Program and Project Management Development Framework
The Program and Project Management Development Framework guides practitioners through the steps to build a successful career in program and project management at NASA, identifying the APPEL KS courses and development activities that can support them and grow their competencies as they move from team practitioner to team lead, project manager, and finally program manager. Terminology and responsibilities can vary by center: In cases where center titles differ from those listed, focus on the substance of the role to find appropriate learning and development opportunities.
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Team Practitioner
Role Definition: Practitioners who demonstrate an awareness and understanding of NASA’s project management (PM) tools, techniques, and lexicon. They have obtained a working knowledge of project management concepts and tools and have performed tasks and activities to support and contribute to a project.
APPEL KS Recommended Courses
NASA Fundamentals
- Foundations of Aerospace at NASA (APPEL-FOU)
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (APPEL-FSE)
- Introduction to Project Management at NASA (APPEL-PM101)
- Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals (APPEL-PSTP)
- Project Planning Analysis and Control (APPEL-PPAC)
- Requirements Development and Management (APPEL-REQ)
- Team Membership (APPEL-TM)
- Writing for Technical Professionals (APPEL-TW)
Program/Project Management
Acquisitions
Earned Value Management
P/PM Basics and Beyond
- Cost Estimation for Project Managers (APPEL-COST)
- Introduction to Project Management at NASA (APPEL-PM101)
- Project Management for non-Technical Managers (APPEL-PMnTM)
- Project Planning Analysis and Control (APPEL-PPAC)
- Risk Management I (APPEL-RMI)
Building and Leading NASA Teams
- Communicating Technical Issues (APPEL-CTI)
- Crucial Conversations for Accountability (APPEL-CA)
- Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue (APPEL-CC)
- Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals (APPEL-PSTP)
- Change Management (APPEL-TCM)
- Team Membership (APPEL-TM)
- Writing for Technical Professionals (APPEL-TW)
On Demand Learning
- Earth, Moon, and Mars (APPEL-EMM)
- Control Account Manager (APPEL-CAM)
- Earned Value Management Systems (APPEL-EVMS)
- Integrated Baseline Review (APPEL-IBR)
- Scheduling Virtual Learning Lab (APPEL-SVLL)
- Orbital Debris Mitigation and Reentry Risk Management (APPEL-ODM) (iBook)
Lessons Learned for Mission Success
Recommended Development Activities
Obtain a mentor: working with your local Center resources
- Dan Rasky: Mentor & Apprentice Work Model
- ASK Magazine: Getting the Most from Your Mentor
- Charlie Bolden and Johann-Dietrich Wörner on mentors
- John Mather and Dennis McCarthy on mentors
Demonstrate working knowledge of policy documents:
- NPR 7120.5
- NPR 7123.1
- NPD 7120.6
- NPR 7120.8
- NASA Program and Project Management Handbook
- Agency Risk Management Procedural Requirements
Join national and international affiliations or technical bodies:
Engage with IAF’s Young Professionals (YP) Workshops
Capture critical technical knowledge:
- NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) online academy
- Quick HITS/Quick LIfTTS Webinars (NASA only)
Explore the knowledge work taking place throughout NASA:
- Review APPEL KS Competency Models for expected proficiencies, skills, and fundamental knowledge of each career level.
- APPEL KS Knowledge Videos
- Explore NASA’s Lessons Learned Information System (NASA Only)
- Review NASA Lessons Learned Repositories
- APPEL KS Small Steps, Giant Leaps Podcast
- APPEL KS INSIGHT Articles
- Explore Case Studies – GSFC Repository (NASA Only)
- Explore Case Studies – APPEL
- Explore Case Studies – NSC (NASA Only)
Team Lead
Role Definition: Practitioners who have participated in or led PM activities such as requirements development, budget and schedule development, and risk management. They demonstrate the application of PM tools, techniques, and lexicon at the project subsystem level, including use of PM best practices.
APPEL KS Recommended Courses
NASA Fundamentals
- Foundations of Aerospace at NASA (APPEL-FOU)
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (APPEL-FSE)
- Introduction to Project Management at NASA (APPEL-PM101)
- Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals (APPEL-PSTP)
- Project Planning Analysis and Control (APPEL-PPAC)
- Requirements Development and Management (APPEL-REQ)
- Team Leadership (APPEL-TL)
- Team Membership (APPEL-TM)
- Writing for Technical Professionals (APPEL-TW)
Program/Project Management
Acquisitions
- Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overview (APPEL-FAR)
- Project Acquisition Workshop (APPEL-PAW) (Under Review)
- Types of Contracts (APPEL-CONT)
Earned Value Management
P/PM Basics and Beyond
- Agile PM: The Keys to Getting Started (APPEL-AGILE)
- Assessing Project Performance (APPEL-APP)
- Cost Estimation for Project Managers (APPEL-COST)
- International Project Management (APPEL-IPM)
- Introduction to Project Management at NASA (APPEL-PM101)
- Performance-Based Statement of Work (APPEL-PBSOW)
- Project Management and Systems Engineering (APPEL-PM&SE)
- Project Management for non-Technical Managers (APPEL-PMnTM)
- Project Management Leadership Lab (APPEL-PM-LAB3)
- Project Planning Analysis and Control (APPEL-PPAC)
- Risk Management I (APPEL-RMI)
- Risk Management II (APPEL-RM II)
- Scheduling and Cost Control (APPEL-SCC)
- Project Management Scheduling at NASA (APPEL-vPMSCHED)
Building and Leading NASA Teams
- Communicating Technical Issues (APPEL-CTI)
- Crucial Conversations for Accountability (APPEL-CA)
- Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue (APPEL-CC)
- Managing Virtual Teams (APPEL-MVT)
- Negotiations (APPEL-NG)
- Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals (APPEL-PSTP)
- Project Management Leadership Lab (APPEL-PM-LAB3)
- Change Management (APPEL-TCM)
- Team Leadership (APPEL-TL)
- Team Membership (APPEL-TM)
- Writing for Technical Professionals (APPEL-TW)
On Demand Learning
- Earth, Moon, and Mars (APPEL-EMM)
- Control Account Manager (APPEL-CAM)
- Earned Value Management Systems (APPEL-EVMS)
- Integrated Baseline Review (APPEL-IBR)
- Scheduling Virtual Learning Lab (APPEL-SVLL)
- Orbital Debris Mitigation and Reentry Risk Management (APPEL-ODM) (iBook)
Lessons Learned for Mission Success
Recommended Development Activities
Obtain a mentor: working with your local Center resources
- Dan Rasky: Mentor & Apprentice Work Model
- ASK Magazine: Getting the Most from Your Mentor
- Charlie Bolden and Johann-Dietrich Wörner on mentors
- John Mather and Dennis McCarthy on mentors
- Author a paper on Project Management
- Identify PM best practices by reviewing NASA’s Masters with Masters series
- Identify PM best practices by reviewing NASA’s Virtual PM Challenge sessions
Demonstrate working knowledge of policy documents:
- NPR 7120.5
- NPR 7123.1
- NPD 7120.6
- NPR 7120.8
- NASA Program and Project Management Handbook
- Agency Risk Management Procedural Requirements
Join national and international affiliations or technical bodies:
Engage with IAF’s Young Professionals (YP) Workshops
Capture critical technical knowledge:
- NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) online academy
- Quick HITS/Quick LIfTTS Webinars (NASA only)
Explore the knowledge work taking place throughout NASA:
- Review APPEL KS Competency Models for expected proficiencies, skills, and fundamental knowledge of each career level.
- APPEL KS Knowledge Videos
- Explore NASA’s Lessons Learned Information System (NASA Only)
- Review NASA Lessons Learned Repositories
- APPEL KS Small Steps, Giant Leaps Podcast
- APPEL KS INSIGHT Articles
- Explore Case Studies – GSFC Repository (NASA Only)
- Explore Case Studies – APPEL
- Explore Case Studies – NSC (NASA Only)
Project Manager
Role Definition: Practitioners who have taken a significant leadership role in multiple phases of a project life cycle, managing programmatic aspects of a project that would prepare them for a leadership role in support of a major system or project. They demonstrate the integration of PM tools, techniques, and best practices across systems at the project level.
APPEL KS Recommended Courses
NASA Fundamentals
- Foundations of Aerospace at NASA (APPEL-FOU)
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (APPEL-FSE)
- International Project Management (APPEL-IPM)
- Introduction to Project Management at NASA (APPEL-PM101)
- Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals (APPEL-PSTP)
- Project Planning Analysis and Control (APPEL-PPAC)
- Requirements Development and Management (APPEL-REQ)
- Team Leadership (APPEL-TL)
- Team Membership (APPEL-TM)
- Writing for Technical Professionals (APPEL-TW)
Program/Project Management
Acquisitions
- Contract Management Principles and Practices for Project Managers (APPEL-CMPP)
- Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overview (APPEL-FAR)
- Project Acquisition Workshop (APPEL-PAW) (Under Review)
- Types of Contracts (APPEL-CONT)
Earned Value Management
P/PM Basics and Beyond
- Advanced Project Management and Advanced Systems Engineering (APPEL-APM&ASE)
- Agile PM: The Keys to Getting Started (APPEL-AGILE)
- Assessing Project Performance (APPEL-APP)
- International Project Management (APPEL-IPM)
- Introduction to Project Management at NASA (APPEL-PM101)
- Leading Complex Projects (APPEL-LCP)
- Performance-Based Statement of Work (APPEL-PBSOW)
- Project Management and Systems Engineering (APPEL-PM&SE)
- Project Management for non-Technical Managers (APPEL-PMnTM)
- Project Management Leadership Lab (APPEL-PM-LAB3)
- Project Planning Analysis and Control (APPEL-PPAC)
- Risk Management I (APPEL-RMI)
- Risk Management II (APPEL-RM II)
- Scheduling and Cost Control (APPEL-SCC)
- Project Management Scheduling at NASA (APPEL-vPMSCHED)
Building and Leading NASA Teams
- Communicating Technical Issues (APPEL-CTI)
- Crucial Conversations for Accountability (APPEL-CA)
- Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue (APPEL-CC)
- Managing Virtual Teams (APPEL-MVT)
- Negotiations (APPEL-NG)
- Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals (APPEL-PSTP)
- Project Management Leadership Lab (APPEL-PM-LAB3)
- Change Management (APPEL-TCM)
- Tactical Skills for Creating High Performance Teams (APPEL-vCHPT)
- Team Leadership (APPEL-TL)
- Team Membership (APPEL-TM)
- Writing for Technical Professionals (APPEL-TW)
On Demand Learning
- Earth, Moon, and Mars (APPEL-EMM)
- Control Account Manager (APPEL-CAM)
- Earned Value Management Systems (APPEL-EVMS)
- Integrated Baseline Review (APPEL-IBR)
- Scheduling Virtual Learning Lab (APPEL-SVLL)
- Orbital Debris Mitigation and Reentry Risk Management (APPEL-ODM) (iBook)
Lessons Learned for Mission Success
- Cognitive Bias in Engineering Decision-Making (APPEL-CBED)
- Complex Decision Making in Project Management (APPEL-CDMPM)
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (APPEL-CTPS)
- Pay It Forward: Capturing, Sharing and Learning NASA Lessons (APPEL-PIF)
- Recovery of Troubled Projects (APPEL-vRTP)
- Systems Thinking Across the NASA Project Lifecycle (APPEL-STNPL)
Recommended Development Activities
Obtain a mentor: working with your local Center resources
- Dan Rasky: Mentor & Apprentice Work Model
- ASK Magazine: Getting the Most from Your Mentor
- Charlie Bolden and Johann-Dietrich Wörner on mentors
- John Mather and Dennis McCarthy on mentors
- Author a paper on Project Management
- Explore NASA case studies on project manager dilemmas and decision making
- Review monthly PMI’s Learning Page for program and project management trends, webinars, and resources
- Identify PM best practices by reviewing NASA’s Masters with Masters series
- Identify PM best practices by reviewing NASA’s Virtual PM Challenge sessions
Demonstrate working knowledge of policy documents:
- NPR 7120.5
- NPR 7123.1
- NPD 7120.6
- NPR 7120.8
- NASA Program and Project Management Handbook
- Agency Risk Management Procedural Requirements
Join national and international affiliations or technical bodies:
Engage with IAF’s Young Professionals (YP) Workshops
Capture critical technical knowledge:
- NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) online academy
- Quick HITS/Quick LIfTTS Webinars (NASA only)
Explore the knowledge work taking place throughout NASA:
- Review APPEL KS Competency Models for expected proficiencies, skills, and fundamental knowledge of each career level.
- APPEL KS Knowledge Videos
- Explore NASA’s Lessons Learned Information System (NASA Only)
- Review NASA Lessons Learned Repositories
- APPEL KS Small Steps, Giant Leaps Podcast
- APPEL KS INSIGHT Articles
- Explore Case Studies – GSFC Repository (NASA Only)
- Explore Case Studies – APPEL
- Explore Case Studies – NSC (NASA Only)
Program Manager
Role Definition: Practitioners who have contributed to agency goals and who are effective in managing programmatic and strategic interactions both internal and external to the agency. They have demonstrated superior competencies in the formulation and implementation of programs, management of program resources, and oversight of project implementation activities in support of agency missions.
APPEL KS Recommended Courses
NASA Fundamentals
- Foundations of Aerospace at NASA (APPEL-FOU)
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (APPEL-FSE)
- International Project Management (APPEL-IPM)
- Introduction to Project Management at NASA (APPEL-PM101)
- Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals (APPEL-PSTP)
- Project Planning Analysis and Control (APPEL-PPAC)
- Requirements Development and Management (APPEL-REQ)
- Team Leadership (APPEL-TL)
- Team Membership (APPEL-TM)
- Writing for Technical Professionals (APPEL-TW)
Program/Project Management
Acquisitions
- Contract Management Principles and Practices for Project Managers (APPEL-CMPP)
- Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overview (APPEL-FAR)
- Project Acquisition Workshop (APPEL-PAW) (Under Review)
- Types of Contracts (APPEL-CONT)
Earned Value Management
P/PM Basics and Beyond
- Advanced Project Management and Advanced Systems Engineering (APPEL-APM&ASE)
- Agile PM: The Keys to Getting Started (APPEL-AGILE)
- Assessing Project Performance (APPEL-APP)
- International Project Management (APPEL-IPM)
- Introduction to Project Management at NASA (APPEL-PM101)
- Leading Complex Projects (APPEL-LCP)
- Performance-Based Statement of Work (APPEL-PBSOW)
- Project Management and Systems Engineering (APPEL-PM&SE)
- Project Management for non-Technical Managers (APPEL-PMnTM)
- Project Management Leadership Lab (APPEL-PM-LAB3)
- Project Planning Analysis and Control (APPEL-PPAC)
- Risk Management I (APPEL-RMI)
- Risk Management II (APPEL-RM II)
- Scheduling and Cost Control (APPEL-SCC)
- Project Management Scheduling at NASA (APPEL-vPMSCHED)
- NASA Program Management Fundamentals (APPEL – PgM01F)
- Effective Program Governance (APPEL – PgM02G)
- Financial Management for Program Managers (APPEL – PgM03FIN)
- Program Decision Making (APPEL – PgM04DM)
- Navigating Program Politics (APPEL – PgM05PP)
- NASA Program Leadership (APPEL – PgM06PL)
Building and Leading NASA Teams
- Communicating Technical Issues (APPEL-CTI)
- Crucial Conversations for Accountability (APPEL-CA)
- Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue (APPEL-CC)
- Managing Virtual Teams (APPEL-MVT)
- Negotiations (APPEL-NG)
- Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals (APPEL-PSTP)
- Project Management Leadership Lab (APPEL-PM-LAB3)
- Change Management (APPEL-TCM)
- Tactical Skills for Creating High Performance Teams (APPEL-vCHPT)
- Team Leadership (APPEL-TL)
- Team Membership (APPEL-TM)
- Writing for Technical Professionals (APPEL-TW)
On Demand Learning
- Earth, Moon, and Mars (APPEL-EMM)
- Control Account Manager (APPEL-CAM)
- Earned Value Management Systems (APPEL-EVMS)
- Integrated Baseline Review (APPEL-IBR)
- Scheduling Virtual Learning Lab (APPEL-SVLL)
- Orbital Debris Mitigation and Reentry Risk Management (APPEL-ODM) (iBook)
Lessons Learned for Mission Success
- Cognitive Bias in Engineering Decision-Making (APPEL-CBED)
- Complex Decision Making in Project Management (APPEL-CDMPM)
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (APPEL-CTPS)
- Pay It Forward: Capturing, Sharing and Learning NASA Lessons (APPEL-PIF)
- Recovery of Troubled Projects (APPEL-vRTP)
- Systems Thinking Across the NASA Project Lifecycle (APPEL-STNPL)
Recommended Development Activities
Become a mentor: work with your local Center resources
- Explore NASA case studies on project manager dilemmas and decision making
- Review monthly PMI’s Learning Page for program and project management trends, webinars, and resources
- Identify PM best practices by reviewing NASA’s Masters with Masters series
- Identify PM best practices by reviewing NASA’s Virtual PM Challenge sessions
Demonstrate working knowledge of policy documents:
- NPR 7120.5
- NPR 7123.1
- NPD 7120.6
- NPR 7120.8
- NASA Program and Project Management Handbook
- Agency Risk Management Procedural Requirements
Join national and international affiliations or technical bodies:
Engage with IAF’s Young Professionals (YP) Workshops
Capture critical technical knowledge:
- NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) online academy
- Quick HITS/Quick LIfTTS Webinars (NASA only)
Explore the knowledge work taking place throughout NASA:
- Review APPEL KS Competency Models for expected proficiencies, skills, and fundamental knowledge of each career level.
- APPEL KS Knowledge Videos
- Explore NASA’s Lessons Learned Information System (NASA Only)
- Review NASA Lessons Learned Repositories
- APPEL KS Small Steps, Giant Leaps Podcast
- APPEL KS INSIGHT Articles
- Explore Case Studies – GSFC Repository (NASA Only)
- Explore Case Studies – APPEL
- Explore Case Studies – NSC (NASA Only)