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Next-Generation Discussions at Senior Management Council and the NASA Advisory Committee
04.25.08
 
BACKGROUND: On April 15, 2008, the NASA Strategic Management Council (SMC) met at Stennis Space Center and heard from the next generation workforce community. At the March SMC, an action was issued to the head of the Office of Human Capital Management, Toni Dawsey, to bring together a group of next generation civil servants to foster a discussion at the April SMC.

The team that presented to the SMC spoke with the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) Committee on Human Capital on April 16, 2008, also at Stennis Space Center.

Download the Next Generation presentation (143 Kb PDF)

KEY POINTS:
  • Eight members of the next generation community spoke with the SMC, reflecting a cross section of NASA as best as possible.
    • The community included members of the two “next” generations – Generation X and the Millennial Generation (Gen Y).
    • To best foster a discussion, the team was also selected to reflect the materials and events that spurred the SMC to request the discussion.
    • To prepare, the team reached back into the community to include as large and representative a group of young civil servants and contractors as practical within the time available.
  • The SMC discussion focused on long-term strategic effects on the NASA mission and specific actions that the SMC and next generation community could each take.
    • The community asked to create an environment where all NASA employees can leverage their strengths to push the limits of science and space exploration by:
      • Providing the current NASA workforce with infusion of fresh ideas, methodologies and technologies.
      • Providing the Next Gen NASA workforce the experience and opportunities on programs today that it needs to be the leaders in the future.
      • Enabling enhanced communication and collaboration between NASA centers.
      • Getting more young people in the door.
  • The NAC discussion was paired with a discussion of Shuttle transition. It focused on the ability of NASA and its contractors to carry out their mission in the decade after transition.


FACTS:
  • The SMC requested a discussion and the NAC requested specific data, so there are slight variations between the two presentation charts
  • NASA will post the briefing to the NASA home page as a report, with its own “landing page.”
  • The briefing to the SMC will be posted to the SMC website, located on the Inside NASA site available to NASA civil servants and on-site contractors
  • Excerpts from the briefing to the NAC will be posted to the NAC website as part of the public statements of the NAC Human Capital Committee.
CONCURRENCES: Pending from the SMC Executive Secretariat, the NAC Executive Director, the next generation team, and the Office of Human Capital Management.