Original Date: 04/26/1999
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Enacted in 1993, the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requires all federal agencies to develop strategic and performance plans which outline their goals and objectives in outcome-based terms. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is complying with this act, and has implemented a strategic planning process that sets performance goals for the upcoming fiscal year and defines performance indicators to measure outcomes. Prior to FY98, no formal strategic planning activity existed.

MSFC receives its strategic direction from NASA Headquarters. In its Agency Strategic Plan, NASA identifies four Strategic Enterprises: (1) human exploration and development of space, (2) aerospace technology, (3) space science, and (4) earth science. Collectively, these enterprises drive NASA’s Performance Plan, which is the strategic planning document that outlines short-term goals and objectives required to support the mission. In turn, each NASA Center develops an implementation plan that outlines the steps that their organization will take to enact these goals.

Through its strategic planning process, MSFC produces a Center Implementation Plan and a Performance Report. The Center Implementation Plan lists the steps that each MSFC program will undertake to support the NASA mission, and ensures a linkage between MSFC’s activities and NASA’s Strategic Enterprises. The plan is developed annually in early May, reviewed by the customer in mid-July, and distributed electronically in mid-August. The Center also uses a feedback loop to obtain input at the program level. The Performance Report summarizes the progress of each MSFC program, and evaluates them against performance indicators. A detailed review of these indicators are included in MSFC’s Annual Report. This report is developed annually in early November and published in late March. MSFC communicates all strategic planning information to its employees. These documents are available for review on MSFC’s website, and all employees receive a copy of the Center Implementation Plan.

MSFC’s strategic planning process represents an organized approach to comply with GPRA requirements, and creates synergy throughout the Center. By showing employees how their efforts contribute to the NASA mission, MSFC ensures that all elements of the organization are familiar with the Center’s strategic direction.

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