The Office of Special Projects was first established in 2137 as an internal branch of Starfleet Operations.  At that time, Captain Maxwell Forrest was appointed as the Director of Special Projects, a title which was expanded in 2140 to the Chief of Special Projects when the office was reorganized to avoid duplicating its functions with Starfleet Engineering. In November 2140, the Office of Special Projects formally opened the "NX Project" in order to construct a viable warp five engine by the end of the 2140s.