IRD 2.016 Stand Down Day

2016-10-18

As NASA prepares to “Stop. Think. Connect.” for Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, the Information Resources Directorate (IRD) at Johnson Space Center planned a day to Stop. Think. Connect. for awareness and education about the Information Technology (IT) Business Services Assessment (BSA) and the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA).

IRD 2.016 Stand Down Day scheduled live and recorded salutations from NASA, Johnson and IRD leadership; presentations from members of the IRD Leadership Team about implementing the seven IT BSA decisions and FITARA; an interactive learning activity; and an open Q&A session.

The IRD team and key JSC IT stakeholders were invited to stop their daily routines and invest time in understanding how IT BSA and FITARA can help evolve agency IT processes and programs to strengthen buying power, sustain current IT while investing in emerging technologies and support a more secure IT infrastructure.

Presentations shared key concepts of roles and responsibilities, IT governance, data centers, communications, workstations, collaboration, IT security and FITARA for attendees to think about. This insight would enable audience members to submit questions for the afternoon session. The initial TED-style talks were intended to help frame discussions based on facts, help to dispel some of the notions that hinder change and get everyone to think about how the changes would affect their respective areas and organizations.

A “what’s new” trifold, paired with Pokémon, was put together to lead participants through an interactive session. The interaction was designed to encourage reading and processing information about IT BSA and FITARA.

The afternoon agenda included an IRD “Feud” to share a few good answers before connecting the audience with the IRD implementation leads in an open Q&A session.

Stopping to focus on IT BSA and FITARA, thinking about the upcoming changes by engaging in activities and connecting through lively presentations and Q&A sessions, IRD strives to encourage its team members and center IT influencers to embrace the coming changes and work together to evolve IT processes and programs in support of NASA missions now—and for the future.

IRD Stand Down Day Infographic

Visual charts by graphic artist Jessica Jarvis.

Jaumarro A. Cuffee
JSC IRD Communications
NASA Johnson Space Center

JSC Deputy Director Mark Geyer gives a center perspective of JSC 2.016, FITARA and BSA during IRD 2.016 Stand Down Day on Sept. 22. Image Credit: NASA/James Blair

IRD customers from Orion, International Space Station, Flight Operations and Human Health and Performance share customer perspectives about FITARA and IT BSA. Image Credit: NASA/James Blair

IRD Management Integration Office Chief Amy Kennedy-Reynolds provides an understanding of the IT BSA governance decision. Image Credit: NASA/James Blair

Natalie Saiz, special assistant to the center director for Organizational Change, and the IRD management team answer questions about FITARA and IT BSA. Image Credit: NASA/James Blair