Profile

Profile: The Embedded Program Office

Boots on the Ground

The idea of embedding program office representatives in contractor facilities has been gaining support from government program managers. Personnel from Aerospace, the Air Force, and SETAs have had a presence at contractor facilities since the beginning of the space program, but their assignments have traditionally been temporary—just a few days at a time or for monthly reviews. In those instances where Aerospace personnel remained at a contractor facility for extended periods—for example, to minimize impact on the program's technical schedule during integration and test—they worked day-to-day issues with the contractor and coordinated with Aerospace management to resolve questions. What is new today is that decisions are now being made at the embedded program office.

Jorn Kluetmeier, principal engineer and scientist in Space Program Operations, is Aerospace's in-plant representative for the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, California. When Kluetmeier was first assigned to SBIRS at the contractor's site in July 2002, the program was transitioning from total system program responsibility (which traditionally lay with the contractor) to Aerospace oversight. As the only on-site representative during his first three years with the program, he was able to provide timely resolution of technical issues, although guidance affecting contractual and technical direction continued to come from the Aerospace program office in El Segundo.

Then, in late 2005, a decision was made to increase the SBIRS program office's on-site presence. "The increase consisted of two Aerospace and five SETA personnel," Kluetmeier said. "It was my challenge to phase in the additional staff and assign meaningful work without disrupting the ongoing program-office business rhythm. The majority of the staff had not worked on SBIRS, but had satellite experience on other programs. The integration was accomplished seamlessly," he said.

Finally, in the summer of 2006, responsibilities (including technical direction) that had previously resided in the El Segundo offices were transferred to the SBIRS operating location under the direction of an Air Force lieutenant colonel. Another five Air Force officers were added to the embedded staff. This final integration was accomplished with minimum impact to the daily activities.

Kluetmeier had earlier been an Aerospace in-plant representative at Lockheed Missiles and Space in Sunnyvale, but at that time, technical direction and final decisions still came from the program office in El Segundo. In 1989, he and another Aerospace engineer, together with one junior Air Force officer, were assigned to the Milstar program office at the Sunnyvale facility. He described the following three years as "exciting times working hands-on with the contractor developing the first satellite. Being located directly with the contractor makes a difference when you are working problems in real time versus the 500-mile delay. You can quickly report back to the program office on proposed solutions and their merits. In-plant presence allows you to be more effective."

Kluetmeier led two major initiatives during those years. "I proposed a command and control interface between the Milstar Mission Control Center and the Milstar Development Test Facility to perform early checkout of the Milstar data-system modernization software with Milstar bus engineering units. The initial cost quoted by the contractor was $600,000. Through my efforts, I was able to implement the interface for $3000 in parts and two months in labor. This interface capability served Milstar well through its development, launch, and on-orbit operations," he explained.

His second successful recommendation—to use launch-base checkout vans for a second test of the satellite—saved millions of dollars. The proposal, which had been readily accepted by the program office and the contractor, allowed early checkout of the flight article, uncovering deficiencies that were fixed in good time.

When Kluetmeier returned to El Segundo in 1992, Aerospace asked him to write guidelines for in-plant representatives. He called his report the "rules of engagement," and addressed it directly to a prospective representative who, he wrote, should have at least 10 years of experience, preferably in a program office. The full list reads:

Demonstrate initiative. Be proactive and a problem solver, rather than a note taker.
Show positive support for the contractor. Helping the contractor be successful will help the program be successful.
Become part of the customer/contractor team, but remain independent (though you cannot be perceived as giving direction—only the government procuring contractor officer can do this).
Listen to and work closely with counterparts, providing constructive information on technical investigations and solutions.
Earn the contractor's confidence in your judgment. Only as a last resort should you need to request that the Air Force intervene with a direct order to the contractor.
Earn the contractor's trust; never be perceived as a spy. The contractor will test you by feeding you information to see how fast it comes back from the program office.
Use good judgment about when to forward information. If test results at first seem to show that the sky is falling, wait until the data analysis matures before raising a red flag.
Give credit to the contractor for solving problems or saving costs. The contractor will acknowledge your value to the program.
Get a contractor computer account to ease communication and data flow—but for good communication, stay in close contact with your counterparts and rely as little as possible on phone calls and e-mails. Get an office close to theirs.
Follow the clear line of responsibility between your level 3 and 4 managers to be certain the contractor gets no mixed messages from the program office.

Kluetmeier values his experience in the factory as a worthwhile endeavor and a career enhancement and believes that "boots on the ground" offers clear benefits to the success of a mission. For example, young Aerospace engineers can take advantage of mentoring by senior staff members at the program office on the contractor site. Issues can be handled in a timely manner on site with the government counterpart, thus contributing to efficient and successful completion of the project. On the other hand, installing a permanent staff member in a remote contractor facility may require relocating employees or even hiring new employees from the local area.

Aerospace has 25 in-plant representatives at 12 contractor locations, with plans for more; but, Kluetmeier predicted that only "time will tell if the embedded program office is a temporary phenomenon or a permanent practice."

To Fall 2007 Table of Contents