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NASA SPECSINTACT

Configuration Control and Coordinating Board

 

 

June 24-25, 2003

Hampton, VA

View Minutes in PDF

 

Attendees:

 

Albert Johnson (JX-HQ)                   Kay Schultz (ARC)               

Scott Hampton (SGS)                      Chester Bennett (JCS)

Bela Gutman (JPL)                           Sherry DiLustro (NASA HQ)

Frank Der (KCS)                               Bill Brodt (NASA HQ)

Carl Kersten (NAVFAC)                  Pat Robinson (IDI-KSC)

Thomas Hinshaw (GRC)                  Kevin Love (LaRC - OCC)

Don Lilly (WFF)                                 Michael Mark (LaRC - OCC)

Jennifer Becker (LaRC - OCC)       Tim Stubbs (LaRC - OP)

Richard Shisler (LaRC - OP)           Jim Mayhew (LaRC - RFMO)

Robert Kerns (LaRC - RFMO)         Lisa Perez (HEI)

Lee Lillard (LaRC)

 

A SPECINTACT Configuration Control and Coordinating Board Meeting hosted by NASA LaRC was held June 24-25, 2003, in Building 1209 Room 180.  The following items were discussed:

 

Tuesday, June 24, 2003

  Opening Remarks

o    Thomas Hinshaw/GRC welcomed attendees and announced his resignation as NS-CCCB chairman

o      Tom was presented with Certificate of Appreciation by Al Johnson/HQ JX for 10 years of service as chairman

o      Frank Der/KSC named as new chairman

o      Bill Brodt/HQ named as HQ liason

·        Pat Robinson/IDI presented SI v.4.0 enhancements

o       Publish-to-Word feature

o       Revamped SI Editor

·        Ken Love/GRC Legal Office

o       Presented detailed concerns related to their legal review of SI sections

·        Bill Brodt presented new vision for SI

o       Partnering - VA has shown interest in joining SI

o       Using DRCHECKS for documentation and control of changes

o       SI Charter is to provide maintenance, sustainability, and enhancement of construction specifications


Wednesday June 25th

 

Center Reports

 

Ames Research Center

Presented by Ray Schuler

 

 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Presented by Bela T.L. Gutman

 

 

o                               His recommendations about the SPECINTACT program:

 

o       Way too wordy and difficult to edit

o       Would like a WYSIWYG/GUI Interface

o       Ability to export submittal reports to Excel format

o       Complaints from users about paying attention to the tags

o       Need more simplified language

o       More notes with recommendations

 

 

Glenn Research Center

Presented by Thomas Hinshaw

 

 

Johnson Space Center

Presented by Chester Bennett

 

o       Staff Reduction from 40 to 8 or 9

o       Would like to have the IT function online

 

Kennedy Space Center

Presented by Frank Der

 

o       Staff reductions created more reliance on design reviews and A/E expertise

o       Outsourcing “Turn Key” projects

o       31 KSC Masters

o       Recommendations for Improvement

 

o       Migration to UFGS

o       Pilot UFGS projects on FY 04

o       Update on remaining NASA-unique specs

o       Use imperative style language

o       Software improvements would include .XML

                       

 

Wallops Flight Facility

Presented by Don Lilly

 

 

Langley Research Center

Presented by Lee Lillard

 

o       Staff reductions have created issues to effectively evaluate, report and record changes to the NASA Masters.

o       Recommendations for Improvement to SPECTINTACT

o       Content is correct, spelling errors and passive voice eliminated.

o       Consistency between all divisions

o       Updates to sections are scheduled in advance so plans can be made for the technical review.

o       Responses submitted are acted upon or rejected and the customer notified, there is no way to tell now.

o       Define major and minor corrections.

o       Centers should receive upgrades in a timelier manner.  Aware that it is online, but still requests a CD

 

Ted Biess was unable to give his briefing on Environmental Issues, with a spotlight on sustainability. 

 

Action Items

   

NASA SPECSINTACT Configuration Control and Coordinating Board

 

1.      Tom Hinshaw asked if the paragraph structure outline could change to:

 

1.

            A.

            B.

                        a.

                        b.

 

 

2.      Develop a brief section with new paragraph identifiers, a dry wall section was recommended.  Carl Kersten can provide Navy specs that might be helpful.  This action was given to Ray Shuler to provide a short section in imperative format about drywall for recommendation to the Unified Guide Specs Board.   

 

3.      Develop NPD and or NS-CCCCB Charter. Bill Brodt will provide an updated charter for Eugene F. Hubbard’s signature by the next meeting of the Board.

 

4.      In support of developing the Agency-wide SPECSINTACT budget:

 

·        Frank Der to provide review of SGS contract

·        Pat Patterson (Code F) working with Code AE to see what they are doing with the requirements for training.

 

5.      NASA CCB subscription renewal Funding KCS PR

 

6.      Need more involvement from HQ support functions/offices:

 

·        Environmental – Mike O’Neill (environmental products, etc)

·        Energy Regulation – Rich Wichman

·        Safety – Art Lee

·        Procurement –

·        Legal – Mark Batkins

o       Involve legal representation to review specs (LaRC general council will support effort.  Contact Kathy Kurke to arrange.)

 

7.      Specifications Training for the NASA Centers and possibility other agencies (NAVFAC, CoE, VA, etc)

 

·        Need Code F Support

·        Need SOW/funds to write the course

o       Need trainers for specification writing (Tom Hinshaw, SGS, outside support)

o       Map to UFGS

 

8.  Change FPIG regarding environmental re: waiver issue and determine who has the authority for making decisions for NASA. 

 

9. Lee Lilliard requested the upgrade on disc for Langley’s Operator from Pat Robinson. 

 

10.  Carl Kersten will provide examples of short form sections to Frank Der.  The request is for the entire drywall spec to be written in imperative format.  Lee Lilliard will provide a copy to the Legal office at LaRC for review. 

 

11. A checklist from Chip Johnson to is to be provided to Frank Der by the next meeting. The checklist must be more specific. 

 

12. Lee Lillard requests an email from Frank Der regarding the Division 2 – Site Work revisions.  Lee provided a spreadsheet that compared ACI, NASA Technical Standards and KCS provided Update #20.  He explained that he had received her email and had forwarded it higher in the chain of command. He will readdress the issue. 

 

13. Bela T.L. Gutman asked Pat Robinson to have a submittal form in excel format.  She asked if he would send the email to the support desk and they would email him a beta copy.

 

14. Chip Johnson is to provide an email to Jim Pratten regarding how they schedule the change releases to review.  A recommendation from Bill Brodt was to email five a week instead of the twenty at one time they were getting now.  Scott Hampton said that the type of discipline controls the type of edits. 

 

15. Bill Brodt asked Tom Hinshaw to assist in defining the standards with his vast experience with spec writing and position on the NIBS. The readability of the Unified Spec Guide was questioned. He will talk to NIBS to find out about the trade review of specifications.

 

16. The Board was asked to see if anyone knew of any professionals that they could send their specifications to in their area and request a constructive review.  For local specifications, like concrete for instance, trusted local contractors could provide valuable industry information.