NASA Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program (SELDP)

SELDP Resources

• SELDP Program Plan — Outlines the Program Requirements, Roles and Responsibilities, Participant Nomination and Selection, and the Program Schedule.

• Current Call for SELDP Participants, including Attachments and Application Forms
  

• The Art and Science of Systems Engineering
• Complete Version (PDF)
• Short Version (PDF)
• NASA Systems Engineering Behavior Study (October 2008)

• Executive Leadership at NASA: A Behavioral Framework (June 2010)

NASA’s vision and mission necessitate that its workforce is ready and able to lead the world in space exploration, scientific discovery, technology development, and managerial excellence. Systems engineering has been identified by NASA Leadership as a critical core competency in enabling current and future mission success. The NASA Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) has responsibility for implementing an effective systems engineering strategy across NASA. OCE has aligned and integrated the following systems engineering framework:

• Common Technical Processes;
• Tools and Methods; and
• Workforce, Knowledge and Skills.

Current activities to realign governing documents includes:

• Revision of NPD 7120.5D NID Program/Project Management Policy Directive to ensure the Agency has a focused and shared systems engineering policy.
• Development of implementation plans to show how NPR 7123.1A is being flowed down to the Centers.
• Development of an Agency-wide Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program (SELDP).

The OCE has very robust Program and Project Management and Systems Engineering training programs within the Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership (APPEL). With over 60 in-depth courses, APPEL provides an excellent foundation for NASA employees to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to improve their program/project and engineering capabilities. In addition to these courses, the OCE has determined that there is a greater need for hands-on systems engineering experience.

While several NASA Centers have entry-level systems engineering development programs, SELDP has been designed to provide advanced systems engineering and leadership skills as well as a NASA-wide perspective. A core requirement of SELDP is hands-on developmental assignments at other Centers. These assignments allow participants to gain this broader understanding of NASA and expand their application of systems engineering.

The Art and Science of Systems Engineering (see sidebar) culminates years of experience in systems engineering and focused discussions among NASA leadership, systems engineers, and systems engineering trainers across the Agency. The objectives are to:

• Provide a clear definition of systems engineering,
• Describe the highly effective behavioral characteristics of NASA's best systems engineers, and
• Make explicit the expectations of systems engineers at NASA.
  
  

In addition to the resources offered in the sidebar, please use the choices in the left navigation panel to learn more about the SELDP program.