NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 8800.15C Effective Date: October 30, 2014 Expiration Date: December 31, 2024

Subject: Real Estate Management Program w/Change 2, December 20, 2022

Responsible Office: Office of Strategic Infrastructure

Chapter 1. Stewardship of Real Property

1.1 Overview

1.1.1 Chapter 1 explains the principles of NASA real property management and the roles, relationships, and responsibilities of NASA personnel involved in real property management at various levels.

1.2 Guiding Principles of NASA Real Property Management

1.2.1 Since 2004, the White House has issued several directives requiring Federal agencies to reduce real property costs and occupancy. These directives establish the current framework for NASA real property management and include the following:

a. Executive Order 13327, Federal Real Property Asset Management, which was issued in 2004 to promote efficient and economical use of Federal real property resources and to increase agency accountability of assets. This order established the FRPC to improve Federal asset management practices and to right-size the Federal asset portfolio.

b. Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, which was issued in 2009 and mandated that agencies identify opportunities to consolidate and dispose of existing assets and optimize the performance of the agencies' real-property portfolios.

c. Presidential Memorandum: Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate, which was issued in 2010 and directed agencies to eliminate excess properties and make better use of remaining real property. This memo established a goal of $3 billion in cost savings by the end of fiscal year 2012.

d. Management Procedures Memorandum No. 2013-02: Implementation of OMB Memorandum M-12-12, Section 3: Freeze the Footprint, which was issued in 2013. This memorandum states that agencies shall not increase the total square footage of their domestic office and warehouse inventory above fiscal year 2012 levels, unless allowable offsets or a net reduction of costs relative to its square footage baseline have been identified.

1.2.2 NASA adopted an Agency Facilities Strategy in 2009: "NASA will renew and modernize its facilities to sustain its capabilities, and to accommodate those facilities in the most efficient facilities set practical." In line with this strategy, Headquarters and Centers shall acquire and operate only the minimum facilities and infrastructure required to conduct NASA programs and to meet national responsibilities. As such, NASA will continually assess real property needs against current program requirements. Managers with real property responsibilities will seek alternatives to new acquisitions wherever possible.

1.2.3 Real property under NASA authority will be managed in accordance with the following principles, as articulated in NPD 8800.14:

a. NASA Centers shall manage their real property to ensure that it is available for use for assigned missions in accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

b. NASA Centers shall manage real property assets to ensure they are:

(1) Appropriate to the mission in size and type.

(2) Safe, secure, environmentally sound, and following Federal guiding principles for sustainability.

(3) Providing high-quality workplaces.

(4) Operating efficiently and effectively.

c. NASA Centers and real property occupants shall be good stewards of NASA property by maintaining it to current standards.

d. NASA real property shall be acquired in support of NPD 1001.0 and subordinate plans. NASA's mission is defined in NPD 1001.0.

1.2.4 NASA requires that each Center develop and maintain a Center Master Plan (CMP) for all real property assets they own or manage. A CMP is the Center's statement of its concept for the orderly management and future development of the Center's real property assets, including land, buildings, physical resources, and infrastructure. It is the overall plan for Center development, and all real property activities shall be in accordance with the CMP. Further details can be found in NPR 8810.1.

1.2.5 Headquarters and Centers shall identify, plan, and implement options to eliminate unneeded and underutilized real property wherever possible, including public/private partnerships, out-granting, disposal, and other innovative real property solutions.

1.2.6 NASA Interim Directive (NID) for NPD 8800.14D was issued in August 2013 to establish an Agency land management policy as follows:

1.2.6.1 NASA's real property portfolio includes many acres of low-lying land that is vulnerable to extreme weather events and climate change risks. NASA's land management policy requires Centers to consider flooding risks when making plans and agreements regarding land use and investment decisions on facilities projects. To implement this policy, NASA establishes an elevation-based zoning system as follows:

a. New construction and substantial renewal of real property assets within the 100-year flood plain shall be restricted to those required to support waterfront activities (port facilities, seawalls, etc.), buffer zones, unenclosed storage, and recreation. New construction and substantial renewal projects required to support waterfront activities will be designed to protect against flooding via hardening and/or elevation of functional areas.

b. New construction and substantial renewal of real property assets outside the 100-year flood plain but within the 500-year flood plain shall also be restricted. In addition to projects permitted within the 100-year flood plain, low-value relocatable or temporary (design lifespan less than 30 years) structures containing nonessential functions are also permitted. Substantial investment and new construction in such areas will be designed to protect NASA assets against flooding risk via hardening and/or elevation.

c. NASA Real Property Managers shall designate alternate suitable areas for relocating critical activities and infrastructure in areas where sea-level change poses a significant current or future risk at NASA sites.

1.3 Roles and Responsibilities of NASA Real Property Managers

1.3.1 NASA Mission Support Directorate, OSI

a. The Assistant Administrator for OSI shall serve as NASA's Senior Real Property Officer in accordance with Executive Order 13327.

1.3.2 Integrated Asset Management Division

a. Under the direction of OSI, the Director, FRED, shall serve as the principal point of contact for real property activities and provide NASA-wide policies for real property management by the Centers.

1.3.3 Center Directors and the Director, NASA Management Office

a. Center Directors and the Director, NASA Management Office, are considered the "owners" of all real property associated with the Center and shall be responsible for:

(1) Appointing an RPAO, FUO, and Facilities Utilization Review Board (FURB), and ensuring that their work is performed in accordance with the requirements in this NPR.

(2) Ensuring that the Center Operations Directorate completes the Mission Dependency Index in accordance with the requirements in Section 2.3.5.5.

(3) Consulting with the RPAO and other personnel to:

(a) Assess real property needs with respect to mission requirements.

(b) Approve all requests relating to the acquisition of real property.

(c) Dispose of real property not required currently or in the foreseeable future.

(d) Leverage the value of Center real property through initiatives and actions such as out-granting underutilized real property.

b. The Center Director shall document appointment of the RPAO and FUO in writing and furnish copies to:

(1) The employee designated.

(2) The Center Financial Management Office responsible for maintaining general ledger control accounts of the property.

(3) NASA Headquarters, FRED.

c. Center Directors may designate two senior managers to sign real estate documents and letters related to in-grants and out-grants, including permits, easements, and licenses. Designations of signing authority shall be made by the Center Director in writing to the Director, FRED.

d. The Center Director may execute a specific real estate action if delegated authority for that action has been granted by the Assistant Administrator for Strategic Infrastructure or the Director, FRED. A copy of the final agreement shall be forwarded to FRED.

e. Center Directors and Center senior managers should be fully aware of all real property agreements, specifically in-grants and out-grants. To accomplish this, the Center Director shall:

(1) Require that the Center RPAO be party to and support coordination of all real property agreements from concept to finalization. The RPAO should be represented in all meetings pertaining to real property agreements.

(2) Ensure that Program and/or Project Offices coordinate their requirements for space, including leased space, with the Center RPAO and FUO.

(3) Inform FRED of any Center real property requirements as early as possible.

1.3.4 Real Property Accountable Officers

a. The RPAO shall be responsible for:

(1) Developing strategies for real property management and overseeing the development, review, and approval of all in-grant and out-grant agreements.

(2) Maintaining detailed inventory records in the RPMS for all real property under the Center's management control and preparing RPMS reports required by Center management and NASA policy.

(3) Establishing controls to ensure that RPMS records are kept current, including processes to support recording of facility construction and modification, and maintaining the Center's real property record files on all assets that are owned, managed, and/or occupied by NASA.

(4) Uploading data into the RPMS by November 15 of each year. These data elements are reported to the OMB annually in the Federal Real Property Profile (FRPP), as described in Chapter 3.

(5) Advising and assisting other Center personnel regarding real property accountability matters.

(6) Completing the Physical Inventory, as described in Section 2.5, to verify the accuracy of the information and data in the RPMS.

(7) Conducting or participating in physical inspections of all real property ready for transfer or acceptance to ensure that all collateral equipment is documented.

(8) Developing Center-specific real property guidance and procedures, as required, to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and NASA policies and to ensure that all property transaction documents affecting real property records are processed in accordance with the provisions of this NPR.

(9) Maintaining contact and coordination with the following offices and managers regarding real property transactions and supporting documents:

(a) NASA Headquarters, FRED.

(b) Other NASA Centers.

(c) The Center's Facilities Operations and Construction Office.

(d) The Center Environmental Office, Center Safety and Mission Assurance Office, and Center Security Office.

(e) The Historic Preservation Officer (HPO).

(f) Other Government agency representatives, as required.

(g) The Center Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Finance DCFO (F).

(h) The Facilities Utilization Officer (FUO).

(i) The Center Office of Chief Counsel.

(10) Performing reconciliations of real property records with the Center DCFO (F).

(11) Participating in deferred-maintenance (DM) assessments, including evaluating recommendations in the DM Assessment Report and updating the RPMS, as appropriate.

1.3.5 Facilities Utilization Officer

a. The FUO responsibilities are defined in Section 5.3.4.

1.3.6 Center Deputy Chief Financial Officer - Finance Responsibilities

a. The Center DCFO (F) shall be responsible for:

(1) Maintaining control of real property-related financial data in accordance with NASA financial management requirements.

(2) Reconciling capitalized real property assets with financial accounting records on a monthly basis in coordination with the Center RPAO, as described in Section 2.2.3.

1.3.7 Facility Project Manager (FPM) Responsibilities

a. The FPM shall be responsible for:

(1) Providing documentation on real property projects and their completion to the RPAO.

(2) Completing and forwarding NASA Form 1046 (Notification of Real Property Transfer) to the RPAO within 30 days after title passes to NASA or acceptance by NASA, as described in Section 2.2.10.

(3) In consultation with the Center DCFO (F), making a determination on the capitalization of real property projects for new construction (including relocatable buildings repair) and modification.

(4) In consultation with the Center DCFO (F) and the RPAO, completing NASA Form 1739, Capitalization Determination Form for all facility projects and forwarding the completed forms to Center DCFO (F) and the RPAO. In the case of JPL, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), the equivalent form authorized by the NASA OCFO may be used.

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