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NASA
Procedural
Requirements

NPR 8705.6D
Effective Date: March 29, 2019
Expiration Date: December 29, 2024

COMPLIANCE IS MANDATORY FOR NASA EMPLOYEES

Subject: Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Audits, Reviews, and Assessments

Responsible Office: Office of Safety and Mission Assurance

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 OSMA or Centers. Scope and requirements to be identified by the requester.

1.2.2 Chapter 2 provides requirements for the Agency's SMA audit, review, and assessment processes as described below.

1.2.2.1 Pre-Audit Discovery process. This process directly supports the Institutional, Facility, Operational Safety Audit (IFOSA) and Quality Audit, Assessment, and Review (QAAR) with a collaborative effort for gathering Center documents and records, identification of audit focus areas and provides a top-level review of designated NASA contracts in support of IFOSA and 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 Chapter 3 provides requirements for 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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