European Space Agency (ESA)

Pcubed developed and implemented a structured program management system across many different industries that was time and cost efficient.

The Client

The European Space Agency is Europe's gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its 16 Member States, it can undertake program and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.

The Challenge

The International Space Station (ISS) Exploitation Program is concerned with the operation of the space station over the entire period of its life. As part of the budgetary approval for the Exploitation Program, the European Council of ministers stipulated certain requirements with respect to the contracting of operations tasks. Specifically:

• There was to be an evolution from the traditional model of ESA sub-contracting with specific areas of the overall program bearing the program risk
• This innovative approach required that there be a single contract with an Industrial Organization
• There would also need to be a single interface with Industry for ESA

Other key challenges included:

• Reduction of required management overhead
• True shared risk and reward, with cost efficiencies
• Program management expertise and consultancy to define appropriate program solutions and make recommendations as to the way forward

The Pcubed Solution

Pcubed leveraged extensive program management experience to propose a capable solution design. The approach enabled an iterative co-creation process with the stakeholder group through interactive workshops and rapid prototyping of solution design.

Together with the client, Pcubed considered the Implementation Strategy from first principles to ensure competency, operational readiness and technology and process stability were all taken into account. Specific to the success of the solution were the following components:

• An efficient and clear program management solution designed to give the program manager the visibility and the tools to actively manage program delivery
• Unanimous approval by the International Program Board
• An innovative and pragmatic way forward for both ESA and its Industrial Operator group
• Overall improvement in the confidence of the implementation of the proposed solution aided by avoiding the cost failure through detailed structured planning programs across many different industries
• The Pcubed solution approach enabled an iterative co-creation process with the stakeholder group through interactive workshops and rapid prototyping of solution design

Key elements of the solution included:

• A reduction in the length of time required to plan the implementation of a practicable Exploitation Program management solution
• In-depth knowledge of program management that saved a minimum of three months in the timescale required to plan the implementation of the solution
• A cost effective single interface with Industry for ESA, that would require less management overhead