Project Management Community
March 2006
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- PMI's Chair and CEO Answer Questions on Community Transformation Project
- NASA PM Challenge 2006 Kicks Off in Galveston
NASA PM CHALLENGE 2006 KICKS OFF IN GALVESTON
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin kicked of the third annual NASA Project
Management Challenge conference in Galveston, Texas, USA yesterday morning
with a keynote speech entitled "Shifting the Project Management Paradigm for Exploration".
After a refreshingly candid review of NASA's strengths and weaknesses, Griffin articulated the challenges the agency faces in making the Vision for Space Exploration a reality. He stressed the importance of systems engineering, noting that many of NASA's
spectacular failures were really systems engineering failures. He encouraged
the audience of almost 1000 NASA employees and contractors to look at the
big picture, to minimize the unintended consequences of design, and to practice
good communications. He pointed out that although the selection of NASA projects
are political decisions, NASA must be a technical, not a political, agency.
Conference co-chairs Dorothy Tiffany and Walter Majerowicz welcomed the delegates
to PM Challenge 2006, announcing the conference had attracted almost 1000
delegates representing all NASA centers, nearly 100 speakers, and 44 exhibitors.
NASA Johnson Space Center Director, Michael Coats, reiterated the welcome
and provided opening remarks on the conference theme: "Putting Ideas into Action".
Other plenary speakers Tuesday included Joseph Rothenberg, President, Universal Space Network; Ed Hoffman, Director of the NASA Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership; and Scott Pace, Associate Administrator for Program Analysis and Evaluation.
The conference, which is being held at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Conference Center, Galveston, Texas, USA, continues through Wednesday.