy's activities and innovations in FY 2011.
The Year in Knowledge 2011 features selections from ASK Magazine, ASK the Academy, case studies, and white papers.
The ASK the Academy Volume 4 Anthology collects the best stories, insights, and interviews from the monthly ASK the Academy e-newsletter in 2011.