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NASA Technical Planning Estimating and Budgeting Essentials (APPEL-TPEB)Program / Project Management

NASA Technical Planning Estimating and Budgeting Essentials (APPEL-TPEB)

PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIALS

  • Program / Project Management
    Program / Project Management

Skill Level: Team/Subsystem Leads or higher.

The objective of this training is to provide the foundation required by project technical personnel to plan the technical content and codify that content into the estimating and budgeting processes. Often project cost overruns at NASA have been linked back to the lack of sufficient planning rigor being captured in the estimating and budgeting processes. The project technical staff need to learn how to interface with the resource community through the lifecycle budgeting processes to improve project performance. For example, “heritage” hardware and software for mission systems is often used by technical personnel as a basis of estimate for new projects. However, the use of heritage in a new project is often over estimated, leading to improper planning and budgeting.

This course is designed for NASA's Team or Subsystem Leads, Program and Project Managers, Lead and Senior Systems Engineers, and Chief Engineers. It is highly encouraged for project team members involved in technical planning or those who create or interact with individuals responsible for resource, cost, or schedule estimates to participate.
Project Management Competencies
Common Competencies

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Related Resources

Program/Project Management

Engineering

APPEL Library Resource
NASA GALAXIE Information System NASA GALAXIE Information System
All supplemental resources are NASA accessible only unless otherwise noted.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Correctly assess technical content throughout the lifecycle, and therefore improve planning and budgeting in formulation and development across a properly established work breakdown structure (WBS).
  • Manage the interface between the project technical staff and the resource community to achieve a common understanding of the work and the associated estimates and budgets based on the WBS.
  • Format deliverables in a way to convey the technical content and assumptions to the resource community and mission directorate stakeholders.
  • Incorporate inputs with the project to the PPBE and Congressional Justification budget processes in a timely and accurate manner.
  • React to technical content changes through the lifecycle and incorporate the updates into the planning and resource documentation, including the project plan.
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Center POCs

Registration Question? Contact the training specialist below for assistance.

Dallas Neener
dallas.j.neener@nasa.gov
(321) 867-6819

EXTERNAL CERTIFICATION CREDIT

About the Instructor(s)

David Radzanowski

David Radzanowski is an adjunct instructor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, teaching "How Washington Works." He is Chair of the Board for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space and consults for Aerospace Corporation and Equator Corporation. With 30+ years in the U.S. space program, he has served as NASA CFO and Chief of Staff, Aerospace Corporation CFO, and Chief of the Science and Space Branch at OMB. He also worked on Australia’s Future Submarine Program. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Carnegie Mellon.

Gary Rawitscher

Gary Rawitscher retired from NASA's Science Mission Directorate in December 2019, after 29 years in NASA, including 11 years in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. From 2001 to 2019 Mr. Rawitscher served the Science Mission Directorate in several analytical and managerial roles, including as the program control lead in the JWST Program office, as well as managing SMD's cost/schedule estimating processes.  He served on the Mars Sample Return Independent Review Board in 2023.

CURRICULUM LEAD

Curriculum Question? Contact the curriculum lead below for assistance.

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski
diana.m.wehrell-grabowski@nasa.gov

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