CANCELLED -NPD 8070.

6A

NASA
POLICY
DIRECTIVE

Directive: NPD 8070.6A

Effective Date: October 10, 1997
Cancellation Date: May 07, 2003

This Document is Obsolete and Is No Longer Used.

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Responsible Office: AE
Subject: Technical Standards
1. POLICY
This NPD establishes NASA policy and organizational responsibilities for
the development, management, and use of technical standards on NASA
programs. NASA policy is as follows:
a. Use proven technical standards, as defined in OMB Circular A-119,
on NASA programs to provide an effective basis for defining objectives,
evaluating proposed approaches, and assessing resulting performance and
quality.
b. Encourage the use of common technical standards across NASA programs to
promote consistency in practice, increase potential use of commercial items,
reduce program costs, simplify program interfaces, and improve
interoperability in cooperative efforts.
c. Use performance (outcome-based) standards in procurement activities
in preference to design or process (method-based) standards wherever
practical. Standards should, however, provide whatever level of detail is
required to ensure compatibility of form/fit/function or to assess
comparability of essential information, such as results of test procedures.
d. Select and tailor (i.e., interpret) standards to meet specific
program/project needs during the program development processes, described
in Reference NPD 7120.4 and NPG 7120.5, to avoid over-specification or
imposition of inappropriate requirements.
e. Formally adopt, support the development of, and use domestic and
international voluntary consensus standards, as required in Public Law
104-113 and in OMB Circular A-119, in preference to Government
standards to accomplish NASA's mission wherever practical, technically
appropriate, and consistent with other laws and regulations. Use of
voluntary consensus standards is not required where they would
demonstrably fail to serve NASA's program needs.
f. Establish and maintain NASA Technical Standards in those areas where
standards available from all other sources are not adequate to meet
NASA's technical and management requirements.

2. APPLICABILITY
This NPD is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including
Component Facilities in the performance of Agency missions, programs and
projects, and to contractors to the extent specified in the contract(s).

3. AUTHORITY
a. 15 U.S.C. 272(b), Section 12, "Standards Conformity" of "National
Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995".

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CANCELLED -NPD 8070.6A

b. OMB Circular A-119, "Federal Participation in the Development and Use

of Voluntary Consensus Standards."

4. REFERENCES
a.
b.

NPD 7120.4, "Program/Project Management"

NPG 7120.5, "Management of Major System Programs and Projects"

5. RESPONSIBILITY
a. The NASA Chief Engineer has the following responsibilities:
(1) Establish NASA technical standards policy, provide strategic direction,
and maintain oversight of the NASA Technical Standards Management System,
to be implemented by a Lead Center for Standardization for developing and
maintaining NASA Technical Standards, adopting voluntary consensus
standards, and providing Agencywide access to standards information for
use on NASA programs.
(2) Serve as the designated NASA Standards Executive, as required by OMB
Circular A-119, to provide for coordination of NASA standards activities,
to represent NASA in the Interagency Committee for Standards Policy, to
be responsible for NASA implementation of the Circular, including
submission of annual reports on NASA standards activities to the OMB
through the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(3) Coordinate the implementation of standards policy and activities with
the NASA Enterprises and functional offices, the Chief Technologist, and
the Chief Information Officer.
b. Officials-in-Charge of Headquarters Offices have the following
responsibilities:
(1) Integrate and coordinate standardization needs and recommendations for
the adoption of voluntary consensus standards.
(2) Develop and approve required NASA Technical Standards in areas for
which they have technical and/or functional responsibility; and approve
waivers to standards designated as mandatory for which they are the
responsible authority.
(3) Coordinate and report standardization activities under their
institutional jurisdiction to the Chief Engineer in support of the
required annual report referenced in paragraph 5.a.(2).
c. NASA Centers, acting through their representatives to the Engineering
Management Council, have the following responsibilities:
(1) Develop and identify NASA standardization needs and provide
recommendations for the adoption of voluntary consensus standards.
(2) Support the development and review of NASA Technical Standards where
there is relevant expertise; provide for the maintenance and improvement
of NASA Technical Standards for which they have assigned responsibility.
(3) Encourage, support, and authorize the participation of employees in
voluntary consensus standards activities which are in furtherance of NASA's
mission.
d.

The Lead Center for Standardization has the following responsibilities:

(1) Establish procedures and capabilities for the operation and management
of an integrated Standards Management System.
(2) Directly support the Office of the Chief Engineer by developing,
prioritizing, and managing a NASA Engineering Standards Program as a
component of the overall NASA Standardization Program.

6. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
1. The Marshall Space Flight Center is delegated the authority to serve
as the Lead Center for Standardization as referenced in paragraphs 5.a(1)

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CANCELLED -NPD 8070.6A

and 5.d.

7. MEASUREMENTS
a. Number of voluntary consensus standards adopted by NASA, including those
designated to replace Government standards.
b. Number of NASA personnel participating in voluntary standards
activities.
c.

Number of NASA Technical Standards developed.

8. CANCELLATION
NMI 8070.6, dated October 7, 1991, and NMI 8070.2B, dated September 11, 1991.

Daniel S. Goldin

Administrator

ATTACHMENT A: (TEXT)
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(URL for Graphic)

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Check the NODIS Library to access the current version:

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