NASA Responds to President’s Commission Report With Request for Information Solicitation

In response to the final report of the President’s Commission
on Implementation of U.S. Space Exploration Policy, NASA has
issued a formal Request for Information, otherwise known as
an RFI, to examine alternative management options for agency
field centers.

Recommendation 3-3 of the Commission’s report asks NASA to
consider reconfiguring its government field centers into
Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC).
Typically, an FFRDC is managed under a long-term federal
contract by a university, a non-profit or a for-profit
organization selected through open competition.

“We’ve issued the RFI as a way to gather suggestions and
insight to help us better position NASA to fulfill the Vision
for Space Exploration,” said James L. Jennings, NASA deputy
associate administrator for Institutions and Management and
head of an internal agency team working to assess the concept
of alternative management solutions. “We’re open to any ideas
and suggestions that enable innovation and flexibility in our
operations.”

The President’s Commission issued its report in June and
offered recommendations and findings on how NASA can best
meet the Vision for Space Exploration outlined by President
Bush in a historic address at NASA Headquarters earlier this
year.

“This is an opportunity for us to take a step back and
examine the way we do business,” added Jennings. “We’re
encouraging input from academia, industry and other
government agencies, and we believe we’ll be able to identify
a clear path to help us successfully meet our new exploration
objectives.”

Questions concerning the RFI may be submitted by email no
later than 5 p.m. EDT August 12 to jedmond@hq.nasa.gov.
Responses to the questions will be posted no later than
August 19, 2004. Responses to the RFI may lead to a decision
to compete study contracts or other follow-on work.

For additional information about NASA, visit: www.nasa.gov