NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 1450.10D Effective Date: March 24, 2006 Expiration Date: March 24, 2026

Subject: NASA Correspondence Management and Communications Standards and Style Revalidated (6/21/2021)

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief of Staff

Chapter 1: Managing and Controlling Mail and Communications

1.1 Communications Addressed to the Principals of the Office of the Administrator

a. The Executive Secretariat:

(1) Manages and controls all correspondence addressed to or signed by the Principals of the Office of the Administrator.

(2) Manages, controls, and tracks all actions involving the Principals of the Office of the Administrator.

(3) Prescribes specific guidance, procedures, and standards for preparing correspondence and communications in both paper and electronic formats.

(4) Serves as the Agency authority and establishes Agency-wide correspondence guidelines.

(5) Coordinates senior-level communications for the Executive Office of the President, Congress, and domestic and international dignitaries.

(6) Provides editorial guidance to scientists, technologists, engineers, program and project directors and managers, and to those whose functions involve or support the public and legislative affairs, education, history, scientific and technical information, and technology transfer offices.

(7) Manages a correspondence management system for the Office of the Administrator correspondence and gifts.

1.2 Quality Control Liaison (QCL) and Correspondence Control Liaison (CCL) Designations for NASA Headquarters

1.2.1 The Associate Administrator/Official-in-Charge of each Headquarters organization (also referred to as the Action Office) shall designate two members (and backups) from its organization to serve as a QCL and CCL. These designations are required to facilitate the smooth and efficient flow of communications between the Action Office and the Executive Secretariat and shall be kept up to date. All changes will be submitted to the Executive Secretariat.

1.2.2 The QCL reviews and edits Action Office action items and ensures that responses, signature packages, and the Action Document Summary are properly prepared.

1.2.3 The CCL manages the correspondence management system for their Action Office.

1.2.4 Mailboxes for each Action Office are located in the Executive Secretariat (9Q42) and should be checked daily.

1.4 High-Profile Responses (Administration Offices)

Action Offices shall meet all due dates and specifically those for high-profile (e.g., Secretary of Transportation; Head, Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation) responses. The Executive Secretariat will note any special requirements in the Abstract section of the Headquarters Action Tracking System (HATS) Action Cover Sheet. This will help identify correspondence as high profile and call attention to special handling requirements, an early due date, or other pertinent information.

1.5 Due Dates

1.5.1 If no due date is specified in the incoming correspondence, the Executive Secretariat establishes a ten-business-day due date for the assigned Action Officer to respond to the correspondence.

1.5.2 The White House Correspondence Office establishes due dates for its referrals. These due dates vary between 15 and 25 business days, depending on the subject.

1.6 Extensions of Due Dates

1.6.1 All due dates should be met. Requests for extensions should be rare, and the Action Office shall specifically justify the reason for its request, ensuring the change is requested as soon as possible by phone, e-mail, or in person.

1.6.2 The Executive Secretariat will provide necessary information to the Action Office and, as appropriate, will coordinate the request for an extension, notifying the Action Office accordingly.

1.7 Office of the Administrator Signature Packages

1.7.1 All packages, including NASA directives, for signature by the Principals of the Office of the Administrator shall be routed through the Executive Secretariat. Packages delivered directly to the Office of the Administrator will be forwarded to the Executive Secretariat for review and processing.

1.7.2 The Executive Secretariat reviews and processes the package for signature. Incomplete packages or packages requiring corrections are returned to the Action Office.

1.8 Concurrences for Office of the Administrator Signature Packages

1.8.1 The Action Office shall obtain all required concurrences on the Action Document Summary (ADS) before submitting signature packages to the Executive Secretariat.

1.8.2 The Action Office may review the "Info Offices" listed by the Executive Secretariat on the HATS Action Cover Mask to help determine the appropriate concurrences.

1.8.3 The Action Office shall obtain concurrences on the ADS from the cognizant Headquarters organizations when responses include data from other Headquarters offices or Centers.

1.8.4 Urgent packages will be fully justified to include the date the correspondence was received.

1.9 Correspondence to Officials-In-Charge of Headquarters Offices and/or Center Directors

The Action Office shall include the most current distribution list in the signature package. The current listing can be found at "http://nasa.sharepoint.com/sites/OA/SitePages/Office-of-the-Executive-Secretariat.aspx.

DISTRIBUTION:
NODIS

This document does not bind the public, except as authorized by law or as incorporated into a contract. This document is uncontrolled when printed. Check the NASA Online Directives Information System (NODIS) Library to verify that this is the correct version before use: https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov.