Challenges of Agency Projects Across Heterogeneous Environments Carol S. Bryant Ken Freeman Linda Rawlins August 18, 2010

Welcome to NASA  Carol Bryant, MSFC OCIO (NISN, WANR, IPAM, WANX, NCI)  Ken Freeman, ARC OCIO (SOC)  Linda Rawlins, MSFC OCIO (NCAD)  The Agency has come a long way…but we’re not done yet.  Agency projects must be innovative in delivering efficient, effective, and accessible services without adversely impacting current operations. Acknowledge there will be some discomfort.  Continue to improve the effectiveness of new projects by learning from predecessor projects. Challenges of Agency Projects —2— August 18, 2010

Solution Footprint  Projects within single management domain but affecting multiple Centers represent a set of challenges  Extending beyond a single organization’s management domain introduces additional challenges »Resources (“unfunded mandates”) »Outreach/Communications  Extending to end-users further introduces additional challenges »Transition timetables grow Presentation Title —3— March 5, 2010

Project Management  Outreach/Communications  Discovery (technical, operations, policy, etc.)  Requirements/Scope Management *  Corporate vs. Mission  Templates, checklists, etc.  Schedule, cost diligence »Funding - Project and Steady State (SS) »Mission freezes (moving target) »Integrated Master Schedule Contact Project Executive for project/service  Center participation Challenges of Agency Projects —4— August 18, 2010

Technical Design  Requirements  Requirements creep  Product evaluation (adequate time, resources)  Market availability, stability, lifecycle  Disaster Recovery  Service availability  Integration/interoperability with external systems (can be moving target)  Detailed vendor documentation Challenges of Agency Projects —5— August 18, 2010

Scope Management: IT vs. Building Bridges Presentation Title —6— March 5, 2010  We cannot build a bridge halfway across a river that provides value, however, we can build a partial IT system that provides value  Project phasing may be necessary to decrease the timeframe for operational improvements  Increases project management overhead, but increases operational value  Needs to be explained in communications packages

Non-Project Resources  Agency projects have notoriously been characterized as “unfunded mandates”  In addition to working day-to-day tasks, the Centers are supporting multiple Agency project implementations, limiting resources  Consider Center resources, as part of schedule and budget planning  Resource issues, also include facilities Presentation Title —7— March 5, 2010

Outreach/Communications Presentation Title —8— March 5, 2010  We found miscommunications with the OCIO community, HQ customer, Centers and Agency users  Lessons Learned »Communications is a contact sport »Visit stakeholders when possible (including listening to their concerns) »Develop communications plan »Analyze the needs of stakeholders

Migration Planning: Center Role  Data validation  Firewall rules  Facility modifications  Changes in operating environment since discovery  Functional checkout test plans  Accessible (and funded) lab environment  Modify local procedures for new systems Challenges of Agency Projects —9— August 18, 2010

Migration Planning: Project Role  Clearly define roles and responsibilities  Provide guidance in the development of integrated processes and procedures  Project checklists (communication)  Center testing and education »Include adequate time in schedule »Provide lab environment for Center use  Customize migration process (limited)  Conduct frequent tag-ups  Keep Help Desk informed in dynamic/ changing landscape Presentation Title —10— March 5, 2010

Operations  Multiple contracts across solution footprint »Standardized management processes Centralized and/or distributed »Local service contacts (touch support)  Scheduling multi-center activities during flight freezes »Freeze periods differ by site »Use Agency activity notification process  Training  Scripts and tools for operations  Maintaining high-end vendor support Challenges of Agency Projects —11— August 18, 2010