NASA Procedures and Guidelines
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NPR 8705.6C Eff. Date: January 09, 2017 Cancellation Date:	Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Audits, Reviews, and Assessments
| TOC | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | AppendixD | ALL |

Chapter 1. Program Overview

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Per NPD 8700.1 it is NASA policy to verify and validate life-cycle implementation of the SMA processes and any related safety and mission success requirements through ongoing surveillance of program, project, and contractor processes. Also, it is NASA policy to certify the safety and operational readiness of hazardous or mission critical hardware and software (including flight systems, support equipment, facilities, operations, and ground-based systems) through a process of formal review of the compiled validation and verification information.

1.1.2 NPD 1000.3 assigns responsibility to the Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance to ensure the incorporation and fulfillment of SMA requirements established for NASA programs and institutions through the structured application of SMA Technical Authority (SMA TA) and to verify the effectiveness of SMA requirements, activities, and processes.

1.1.3 This NPR outlines procedures for audits, reviews, and assessments to verify compliance with NASA SMA requirements, as required by NPD 8700.1 and NPD 1000.3.

1.1.4 Per NPD 1210.2 it is NASA policy to establish minimum criteria for the conduct of Headquarters-initiated audits, reviews, and assessments of NASA activities in such a way that the audits, reviews, and assessments are value-added and effective to both the subject organization and Agency in support of the Agency's mission.

1.2 Objectives

1.2.1 This NPR provides requirements for:

a. Verifying each NASA Center's, Component Facility's, and JPL's (including associated contractor(s), recipients of grants, cooperative agreements, or other agreements) compliance with applicable NASA SMA requirements.

b. Verifying program and project, implementation of, and compliance with, applicable NASA SMA requirements.

c. Supporting the Agency's determination of readiness to test, operate, fly, launch, or recover mission and research equipment.

d. Supporting independent or special assessments upon request of the NSC, OSMA or Centers. Scope and requirements to be identified by the requester.

1.2.2 The principal chapters of this NPR provide requirements for the Agency's SMA audit, review, and assessment processes as described below.

1.2.2.1 Requirements Evaluation and Documentation Assessment & Analysis (REDAA) process. This process provides independent assessment of the flow down of SMA requirements to the NASA Centers and to designated programs and projects and provides a top-level review of designated NASA contracts in support of Institutional, Facility, Operational Safety Audit (IFOSA) and Quality Audit, Assessment, and Review (QAAR).

1.2.2.2 IFOSA process. This process provides independent verification that institutions, facilities, and operations at each NASA Center are in compliance with the applicable NASA SMA institutional, facility, and operational requirements.

1.2.2.3 QAAR process. This process provides independent verification that each NASA Center, program, and project is in compliance with the applicable NASA SMA quality assurance and software assurance requirements.

1.2.2.4 Safety and Mission Success Review (SMSR) process. The SMSR process prepares Agency safety and engineering management to participate in program or project management pre-operations or major milestone review forums. The SMSR provides the knowledge, visibility, and understanding necessary for senior Agency safety and engineering management to concur or nonconcur with program decisions to proceed.

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