Sue Mathis Richard
  Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                            
  November 14, 1991
  (Phone:  202/453-8364)                             Embargoed 
  until 3 PM ET
  
  
  RELEASE:  91-190
  
  TRULY RELEASES STUDY ON ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
  
  
       NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly today released an 
  internal agency report on roles and responsibilities of NASA 
  centers and Headquarters offices, fulfilling a pledge "to 
  move out aggressively across the board" on the 
  recommendations by the Advisory Committee on the Future of 
  the U.S. Space Program.
  
       Truly directed former Deputy Administrator James R. 
  Thompson to undertake this assessment in late 1990.  It 
  represents the first comprehensive look at NASA roles and 
  responsibilities in over 10 years.
  
       "J.R. submitted his plan to me on Friday, Nov. 8, and I 
  think he deserves a lot of credit for the outstanding 
  analysis of the agency he has performed," Truly said.  "I 
  intend to give these recommendations careful consideration 
  as we continue to make NASA an even better agency."
  
       Thompson's report focuses on three main thrusts:  
  building on NASA field organizations as Centers of 
  Excellence in specific areas of science, technology and 
  development; a reminder to "stick to basics" in engineering 
  disciplines and program management and realignment of 
  certain NASA Headquarters office responsibilities (within 
  the context of recent organizational changes) to achieve 
  more efficient program execution.
  
       Truly has recently instituted aggressive changes in 
  NASA's management and organization as the agency positions 
  itself to most effectively execute America's space program 
  in the coming decades.
  
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