Update By NASA’s Chief Information Officer

OCIO Team, I wanted to provide an update on our current situation and related planning efforts as we navigate significant organizational changes, first starting with my plans. As many of you may have heard, after 35 years at NASA, I have decided to bring my career to a close – but this is not happening immediately. I’ll be here through the end of the calendar year to support the many challenges we are working and enable an effective transition while continuing to partner with you in doing great things for NASA. Now about some of those challenges…

Current Status

NASA has many employees participating in DRP 2, totaling more than 3,000 current or planned departures across both DRP 1 and 2. Within OCIO, we have approximately 115 team members departing through the current flexibilities and when combined with other separations, the hiring freeze, and DRP 1, our OCIO civil servant team is down about 30% since January with another week and a half before the DRP 2 window closes.

We’re also planning for a ~$170M budget reduction between FY25 and FY26, based on the proposed NASA budget. While these are planning numbers, we must prepare today for reduced funding in the near future.

Our Approach

OCIO leaders have identified more than 100 service reductions, eliminations, efficiency opportunities, and charging model changes to continue delivering critical NASA services within a reduced budget. We’re working through implementation details in multiple weekly meetings. We’re also evaluating options to optimize contracted service support, building in time for necessary contract changes, some of which must happen this fiscal year to meet a reduced budget in the coming fiscal year.

For workforce reductions, we’re streamlining operations by looking at how we might combine similar functions, reduce management layers, and focus on essential work – we simply can’t do all the things we used to do, or work in all the same ways we have in the past. On two specific fronts, OCIO leadership is discussing consolidating Agency Level Offices into fewer offices, with similar planning focused on Service Line streamlining scheduled for later this month. All of these changes will impact people – both our customers and our OCIO team members, so we are also looking for the best way to begin discussing changes at the right times and in the right settings – more to come on that front.

Moving Forward

We’re awaiting guidance on agency ARRP restructuring and will adjust our operating model accordingly once we receive direction. We believe the budget and organizational planning described above will align with any agency direction taken. We’ll schedule another Town Hall after the DRP 2 window closes and we have more planning details and updates to share. Even with all of the changes that are taking place, including the departure of many colleagues and friends, the OCIO team is continuing to do a tremendous job supporting the NASA mission. While we are actively developing an approach that meets mission needs and preserves critical IT services, I want to express that our people are the most important resource we have. Please continue to take care of yourself and take care of each other.

Finally, along the idea of caring for one another, over the next several days I am going to share a few thoughts about how I am personally navigating these challenges. Starting tomorrow, and running through Thursday, I am going to share a few things that I have found useful and have spent time considering – maybe you will find some value in thinking about some of these ideas yourself.

With gratitude,

Jeff