Reply to Attn of: 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Headquarters 

Washington, DC 20546-0001 

OLIAl2012-01011f:SS:amb 

The Honorable Darrell Issa 

Chairman 

Committee on Oversight and 

Government Reform 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Chairman Issa: 

February 8, 2013 

This is in further response to your letters of April 10, 2012 and April 30, 2012, to the 

Administrator requesting information regarding NASA conference and travel 

expenditures from January 1, 2005 to the present. The enclosed report provides the 

detailed information requested in your letter of April 10, 2012. 

While NASA has been steadily enhancing its conference review processes since 2008, it 

made a number of significant improvements in FY 2012. Starting in October 2011, in 

accordance with Administration direction, NASA required that all NASA-sponsored 

conferences be centrally reviewed and approved by the Deputy Administrator; this 

process also required improved documentation of the planning and justification for the 

investments made in conferences hosted by NASA. Starting in May 2012, again in 

accordance with Administration guidance, NASA implemented reviews of spending and 

senior approvals for all conferences with costs over $100,000. In June 2012, NASA 

updated its conference policies to enhance review and approval requirements for 

NASA-sponsored conferences with costs less than $100,000, and to ban industry and 

others' widely attended gatherings and NASA-directly funded meals at NASAsponsored conferences. This focus, along with the overall emphasis placed on travel 

savings at all levels, led to millions of dollars in reduced spending on conferences in 

FY 2012. 

NASA also spearheaded several key internal initiatives, including savings in connection 

with NASA's three largest internal conferences, by directing that all three be changed in 

the coming years to a virtual format (and piloting the first of these as a virtual event in 

October 2012). For one of these conferences that was already essentially underway, 

NASA reduced its size significantly. These changes are conservatively estimated to 

have saved over $2 million in FY 2012. In addition, NASA centralized a conference 

database tool to permit better coordinated planning across the Agency, and expanded 
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the scope of events tracked as "conferences," consistent with the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) Memorandum 12-12, issued in May 2012. This broader definition 

was also applied retroactively, so the information in the enclosed report encompasses 

more types of events than prior reports by NASA. 

NASA spent the vast majority of the funds (80 percent in FY 2012) associated with 

conference attendance for presentations and participation at scientific and technical 

conferences. This practice helps to fulfill one of the fundamental mandates of the 

National Aeronautics and Space Act that NASA "shall provide for the widest 

practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and 

the results thereof." At such events, NASA scientists, engineers, and leaders present 

scientific and technical papers and participate in interchanges on leading-edge research 

and technology with peers in the Federal government, the science community, the 

aeronautics and aerospace industries, and our international partners at conferences. 

Conferences attended and sponsored by NASA address a broad and diverse range of 

scientific and engineering challenges faced by NASA in carrying out its missions, 

including climate and other Earth science research, advanced aeronautics, and the 

cutting-edge technologies needed for both current and planned robotic and human space 

flight programs. As the enclosed report shows, in keeping with past reports to NASA's 

Office of Inspector General and Congress, a clear majority of conferences sponsored by 

NASA were undertaken in furtherance of this key statutory goal. 

In addition to facilitating the dissemination and advancement of scientific research, 

conferences also serve as a cost-effective way for NASA to carry out other missionrelated purposes, such as educational outreach, program development, institutional 

planning, and information gathering. For example, conferences on program 

management provide opportunities for examination of current trends in aerospace 

project and engineering management by offering forums for the exchange and 

dissemination of best practices, new ideas, and training to help the Agency costeffectively meet the toughest challenges in space exploration today. 

Items specifically requested in your April 10 letter and included in this response are: 

1. "A list of overnight conferences funded by the department and attended by more 

than 50 employees since January 1, 2005. For each conference provide date(s), 

location, cost, funding source, and the number of attendees." 

The enclosed listing identifies the conferences NASA has hosted or sponsored 

that were attended by 50 or more employees, along with the requested fields. 

2. "The names, titles, and salaries of any individuals employed by the department 

to plan events." 

We have coordinated with NASA Centers and Headquarters Offices and, to the 

best of our knowledge, NASA does not employ any individuals with a job title 

of event planner. However, a variety of people may be involved on an ad hoc, 
part-time basis to ensure the successful planning and execution of these 

conferences. 

3. 'l\ddress any websites created to promote, track, or commemorate department 

conferences. IF the website is currently archived on the agency's intranet, 

provide an electronic copy:' 

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For each conference identified for item 1 of your request, URLs for all identified 

websites have also been included in the enclosed report. 

Your follow-on letter of April 30, 2012 requested a list of any entities used by NASA to 

select sites for overnight conferences since 2005, and any documents or 

communications referring or relating to Location Solvers since January 1, 2009. Since 

2005, site selection for NASA conferences is a role that has been reserved for civil 

servants. Starting in January 2009, NASA elevated the approval level to require an 

SES, SL or ST approver, and, since October 2012, NASA has required the selection be 

approved by a senior manager, an Official-in-Charge of a Headquarters Office or Center 

Director. With regard to your question regarding'Location Solvers;'NASA's 

procurement records indicate that NASA has never had a contract or contractual 

relations with"Location Solvers:' We additionally asked all Centers and Headquarters 

Offices to check local records for any use of Location Solvers, and none was found. 

NASA has been steadily strengthening our conference sponsorship and attendance 

processes and we are currently implementing further improvements in our systems, 

processes, and reports. These measures are part of our continued efforts to be careful 

stewards of taxpayer dollars in carrying out our missions. 

Thank you for your attention to these matters. We would be pleased to respond to 

questions regarding this report. 

Sincerely, 

1. Seth Statler 

Associate Administrator 

for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs 

Enclosure 

cc: 

The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member