1. Requirements

2.1.2.6 The NASA Chief, SMA shall provide for software assurance training. 

1.1 Notes

NPR 7150.2, NASA Software Engineering Requirements, does not include any notes for this requirement.

1.2 History

2. Rationale

NASA software assurance and software safety activities in support of projects often require a balanced blend of software engineering development expertise, software assurance expertise, software safety expertise, and knowledge. If the software is contracted out, the development activities also require knowledge of NASA's acquisition practices and regulations. The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance and the Centers have committed to support these objectives by providing sufficient funding in support of the training.  In some instances, funding for training may be provided by multiple organizations if the training is beneficial to the communities they represent.

3. Guidance

3.1 Software Assurance Curriculum

The Software Assurance Curriculum ³⁸⁵  will help you plan your learning journey through STEP Levels 2, 3, and 4. It provides a detailed listing of all the courses and activities that comprise the curriculum for the STEP discipline you’ve chosen.

3.2 Software Assurance and Software Safety Site

Software Assurance and Software Safety web site  ³⁸² contains processes, procedures, and products used to produce and sustain NASA software that conforms to all requirements and standards specified to govern those processes, procedures, and products. 

3.3 NASA Safety Center - Professional Development

The NASA Safety Center (NSC) offers professional development opportunities to equip Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) community members with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to do their jobs with confidence and credibility. Those opportunities include discipline support, NASA’s SMA Technical Excellence Program (STEP), topical lectures and webinars, and other learning tools.

The NSC also fosters world-class SMA for NASA programs and projects by working to improve the state of the seven disciplines that represent the core of NASA SMA.

3.4 Discipline Support

The NSC’s Technical Discipline Team Leads provide discipline support and expertise, actively building and participating in working groups and communities of practice for these technical disciplines:

• Aviation Safety
• Operational Safety
• Reliability and Maintainability
• Quality Engineering
• SMA Technical Leadership
• Software Assurance
• System Safety

See also SWE-017 - Project and Software Training, SWE-100 - Software Training Funding

3.5 SMA Technical Excellence Program (STEP)

STEP, NASA’s university for SMA, is a career-oriented learning program that goes beyond technical education. Through STEP, SMA professionals strengthen their expertise in their disciplines while earning Continuing Education Units. The program is designed for all SMA civil servants and contractors. New employees gain basic knowledge through STEP Level 1 and then develop specialized expertise through STEP Levels 2, 3, and 4 certifications. Meanwhile, senior personnel broadens their knowledge by seeking certification or taking individual classes.

Available on SATERN, STEP allows learners to work at their own pace. Courses can be taken 24/7, in the office, at home, or while traveling. Learners who have professional or technical certifications can get credit for some STEP courses based on prior training.

3.6 Webinars and Lectures

The NSC creates opportunities for employees to learn directly from some of the nation’s leading SMA authorities with webinars and lectures that feature speakers from NASA, other government agencies, and private industry who share their expertise and provide discipline knowledge.

3.7 Applications for SMA Professionals

The NSC offers applications designed to help strengthen the key SMA disciplines. These include the SMA Learning Catalog, a collection of hundreds of courses, lectures, and webinars for professional development; the SMA Toolbox, which complements SMA Technical Excellence Program (STEP) training; and the My STEP application, which serves as a home base for participants' learning journeys.

3.8 Additional Guidance

Additional guidance related to this requirement may be found in the following materials in this Handbook:

See also Topic 5.15 - Train - Software Training Plan regarding the inclusion of SA training in a project Training Plan. 

3.9 Center Process Asset Libraries

See the following link(s) in SPAN for process assets from contributing Centers (NASA Only). 

4. Small Projects

No additional guidance is available for small projects.

5. Resources

5.1 References

5.2 Tools

6. Lessons Learned

There are currently no Lessons Learned identified for this requirement.