NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has created a new office responsible for providing objective studies and analyses to assist him in making the right decisions. Dr. Scott Pace will head the office.

The Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E) reports directly to the Administrator with responsibility to independently assess program performance, make programmatic and institutional recommendations, perform cost analysis, and conduct strategic planning activities.

PA&E will examine a variety of issues of strategic importance to the agency. The office will assure that all aspects of a major decision are considered and obtain the pertinent information required to assist the Administrator in making well-informed and timely decisions.

The long term goal of the office is to ensure a strong, objective, professional PA&E function exists to serve the agency, as NASA continues to pursue the Vision for Space Exploration.

"As we move forward to implement the Vision for Space Exploration, it is important that we make the best decisions possible with analysis that is objective, multidisciplinary, and as transparent as possible," Griffin said.

Consistent with PA&E's advisory role, the office will have no budget authority or line responsibility for any agency programs. It exists only to serve the agency and its mission. It will have no vested interest in any sector of the NASA budget, and therefore will retain its integrity as an independent assessment office.

PA&E currently has two major studies under way: the Shuttle/Station Configuration Options Team (SSCOT) study and the Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS).

The SSCOT is examining configuration options for the International Space Station in the context of potential future flight rates for the Space Shuttle Program.

The study is operating under the decision to retire the Shuttle no later than 2010. Some of the topics the ESAS is reviewing include the requirements for returning to the Moon and extending human exploration to Mars, as well as possibilities for accelerating the development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle.

Both studies will be completed this summer in time to aid in key agency decisions.

Pace previously served as Chief Technologist for Space Communications and as NASA's Deputy Chief of Staff. He also served as the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; the Bush-Cheney Transition Team for NASA and the National Science Foundation; the RAND Corporation's Science and Technology Policy Institute; and Deputy Director and Acting Director, Office of Space Commerce, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce.

Pace received a bachelor of science degree in physics from Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif., in 1980; master's degrees in aeronautics and astronautics and technology and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., in 1982; and a doctorate in policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School, Santa Monica, Calif., in 1989.

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