Get Ready for Upcoming Audit and Unleash the Power of Knowledge Management
Preparations are underway for a third-party audit
Safety and reliability are vital to achieving successful human spaceflight missions. To assist in assuring this, NASA uses a Quality Management System (QMS).
QMS objectives support the NASA goals and JSC Strategic Implementation Plan by providing processes that are effective, efficient, and conformant to the International Organization of Standards (ISO) 9001 and The Aerospace Standard (AS) 9100 standards for QMS.
Every three years, NASA’s Johnson Space Center is audited by a third-party organization to recertify its ISO 9001 and AS9100 certificates. Additionally, an annual surveillance audit is conducted to ensure ongoing compliance with certification requirements.
From October 23 to 27, auditors from the National Quality Assurance (NQA) organization will visit Johnson for the recertification audit. The audit will involve four auditors over five days, touching most parts of Johnson. While specific details and locations are yet to be determined, all organizations should be prepared for an on-site audit.
To assist in these efforts, Johnson has established a Quality Systems Panel (QSP) with members representing each organization, program, and project. The QSP meets monthly to work through QMS issues and corrective actions. QSP representatives will be intimately involved in the recertification audit and act as your organization’s liaison to the audit team.
For a list of QSP reps, click here. For more information, contact Audit Manager Walter Marker at walter.marker-1@nasa.gov, or call 281-483-0117.
QMS tips, training, and procedures can be found in the QMS website’s specific modules.
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In addition to the QMS, fostering a knowledge management culture is vital for mission success. Knowledge capture and transfer are integral to achieving NASA’s goals, and teams thrive when they establish a culture that supports sharing and advancing knowledge at the outset.
Here are some valuable resources for knowledge management:
- Knowledge Capture and Transfer Guide for Supervisors: An easy-to-use guide for NASA supervisors to help capture and transfer knowledge within their organization.
- Knowledge Management Planning Guide: This resource offers guidance to NASA project managers on developing effective knowledge management plans. These plans are designed to add value to projects, utilize available resources, consider cost and schedule implications, and remain adaptable to evolving project needs.
- Knowledge Transfer: This resource explains the knowledge transfer process and provides a basic framework for conducting knowledge transfer activities.
- APPEL (Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership) Knowledge Services Competency Models: C5.1, “Knowledge Capture and Transfer,” provides proficiency level definitions, illustrations, underlying skills, and fundamental knowledge required for performing knowledge capture and transfer activities at each of four roles in the NASA technical workforce.
You can explore JSC Knowledge Online (JKO) for additional information. JKO offers case studies and lessons learned databases, as well as training videos, panel discussions, and a multitude of historical resources.
To enhance your search experience, you can also utilize the Goldfire AI cognitive search tool, which allows scientists and engineers to leverage critical knowledge. Goldfire can find answers to direct inquiries and even identify relevant information associated with questions that may not have been initially considered.