NASA Assessment of Mission Flexibility and Agility

As you know, the President’s National Space Strategy and Space Policy Directives have set NASA on an ambitious path of discovery and exploration that will require us to be more agile and flexible than ever. To that end, as NASA’s part of an Administration plan for reorganizing the Executive Branch, the agency has been asked to assess over the next few months whether expanding the Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) model beyond JPL is the best approach for increasing agility and flexibility in support of the mission.
 
This kind of assessment has been made before, and we will consult these past activities as part of our analysis. I understand that any activity of this type may cause some concern, but rest assured that nothing is more important than the stability and success of our workforce. This assessment is part of the agency’s broader strategy to meet our ambitious objectives and will be conducted by an internal team of NASA experts who will provide analysis and recommendations to the White House by the end of August.
 
We go into this FFRDC assessment with no pre-formed opinions or outcomes, and will conduct a thorough evaluation and provide well-informed, sound recommendations. We will keep you informed as this study moves forward, and we appreciate the exceptional work you do each day.
 
 
Jim