The Critical Knowledge Gateway has been enhanced to improve the capture, transfer, and integration of critical knowledge to increase the likelihood of mission success at NASA.
Image Credit: NASA
The Critical Knowledge (CK) Gateway connects users to a wide range of video-based lessons learned resources. Now, accessing that information is easier than ever.
In 2015, the Chief Knowledge Office (CKO) introduced the CK Gateway as a unique collection of multimedia resources designed to support mission success. The resources include lessons learned from a diverse set of developmental and operational programs, such as the Space Shuttle Program, the Constellation Program/ARES, the International Space Station Program, and Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS). Users can access these video-based lessons learned across four phases of the project life cycle: Early On, Development, Operations, and Closeout. In addition, the material can be explored based on people involved, process employed, or technical sub-elements for each phase.
The CK Gateway was originally conceived by Ed Hoffman, NASA’s Chief Knowledge Officer, to ensure the NASA community has access to critical lessons learned. “It has some wonderful content and demonstrates our commitment to digital tools to promote learning and dialogue,” Hoffman said when the knowledge portal was first deployed.
Recently, Patrick Johnson, Chief Knowledge Officer for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), oversaw a series of refinements designed to enhanced the user experience by improving the portal’s functionality. “The changes to the CK Gateway make content more accessible to users. We’ve added additional filters and enhanced the search capability,” he said. As a result, users are better able to tailor their searches for information, expanding the utility of the CK Gateway to the NASA community.
The CK Gateway houses hundreds of video-based lessons learned, and by the end of FY16 will contain more than 300. Each video is five to seven minutes in length, providing a succinct piece of information on a very specific topic. The videos serve as portable units of knowledge: users can email the video URL to colleagues in order to share information quickly and efficiently or bookmark the video for future reference. For those seeking written material, a short overview of the content accompanies each video.
“The material on the CK Gateway can be used in several ways,” said Johnson. “First, the videos serve as examples of agency best practices for each phase of the project life cycle. Second, they highlight innovative, cutting-edge processes and procedures that promote enhanced efficiency. Finally, they are designed to stimulate new ways of thinking or doing business by presenting past lessons and encouraging users to consider them in light of their current initiatives.”
Altogether, the newly enhanced CK Gateway improves the capture, transfer, and integration of critical knowledge to increase the likelihood of mission success at NASA.
Visit the CK Gateway today.
