Systems Engineering Development Framework
The Systems Engineering Development Framework guides practitioners through the steps to build a successful career in systems engineering at NASA, identifying the APPEL KS courses and development activities that can support them and grow their competencies as they move from discipline engineer to subsystem lead, project systems engineer, and finally chief engineer. 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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Discipline Engineer
Role Definition: Practitioners who demonstrate an awareness and understanding of NASA’s systems engineering (SE), techniques, and lexicon. They have obtained a working knowledge of technical integration, systems engineering, 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)
Acquisitions
Building and Leading NASA Teams
- Communicating Technical Issues (APPEL-CTI)
- Crucial Accountability (APPEL-CA)
- Crucial Conversations (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
- Cognitive Bias in Engineering Decision-Making (APPEL-CBED)
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (APPEL-CTPS)
- Pay It Forward: Capturing, Sharing and Learning NASA Lessons (APPEL-PIF)
- Systems Thinking Across the NASA Project Lifecycle (APPEL-STNPL)
Engineering and Systems Engineering
Engineering
- Creativity and Innovation (APPEL-C&I)
- Earth, Moon, and Mars (APPEL-EMM)
- Foundations of Aerospace at NASA (APPEL-FOU)
- Introduction to Green Engineering (APPEL-GREEN) Under Review
- Introduction to Software Engineering (APPEL-ISWE)
Systems Engineering
- Foundations of MBSE (APPEL-MBSE1)
- Applied MBSE (APPEL-MBSE2)
- Model Based Systems Engineering Design and Analysis (APPEL-MBSE3)
- Decision Analysis (APPEL-DA)
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (APPEL-FSE)
- Human Spaceflight and Mission Design (APPEL-HSMD)
- Introduction to Software Engineering (APPEL-ISWE)
- Lifecycle, Processes & Systems Engineering (APPEL-LPSE)
- Requirements Development and Management – Team (APPEL-REQ-T)
- Requirements Development and Management (APPEL-REQ)
- Science Mission & Systems: Design & Operations (APPEL-SMSDO)
- Science Mission & Systems: Design & Operations Lab (APPEL-SMSDO-LAB)
- Space Launch and Transportation System (APPEL-SLTS)
- Space Mission Operations (APPEL-SMO)
- Space System Verification and Validation (APPEL-SSVV)
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:
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)
Subsystem Lead
Role Definition: Practitioners who have participated in or led activities such as requirements development and risk management and/or will have had sufficient experience and responsibility required to prepare them to lead SE and technical integration activities on a subsystem or small project. They demonstrate the application of SE tools, techniques, and lexicon at the project subsystem level, including use of SE 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)
Acquisitions
- Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overview (APPEL-FAR)
- Project Acquisition Workshop (APPEL-PAW) (Under Review)
- Types of Contracts (APPEL-CONT)
Building and Leading NASA Teams
- Communicating Technical Issues (APPEL-CTI)
- Crucial Accountability (APPEL-CA)
- Crucial Conversations (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
- Cognitive Bias in Engineering Decision-Making (APPEL-CBED)
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (APPEL-CTPS)
- Pay It Forward: Capturing, Sharing and Learning NASA Lessons (APPEL-PIF)
- Systems Thinking Across the NASA Project Lifecycle (APPEL-STNPL)
Engineering and Systems Engineering
Engineering
- Creativity and Innovation (APPEL-C&I)
- Earth, Moon, and Mars (APPEL-EMM)
- Foundations of Aerospace at NASA (APPEL-FOU)
- Introduction to Green Engineering (APPEL-GREEN) Under Review
- Introduction to Software Engineering (APPEL-ISWE)
- Software Engineering Management (APPEL-SWEM)
Systems Engineering
- Foundations of MBSE (APPEL-MBSE1)
- Applied MBSE (APPEL-MBSE2)
- Model Based Systems Engineering Design and Analysis (APPEL-MBSE3)
- Decision Analysis (APPEL-DA)
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (APPEL-FSE)
- Human Spaceflight and Mission Design (APPEL-HSMD)
- Introduction to Software Engineering (APPEL-ISWE)
- Lifecycle, Processes & Systems Engineering (APPEL-LPSE)
- Project Management and Systems Engineering (APPEL-PM&SE)
- Requirements Development and Management – Team (APPEL-REQ-T)
- Requirements Development and Management (APPEL-REQ)
- Science Mission & Systems: Design & Operations (APPEL-SMSDO)
- Science Mission & Systems: Design & Operations Lab (APPEL-SMSDO-LAB)
- Space Launch and Transportation System (APPEL-SLTS)
- Space Mission Operations (APPEL-SMO)
- Space System Verification and Validation (APPEL-SSVV)
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
- Explore NASA case studies on SE dilemmas and decision making
- Identify SE best practices by reviewing NASA’s Masters with Masters series
- Identify SE best practices by reviewing NASA’s Virtual PM Challenge sessions
Demonstrate working knowledge of policy documents:
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 Systems Engineer
Role Definition: Practitioners who have taken a significant leadership role in multiple phases of a project life cycle, managing programmatic and technical aspects and/or managing all technical integration and SE functions for a system or project that would prepare them for a technical leadership role in support of a major system or project. They demonstrate the integration of SE 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)
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)
Building and Leading NASA Teams
- Communicating Technical Issues (APPEL-CTI)
- Crucial Accountability (APPEL-CA)
- Crucial Conversations (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)
Engineering and Systems Engineering
Engineering
- Creativity and Innovation (APPEL-C&I)
- Earth, Moon, and Mars (APPEL-EMM)
- Foundations of Aerospace at NASA (APPEL-FOU)
- Introduction to Green Engineering (APPEL-GREEN) Under Review
- Introduction to Software Engineering (APPEL-ISWE)
- Software Engineering Management (APPEL-SWEM)
Systems Engineering
- Advanced Project Management and Advanced Systems Engineering (APPEL-APM&ASE)
- Foundations of MBSE (APPEL-MBSE1)
- Applied MBSE (APPEL-MBSE2)
- Model Based Systems Engineering Design and Analysis (APPEL-MBSE3)
- Decision Analysis (APPEL-DA)
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (APPEL-FSE)
- Human Spaceflight and Mission Design (APPEL-HSMD)
- Introduction to Software Engineering (APPEL-ISWE)
- Lifecycle, Processes & Systems Engineering (APPEL-LPSE)
- Manned Mission & System: Design Lab (APPEL-MMSD)
- Project Management and Systems Engineering (APPEL-PM&SE)
- Requirements Development and Management – Team (APPEL-REQ-T)
- Requirements Development and Management (APPEL-REQ)
- Science Mission & Systems: Design & Operations (APPEL-SMSDO)
- Science Mission & Systems: Design & Operations Lab (APPEL-SMSDO-LAB)
- Space Launch and Transportation System (APPEL-SLTS)
- Space Mission Operations (APPEL-SMO)
- Space System Verification and Validation (APPEL-SSVV)
Model-Based Systems Engineering Lead Series
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
- Explore NASA case studies on SE dilemmas and decision making
- Identify SE best practices by reviewing NASA’s Masters with Masters series
- Identify SE best practices by reviewing NASA’s Virtual PM Challenge sessions
Demonstrate working knowledge of policy documents:
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)
Chief Engineer
Role Definition: Practitioners who have contributed to agency goals and who are effective in managing technical and strategic interactions both internal and external to the agency. They have demonstrated superior competencies in ensuring that systems technically fulfill the defined needs and requirements and that a proper systems engineering approach is followed throughout formulation and implementation.
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)
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)
Building and Leading NASA Teams
- Communicating Technical Issues (APPEL-CTI)
- Crucial Accountability (APPEL-CA)
- Crucial Conversations (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)
Engineering and Systems Engineering
Engineering
- Creativity and Innovation (APPEL-C&I)
- Earth, Moon, and Mars (APPEL-EMM)
- Foundations of Aerospace at NASA (APPEL-FOU)
- Introduction to Green Engineering (APPEL-GREEN) Under Review
- Introduction to Software Engineering (APPEL-ISWE)
- Software Engineering Management (APPEL-SWEM)
Systems Engineering
- Advanced Project Management and Advanced Systems Engineering (APPEL-APM&ASE)
- Foundations of MBSE (APPEL-MBSE1)
- Applied MBSE (APPEL-MBSE2)
- Model Based Systems Engineering Design and Analysis (APPEL-MBSE3)
- Decision Analysis (APPEL-DA)
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (APPEL-FSE)
- Human Spaceflight and Mission Design (APPEL-HSMD)
- Introduction to Software Engineering (APPEL-ISWE)
- Lifecycle, Processes & Systems Engineering (APPEL-LPSE)
- Manned Mission & System: Design Lab (APPEL-MMSD)
- Project Management and Systems Engineering (APPEL-PM&SE)
- Requirements Development and Management – Team (APPEL-REQ-T)
- Requirements Development and Management (APPEL-REQ)
- Science Mission & Systems: Design & Operations (APPEL-SMSDO)
- Science Mission & Systems: Design & Operations Lab (APPEL-SMSDO-LAB)
- Space Launch and Transportation System (APPEL-SLTS)
- Space Mission Operations (APPEL-SMO)
- Space System Verification and Validation (APPEL-SSVV)
Model-Based Systems Engineering Lead Series
Recommended Development Activities
Become a mentor: work with your Center resources
- Explore NASA case studies on SE dilemmas and decision making
- Identify SE best practices by reviewing NASA’s Masters with Masters series
- Identify SE best practices by reviewing NASA’s Virtual PM Challenge sessions
- Propose and write a technical paper for possible presentation at a NASA event or industry conference
Demonstrate working knowledge of policy documents:
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)