What is SELP?

SELP is a comprehensive program that provides leadership development, technical hands-on experience, leadership and technical training, benchmarking, mentoring, and coaching. The program’s basis for design is founded in The Art and Science of Systems Engineering [ Full | Short ], the NASA Systems Engineering Behavior Study, and Behavior Competency Model. The behaviors exhibited by NASA’s highly valued systems engineers fall into five broad themes with associated competencies and their observable behaviors: leadership, attitudes and attributes, communication, problem solving and systems thinking, and technical acumen. Strategic thinking and political savvy are two additional leadership skills identified by NASA’s follow-on study of technical executives and are also covered in SELP.

SELP offers engineers a comprehensive, agency-wide perspective, as well as hands-on engineering developmental assignments that go beyond what they can learn and experience at their home centers. The program also provides advanced leadership skills development, and exposure to innovative government and industry-wide engineering concepts. SELP has consistently achieved a 90 percent success rate in transitioning individuals into more complex and challenging positions upon their return to their respective organizations after completing the program.

Program Components

• 

  The SELP group takes a break during the Leading in a Dynamic Environment workshop at Jet Propulsion Lab. Photo Credit: NASA

  Hands-on Technical Assignments – Hands-on developmental assignments are a core requirement of SELP. Assignments are 6-9 months in duration at an assigned Center.

• Leadership Development Workshops – Workshops focus on leadership, attitudes and attributes, communication, political savvy, problem solving, and systems and strategic thinking.
• Assessments – Assessment instruments are used to help participants gain a greater understanding of their strengths and areas for development.
• Mentoring – All participants are assigned a mentor.
• Center and Industry Benchmarks – Benchmarking with other NASA Centers and outside organizations to expand participants understanding/awareness of effective systems engineering and leadership choices.

Why SELP?

2017 Graduates gather in Gettysburg, PA, for their last leadership workshop. Photo Credit: NASA

• Technical assignments round out core SE competencies providing engineers with end-to-end life cycle experience.
• Exposure to innovative SE Organizations (Government/Industry) drives innovative thinking.
• Advanced Leadership Skills Development builds NASA’s future leaders.
• Exposure to other NASA Centers breeds understanding, builds relationships, and offers new ways of doing business.
• SELP Retention Rate is 98.4% since inception.
• SELP develops SE Leaders faster than traditional training methods.