The Goal Performance Evaluation System (GPES) is an Internet-based automated management information system (see figure) now undergoing development at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The GPES is designed to perform two major functions:

1. Serve as a strategic management tool that directly links through automation the goals and objectives of the NASA Strategic Plan and KSC Implementation Plan through individual performance plans; and

2. Serve as a Performance Management tool that facilitates the definition, appraisal, and strategic linking of every civil service employee performance plan to the NASA Strategic Plan.

The GPES Home Page and a standard form for editing employee data are two examples of interactive displays provided by the GPES via the Internet, for use by employees and managers.

According to NASA's Strategic Management Handbook, the final linkage between each employee's performance and high-level organizational goals is made via the employee's performance plan and appraisal, but heretofore, linkage processes had not been defined by NASA or by KSC. The GPES would define the linkage processes and would serve as a central, systematic, automated means to implement the processes. The GPES consists of two parts: (1) the Integrated Business System Model (IBSM) and (2) a data-base application program.

The IBSM defines the documents and processes for relating NASA and KSC goals to the employee. The IBSM is an updated means of administering three management systems that have been in use at KSC: ISO-9000, Strategic Planning, and the Employee Performance Communication System (EPCS). The IBSM was developed to reduce the work of maintaining these systems and to improve understanding of interrelationships among them.

The data-base application program makes it possible to maintain all 1,700 employees' performance plans in one central data base. Some features of the program are the following:

  • A manager adds items to an employee's performance plan by selecting them from a pull-down list of objectives and strategies.
  • An employee can provide information on major accomplishments relevant to items in his or her performance plan. Additionally, the system facilitates the assimilation of employee/manager achievement data into office, directorate, and Center-wide reports.
  • A manager can review information provided by an employee and add performance-assessment comments.
  • The employee's performance plan can be printed on the KSC standard EPCS form.
  • The program generates several reports, including one that shows a distribution of the number of employees contributing to each strategy.
  • Performance plans for the entire Center can be changed simultaneously to reflect redirection in Agency/KSC Strategic Plans, or rephrasing of current objectives and strategies. Heretofore, each employee's performance plan was stated in a separate document, maintained by use of word processing software, that a manager or secretary had to update individually.

At the time of reporting the information for this article, the Internet application program has successfully completed its first performance development cycle both at KSC and at the Johnson Space Center. Based on the organizational and management benefits, Stennis Space Center is currently deploying the Internet application for the 1999 — 2000 year performance cycle. In addition, the Marshall Space Flight Center and the Langley Research Center are both evaluating the application as a pilot program.

Anticipated organizational benefits from the GPES, in addition to those mentioned above, include the following:

  • Closer alignment between resources and high-level organizational goals;
  • Increase in efficiency through automation and standardization of performance planning;
  • Encouragement of cross-functional job assignments for employees through the on-line performance definition and assessment from multiple supervisors;
  • Increase in communication;
  • More feedback for better monitoring of how well the organization and its subdivisions are performing; and
  • Facilitation of changes in organizational roles.

This work was done by Christopher J. Carlson, Jennifer C. Kunz, and Lesa B. Roe of Kennedy Space Center. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.nasatech.com/tsp  under the Information Science category.

Inquiries concerning rights for the commercial use of this invention should be addressed to

the Technology Programs and Commercialization Office
Kennedy Space Center
(407) 867-6373.

Refer to KSC-12036.