Revitalizing NASA: Restoring Essential Workforce Skills

NASA’s recent directive aims to restore essential workforce skills within the agency. This initiative comes as a response to increasing reliance on external contractors, which has hindered internal capabilities and inflated operational costs significantly.

Background on the Workforce Directive

NASA has observed a concerning trend in which core functions are increasingly outsourced. This shift has led to diminished engineering, operational, and scientific competencies, impacting program efficiency and increasing risks associated with mission execution. The agency’s over-reliance on contractors has resulted in substantial annual overhead, estimated at over $1 billion, diverting funds that could support scientific endeavors.

Key Factors

• Dependency on external vendors for critical functions.
• Increased complexity with multiple contractors and management layers.
• Loss of critical institutional knowledge and skills.

In response, NASA has initiated the directive to rebuild its internal workforce capabilities, reinforcing its technical autonomy.

Goals of the Directive

The directive outlines NASA’s vision to cultivate a robust workforce of civil servants equipped to handle complex tasks independently. This effort aims to ensure resilience, agility, and innovation across all missions, ultimately safeguarding taxpayer resources and aligning investments with the agency’s priorities.

Implementation Steps

• Work Assessment: Identify outsourced work that should be internalized, focusing on engineering and operational roles.
• Workforce Assessment: Propose converting specific roles to civil service, prioritizing mission-critical expertise.
• Transition Strategy: Develop a plan to convert targeted roles to civil service, assessing cost implications.
• Onboarding Process: Create a rapid onboarding system to ensure a seamless flow of new talent.
• Strengthen Training Programs: Enhance internal training and mentorship initiatives to maintain technical knowledge
• Expand Internship Opportunities: Focus on attracting and developing in-house technical talent.

Strengthening Technical Autonomy

NASA is also taking steps to enhance its operational autonomy. This involves ensuring right-to-repair provisions in contracts to facilitate internal repairs and manufacturing.

Proposed Changes

• Incorporate right-to-repair clauses in future contracts.
• Remove restrictive clauses that hinder NASA’s autonomy.
• Address intellectual property barriers restricting internal actions.
• Create makerspaces at each center to promote rapid prototyping and innovation.

Conclusion

This new directive from NASA marks a pivotal shift towards revitalizing its core competencies. By reducing dependency on contractors and focusing on in-house capabilities, NASA aims to enhance its operational efficiency and better execute its mission objectives. This strategic move not only supports the President’s national space policy but also prepares NASA for future challenges in space exploration and science.