| Assessing NASA Strategic Project Leadership in an Era of "Better, Faster, Cheaper" The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the management of strategic system projects (and programs) at NASA and, in particular, what makes such projects successful or not in an era of "better, faster, cheaper" (BFC). Such projects are typically characterized by advanced technology, new types of missions, complex integration of hardware and software systems, and inflexible time frames that are often dictated by "launch windows." To analyze strategic projects, this investigation used the framework of Strategic Project LeadershipRTM (SPL)1 correlated to the success of a systems development project through case study research. Four NASA projects were investigated that were managed as BFC projects. Two of them were successes (Mars Pathfinder and Lunar Prospector), and two failures (CONTOUR and Mars Climate Orbiter). The objectives were to (1) develop a better conceptual understanding of strategic system innovation through the study of BFC projects, (2) understand how SPL can describe BFC projects, and (3) provide feedback, recommendations, and lessons learned to NASA and the aerospace industry on potential success criteria for BFC projects. Of particular interest in this study was the analysis of fit between project type and the appropriate project management style. This research found that there was a good fit between project type and project management style in the two successful projects while in the unsuccessful projects this fit was apparently missing. It seems there is a need to develop a specific NASA framework to assess a project's risk and its appropriate project management style.; 1Shenhar, A. J. (2004) "Strategic Project Leadership RTM Toward A Strategic Approach to Project Management." Accepted for publication in R&D Management. |
