scope:

FOREWORD

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Procedural Requirement (NPR) 7120.5, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements, defines requirements that must be implemented while developing NASA human and robotic flight programs and projects.

The NPR defines "what" must be done to properly and successfully manage NASA programs and projects. This Handbook of "Best Practices" describes "how" to perform the practical steps involved in implementing many of those tasks associated with management of the project. These tasks are included in the NASA and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) program and project management requirement and instructional documents.

In presenting the "best practices" of successfully managing a project, the handbook is composed of multiple checklists designed to assist the project manager at each phase of the project life-cycle. The checklists also provide guidance in identifying and implementing the attributes of leadership and the management processes associated with organization and staffing, project management roles and responsibilities, and Center infrastructure.

Imbedded in the handbook are best practices and lessons learned as recognized by current and former Center and Agency managers. These are presented as practical "nuggets" of information to aid the user in anticipation of where problems might occur, and to describe how similar problems have been successfully dealt with by others. The handbook captures processes and techniques used by successful program and project managers at MSFC and across the Agency, and it identifies characteristics and attributes of successful NASA project management.

This handbook is not a requirements document. There are no "shall" statements. Rather, it provides guidelines and examples of how MSFC and Agency managers have successfully managed past programs and projects. The successful project manager will use different approaches in different phases of a project as well as different approaches on different projects. Therefore, there is no single correct way to implement successful project management. This handbook is intended to be used by anyone who manages or supports a space flight project team, regardless of prior experience. Hopefully, personnel managing or supporting non-flight projects will also find some of the information contained in this handbook helpful.