NASA PM Challenge 2009 is a GO!
Dear Colleague,
Good news! The NASA Office of General Counsel has determined that the PM Challenge is an internal NASA training meeting. The PM Challenge is not subject to the conference reporting requirement or conference attendance restrictions associated with the 2008 NASA Authorization Bill. The PM Challenge 2009 will be held as planned with a few minor adjustments. Please mark your calendars for February 24 and 25, 2009 and join us at the Daytona Beach, Florida Hilton for this important training, networking, and lesson-sharing session.
As you may know, in early October 2008 Congress wrote legislation that was signed by President Bush sharply limiting NASA’s attendance at conferences in FY ’09. Over the past few weeks, NASA’s General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer, along with other NASA officials have worked to understand the impact of this new law, as well as definitions and rules regarding acceptable meetings. The result is to move forward with the PM Challenge 2009.
We plan to have 14 separate training tracks and general session speakers, as we have had in the past. The NASA awards ceremony will be held on February 25 at lunch time. Since this is a training event, NASA will be paying for the facility and support through a lump sum payment, so there will no longer be a registration fee. We will still have a required registration process so that we know and approve the attendance. That registration process is still being worked out. We’ll send a notice in a few days about the registration. There are a few more changes that you need to be aware of, listed separately below. Please read all of them carefully:
1) Meals- Each participant, including NASA civil servants, speakers and invited guests will pre-purchase meal tickets for lunch each day. The cost of each lunch is $10. The Hilton will sell these tickets on a website to be announced shortly. Due to the volume of people anticipated, the Hilton requires that all meal tickets be purchased by February 18, 2009. There will be no refunds, although a process will be worked out to transfer your ticket to another participant if you cancel your attendance after paying. You will not be granted access to the lunch room, the meal, the lunch speakers or the awards ceremony without buying a meal ticket. This is the only way the Hilton can ensure that they have collected money for each meal served. The Hilton will not sell meal tickets after February 18, 2009. You may submit your meal cost with your travel voucher for reimbursement.
2) NASA Civil Servant Registration- All NASA civil servants and JPL employees will register with the PM Challenge Team. More instructions on this process will be announced shortly. You must also submit a SATERN training request to obtain your center approval to attend this training event. Please note that you are responsible for your own travel arrangements and cost, including hotel reservations.
3) All Other Registration- You will be permitted to attend this NASA event on a “space available” basis. You will be required to submit a request to attend this NASA training. This process will be defined on the PM Challenge website in a few days. Requests to attend the PM Challenge will be considered on a first come, first served basis, so it is very important to submit your application early.
4) Speakers and Panelists- You will be issued an invitation to participate in the PM Challenge. As in the past, your travel arrangements and cost will be your own responsibility. Additionally, you will need to purchase meal tickets if you would like to participate in the luncheon.
We are working hard to implement the changes needed to ensure a successful training meeting. Please continue to be patient while we make the necessary adjustments. Announcements for registration and meal instructions will come soon. In the mean time, make sure you keep the dates on your calendars.
We look forward to seeing you in Florida in February!
Dorothy Tiffany
PM Challenge Project Manager
