SE 3.0 Technical Management
SE 3.0 Technical Management
Managing technical activities during the project life cycle.
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Categories and Competencies
Common Competencies
SE 3.1 Technical Planning
Planning for the application and management of each common technical process, as well as identifying, defining, and planning the technical effort necessary to meet project objectives. This includes preparing or updating a planning strategy for each of the technical processes, and determining deliverable work products from technical efforts; identifying technical reporting requirements; identifying entry and success criteria for technical reviews; identifying product and process measures to be used; identifying critical technical events; defining cross-domain interoperability and collaboration needs; defining the data management approach; identifying the technical risks to be addressed in the planning effort; identifying tools and engineering methods to be employed; and defining the approach to acquire and maintain technical expertise needed. This also includes preparing the Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) and other technical plans; obtaining stakeholder commitments to the technical plans; and issuing authorized technical work directives to implement the technical work. Defining the approach to acquire and maintain the technical expertise needed.
Underlying Skills
- Clear verbal and written communications
- Effective application of NASA’s SE Engine
- Strategic planning
- Systems thinking
- Working in teams
- Win-win negotiating
Fundamental Knowledge of:
- Project mission, goals, and objectives
- Project Concept of Operations, use cases, and expected scenarios
- Workforce capabilities of civil servant and contractor organizations
- Capabilities of internal and external facilities and capabilities
- Process for obtaining work commitments
Explore proficiencies for each role.
Discipline EngineerParticipates as a team member to gain an overall understanding of the technical planning process and to gain initial experience in the competency.
Discipline Engineers should be able to:
- Understand the processes for technical planning.
- Participate as part of a team to provide inputs to planning activities.
- Assist in documenting the plans.
Subsystem Lead
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the subsystem level in technical planning.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the subsystem level, identifying subsystem issues.
Subsystem Leads should be able to:
- Obtain agreements for non-controversial plans.
- Collect information for technical planning.
- Define and organize the work for non-complex activities.
- Develop some work directives and agreements.
Project Systems Engineer
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the project level in technical planning.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the project level, resolving project issues.
Project Systems Engineers should be able to:
- Lead the team in performing strategic planning for complex projects.
- Identify inconsistencies, overlaps, and gaps across all project plans.
- Coordinate reviews of the technical plans.
- Resolve internal issues.
- Gain commitments from internal organizations on plans and work agreements.
Chief Engineer
Leads overall effort, reviews and approves products, resolves issues, and maintains relationships with the highest level internal, external, and international contacts.
Chief Engineers should be able to:
- Manage the overall effort.
- Approve final results.
- Provide guidance and mentoring in the technical planning efforts of the team.
- Work with other centers or external organizations to obtain external agreements and work directives.
- Resolve complex issues arising during planning.
- Identify, describe, and define technical planning policies for the agency and/or center.
SE 3.2 Requirements Management
Managing the product requirements, including providing bidirectional traceability, and managing changes to establish requirement baselines over the life cycle of the system products. This includes preparing or updating a strategy for requirements management; selecting an appropriate requirements management tool; training technical team members in established requirement management procedures; conducting expectation and requirements traceability audits; managing expectation and requirement changes; and communicating expectation and requirement change information.
Underlying Skills
- Clear verbal and written communications
- Effective application of NASA’s SE Engine
- Effective application of selected requirements capturing and tracking tool
- Systems thinking
- Working in teams
- Win-win negotiating
Fundamental Knowledge of:
- Project mission, goals, and objectives
- Project Concept of Operations, use cases, and expected scenarios
- Current requirements baselines
- Applicable change board organization and operation
Explore proficiencies for each role.
Discipline EngineerParticipates as a team member to gain an overall understanding of the requirements management process and to gain initial experience in the competency.
Discipline Engineers should be able to:
- Understand the processes for requirements management.
- Participate as part of a team to gather and coordinate change requests from organizations.
- Review requirement statements to ensure compliance with proper format.
Subsystem Lead
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the subsystem level in requirements management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the subsystem level, identifying subsystem issues.
Subsystem Leads should be able to:
- Identify or review proposed changes needed within subsystems.
- Obtain agreements for non-controversial changes.
- Identify inconsistencies and impacts across subsystems for a proposed requirement change.
- Ensure approved changes are implemented and communicated across the subsystem team.
Project Systems Engineer
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the project level in requirements management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the project level, resolving project issues.
Project Systems Engineers should be able to:
- Develop strategies for requirements management.
- Lead the team in performing requirement management for complex projects.
- Identify inconsistencies, overlaps, and gaps across all project requirements.
- Review change proposals and recommend dispositions.
- Develop or review change impacts for completeness.
- Coordinate impact discussions.
- Resolve internal issues.
- Gain commitments from internal organizations on change dispositions and impacts.
Chief Engineer
Leads overall effort, reviews and approves products, resolves issues, and maintains relationships with the highest level internal, external, and international contacts.
Chief Engineers should be able to:
- Manage the overall effort.
- Approve final results.
- Provide guidance and mentoring in the requirements management efforts of the team.
- Communicate with other centers or external organizations to obtain external agreements on proposed changes and their impacts.
- Resolve complex issues arising during requirement management.
- Identify, describe, and define requirements measurement policies for the agency and/or center.
SE 3.3 Interface Management
Establishing and using formal interface management to maintain internal and external interface definition and compliance among the end products and enabling products. This includes preparing interface management procedures, identifying interfaces, generating and maintaining interface documentation, managing changes to interfaces, disseminating interface information, and conducting interface control.
Underlying Skills
- Clear verbal and written communications
- Effective application of NASA’s SE Engine
- Systems thinking
- Working in teams
- Win-win negotiating
Fundamental Knowledge of:
- Project mission, goals, and objectives
- Project Concept of Operations, use cases, and expected scenarios
- Current design configurations
- Current interface baselines
- Applicable change board organization and operation
Explore proficiencies for each role.
Discipline EngineerParticipates as a team member to gain an overall understanding of the interface management process and to gain initial experience in the competency.
Discipline Engineers should be able to:
- Understand the process for interface management.
- Participate as part of a team to gather, document, and coordinate change requests from organizations.
Subsystem Lead
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the subsystem level in interface management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the subsystem level, identifying subsystem issues.
Subsystem Leads should be able to:
- Identify or review proposed interface changes needed within subsystems.
- Obtain agreements for non-controversial changes.
- Identify inconsistencies and impacts across subsystems for a proposed interface change.
- Ensure approved changes are implemented and communicated across the subsystem team.
Project Systems Engineer
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the project level in interface management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the project level, resolving project issues.
Project Systems Engineers should be able to:
- Develop strategies and procedures for interface management.
- Lead the team in performing interface management for complex projects.
- Identify interface inconsistencies, overlaps, and gaps across all project designs.
- Review change proposals.
- Develop change impacts and recommend dispositions.
- Coordinate impact discussions.
- Resolve internal issues.
- Gain commitments from internal organizations on change dispositions and impacts.
Chief Engineer
Leads overall effort, reviews and approves products, resolves issues, and maintains relationships with the highest level of internal, external, and international contacts.
Chief Engineers should be able to:
- Manage the overall effort.
- Approve final results.
- Provide guidance and mentoring in the interface management efforts of the team.
- Communicate with other centers or external organizations to obtain agreements on external interfaces, proposed changes, and their impacts.
- Resolve complex issues arising during interface management.
- Identify, describe, and define interface management policies for the agency and/or center.
SE 3.4 Technical Risk Management
Examining on a continual basis the risks of technical deviations from plans and identifying potential technical problems before they occur. Planning, invoking, and performing risk-handling activities as needed across the life of the product or project to mitigate impacts on meeting technical objectives. This includes developing the strategy for technical risk management, identifying technical risks, conducting technical risk assessment; preparing for technical risk mitigation, monitoring the status of each technical risk, and implementing technical risk mitigation and contingency action plans when applicable thresholds have been triggered.
Underlying Skills
- Clear verbal and written communications
- Effective application of NASA’s SE Engine
- Effective application of selected risk tools and methodology
- Systems thinking
- Working in teams
- Win-win negotiating
Fundamental Knowledge of:
- Project mission, goals, and objectives
- Project Concept of Operations, use cases, and expected scenarios
- Current design configurations
- Current risk baselines
- Applicable risk board organization and procedures
Explore proficiencies for each role.
Discipline EngineerParticipates as a team member to gain an overall understanding of the technical risk management Process and to gain initial experience in the competency.
Discipline Engineers should be able to:
- Understand the processes for technical risk management.
- Participate as part of a team to gather, document, and coordinate technical risks.
- Understand and use the selected risk management tool.
Subsystem Lead
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the subsystem level in technical risk management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the subsystem level, identifying subsystem issues.
Subsystem Leads should be able to:
- Identify or review proposed risks within subsystems.
- Obtain agreements for non-controversial risks.
- Identify inconsistencies and impacts across subsystems for a proposed risk.
- Ensure approved risks are implemented into the risk tool and communicated across the subsystem team.
Project Systems Engineer
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the project level in technical risk management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the project level, resolving project issues.
Project Systems Engineers should be able to:
- Develop strategies and procedures for technical risk management.
- Lead the team in performing risk management for a complex project.
Identify inconsistencies, overlaps, and gaps across all project risk sources. - Review risk proposals.
- Develop risk impacts and recommended risk mitigations and corrective actions.
- Coordinate impact discussions.
- Resolve internal issues.
- Gain commitments from internal organizations on risk dispositions and impacts.
Chief Engineer
Leads overall effort, reviews and approves products, resolves issues, and maintains relationships with the highest level of internal, external, and international contacts.
Chief Engineers should be able to:
- Manage the overall effort.
- Approve final results.
- Provide guidance and mentoring in the technical risk management efforts of the team.
- Communicate with other centers or external organizations to obtain agreements on external risks, proposed impacts, and their mitigations.
- Resolve complex issues arising during technical risk management.
- Identify, describe, and define the technical risk management policies for the agency and/or center.
SE 3.5 Configuration Management
Identifying the configuration of the product at various points in time, systematically controlling changes to the configuration of the product, maintaining the integrity and traceability of product configuration, and preserving the records of the product configuration throughout its life cycle. This includes establishing configuration management strategies and policies, identifying baselines to be under configuration control, maintaining the status of configuration documentation, and conducting configuration audits.
Underlying Skills
- Clear verbal and written communications
- Effective application of NASA’s SE Engine
- Effective application of selected configuration management tools and methodology
- Systems thinking
- Working in teams
- Win-win negotiating
Fundamental Knowledge of:
- Project mission, goals, and objectives
- Current configuration baselines
- Proposed configuration changes
- Organization and procedures for the applicable configuration change board
Explore proficiencies for each role.
Discipline EngineerParticipates as a team member to gain an overall understanding of the configuration management process and to gain initial experience in the competency.
Discipline Engineers should be able to:
- Understand the processes for configuration management.
- Participate as part of a team to gather, document, and coordinate configuration changes.
- Understand and use the selected configuration management tool(s).
Subsystem Lead
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the subsystem level in configuration management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the subsystem level, identifying subsystem issues.
Subsystem Leads should be able to:
- Identify or review products within subsystems that need to be placed under configuration management.
- Obtain agreements for items to be controlled.
- Identify inconsistencies and impacts across subsystems.
- Ensure approved configuration items are implemented into the configuration management tool and communicated across the subsystem team.
- Develop strategies to conduct configuration audits.
Project Systems Engineer
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the project level in configuration management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the project level, resolving project issues.
Project Systems Engineers should be able to:
- Develop strategies and procedures for configuration management.
- Lead the team in performing configuration management for complex projects.
- Identify inconsistencies, overlaps, and gaps across all project configuration items during audits.
- Review proposed changes to configuration-controlled items and recommends dispositions.
- Coordinate discussions.
- Resolve internal issues.
- Gain commitments from internal organizations on items to be placed under configuration management and change dispositions.
Chief Engineer
Leads overall effort, reviews and approves products, resolves issues, and maintains relationships with the highest level of internal, external, and international contacts.
Chief Engineers should be able to:
- Manage the overall effort.
- Approve final results.
- Provide guidance and mentoring in the configuration management efforts of the team.
- Head configuration control boards for critical items under configuration management.
- Communicate with other centers or external organizations to obtain agreements for proposed changes and audit results.
- Identify, describe, and define the configuration management policies for the agency and/or center.
SE 3.6 Technical Data Management
Identifying and controlling product-related data throughout its life cycle; acquiring, accessing, and distributing data needed to develop, manage, operate, support, and retire system products; managing and disposing of data as records; analyzing data use; obtaining technical data feedback for managing the contracted technical efforts; assessing the collection of appropriate technical data and information; maintaining the integrity and security of the technical data, effectively managing authoritative data that defines, describes, analyzes, and characterizes a product life cycle; and ensuring consistent, repeatable use of effective Product Data and Life-cycle Management processes, best practices, interoperability approaches, methodologies, and traceability. This includes establishing technical data management strategies and policies; maintaining revision, status, and history of stored technical data and associated metadata; providing approved, published technical data; providing technical data to authorized parties; and collecting and storing required technical data.
Underlying Skills
- Clear verbal and written communications
- Effective application of NASA’s SE Engine
- Effective application of selected data management tools and methodology
- Systems thinking
- Working in teams
- Win-win negotiating
Fundamental Knowledge of:
- Project mission, goals, and objectives
- Security regulations for accessing, storing, and distributing data and for the identification of authorized users
- Selected data management tool(s)
- Organizations and teams that will need to produce or access technical data
Explore proficiencies for each role.
Discipline EngineerParticipates as a team member to gain an overall understanding of the technical data management process and to gain initial experience in the competency.
Discipline Engineers should be able to:
- Understand the processes for data management.
- Participate as part of a team to gather, document, and coordinate data.
- Understand and use the selected data management tool(s).
- Generate and capture some data items.
Subsystem Lead
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the subsystem level in technical data management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the subsystem level, identifying subsystem issues.
Subsystem Leads should be able to:
- Identify or review data products within subsystems that need to be placed under data management.
- Obtain agreements for data to be controlled.
Identify inconsistencies and impacts across subsystems. - Ensure approved data items are implemented into the data management tool and communicated across the subsystem team.
- Develop strategies to conduct data security audits.
Project Systems Engineer
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the project level in technical data management.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the project level, resolving project issues.
Project Systems Engineers should be able to:
- Develop strategies and procedures for data management.
- Lead the team in performing data management for complex projects.
- Identify inconsistencies, more than one authorized source, and data gaps across all project data items during audits.
- Review proposed security measures for sensitive data and the authorization of users.
- Coordinate discussions.
- Resolve internal issues.
- Gain commitments from internal organizations on items to be placed under data management and security protocols.
Chief Engineer
Leads overall effort, reviews and approves products, resolves issues, and maintains relationships with the highest level of internal, external, and international contacts.
Chief Engineers should be able to:
- Manage the overall effort.
- Approve final results.
- Provide guidance and mentoring in the technical data management efforts of the team.
- Communicate with other centers or external organizations to obtain agreements for proposed data access, security, and audit results.
- Resolve complex issues arising during data management.
- Identify, describe, and define the technical data management policies for the agency and/or center.
SE 3.7 Technical Assessment
Monitoring progress of the technical effort and providing status information for support of the system design, product realization, and technical management efforts. This includes developing technical assessment strategies and policies, assessing technical work productivity, assessing product quality, tracking and trending technical metrics, and conducting technical, peer, and life cycle reviews.
Underlying Skills
- Clear verbal and written communications
- Effective application of NASA’s SE Engine
- Systems thinking
- Working in teams
- Win-win negotiating
Fundamental Knowledge of:
- Project mission, goals, and objectives
- Objectives of life cycle reviews
- Organizations and stakeholders that will need to participate in the peer, technical, and life cycle reviews
- Current project baselines and configurations
Explore proficiencies for each role.
Discipline EngineerParticipates as a team member to gain an overall understanding of the technical assessment process and to gain initial experience in the competency.
Discipline Engineers should be able to:
- Understand the processes for conducting, participating in, and documenting results from peer, technical, and life cycle reviews.
- Participate as part of a team to gather, plot, and coordinate the selected set of technical measures.
Subsystem Lead
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the subsystem level in technical assessment.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the subsystem level, identifying subsystem issues.
Subsystem Leads should be able to:
- Identify and track process and product measures for subsystems.
- Obtain agreements for a set of subsystem measures to be tracked.
- Identify trending inconsistencies and issues.
- Analyze trends across subsystems and recommend corrective actions.
- Identify the type of reviews needed for the subsystem.
- Conduct peer reviews for subsystem products.
- Provide subsystem information for project life cycle reviews.
Project Systems Engineer
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the project level in technical assessment.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the project level, resolving project issues.
Project Systems Engineers should be able to:
- Develop strategies and procedures for technical assessments.
- Lead the team in performing technical assessments for complex projects.
- Identify corrective actions.
- Analyze performance measures for issues or potential problems.
- Conduct technical reviews for complex systems.
- Coordinate discussions.
- Resolve internal issues.
- Gain commitments from internal organizations on technical measures to be tracked and readiness of system to support a life cycle review.
Chief Engineer
Leads overall effort, reviews and approves products, resolves issues, and maintains relationships with the highest level of internal, external, and international contacts.
Chief Engineers should be able to:
- Manage the overall technical assessment effort.
- Approve final results.
- Provide guidance and mentoring in the technical assessment efforts of the team.
- Approve corrective actions resulting from reviews or trends necessary to bring project back into compliance with plans and requirements.
- Conduct technical reviews for complex projects or programs.
- Communicate with other centers or external organizations to obtain agreements for proposed actions, trend trigger points, and entrance/success criteria.
- Identify, describe, and define technical assessment policies for the agency and/or center.
SE 3.8 Technical Decision Analysis
Evaluating technical decision issues, identifying decision criteria, identifying alternatives, analyzing alternatives, and selecting alternatives. Performed throughout the system life cycle to formulate candidate decision alternatives, and evaluate their impacts on health and safety, technical, cost, and schedule performance. This includes establishing guidelines for determining which technical issues are subject to formal analysis processes; defining the criteria for evaluating alternative solutions; identifying alternative solutions to address decision issues; selecting evaluation methods; selecting recommended solutions; and reporting the results and findings with recommendations, impacts, and corrective actions.
Underlying Skills
- Clear verbal and written communications
- Effective application of NASA’s SE Engine
- Effective application of decision tools and methods such as pro/con analysis, SWOT, quality function deployment, etc.
- Systems thinking
- Working in teams
- Win-win negotiating
Fundamental Knowledge of:
- Current cost, schedule, and technical performance trends
- Project mission, goals, and objectives
- Customer expectations
- Project Concept of Operations, use cases, and expected scenarios
- Political environment
Explore proficiencies for each role.
Discipline EngineerParticipates as a team member to gain an overall understanding of the technical decision analysis process and to gain initial experience in the competency.
Discipline Engineers should be able to:
- Understand the process for performing decision analysis.
- Participate as part of a team to identify decision criteria and recommend evaluation methods.
- Perform simple evaluations.
Subsystem Lead
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the subsystem level in technical decision analysis.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the subsystem level, identifying subsystem issues.
Subsystem Leads should be able to:
- Initiate ideas for selection criteria.
- Perform subsystem evaluations.
- Make recommendations for alternative selections.
- Develop reports and make presentations.
Project Systems Engineer
Proficiency Level
- Leads teams at the project level in technical decision analysis.
- Provides guidance and expertise at the project level, resolving project issues.
Project Systems Engineers should be able to:
- Develop strategies and procedures for technical decision analysis, including guidelines for when to apply formal decision-making procedures.
- Lead effort in selecting decision criteria to be used for complex decisions.
- Collaborate with project personnel to determine weighting factors.
Chief Engineer
Leads overall effort, reviews and approves products, resolves issues, and maintains relationships with the highest level of internal, external, and international contacts.
Chief Engineers should be able to:
- Manage the overall effort.
- Approve final results.
- Provide guidance and mentoring in the technical decision analysis efforts of the team.
- Communicate with other centers or external organizations to obtain agreements for proposed selection strategies, selection criteria, and recommended alternative selection.
- Identify, describe, and define the technical decision analysis policies for the agency and/or center.