National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Logistics Management Newsletter

FROM THE LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT DIVISION

FY21 | ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2021

Welcome. This newsletter 

is brought to you by the 

Logistics Management 

Division (LMD). Its purpose 

is to keep you abreast 

of the latest business 

practices and to share 

information about ongoing 

logistics management 

initiatives and events. It also 

introduces interim policy 

letters, which shall be 

incorporated in forthcoming 

updates of NASA 

Procedural Directives and 

Procedural Requirements.

IN THIS ISSUE

1 Hails and Farewells 3 Equipment Management 

Program 6 A Year in Review—FY20

10 Suspension of Physical 

Inventory: Stages 4 and 3 11 Transportation 

Management Program 11 Happy New Year from LMD 

HAILS AND FAREWELLS

The Logistics Management Division (LMD) 

Welcomes Vincent Cappello as LMD 

Deputy Director

Dr. Olivette Hooks, Director, LMD

Vincent Cappello, 

Deputy Director, LMD

Vincent Cappello comes to NASA from the General 

Services Administration (GSA), where he served 

as a Branch Chief for the Office of Customer 

and Stakeholder Engagement National Accounts 

Management Program, providing leadership and 

oversight to GSA National Account Managers. He 

led a team of strategic and trusted advisors to key 

agency partners providing guidance on the complete range of GSA Federal 

Acquisition Service (FAS) acquisition vehicles and solutions.

Before his tenure at GSA, he served at the Pentagon as Director of 

Acquisition Logistics Policy and Information Technology (IT) Advocacy 

within the Department of Navy’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Expeditionary and Logistics Management (DASN E&LM) Office. Vincent 

served as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for 

Research Development on matters related to policy and guidance for 

acquisition and sustainment efforts; he also oversaw logistics business 
2 logistics management news

processes advocacy in support of digital modernization. Additionally, he served as the Naval Air Systems 

Command Tactical Maintenance and Product Lifecycle 

Management Commodity Line Manager. In this capacity, he was responsible for the management and 

execution of aviation tactical and product life-cycle 

management software systems as well as the design 

efforts for future systems modernizations. He provided 

management oversight as well as policy and technical 

direction to more than 200 military, Government, and 

industry IT personnel. 

 In this capacity, he was responsible 

for the management and execution 

of aviation tactical and product lifecycle management software systems 

as well as the design efforts for 

future systems modernizations.

Other duty assignments include serving as the Product 

Support Manager for Strike Planning and Execution 

Systems supporting the Navy’s mission-planning capabilities and Tomahawk Weapons System, as well as 

serving as a senior logistics manager for the Airborne 

Strategic Command, Control, and Communications 

Program Office. 

Vincent is a Philadelphia, PA–area native and served 

10 years of active/reserve duty as a U.S. Navy 

Radioman, Information Systems Technician, and Naval 

Aircrewman onboard E-6B Mercury (TACAMO), C-9, 

C-20, and C-130 operational, test, and reserve aircraft. 

He is a Department of Defense Acquisition Professional 

Community member and is Acquisition Workforce 

Improvement Act Level III–certified in Logistics and 

Program Management. He received his bachelor’s 

degree in history from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. 

Additionally, he holds a master’s degree in public 

administration from Villanova University and a master’s 

in national resource strategy from the National Defense 

University Eisenhower School. 

Vince enjoys welding and restoring classic vehicles, 

fly-fishing Pennsylvania trout streams, and boating on 

the Chesapeake Bay with his wife Jennie and his two 

sons, Vinnie and Dominic.

Goddard Space Flight Center 

(GSFC) Announces the 

Retirement of Linda Wallace 

Kevin Roberts, GSFC Supply 

and Equipment Management 

Officer

Linda T. Wallace, 

Equipment Manager, 

GSFC

It is with bittersweet feelings 

that I announce the retirement 

of GSFC Equipment Manager 

Linda Wallace. Linda retired on 

January 2, 2021. 

Linda has supported GSFC’s 

Supply and Equipment Management program for the 

entirety of her NASA career, an impressive 38 years. 

She has played an important role in the history of the 

Agency’s property management program, contributing 

to enhancing the Agency’s asset-tracking capabilities. 

In 2003, Linda’s expertise was vital while serving as a 

member of the Agency’s implementation of its transition into the NASA Equipment Management System 

(NEMS); she played a similar role in 2008, when the 

Agency transitioned from NEMS to the Integrated Asset 

Management (IAM) Property, Plant, and Equipment 

(PP&E) System. More recently, Linda’s overarching 

expertise was fundamental to completing the RFID 

implementation project at GSFC over the last 3 years. 

Linda spent 12 of her 38 years at NASA as the Center’s 

Equipment Manager. She has had the chief responsibility to manage and to oversee the GSFC annual 

equipment inventory process consisting of over 50,000 

assets valued at over $3.8 billion. She ensured that 

the Center not only met but exceeded the Agency’s 

loss-rate requirement from fiscal year (FY)10 to FY20 

through her tireless contribution in the development of 

NASA procedural requirements, Center-specific requirements, new processes and procedures, stakeholder 

training packages, and work instructions. In FY15, 
logistics management newsl 

she set a record for the lowest 

loss rate ever achieved at GSFC 

at 0.11 percent of all equipment 

assets. Her diligent support for over 

100 property custodians ensured 

that GSFC’s organizations have 

well-trained and informed personnel to handle all aspects within the 

life cycle of property management. 

Linda was a strong communicator 

and spoke with authority. She was 

a pillar within the Agency’s equipment management community and 

equipment management program. 

She established annual training 

events and published newsletters 

that kept the Center’s stakeholders informed of updated policies 

and system enhancements, which 

greatly assisted in ensuring the 

success of GSFC’s missions. GSFC 

will certainly miss Linda and the 

great job she did in supporting the 

Center’s property management 

program over the years. Please join 

me in wishing Linda all the best 

in retirement. 

EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Miguel A. Rodriguez, Program Manager

The new year is ringing in ambitious endeavors for our 

logistics community. Subgroups of logistics community 

practitioners are reviewing, recommending, and moving 

forward with logistics process standardization and optimization. Center-specific forms and IT applications are 

under review with the objective of developing standardized Agency Enterprise applications and forms. Equally 

important, logistics business practice processes are 

being reviewed for “best in class” processes that can 

improve functionality and potentially reduce cost and/or 

level of effort. Some examples include the following:

¡ Updating of multiple logistics management forms to 

incorporate electronic workflow and signature loading consistent with the NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 

and NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) processes 

and to better support policy requirements; i.e., all 

equipment management forms are being revised.

¡ Optimization of logistics IT applications used across 

the Centers to identify opportunities for consolidation 

and standardization and eliminate redundancy. For 

example, progress is being made in the development 

of an Agency Enterprise shipping application.

¡ Heightening of logistics training for most functional 

areas to determine the appropriate content and 

delivery.

¡ Testing of digital inventory techniques to reduce the 

level of physical equipment inventory effort; i.e., the 

use of active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) 

interrogators and network discovery techniques.

Implementation of these improvement and modernization initiatives are subject to current contracts and may 

need to be phased in as new contracts are negotiated. 

Additionally, many of the initiatives will need to be documented in the applicable NPDs and NPRs, especially if 

they reflect process changes.

An Update on Mobile Devices

The update of mobile devices for inventory purposes 

continues to be a topic of interest during scheduled 

equipment management meetings. Representatives 

from the Agency Applications Office (AAO) spent 

countless hours working on this issue with partner 

organizations and discussing options with other subject 

matter experts before making a recommendation to 

the Agency.

The logistics community and the AAO joined efforts 

and spent valuable time mitigating cost over the past 

few years. The AAO understands that Centers do not 

want, or cannot afford, to take on more costs in their 

organizations. However, the upcoming network restrictions will result in obsolesce of mobile devices utilized in 

the execution of physical inventories. The upcoming IT 

security restrictions were not decisions made by LMD 

or AAO officials—we are working as a group and have 

done all we can do to comply with IT security measures 

while avoiding inventory interruptions.
4 logistics management news

LMD leadership trusts that all 

Center personnel will understand 

this and move on to become 

compliant as quickly as possible to avoid interruptions to 

equipment inventories.

The guidance below was confirmed to the AAO by officials from 

the Marshall Space Flight Center 

(MSFC) Chief Information Security 

Officer (CISO) and End User Service 

Office (EUSO) as factual information 

pertinent to operating systems and 

not to devices.

¡ The old iPods that are currently 

out of compliance absolutely will 

be blocked from accessing the 

NASA network at some 

point. (This will 

happen soon, 

but no date 

has been 

provided.) 

• The blocking 

from accessing the NASA network will likely occur without 

warning.

• This scenario causes Centers 

to be without a device to execute the required equipment 

inventory.

¡ The AAO Team cannot support 

out-of-compliance devices.

• IT support for out-ofcompliance devices is against 

NASA policy (per CISO 

and EUSO).

• When issues arise, mobile 

devices will not have 

IT support.

The Equipment Physical 

Inventory—FY20 

One of the concerns among the 

logistics management community is the conclusion of the FY20 

equipment inventory, which was 

due by September 30, 2020. 

This is because of the extraordinary circumstances in which we 

find ourselves due to COVID-19. 

Employees’ health and safety continue to be NASA’s highest priorities in this difficult time, and we all 

must remain vigilant to mitigate any 

unnecessary exposure. 

The majority of NASA employees 

and supporting contractors are 

subject to mandatory telework or 

have limited access to NASA 

facilities; therefore, physical inventories remain at a 

standstill until further notice. 

In June 2020, LMD decided 

to extend the September 30 deadline to December 31, 2020. This 

decision was reached in consensus 

with Center stakeholders with the 

expectation to be able to return to 

onsite work and complete the inventory by the end of 2020. In parallel, 

LMD communicated its decision to 

extend the September 30 deadline 

to the Office of the Chief Financial 

Officer’s (OCFO’s) property officials; 

this was because we had to remain 

mindful of the metrics NASA logistics had to fulfill with financial auditors on capital equipment inventory 

requirements in FY20. 

LMD’s expectations did not crystallize. As a result of COVID-19, 

NASA’s workforce is still under 

mandatory telework and restricted 

access to their Centers to perform 

onsite work. The December deadline for completion of the FY20 

equipment inventory is no longer 

applicable. However, LMD continues to monitor developments 

on Center statuses and remains 

keen to work with each Center to 

answer questions or accommodate Center circumstances as they 

transition to safer environments. 

The FY20 inventory was partially 

completed by most Centers, and 

we find ourselves in the midst of 

the scheduled FY21 inventory 

requirement. Our challenge is how 

to properly address and document 

both inventories.

LMD and AAO officials met to discuss the initiation of an investigation 

request to backdate the closure of 

the FY20 inventory to September 

30, 2020, and to officially open the 

FY21 inventory on October 1, 2020. 

The investigation request is necessary to take cautionary steps that 

will guarantee the mitigation of the 

loss of any data/inventory validation 

executed since October 2020.

The deadline to 

complete the required 

100-percent FY21 

equipment inventory is 

September 30, 2021

The deadline to complete the 

required 100-percent FY21 equipment inventory is September 30, 

2021. As indicated above, LMD will 
logistics management newsl 

continue to monitor Center statuses 

and will continue to address inventory requirements as necessary. 

In the meantime, please continue 

to practice the safety and health 

guidelines provided by NASA 

leadership as well as Federal and 

local governments.

Inventory Guidelines upon Return 

to Onsite Work (FY21)

As stated before, the Logistics 

Management Division (LMD) continues to monitor the developments 

and Center statuses as they relate 

to suspended activities due to the 

pandemic. One of those suspended 

activities is the execution of the 

annual (FY21) equipment inventory. 

There is uncertainty regarding when 

and to what extent Centers will 

return to normal activity. 

Not all NASA Centers will return to 

onsite work simultaneously; some 

will return earlier than others. Upon 

access to the Center (with Center 

Management approval), inventory 

teams will probably engage in activities prior to reinitiating the inventory, 

such as coordination with supported Center organizations, access 

to the diverse Center areas, review 

of inventory schedules, coordination of any necessary training and 

briefings, etc. 

Figure 1 depicts the published 

Agency framework for NASA 

Centers to return to onsite work; 

you may notice that it is a process 

with gradually increased access to 

onsite work as Centers transition 

from Stage 4 to Stage 1. We have 

taken that template and migrated 

it to the equipment inventory 

validation once inventory teams are 

granted access to the Center to 

reinitiate their suspended activities. 

Figure 1. Inventory Guidelines Upon Return to On-Site Work

LMD is mindful of the safety and 

security of all those involved in 

the execution of the inventory—

the safety of NASA employees 

remains the highest priority as we 

navigate the spread of COVID-19 

and its impact on our work and 

personal lives.

Once the Center is accessible and 

coordination to reinitiate inventory 

activities is complete, then the 

primary focus is to inventory or to 

re-inventory small arms. Equally 

important is to complete the inventory of capital equipment. At the 

time of release of this newsletter, 

most NASA Centers are at Stage 3, 

and a tentative approach is to complete the inventory of small arms 
6 logistics management news

and capital equipment not later than 2 months after 

the inventory teams regain access to their Center. This 

could place logistics in a position to properly address 

the financial audit at the end of the fiscal year.

Equally important, the inventory of controlled equipment 

other than capital is also expected to be completed 

before the end of the fiscal year, but this will depend 

on when Centers will return to onsite work and normal 

business. This guideline and timelines are tentative and 

subject to change as we learn more about the direction 

the Agency is taking and the status of each Center. 

All equipment items that were validated since October 1, 

2020, will be credited toward the FY21 inventory 

requirement. 

As always, LMD leadership thanks the logistics community for its continued support. Please do not hesitate 

to call or e-mail the equipment program manager with 

any questions/suggestions. Be safe!

Expectation of COVID-19 Personal 

Protective Equipment (PPE) Under 

the New Administration

Dr. Olivette Hooks, Director, LMD

The Logistics and Procurement Community of 

Practice (CoP) joined forces to tackle the acquisition, procurement, and distribution of PPE to support the Agency’s anticipated Return-to-Work Plans 

during the COVI9-pandemic. The CoP is procuring 

PPE from Federal and commercial partners. The 

administration has directed that personnel at Federal 

agencies wear masks and practice social distancing. 

In working with the NASA health, safety, and CoP 

program professionals, the Agency has acquired 

masks, gloves, and sanitizing cleaning materials 

for individual personal safety to protect us all. Prior 

to the new administration, the Agency collectively 

designed and acquired signage to help remind us to 

practice social distancing.

A YEAR IN REVIEW—FY20

Updates to the Sensitive Items List 

NASA’s Sensitive Items List (SIL) was revised twice in 

FY20. The SIL remains a topic of discussion among 

Supply and Equipment Management Officers (SEMOs) 

and stakeholders across the Agency because of its 

impact on the annual equipment inventory. 

NPR 4200.1H, NASA Equipment Management 

Procedural Requirements, outlines the accountability 

and control requirements for NASA equipment. A subset of NASA’s equipment density is categorized as sensitive items. These items require exceptional physical 

security, protection, control, and accountability due 

to national security or export control 

regulations; they are dangerous to 

the public or are highly pilferable. A 

Sensitive Items List is included 

as appendix C in NPR 

4200.1H for all stakeholders 

to identify all equipment 

requiring such control.

The Sensitive Item Review Board (SIRB) was created 

to meet periodically (at least annually) to review the list 

and update item control criteria or to add or remove 

items from the list as necessary. 

As a result of these SIRB determinations, equipment 

master records (EMRs) in the SAP/Property, Plant, and 

Equipment (PP&E) system must be updated accordingly. An estimated 18,000 items will be made inactive 

in SAP; that will reduce the equipment density to be 

inventoried. 

The Director of Logistics and the Agency Equipment 

Manager appreciate the continued effort of all 

SEMOs in this endeavor. All SIRB determinations 

will be incorporated into the next regular update 

to NPR 4200.1. Table 1 reflects all SIRB 

determinations and changes made to 

the Sensitive Items List.
logistics management newsl 

Appendix C: NASA Minimum 

Standard, Sensitive Items List

C.1 Equipment Items regardless of acquisition 

cost. These sensitive items must be safeguarded and kept under strict access and 

control. Including: 

C.1.1 Weapons, all types including, but not 

limited to, air, spring, powder, or other 

propulsion systems.

C.1.2 Night vision devices

C.1.3 Binoculars

C.1.4 Satellite radios

C.1.5 Hazardous devices, including environmentally hazardous devices

C.1.6 Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles/Drones 

C.1.7 Automated Data Processing Equipment 

(ADPE), including the following:

a. Computers: all microcomputers, personal 

computers, and mainframe computers. Examples include: desktop systems, work stations, 

laptops, tablets, notebooks, handheld computers, palms, and other portable computers.

 b. External computer peripherals, including:

 (1) Tape drives 

 (2) Projectors

C.2 Equipment Items with acquisition cost 

equal or greater than $500

C.2.1 Radios, all types

C.2.2 Receivers

C.2.3 Camera Lenses

C.2.4 Transceivers

C.2.5 Televisions

C.2.6 Printers and/or scanners

C.2.7 Video and sound recorders and players 

C.2.8 Removable disk drives

C.2.9 CD and DVD drives

C.2.10 Virtual reality goggles

Table 1. Appendix C, NPR 4200.1

Marshall’s Property Management 

Group Receives the 

Administrator’s Gears of 

Government Initiative Award

“For superb public service 

applying continued improvements 

in stewardship, data accountability, 

and unparalleled communication with 

stakeholders of Government property.” 

In FY20, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) 

Property Management Group (PMG) received recognition from NASA’s Administrator for its demonstrated 

superb work in providing multiple facets of accountable 

stewardship and data accountability for Government 

property. The Marshall team demonstrated excellent 

support for customers and stakeholders while positively 

impacting the Agency’s mission. NASA Headquarters 

selected MSFC Logistics to complete the testing and 

evaluation of the passive Radio Frequency Identification 

(RFID) implementation and physical inventory pilot programs. With an annual equipment inventory accuracy of 

99.97 percent, the PMG’s operating model was fundamental for MSFC to continue with the trend as one 

of the NASA Centers with the lowest equipment loss 

rates in the past 10 years. Following MSFC’s successful 

testing, the use of RFID technology transitioned to be 

the standard inventory tool for all NASA Centers. 

Furthermore, the PMG developed and provided training to several NASA Centers to standardize equipment 

and supply management business practices. The PMG 

audited multiple contractors with Government-furnished 

property totaling more than $5 billion through Property 

Management System Audits. As Agency leaders, the 

PMG maintains control and accountability for over 

23,000 critical Government assets, valued at an estimate of $920 million. 

In addition to practicing excellent control and accountability procedures, the PMG manages the deployment of Government assets across the Agency and 

worldwide via the NASA Integrated Communications 

Services (NICS) headquartered at MSFC. NICS supports local area network management at all NASA 
8 logistics management news

Centers with more than 14,000 assets at a value of 

$152 million. The PMG collaborates with multiple 

agencies that support diversity and equal opportunity 

to provide students with disabilities with a chance to 

participate in logistics business processes under the 

guidance of a NASA mentor. 

The PMG collaborates with multiple 

agencies that support diversity and equal 

opportunity to provide students with 

disabilities with a chance to participate 

in logistics business processes under 

the guidance of a NASA mentor.

The Property Management Group supports the local 

community by managing excess property donations 

to eligible schools and educational nonprofit organizations. These donations continue to be a viable method 

to support science, technology, engineering, and 

mathematics (STEM) educational outreach and help 

the Nation’s children meet high academic standards. In 

FY20, the PMG managed the donation of excess property valued at $54 million. 

The PMG excelled in managing furniture outfitting for 

new construction and ensured effective interaction and 

communication between the Facilities Management 

Office, the furniture contractor, and the prime contractor for building construction. The group recently coordinated the $3 million budget for the selection, purchase, 

and installation of over 430 office seats. Despite significant construction delays and a Government furlough, 

the PMG negotiated the schedules to allow for furniture 

outfitting without delay or additional costs. 

The group established an office furniture ergonomic 

program that supports employee health by establishing that 20 percent of all new desks in new office 

environments will have the ability to raise, which allows 

employees who have a need to stand while working 

to do so. The PMG collaborates with the Alabama 

Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB) to provide office 

supplies to MSFC. AIDB is a Government-sanctioned 

supplier that supports green purchasing requirements, 

and their location on Redstone Arsenal provides an 

outstanding partnership opportunity that helps achieve 

NASA’s mission. The PMG also supports and manages the reutilization of Air Force specialized property 

from a decommissioned facility at Arnold Engineering 

Development Center through receiving, processing, 

disposition, and temporary storage. This property, valued at over $400,000, has a parallel purpose in space 

research and increases NASA’s research and development capabilities, saving NASA and the taxpayers 

tax dollars. 

The MSFC PMG resolved obstacles to achieving 

successful outcomes of the projects through significant effort, collaboration, and effective coordination. 

The team’s exemplary, tireless dedication to making 

substantial contributions to MSFC’s and the Agency’s 

mission is commendable. LMD salutes the MSFC 

PMG team and celebrates all its accomplishments 

and recognition.

Redefinition of Foreign Gifts and Decorations 

Minimal Value 

On March 10, 2020, the General Services 

Administration (GSA) Office of Government-wide Policy 

released an update to the minimal value for foreign gifts 

and decorations received by Government employees. 

In consultation with the U.S. Department of State, 

GSA must redefine the minimal value of foreign gift 

items to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index 

(CPI) for the preceding 3-year period, as specified 

under the Receipt and Disposition of Foreign Gifts and 

Decorations, 5 U.S.C. § 7342. The minimal value was 

previously redefined in 2017; therefore, the minimal 

value was scheduled to be updated in 2020. The minimal value, effective January 1, 2020, is $415.00.

Federal Management Regulation (FMR) Part 102-42 

directs that when an employee accepts a gift valued 

at more than the established minimal value, the gift 

becomes the property of the U.S. Government, not the 

employee, and must be reported. NASA may accept 

gifts without condition or restriction as authorized 
logistics management newsl 

by the National Aeronautics and Space Act (section 

20113(d)). To meet this reporting requirement, NPR 

4200.1, NASA Equipment Management Procedural 

Requirements, defines “a gift” (foreign or domestic) 

as a form of acquisition into NASA’s equipment inventory and establishes the control criteria for gifts. As a 

result, the Supply and Equipment Management Officer 

(SEMO), or designee, shall ensure the recording of 

gifts and decorations to NASA—or its employees—that 

exceed the $415.00 minimal value at the time of acceptance in SAP/Property, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E).

Removal of Ergonomic Chairs from NASA Centers 

On June 25, 2020, NASA’s Senior Environmental Health 

Officer released a message to the NASA ergonomic 

community. The referenced message indicates that 

NASA Centers can approve employees’ requests to 

remove “NASA provided office chairs for ergonomic 

benefit” and in support of telework agreements. 

Extracts of the referenced message from the Office of 

Ergonomics are highlighted below:

Ergonomic Working Group and other Center 

EH Managers, 

On behalf of Angel Plaza, NASA Sr. EH Officer, the 

note below is being passed along regarding office 

chairs, please review and incorporate appropriately 

at your Center. If you have questions regarding this 

communication please reach out to Angel, Dave King 

(Ergonomic WG Lead), or I. 

NASA Ergonomics Community,

NASA Centers can approve employees to take their NASA provided 

office chair to their home for ergonomic benefit with the appropriate 

approvals.

Center officials within the ergonomic 

community were given the go-ahead to 

approve requests to take home office 

chairs. The phrase “with the appropriate 

approvals” provides Center management 

officials with the latitude to approve or disapprove 

the requests.

We recognize each center has their specific processes and employees will need to follow those 

processes. This may include supervisory approval, a 

property pass and a safe method to move and transport the chair so no one is injured.

This is an instance when the Centers’ internal procedures for control and accountability of administratively 

controlled equipment (established and implemented by 

the Center Supply and Equipment Management Officer 

[SEMO]) is put to the test. As you know, an office chair 

is a commodity that does not require control in the 

SAP/PP&E system unless otherwise decided by the 

SEMO (for his or her Center).

The message also implies that the requestor needs to 

complete a property pass (or NASA Form [NF] 892) 

for supervisory approval. This is when the Property 

Custodian (PC) (representing the Division Director/

Branch Chief) processes the property pass in coordination with the SEMO and in accordance with 

NPR 4200.1. The use of NF 892 extends to commodities or equipment that meets the “administratively 

controlled equipment” definition. A property pass is a 

procedure that NASA established not only to support 

the control and accountability of controlled equipment 

items, but also all other personal property that is taken 

outside the NASA installation and is expected to be 

returned to the installation. 

As stated above, a chair is a commodity that does not 

meet the definition for control; therefore, management 

controls for these items should be sufficient for audit-trail 

purposes at the Property Custodian level. (PCs must 

follow the SEMO’s established procedures for administratively controlled equipment.) Lastly, the Property 

Custodian should keep a copy of each NF 892.

Ergonomic evaluations should not impede 

the use of NASA office or ergonomic office 

chairs at home. Ergonomic evaluations can be 

offered as usual for each Center. This is especially the case during these uncertain COVID19 

times while much of the NASA Center workforce 
10 logistics management news

continues to be in tele-work mode, 

and the safety and health of our 

employees is paramount, whether 

at the Center or at home. 

Center’s property personnel may 

need to track the property, while 

also making sure any furniture 

move can be accomplished safely. 

According to the above excerpt, 

“property personnel may need 

to track the property.” To clarify, 

SEMOs or designees have the 

responsibility to concur and process 

a property pass, but the tracking 

(audit trail) remains a joint responsibility between the SEMO and the 

corresponding Property Custodian 

or supervisor/Division Director/

Branch Chief or head of the organization who approved the request. 

The organization will probably be 

the first to know when the item is 

returned to NASA premises.

In accordance with section 3.5, 

NPR 4200.1H, Division Directors and 

Branch Chiefs (or representatives, 

e.g., Property Custodians) must validate that the property was returned 

to the organization and notify the 

equipment manager. In this particular instance, once the PC or SEMO/

Equipment Manager is notified that 

the chair has been returned to the 

originating organization, there is no 

requirement to update SAP. The PC 

can destroy the NF 892 upon the 

return of the chair. 

The two statements below are 

highlighted for consideration of the 

supervisor/Division Director/approving officials before granting approval 

to the employee’s request.

NASA will not provide the moving 

resources. Centers will also have 

to decide how they might manage any necessary request for a 

non-mission essential employee 

access to the Center to facilitate 

such move. 

Environmental Heath staff should 

not be responsible to support 

these moving tasks, but may 

facilitate the correct manner of 

chair use at home. As ergonomics/health professionals we have 

been doing that over the past 3–4 

months and the expectation is for 

this to continue. Bart

Equally important are the time limitations of property passes. Centers’ 

stakeholders have approached 

LMD inquiring about a waiver to the 

time restrictions governing property passes. In response, sections 

3.5.2(a) and (b) of NPR 4200.1 

outline the policy governing the time 

limitations for property passes to 

civil service and onsite contractor 

employees (180 and 30 calendar 

days, respectively). Section 3.5.3(f) 

provides SEMOs with the latitude or 

authority to extend such time limitations under unusual circumstances. 

Contracting Officers shall coordinate 

with the corresponding SEMO to 

authorize any extensions to property 

passes to onsite contractors. 

In essence, there is no need for 

a waiver request. SEMOs shall 

coordinate with their corresponding upper management to establish a proper timeline for property 

passes that would best meet your 

Center requirements given current 

circumstances.

SUSPENSION OF PHYSICAL 

INVENTORY FOR SUPPLY 

AND MATERIALS AND 

DISPOSAL: STAGES 4 AND 3

Peral Hill, Supply and Materials 

Program Management 

Sharrief Wilson, Disposal Program 

Management 

NPR 4100.1, chapter 5, paragraph 

5.2.1, requires the Supply Officer to 

ensure that 5 percent of the total 

line items on hand are inventoried 

quarterly each fiscal year using the 

complete inventory method until all 

assets have been inventoried at the 

end of 5 years. NPR 4300.1C, chapter 3, paragraph 3.5.2, requires the 

Property Disposal Officer to conduct unannounced, random physical inventories at least once every 

quarter to verify inventory accuracy. 

As we continue to manage through 

the unprecedented challenges of the 

COVID-19 pandemic, Headquarters 

OSI/LMD has determined that 

the requirements for conducting 

physical inventories will not be 

feasible until Stage 2, at which 

time normal Logistics operations 

should resume. Centers’ Logistics 

teams are not required to report 

Supply and Materials and Disposal 

Operations inventories’ accuracy 

metrics to the Office of Management 

and Budget but are expected to 

conform to U.S. General Service 

Administration policies and conform 

to internal procedures to measure 

program performance. 

Supply and Materials and Disposal 

Operations physical inventories are 
logistics management newsl e

suspended until Stage 2, at which 

time Headquarters Logistics will 

revisit this physical inventory suspension memorandum. 

Please direct all questions regarding Supply and Materials to Peral 

Hill; for Disposal Operations, please 

contact Sharrief Wilson at NASA 

Headquarters Logistics.

TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 

Tim Currie, Program Manager 

Temporary Suspension of 

Transportation Fleet Inventory 

and Vehicle Utilization Review 

Boards for FY20 

The challenges of the COVID-19 

pandemic require NASA to continue 

to manage its transportation assets 

through unprecedented means. 

Center logistics organizations must 

conduct inventories of transportation fleet assets (e.g., vehicle, trailer, 

vessel, and rail assets) and review 

the utilization data to ensure compliance with Executive Order (EO) 

13834. Section 1 of the EO states: 

“[A]gencies are instructed to meet 

statutory requirements related to 

vehicles’ energy and environmental performance in a manner that 

increases efficiency, optimizes performance, and reduces waste and 

costs.” This requirement may not be 

achievable while the Agency is at 

Stage 3. This policy will be revisited 

when the Agency moves to Stage 2. 

In support of Executive Order 

13834, NPR 6200.1, NASA 

Transportation and General Traffic 

Management, chapter 3, paragraph 

3.1.1.11, subparagraph 1d, requires: 

“In conjunction with the Contractor, 

the Contracting Officer (CO), the 

Contract Officer Representative 

(COR), the Transportation Officer/

Transportation Manager (TO/

TM) will conduct an annual transportation asset utilization review 

following guidance within the 

Fleet Management Handbook. 

The TO/TM, CO, and COR will 

validate the types and quantities 

of all Government-owned and 

contractor-operated transportation 

assets assigned to each contract 

to ensure that allocation and utilization of all transportation assets are 

based on program requirements.” 

This requirement is designed to 

increase efficiency, to optimize 

performance, to reduce waste and 

costs associated with underutilized 

transportation assets, and to identify possible “right-sizing” activities.

The Logistics Management Division 

is aware that large-scale data collection requirements are needed to 

support Vehicle Utilization Review 

Boards and has decided to suspend this activity during FY20. We 

support our Centers’ contingency 

operation plans that allow for essential employees and contractors to 

be available while the Agency is at 

Stage 3. When appropriate, Centers 

will return to the analysis of inventory and utilization data related to 

the transportation fleet assets.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM LMD 

Dr. Olivette Hooks, Director, LMD 

Logistics operations at NASA are 

capable of swiftly responding to 

today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. 

The year 2020 has brought many 

opportunities as well as progress 

toward the improvement of LMD 

functional areas. We continue to lose 

subject matter experts to retirement 

or new opportunities. Our managers 

who oversee and provide workforce 

guidance are realigning to meet mission requirements. We are confident 

in our logistics managers’ skills and 

expertise to recruit new hires with 

the critical knowledge and resilience, 

along with a sense of humor. 

NASA’s logistics community has 

worked together and shared ideas 

to resolve challenges that affect 

organizational logistics operations—

and we thank them for that. 

We, the LMD Headquarters managers, wish to express our deep 

appreciation for all the support we 

received from the logistics community and stakeholders in general 

throughout the year. We wish you 

and your lovely families a prosperous 2021!
CONTACT US

Your involvement, understanding, and feedback are essential to making the Logistics 

Management Program a success. Please send us your questions or stories to share by 

calling or e-mailing:

Olivette M. Hooks

Director, Logistics 

Management Division

Office: 202-358-0721

olivette.hooks@nasa.gov

https://ld.hq.nasa.gov

Vincent E. Cappello

Deputy Director, Logistics 

Management Division

vincent.e.cappello@nasa.gov

Wayne A. Cragwell

Logistics Management Institute 

(LMI) Program Support

Office: 202-358-4612

wayne.a.cragwell@nasa.gov

Timothy A. Currie

Transportation 

Management Program

Office: 202-358-1219

timothy.a.currie@nasa.gov

https://ld.hq.nasa.gov/ato.html

Ann Cuyler

Contract Property 

Management Program

Office: 202-358-1524

ann.cuyler@nasa.gov 

https://ld.hq.nasa.gov/cpm.html

Peral R. Hill (Acting)

Life Cycle Logistics Support 

and Supply Chain 

Management Program

Office: 202-358-0491

peral.r.hill@nasa.gov

https://ld.hq.nasa.gov/life-cycle.html

Peral R. Hill

Supply and Materials 

Management Program

Office: 202-358-0491

peral.r.hill@nasa.gov

https://ld.hq.nasa.gov/supmgt.html

Marjorie C. Jackson

Logistics Compensating Controls 

Reviews (CCR) Program

Office: 202-358-2464

marjorie.c.jackson@nasa.gov

Jerome G. Phillips

Logistics Management Institute 

(LMI) Program Support

Office: 202-358-3653

jerome.phillips@nasa.gov

Miguel A. Rodriguez

NASA Equipment and Mail 

Management Programs

Office: 202-358-1065

miguel.a.rodriguez-1@nasa.gov

https://ld.hq.nasa.gov/equipmgt.html

Robert S. Sherouse

Artifact Identification and 

Disposition Program,

Library Management Program

Office: 202-358-0746

robert.sherouse@nasa.gov

Sharrief Wilson

Property Disposal 

Management Program

Office: 202-358-0875

sharrief.wilson@nasa.gov

https://ld.hq.nasa.gov/prodis.html

Vacant

Administrative Assistant

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Logistics Management Division

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street SW

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov