BACKGROUND | PROGRAM DETAILS | CURRICULUM | COST & TIME | SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
One of the World’s Most Advanced Online Project Management Training!
A Virtual Simulation-Based Course Developed
by and for
NASA Program and Project Managers
In an on-demand world, highly interactive
web-based skills training courseware
delivers immediate results.
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Return to Mars Background
Following the mission failures of the Mars Polar Lander and Climate Orbiter in the 1990s, NASA was an agency in transition. Their ability to manage projects in a “faster, better, cheaper” environment was questioned by both the public and NASA leadership. An added problem was that NASA's traditional mentoring system was disappearing, i.e., experienced program and project leaders training young engineers -- or first-time project managers -- on-the-job, on real missions. Many of the senior engineers had retired, and there was a serious gap in training.
The solution sought was better and more “real-world” project management training. NASA’s training academy (APPL) challenged Palatine Group to develop a customized e-learning solution for continuing education and professional development to close specific competency gaps that affected performance results and to complement face-to-face training. The self-paced courseware was to be targeted to project managers who could benefit from a uniform, highly interactive case-based experience. The NASA’s vision was to change the paradigm of learning.
"All of our classroom and web-based learning tools are performance-centered," says Palatine CEO Lawrence Suda. "We want to engage multiple generations of users, and challenge them with our brand of learning."
Dr. Edward Hoffman, Director of NASA's training academy, cited Palatine's "tremendous value" when choosing a vendor to design their first interactive, web-based project management course. "They helped us decide what kind of training our workforce needed, so that we could then build and strategize for ourselves."
Out of this effort came Return to Mars -- and the first performance support tool of its kind. The Mars Pathfinder mission was a high risk project with a challenging budget and schedule. Palatine chose this case and designed a scenario-based course that was challenging, entertaining, and engaged the user. "The training is well-suited for a new generation of project managers who expect to work hard, are team-oriented, and are use to tackling multiple tasks."
Added course value includes an audio text by Leonard Nimoy, 40 flash movies on best practices, and a scenario in which the user assumes the role of the project manager of the airbags team -- a real-life role that Brian Muirhead gave to a 25-year old engineer who had never "flown" a space mission before. This young engineer's innovative approach to designing and managing this subsystem project ultimately became the standard for all future NASA space missions.
Take the demo today for a free test flight. Maximize your job performance while learning to manage risks in a "risk-free" simulation environment -- and build your project management competencies, not just your knowledge. Enroll in the world’s most advanced online project leadership training course – Return to Mars!
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Tony Spear, Pathfinder Project Manager, The immensely experienced leader of this historic team. Variously described as "colorful", a "people manager", and having "a reputation for honesty." |
Return to Mars
Return to Mars consists of 14 episodes with each comprised of access quizzes, exercises based around a business case study, job aids and tools, lessons learned movies from the simulated team, and problem-solving scenarios and activities. There is a final test for PDU credit. Do you or your team have the knowledge, experience and ability to successfully complete this course?
Advance your career! Gain recognition! And enjoy an educational and entertaining learning experience that you will never forget!
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