United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-09-05 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-1015R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1015R P0b002ee18037a110 f:d011015r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1015R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1015R GAO-01-1015R Agency missions Data collection Internal controls Surveys Program evaluation Information systems NASA Lessons Learned Information System Mars Polar Lander Spacecraft Climate Orbiter Spacecraft Correspondence A01727 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) procedures and guidelines require that program and project managers review and apply lessons learned from the past throughout a program's or project's life cycle. Managers must also document and submit any significant lessons learned in a timely manner. NASA's principal mechanism for collecting and sharing lessons learned from programs, projects, and missions agency wide is the Lessons Learned Information System. The goal of the system is to prevent NASA from having to "relearn" the lessons of the past. NASA also shares lessons learned through revisions to its policies and guidance. Furthermore, lessons learned from a mishap or operational event are captured in procedure and process documents. GAO surveyed all of NASA's program and project managers to obtain their perspectives on NASA's mechanisms to ensure that past lessons learned from mission failures are being applied. GAO found fundamental weaknesses in the collection and sharing of lessons learned in NASA by program and project managers as well as in the system. Although some lessons learning does take place, lessons are not routinely identified, collected, or shared by program and project managers. In addition, many respondents said that they are dissatisfied with NASA's lessons learned processes and systems. Respondents also identified challenges or barriers to the sharing of lessons learned as well as areas of improvement. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1015R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1015R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1015R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1015R.pdf GAO-01-1015R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-1015R Correspondence GAO-01-1015R; Survey of NASA's Lessons Learned Process; Agency missions Data collection Internal controls Surveys Program evaluation Information systems NASA Lessons Learned Information System Mars Polar Lander Spacecraft Climate Orbiter Spacecraft