NASA Shared Services Center

NASA Shared Services Center
Name	NASA Shared Services Center
Formation	2006
Type	Federally Funded Service Center
Headquarters	Wichita, Kansas
Parent organization	National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA Shared Services Center

The NASA Shared Services Center provides centralized financial management and human resources support across components of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, consolidating transactional functions common to programs such as Commercial Crew Program, Artemis program, and International Space Station. It was established to improve efficiency across NASA Headquarters, field centers like Kennedy Space Center, Johnson Space Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center, and to align with federal initiatives such as the Office of Management and Budget reforms and the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act. The center interacts with agencies including the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for cross-agency service models.

History

The center was launched amid early-21st-century consolidation efforts influenced by policies from the George W. Bush administration and directives from the Office of Management and Budget. Its formation parallels other shared service initiatives like those in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy. Key milestones include integration of legacy systems inherited from Ames Research Center, modernization drives during the administrations of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and participation in interagency forums such as the Chief Financial Officers Council and the Federal Chief Information Officers Council. Programmatic influences included lessons from the Space Shuttle program closeout and requirements generated by the Commercial Resupply Services contracts.

Organization and Governance

Governance structures mirror federated models found in institutions like the National Institutes of Health business offices and the Department of Veterans Affairs financial centers. The center reports administratively through NASA Headquarters channels and coordinates with chief officers such as the NASA Administrator, the Chief Financial Officer of NASA, and the Chief Information Officer for compliance with statutes including the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and standards promulgated by the Government Accountability Office. Oversight includes audits from the Inspectors General community and reviews by the Federal Audit Clearinghouse, with performance reviewed by panels similar to those convened by the Office of Personnel Management.

Services and Functions

Services mirror those provided by commercial shared service providers and include accounts payable, payroll, travel card management, procurement transaction processing, and timekeeping for programs such as Commercial Crew Program payrolls and grants supporting NASA Science Mission Directorate missions. The center supports acquisition tracking tied to contracts with contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Sierra Nevada Corporation. It administers benefits and retirement coordination with the Office of Personnel Management and processes financial reporting for projects such as Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter operations, Voyager legacy accounting, and lifecycle cost reporting for Artemis I test activities.

Locations and Facilities

Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, the center occupies leased and government-owned facilities situated in the vicinity of the McConnell Air Force Base region, interacting with logistics hubs including Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, and Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Its physical footprint includes data centers, finance operation suites, and human resources processing centers modeled after consolidation approaches at the Department of Homeland Security offices and the Internal Revenue Service service centers.

Technology and Systems

The center operates enterprise resource planning platforms comparable to PeopleSoft and integrates with federal financial systems like the Treasury Financial Manual accounting nodes and the System for Award Management. It has modernized legacy mainframe processes influenced by migrations similar to those at the Social Security Administration and leverages identity management frameworks used by the Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management (FICAM) initiative. Cybersecurity and continuity practices are guided by standards from National Institute of Standards and Technology and coordination with the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Performance, Metrics, and Accountability

Performance measurement employs key performance indicators drawn from frameworks used by the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Management and Budget, tracking metrics such as transaction cycle time, cost per transaction, error rates, and customer satisfaction measured through surveys akin to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Accountability mechanisms include internal audits consistent with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards and corrective action plans reviewed by the Office of Inspector General and program offices at NASA Headquarters.

Partnerships and Customer Agencies

The center serves customers across NASA Headquarters, including mission directorates such as the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and the Science Mission Directorate, and partners with external entities like the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on shared service arrangements. It exchanges best practices with peer centers at the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture and participates in interagency councils such as the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and the Chief Human Capital Officers Council to align workforce and financial operations.

Category:National Aeronautics and Space Administration