# Presentation: 409922

## NASA Human Capital Initiatives 

**Attract and maintain a workforce that is representative of the Nation’s diversity and includes the competencies that NASA needs to deliver the sustained levels of high performance that the Agency’s challenging mission requires.**
**                         ****-- ****NASA 2003 Strategic Plan**

**Joan Peterson**
**Director, Personnel Division**
**Office of Human Resources**
**August 27, 2003**

## Objectives of Briefing/Discussion

**Provide:**
**Understanding as to how NASA is ensuring a more effective, integrated approach to human capital management**** **
**Human Capital Challenges—the basis for Strategic Human Capital Plan (SHCP) development**** **
**Architecture for development of SHCP**** **
**Desired outcomes of implementation**** **
**Accountability approach to ensure successful SHCP implementation**

## NASA’s Human Capital Challenges

**NASA faces a number of external and internal challenges to our ability to manage human capital effectively**
***External factors***** include**
**A shrinking S&E pipeline**
**Increased competition for technical skills**
**Lack of diversity in the applicant pool**
**Contributing to this challenge are demographics and *****trends within NASA***** **
**Skills imbalances and lack of depth in critical competencies**
**Significant loss of knowledge due to projected retirements**
**Implementing the Strategic Human Capital Plan will help us address the challenges these trends represent**

## Linking HC Strategies to NASA’s Mission, Vision, Core Values, Goals, and Objectives

**President’s Management Agenda and NASA Strategic Plan form the basis for Strategic Human Capital Plan (SHCP)**** **
**The SCHP:**** **
**Reflects that mission success is directly related to the skills, talents, and intellectual capability of the workforce**** **
**Recognizes the human capital capability that currently exists, the capability that will be needed in the future, and the criticality of achieving those capabilities**** **
**Demonstrates that success will only be achieved through an integrated, systematic NASA-wide approach to human capital management**

## NASA Strategic Human Capital Plan

**The NASA SHCP is based on criteria used by OMB, OPM and GAO**** **
**The SHCP and companion SCH Implementation Plan provide the roadmap for the specific actions and initiatives necessary to ensure that we have the right workforce to achieve excellence in the performance of NASA’s mission**
**The SHCP is structured around five “pillars”**** **
**Each pillar is aligned with specific goals, strategies, and improvement initiatives to enhance NASA’s ability to manage the workforce**** **

## NASA Strategic Human Capital Plan

**HC strategies link with program budgets, which are tied directly to programs**
**Team of NASA senior managers (led by AA for Human Resources and including Enterprise AA’s and Center Directors) did an assessment of NASA’s current state in each area**
**Team identified improvement initiatives**
**Merit special emphasis**
**Where expenditure of resources can be expected to yield greatest benefit**

## Slide 7

| Pillars | Initiatives |
| --- | --- |
| STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT – NASA aligns human capital to support the vision and accomplish the Agency’s mission and goals.  | Develop and implement an Agencywide integrated workforce planning and analysis capability.

Increase utilization of flexibilities and tools to ensure a highly skilled, diverse and productive workforce. |
| STRATEGIC COMPETENCIES – NASA  recruits, acquires, and retains a diverse workforce with world-class capabilities in strategic competencies needed for all components of its mission.
 | Develop an Agency competency mgmt system that defines competencies the Agency must retain and those for which it will rely on industry, academia and others.

Ensure that NASA education programs match a diverse population of students with projected NASA workforce needs. |
| LEARNING – NASA promotes a knowledge-sharing culture and a climate of openness, continuous learning and improvement.
 | Ensure training and development programs build needed competencies, including more effective incorporation of knowledge sharing and mentoring in the development of employees.

Capture knowledge and lessons learned (from failures and successes) in a more effective, systematic way. |
| PERFORMANCE CULTURE – NASA creates a culture that focuses on results, motivates employees to perform, and ensures fairness in the workplace.  | Assure the Agencywide performance management system focuses on accountability for results.

Assure that employee rewards and recognition programs are adequately linked to performance that contributes to achievement of Agency goals. |
| LEADERSHIP – NASA ensures it has leaders who are adaptable; who inspire, motivate, and guide others towards goals; who mentor and challenge the workforce; and who demonstrate high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect. | Ensure that an integrated, strategic training and development program builds needed Agency leadership competencies. |

## NASA’s Human Capital AccountabilitySelf-Assessment System

| Pillars | Measures | Data Source | Reporting Schedule |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT |  All Centers showing progress on human capital management success.

 Workforce feedback on strategic alignment (employee survey-based). | Centers’ HRO via HCM Self-Assessment Guide

Governmentwide or other survey | Annually and/or with updates of SHCP

For each survey administered (next will be 2004)
 |
| STRATEGIC COMPETENCIES |  Percent of identified competency gaps that were closed.

 Frequency of methods used to close gaps.

 Job offers; declination rates.

 Workforce feedback on strategic competencies. | Agency’s Competency Management System

Centers’ HRO records

Centers’ HRO records

Governmentwide or other survey | Quarterly

Quarterly

Quarterly

For each survey administered (next will be 2004) |
| LEARNING |  Increased participation in e-learning opportunities (leading indicator).

 NASA’s Lessons Learned Information System (utilization measure).

 Workforce feedback on learning (employee survey-based). | NASA’s Site for Online Learning and Resources

NASA’s Lessons Learned Information System

Governmentwide or other survey
 | Quarterly

Quarterly

For each survey administered (next will be 2004) |

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## NASA’s Human Capital AccountabilitySelf-Assessment System

| Pillars | Measures | Data Source | Reporting Schedule |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

| PERFORMANCE CULTURE  |  Workforce feedback on performance culture (employee survey-based). | Governmentwide or other survey
 | For each survey administered (next will be 2004) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LEADERSHIP |  Percent o Leadership Development Program participants that advance to assignments of greater responsibility (leading indicator).

 Percent of SES Candidate Development Program participants that enter SES (input indicator).

 All Centers conduct personnel function compliance reviews (effective merit-based HRM).

 Workforce feedback on leadership (employee survey-based). | Centers’ Training Office records

OPM’s ESCS, NASA’s Personnel and Payroll System

Centers’ HRO via HCM Self-Assessment Guide

Governmentwide or other survey
 | Annually

Annually                                                                                                                                                                                           

Annually; 100% coverage every 3 years

For each survey administered (next will be 2004)
 |

- 3

## Desired Outcome

**One NASA with integrated capabilities to support NASA missions and achieve mission success**
**Effectively deployed workforce aligned with Agency mission and goals**
**Increased ability to attract and keep highly skilled, diverse workforce**
**Contribute to ensuring a continued source of competencies needed for future mission success**
**Effective process to develop leaders for future Agency leadership roles/responsibilities**

## Review of Human Capital Processes/Programs

**External reviews, e.g., OPM, OMB, GAO, OIG**** **
**Internal reviews**
**Self assessment system**
**Program continuous improvement activities**
**Issue or concern raised**** **
**Conduct study/analyze data**** **
**Change process/program**** **
**Continuous review/feedback**** **
**Examples:  Corporate Recruitment Initiative, NASA STARS, Awards and Recognition Study**

## Status of NASA Human Capital

**Is NASA ensuring a more effective, integrated approach to human capital management?**
**Quarterly reviews from external “graders” of HC—OMB and OPM—rated NASA HC “yellow;” NASA leading Government in many HC areas**** **
**Used Governmentwide survey results to validate that improvement initiatives were correct ones**** **
**By 9/30/03, NASA will substantially complete SHCP improvement initiatives**** **
**Numerous external agencies benchmarking NASA’s Human Capital programs (e.g., OPM, OMB, Partnership for Public Service, MSPB, ESA, DOD, DoI)**** **

## BACKGROUND

**Examples of Several**
**Human Capital Initiatives**

## Performance Management System Focusing on Results

**7 performance criteria applied to all SES positions to strengthen NASA leadership corps and One NASA focus**
**President’s Management Agenda**
**Health of NASA**
**Equal Opportunity and Diversity**
**Collaboration**
**Professional Development**
**Program Objectives (i.e., mission success)**
**Fair and Equitable Performance-based Evaluation System **
**Criteria, with appropriate modification, will be cascaded down to all supervisors and managers and subsequently to rest of  workforce with focus on achieving mission success**
**Criteria will be used in personnel decisions – hiring, promoting, rewarding, developing, ...**** **

## 7 Criteria

| President’s Management Agenda | Understands the principles of the President’s Management Agenda and actively applies them.  Assures maximum organizational efficiency, is customer focused and incorporates Presidential priorities in budget and performance plans.  Capitalizes on opportunities to integrate human capital issues in planning and performance, expand e-government and competitive sourcing; pursues other opportunities to reduce costs and improve service to customers.  |
| --- | --- |
| Health of NASA | Actions contribute to safe and successful mission accomplishment and/or strengthen infrastructure or support functions; increases efficient and effective management of the Agency.  Facilitates knowledge sharing within and between programs and projects.  Displays unquestioned personal integrity and commitment to safety.  |
| Equal Opportunity and Diversity | Demonstrates a commitment to equal opportunity and diversity by pro-actively implementing programs that positively impact the workplace and NASA's external stakeholders and through voluntary compliance with EO laws, regulations, policies and practices.  This includes such actions as ensuring equal opportunity in hiring by providing, if needed, reasonable accommodation(s) to an otherwise qualified individual with a disability; or ensuring equal opportunity without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or religion in all personnel decisions, and in the award of grants or other Federal funds to stakeholder recipients.
 |
| Collaboration | Integrates One-NASA approach to problem-solving, program/project management, and decision-making.  Leads by example by reaching out to other organizations and NASA Centers to collaborate on work products; seeks input and expertise from a broad spectrum.  Demonstrates possession of organizational and interpersonal skills.  |

## 7 Criteria

| Professional Development | Has a breadth of experience in different organizations, agencies, functional areas and/or geographic locations.  Demonstrates continual learning in functional and leadership areas, e.g., through advanced education/training or participating in seminars.  Encourages and supports development and training of assigned staff.  Where feasible, seeks, accepts and encourages opportunities for developmental assignments in other functional areas and elsewhere in NASA, with a focus on broadening Agency-wide perspective.   |
| --- | --- |
| Program Objectives | Meets and advances established Agency program objectives and achieves high-quality results.  Demonstrates the ability to follow through on commitments.   Individual fits into long-term human capital strategy and could be expected to make future contributions at a higher level or in a different capacity at the same level.
 |
| Fair and Equitable Performance-Based Evaluation System | (Applicable only for supervisory positions):  Implements/utilizes a fair, equitable, and merit/performance-based process/system for the evaluation of individuals for bonuses, promotions, career advancement and general recognition.  
 |

## Legislative Proposals to Address Challenges

| CHALLE
CHALLENGE  | 
RESPONSE  | 
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Skills Imbalances  | Reshape the workforce to address imbalances through a combination of targeted voluntary attrition and hiring  for critical competencies |  Enhanced Buyout Authority  
 Distinguished Scholar Hiring Authority 
Enhanced recruitment, retention, relocation bonuses 
Enhanced travel and leave benefits for new hires
Superior qualifications pay authority |
| Lack of depth in critical competencies  | Attract and retain world-class workforce by making job offers more quickly and offering better financial incentives
Encourage students to pursue science and engineering careers (long range solution)
Offer incentives to retain key personnel for critical needs
Leverage outside expertise to address skills needs and strengthen NASA’s mission capability  | 	Distinguished Scholar Hiring Authority
Enhanced recruitment, retention, relocation bonuses
Enhanced travel, leave benefits for new hires
 Increased rate of pay for NEX employees
 Pay Authority for critical positions
 More flexible term appointment authority
Extension of IPA Assignment Period  |
| Intense competition from the private sector for technical talent  | Compete more successfully with private sector to attract world-class workforce by making job offers more quickly and offering better financial incentives 
Ability to develop and implement innovative HR tools to respond quickly to changing needs |  Distinguished Scholar Hiring Authority 
 Enhanced recruitment, retention, relocation bonuses
 Critical pay authority; increased pay for NEX employees
 Expanded SES limited term appointment/bonus authority
 More flexible term appointment authority
	Demonstration project authority   |
| Lack of diversity in workforce | Encourage minority and female students to pursue science and engineering careers
Compete more successfully with the private sector for minority and female candidates  |  Scholarship-for-Service Program
 Distinguished Scholar Hiring Authority
Enhanced recruitment, retention, relocation bonuses 
Enhanced travel and leave benefits for new hires
Critical pay authority; increased pay for NEX employees |
| Shrinking  S&E Pipeline  | Encourage students to pursue science and engineering careers (long range solution)
Make job offers more quickly and offer better financial incentives  |  Scholarship-for-Service Program 
 Distinguished Scholar Hiring Authority
Enhanced recruitment, retention, relocation bonuses
Enhanced travel and leave benefits for new hires
 |

## NASA’s Competency Management System

**Competency management – to help focus Agency efforts to “attract and maintain a workforce that is representative of the Nation’s diversity and includes the competencies NASA needs to deliver the sustained levels of high performance that the Agency’s challenging mission requires”**
**	****-- NASA  Strategic Plan 2003**

_**CMS FACILITATES DESIRED END-STATE**_
_**PROVIDE INFORMATION**_
**Knowledge capability of the workforce**
**Competencies required for each position**
_**FURTHER “ONE NASA” GOAL**_
**Standard language across Centers**
_**INFLUENCE OUTCOMES**_
**Alignment of workforce to mission needs**
**Establishment of hiring & training priorities**
**Targeted education programs to meet future workforce needs**

**Mission/Goal**
**Alignment**

**Program/Project**
**Management**

**Training &**
**Development**
**Thrusts**

**Competency **
**Management**
**System**

**Workforce**
**Modeling**

**Strategic**
**Hiring/Retention**
**Plans**

**Succession**
**Planning**

**Education**
**Programs**

**Civil Service/**
**Contractor**
**Partnerships**

## Aligning Recognition and Awards with NASA’S Values and Expectations 

**Benchmarked five private sector companies’ best practices for linking recognition to organizational strategic objectives and values **
**Conducted focus groups to gather workforce feedback on current awards and recognition practices**
** **
**Used results to verify where linkages can be made between employee rewards and Agency goals**
**Currently comparing results of the 2002 OPM Federal Human Capital Survey with previous surveys to assess how well employees understand how their work relates to Agency mission and goals**** **

## Training and Development Programs

|  | Fellowships | PMDP-ALO | Leadership Potential Program | SESCDP |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 
Target | High Performing Leaders & Employees with Strong Leadership Potential  | High Performing Technical Employees with Strong Leadership Potential  | High Performing Leaders  | Top SES Candidates  |
| 

Program Purpose | To Provide Best-In-Class Executive & Management Academic Training that Can be Quickly Applied & Shared 
 | To Develop a Cadre of Highly Qualified Project Managers to Fill Program and Project Vacancies  | To Prepare Leaders to Take on Higher/Broader Levels of Responsibility in 12 to 18 Mo. ; to Obtain Agency and Government-wide Understanding | To Meet Government Requirements for Preparing Individuals to Enter the SES  |
| 

Developmental Experience | Management and Executive Training at the University Level  | MS in Engineering & Management, Developmental Assignment,
APPL Training  | Leadership Workshops
2 Developmental Assignments
NASA Strategic Overview
Leadership Coaching
Briefings and Training
Agency-Wide Results Project  | Executive Level Training, NASA Seminars
Developmental Assignments  |
| 

Selection Criteria | Full-time CS
GS 13-SES
Taken Advantage of Center & Agency Training Opportunities
Has Not Participated in a NASA Dev. Program for 3/5 yrs.  | Full-time CS
GS 13-15
Possess PPM Competence at Level 2
Part of the Technical Program and Project Management Community | Full Time CS
GS 13-15 Leaders
Broad Center Experience
Individuals Expected to Become Center Executives or Agency Leaders 
Characteristics and Abilities Defined for Candidates | Full Time CS
14/15 
Rated Against OPM Executive Core Qualifications |

**Training and Development Programs**