DOE M 140.1-1B, Interface with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Functional areas: DNFSB, Defense Nuclear Facility Safety and Health Requirement, Requires Crosswalk When Revised, Safety
This Manual presents the process the Department of Energy will use to interface with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) and its staff. Supersedes DOE M 140.1-1A. Canceled by DOE O 140.1.
Supersedes:
Canceled By:
Version history and related documents
Supersedes
Earlier documents this one replaced.
Document text
Text extracted from the attached file. Refer to the original document for the authoritative version.
Section 1
DOE M 140.1-1B 7-26-05
E R R A T A S H E E T
This Errata Sheet transmits an administrative change to DOE M 140.1-1B, Interface with the
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, dated 3-30-01. An “Expiration Date” was
inadvertently placed on DOE M 140.1-1B. In accordance with DOE M 251.1A, Directives of
interest to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) are not required to have an
expiration date. Since this Directive is of interest to the DNFSB, the expiration date has been
removed.
This Errata Sheet must remain with DOE M 140.1-1B.
DOE M 140.1-1B
Approved: 3-30-01
INTERFACE WITH THE
DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES
SAFETY BOARD
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of the Departmental Representative
to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
DISTRIBUTION: INITIATED BY:
All Departmental Elements Office of the Departmental Representative
DOE M 140.1-1B i (and ii)
3-30-01
INTERFACE WITH THE
DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD
1. PURPOSE. This Manual presents the process the Department of Energy (Department)
will use to interface with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) and its
staff.
2. APPLICABILITY. The requirements in this Manual apply to Departmental personnel
including employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration who are to use this
Manual to facilitate the quality and responsiveness of the Departmental interactions with
the Board and its staff. Major facility management contractor responsibilities are listed in
Attachment 1, Contractor Requirements Document (CRD). The major facility
management contractor must comply with the responsibilities identified in the CRD after
the CRD is inserted into its contract because the laws, regulations, and DOE directives
clause of the contract so specifies. Additionally, under the laws, regulations, and DOE
directives clause the major facility management contractor is responsible for compliance
with the requirements of the CRD, regardless of the performer of the work, and for
flowing down the requirements of the CRD to subcontracts to the extent necessary to
ensure the contractor’s compliance with the requirements.
3. CANCELLATION. This Manual cancels DOE M 140.1-1A, INTERFACE WITH THE
DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD, dated 1-26-99.
4. REFERENCE. Atomic Energy Act of 1954, Sections 311-321 (42 U.S.C. § 2286 –
2286i), Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
5. CONTACT. Mark B. Whitaker, Jr., Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board, Office of the Secretary (S-3.1), 202-586-3887.
SPENCER ABRAHAM
Secretary of Energy
iii DOE M 140.1-1B
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CONTENTS
Page
I. OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1
1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1
2. REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-3
3. RESPONSIBILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-3
a. Secretary of Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-3
b. Deputy Secretary of Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-3
c. Secretarial Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-4
Section 2
d. Operations/Area Office Managers with Responsibility for Defense
Nuclear Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-4
e. Departmental Representative to the Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-5
f. Responsible Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-6
g. Issue Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-6
h. Points of Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-7
i. Departmental Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-8
II. RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESPONSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-1
1. BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-1
2. RESPONDING TO A RECOMMENDATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-1
3. ACCEPTING A RECOMMENDATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-3
4. REQUESTING A RESPONSE EXTENSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-5
5. REJECTING A RECOMMENDATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART . . . . . . . . . II-5
III. IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-1
1. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-1
a. Team Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-1
b. Internal Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-1
c. Interaction with the Board and its Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-4
d. Schedule, Cost, and Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-5
2. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FORMAT AND CONTENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-7
3. TRANSMITTAL OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-7
4. EXTENSION NOTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-8
5. BOARD ACCEPTANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-8
6. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-8
7. REPORTING THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS IMPRACTICABLE . . . . . . . . III-10
8. CHANGES TO IMPLEMENTATION PLANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-10
9. IMPLEMENTATION IN EXCESS OF 1 YEAR OF DURATION . . . . . . . . III-11
10. CLOSURE OF RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-12
iv DOE M 140.1-1B
3-30-01
CONTENTS (continued)
Page
IV. SAFETY ISSUES MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV-1
1. IDENTIFYING SAFETY ISSUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV-1
2. MAKING COMMITMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV-1
3. TRACKING COMMITMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV-3
4. REVISING COMMITMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV-4
5. CLOSING COMMITMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV-5
Section 3
V. CORRESPONDENCE MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V-1
1. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V-1
2. OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V-2
3. DISTRIBUTION AND RETENTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V-3
4. INFORMATION ARCHIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V-4
VI. OTHER COMMUNICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-1
1. BOARD REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-1
a. Responses to Information Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-1
b. On-site Requests for Information by the Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-3
c. Requests for In-process or Draft Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-3
d. Formal Reporting Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-4
e. Standing Request for Departmental Evaluations and Assessments . . . . . . VI-7
2. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND OTHER FORMAL BOARD MEETINGS . . . . . . VI-7
a. Coordination, Preparation, and Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-8
b. Internal Notice of Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-8
c. Notice to the Board of Expected Meeting Attendees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-9
d. Documentation of Meeting Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-9
e. Price-Anderson Enforcement Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-10
3. BRIEFINGS, DISCUSSIONS, TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS,
AND OTHER INFORMAL INTERACTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-10
VII. SITE INTERFACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-1
1. PREPARATION FOR SITE VISITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-1
a. Schedules and Visit Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-1
b. Board/Board Staff Requests for Site Visit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-1
c. Responsibilities for Site Visit Preparation, Coordination
and Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-2
d. Internal Notice of Site Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-2
e. Site Access Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-3
f. Access to Subject Matter Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-3
DOE M 140.1-1B v (and vi)
3-30-01
CONTENTS (continued)
Page
2. SITE VISIT PROTOCOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-3
a. Entrance Briefings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-3
b. Facility Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-3
c. Document Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-4
d. Site Visit Briefings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-5
Section 4
e. Personnel Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-5
f. Potential or Actual Unsafe Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-5
g. Exit Briefings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-6
h. Visit Summaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-6
i. Extended Site Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-7
3. INTERFACE AT FACILITIES WITH BOARD SITE
REPRESENTATIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII-7
VIII. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIII-1
IX. INTERFACE TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX-1
ATTACHMENTS
1. CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT
2. RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATION GUIDELINES
3. FORMAT AND CONTENT GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
4. BRIEFING REQUEST FORMAT FOR DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY
BOARD
5. BOARD INFORMATION REQUEST FORMAT
6. INFORMATION REQUEST RESPONSE FORMAT
I-1 DOE M 140.1-1B
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CHAPTER I
OVERVIEW
1. INTRODUCTION. This Manual presents the process the Department of Energy
(Department) will use to interface with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board)
and its staff. The requirements and guidance in this Manual apply to Departmental personnel,
including employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), who are to use
this Manual to facilitate the quality and responsiveness of the Departmental interactions with the
Board and its staff.
Attachment 1, Contractor Requirements Document (CRD), provides requirements that can be
applied to contractors and subcontractors responsible for managing and operating
Departmental facilities, as adapted to meet site-specific needs. Contractor compliance with the
CRD will be required consistent with the conditions set forth in the controlling contract.
a. The Board is an independent executive branch establishment responsible for providing
advice and recommendations to the President and the Secretary of Energy (Secretary)
regarding public health and safety issues at Departmental defense nuclear facilities.
(1) The Board was established by Congress in 1988 (see subparagraph 2a) to
perform the functions summarized below:
(a) review and evaluate the content and implementation of the standards
relating to the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of
Departmental defense nuclear facilities (including applicable
Departmental Orders, regulations, and requirements);
(b) investigate any event or practice at Departmental defense nuclear
facilities that has adversely affected or may adversely affect public
health and safety;
(c) analyze design and operational data, including safety analysis reports,
from any Departmental defense nuclear facility;
(d) review the design and construction of a new Departmental defense
nuclear facility and make recommendations considered necessary to
protect public health and safety; and
(e) make such recommendations to the Secretary with respect to
Departmental defense nuclear facilities, including operations of such
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facilities, standards, and research needs, as the Board determines are
necessary to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety.
Section 5
(2) Defense nuclear facilities include production and utilization facilities, facilities
involved in assembly, disassembly, and testing of weapons, and certain nuclear
waste storage facilities.
(3) Board oversight authority extends throughout the life cycle of jurisdictional
facilities, from design, construction, and operation through decommissioning.
For the purposes of oversight, the Board defines decommissioning to
encompass activities leading up to environmental restoration, including
deactivation, decontamination, final process runs, removal of special nuclear
material, residues, and wastes, and other activities necessary to ensure
adequate protection of public health and safety (see subparagraph 2d).
b. The Board communicates with the Department through a variety of mechanisms
including formal recommendations, formal reporting requirements, letters requesting
action and information, letters providing suggestions, letters providing information such
as staff issue reports and trip reports, Board and Board staff requests for information,
public meetings, briefings and discussions, and site visits. The Board’s choice of
communication vehicle tends to indicate the level of the Board’s concern, with the more
formal vehicles used for clearly defined safety issues that require prompt attention by
Departmental managers.
c. The Department and the Board share the common goal of ensuring adequate protection
of public and worker health and safety and the environment at Departmental defense
nuclear facilities. To accomplish this goal, the Department’s interface policy is to:
(1) fully cooperate with the Board;
(2) provide access to information necessary for the Board to accomplish its
responsibilities;
(3) thoroughly consider the recommendations and other safety information
provided by the Board;
(4) consistently meet commitments to the Board; and
(5) conduct interactions with the Board in accordance with the highest professional
standards.
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2. REFERENCES.
a. Atomic Energy Act of 1954, Sections 311-321 (42 U.S.C. § 2286 - 2286i), Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
b. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Policy Statement PS-1, “Criteria for Judging
the Adequacy of Department Responses and Implementation Plans for Board
Recommendations,” October 19, 1990.
c. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Policy Statement PS-2, “Board Policy on
Transmittal of Trip Reports and Other Safety Information to the Secretary of Energy,”
December 31, 1992.
d. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Policy Statement PS-3, “Policy Statement on
Board Oversight of Department of Energy Decommissioning Activities at Defense
Nuclear Facilities,” August 19, 1996.
e. Privacy Act Overview, 5 U. S. C., Section 552a(b)(3). DOE System of Records,
General Personnel Records, 55 Federal Register 3840, February 5, 1990. DOE
System of Records, Personnel Radiation Records, 58 Federal Register 59246,
November 8, 1993.
3. RESPONSIBILITIES.
a. Secretary of Energy.
(1) Provides full cooperation with the Board, including ready access to
Departmental facilities, personnel, and information (see subparagraph 2a).
(2) Responds to Board recommendations in accordance with the Board’s enabling
statute (see subparagraph 2a).
(3) Provides the Board with implementation plans for each accepted
recommendation and approves any subsequent plan changes (see subparagraph
2a).
Section 6
(4) Provides annual reports to Congress concerning Board-related activities of the
Department (see subparagraph 2a).
b. Deputy Secretary of Energy.
(1) Ensures Board issues are properly addressed within the Department.
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(2) Resolves disagreements that cannot be otherwise resolved among Departmental
elements on relative priorities and approaches for addressing Board-related
safety issues.
(3) Resolves any disagreements regarding designation of a cognizant Secretarial
Officer who will respond to a Board recommendation, Board correspondence,
or other Board issue.
c. Secretarial Officers.
Note: Throughout this Manual, the term Secretarial Officer includes the Administrator
and Deputy Administrators of the NNSA.
(1) Consistent with guidance from the Deputy Secretary, implement the
Department’s policy with respect to the Board.
(2) When designated as the cognizant Secretarial Officer responsible for
responding to a Board recommendation, correspondence, or other Board
issue, designate and empower a Responsible Manager to manage the
associated planning, response, and implementation activities, consistent with
guidance provided. The organizational level of a designated Responsible
Manager should be the highest Headquarters or field manager with direct
responsibility for overseeing resolution of the identified safety issues and
implementation of the Department’s response (typically either a Deputy
Assistant Secretary or Operations/Area Office Manager). In cases of cross-
organizational activities, the Responsible Manager should be selected by the
participating Secretarial offices and be given the necessary authorities and
boundaries to coordinate the Department’s response.
(3) Support other Secretarial Officers designated as cognizant for responding to
and implementing Board recommendations.
(4) Designate and empower a single point of contact within their organizations to
represent their organizations and work with the Departmental Representative
and his/her staff in Board-related matters.
d. Operations/Area Office Managers with Responsibility for Defense Nuclear Facilities.
(1) Designate a single point of contact with the authority to represent his/her
organization and work with the Departmental Representative and his/her staff in
Board-related matters.
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(2) Using the appropriate contract vehicle, ensure contractors (management and
operating contractors, weapons laboratory contractors, integrating contractors,
environmental restoration and management contractors, etc.) acknowledge and
implement their interface responsibilities as delineated in this Manual (see
Attachment 1, Contractor Requirements Document).
(3) Resolve conflicts between Departmental personnel and Board staff. If difficulty
persists, notify the Departmental Representative.
e. Departmental Representative to the Board.
(1) Represents the Secretary in regular and continuing interactions with the Board.
(2) Advises the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Secretarial Officers, and other
Departmental officials on Board priorities, concerns, actions, and plans.
(3) Manages Departmental interface activities and provides direction (except for
the NNSA) and advice to line management on Board-related matters.
(4) Coordinates with affected Secretarial Officers and designates (with respect to
the NNSA, recommends designation) a cognizant Secretarial Officer to
respond to a Board recommendation, Board correspondence, or other Board
issue.
Section 7
(5) Facilitates communication and cooperation between Departmental elements and
the Board and its staff.
(6) Reviews written communications to the Board (with the exception of responses
to information requests) for consistency and responsiveness, and provides
concurrence approval or disapproval (with respect to the NNSA, recommends
changes to the Administrator).
(7) Manages the Department’s Safety Issues Management System for
Board-related issues, commitments, and actions.
(8) Maintains awareness of line implementation of Departmental commitments to
the Board and takes appropriate action to focus line management attention on
resolving the identified safety and management issues.
(9) Prepares reports on Board-related activities for senior Departmental
management, Congress, and the President.
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(10) Provides guidance and training on this Manual to Departmental points of
contact and support personnel.
(11) Maintains and distributes a listing of key Departmental personnel for
Board-related activities.
(12) Maintains the Department’s central repository of official Board communications
and makes this information available to Departmental personnel, contractor
personnel, and the public.
(13) Facilitates Board review of and comment resolution on Departmental directives,
rules, and standards. (See also DOE M 251.1-1A, DIRECTIVES SYSTEM
MANUAL, and DOE Technical Standard Program Procedure DOE-TSPP-6,
Coordination of Technical Standards.)
f. Responsible Managers.
(1) For each Board recommendation or letter requesting action and for each
Departmental commitment to the Board, manage the response, planning,
implementation, tracking, and closure of the recommendation, action request,
and/or associated commitments.
(2) Provide status updates to the Safety Issues Management System.
(3) Prepare, coordinate, and transmit a closure package to the Board upon
commitment completion.
(4) Delegate day-to-day activities to a working level manager or technical lead, if
desired.
(5) Keep the cognizant Secretarial Officer informed of any issues that need senior
management attention.
(6) For cross-organizational issues, coordinate with the appropriate Headquarters
and field managers in the other organization to implement the safety issue
resolutions, consistent with the boundaries and authorities established by the
controlling plan, commitment documents, or organizational memorandums of
agreement.
g. Issue Lead.
(1) As a member of the Departmental Representative’s staff assigned by the
Departmental Representative to a specific Board recommendation, supports the
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designated Responsible Manager throughout the development and
implementation of the Department’s plan to resolve that recommendation.
(2) Participates as a member of the response team by identifying related
Departmental responses and commitments, providing input on the format and
content of the Department’s response and implementation plan, and evaluating
adequacy and responsiveness to Board criteria.
(3) Facilitates communications between the response team and the Board staff.
(4) Supports the Departmental Representative in meetings with senior
Departmental management for the purpose of developing the Department’s
strategy, resolving disagreements and conflicts, and conducting briefings and
presentations.
(5) Advises the Departmental Representative on concurrence with final
implementation plans, commitment closure packages, and other written
communications.
Section 8
(6) Supports the Responsible Manager on identification, tracking, and closure of
associated commitments in the Safety Issues Management System.
(7) Assists with Board issues defined by or associated with reports and
correspondence other than Board recommendations, as assigned by the
Departmental Representative.
(8) Ensures that the Secretary’s responses to Board recommendations are
published in the Federal Register in a timely manner.
h. Points of Contact.
(1) Represent their Secretarial Officers or Operations/Area Office Managers on
day-to-day Board-related issues and interactions with the Departmental
Representative and his/her staff, other Departmental elements, and the Board
staff.
(2) Be cognizant of, and coordinate, day-to-day Board-related activities within
their purviews, such as:
(a) assigning responsibilities,
(b) coordinating review and concurrence,
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(c) facilitating meetings and site visits,
(d) fulfilling information requests,
(e) identifying commitments made and actions taken during briefings and
site visits,
(f) following up on commitments and actions to ensure satisfactory
completion,
(g) ensuring adherence to this Manual,
(h) communicating and reporting to their management as requested on the
status of significant Board actions, and
(i) maintaining accurate status of assigned items on the Safety Issues
Management System.
(3) Support Responsible Managers in their organizations in responding to and
implementing Board recommendations and other commitments.
(4) Prepare, coordinate, and conduct Departmental activities to support site visits.
(5) Be sufficiently knowledgeable of Board practices to advise their organizations
and assist their management in interfaces with the Board and its staff.
i. Departmental Personnel.
(1) Provide full cooperation with the Board, including:
(a) being courteous;
(b) being open, honest, and responsive;
(c) agreeing to no action items outside the immediate level of authority; and
(d) subsequent to any informal discussions or interactions with the Board or
its staff, notifying the appropriate point of contact of the substantive
information and actions discussed.
(2) Promptly bring to the attention of local Departmental management any conflict
that arises with Board staff personnel.
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CHAPTER II
RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESPONSES
1. BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS.
a. The Board issues recommendations to the Secretary on issues or circumstances it
determines need to be resolved to ensure adequate protection of the public health and
safety. The Secretary must respond to each Board recommendation within 45 days of
its publication in the Federal Register.
b. The Secretary may accept or reject a Board recommendation in whole or in part.
Figure 1 provides an overview of the Board recommendation process (see Chapter I,
subparagraph 2a).
2. RESPONDING TO A RECOMMENDATION.
a. When a Board recommendation is received, the Departmental Representative must
coordinate with the affected Secretarial Officers to designate the cognizant Secretarial
Officer. If necessary, the Deputy Secretary must resolve any disagreements regarding
designation of the cognizant Secretarial Officer. The cognizant Secretarial Officer must
oversee the development of the Department’s response. If the recommendation is
accepted, the cognizant Secretarial Office also must oversee development of the
associated implementation plan and resolution of the applicable safety issues, through to
the ultimate closure of the recommendation.
Section 9
b. The cognizant Secretarial Officer must designate a Responsible Manager, typically a
Deputy Assistant Secretary or Operations/Area Office Manager or equivalent, to
manage development and implementation of an adequate response and, if necessary, an
implementation plan for resolving the Board recommendation. The Responsible
Manager should possess sufficient stature and authority to obtain the necessary
commitments of action from the various organizations involved. An Operations/Area
Office Manager should be considered for recommendations that are limited to a single
site; a Deputy Assistant Secretary is more appropriate for recommendations with
implications for multiple sites and organizations. This Responsible Manager may, in
turn, identify a technical lead to assist in coordinating response development and
implementation planning. The selection of an appropriate Responsible Manager and an
experienced technical lead with the necessary technical, communications, and
management skills is key to the Department’s success. The continuous commitment of
the Responsible Manager and technical lead throughout the life of a recommendation
has also proven to be important for effective Departmental interface with the Board.
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Figure 1. Recommendation Process Overview.
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c. The Responsible Manager must establish a response team to support the development
and implementation of the Department’s response. Secretarial Offices and
Operations/Area Offices expected to be major stakeholders in the implementation plan
should provide members for this team. The points of contact should assist the
Responsible Manager in obtaining appropriate team participation from their respective
organizations, including field representatives, as appropriate. Team participants must
have the authority to speak for their management. The Responsible Manager should
solicit early involvement of the Office of the General Counsel (and NNSA General
Counsel, when an NNSA element is involved) to support the response team in
addressing legal issues or procedural requirements. The Departmental Representative’s
office must designate an Issue Lead to support the Responsible Manager as a member
of the response team.
d. The response team should promptly begin development of the Department’s response
and the associated implementation plan, if one is expected to be necessary. To
promote timeliness and responsiveness, affected Departmental elements should follow
the process presented in Attachment 2 and summarized in Figure 2.
e. The response team must, as a minimum, consider the following topics:
(1) significant safety issues associated with the recommendation,
(2) underlying causes and implications of these issues,
(3) existing programs and activities that can be built upon,
(4) strategic input from affected Departmental elements,
(5) public comments forwarded from the Board,
(6) costs and benefits associated with implementation, and
(7) the impact on ongoing Departmental programs and activities.
f. The response team should seek discussions with one or more Board members to fully
understand the Board’s views regarding the underlying safety issues and potential
resolution approaches.
g. Prior to obtaining concurrence on the Secretary’s response letter, the Responsible
Manager should estimate the associated costs and contribution to safety and brief
Departmental senior management concerning this information.
Section 10
3. ACCEPTING A RECOMMENDATION.
a. If the Secretary accepts the recommendation, the Responsible Manager must prepare
the Department’s response letter which (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2b):
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LEGEND
SO = Secretarial Officer
Figure 2. Department Response Process Overview.
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(1) demonstrates an understanding of what is being recommended,
(2) commits the Department to take action to meet the recommendation within the
context of the Department’s acceptance,
(3) identifies the Responsible Manager by name, and
(4) identifies specific actions the Department intends to undertake so the Board can
determine if the material terms of the recommendation will be met.
b. Unconditional acceptance of Board recommendations must be carefully considered by
the response team. If a response letter is sent which simply states that the Secretary
agrees with or accepts a recommendation, the Board will interpret this action as an
unconditional acceptance of the Board’s recommendation and the Board’s
interpretation thereof. The Board will ordinarily consider unacceptable any subsequent
contradiction or retrenchment from the response’s unconditional acceptance (see
Chapter I, subparagraph 2b).
4. REQUESTING A RESPONSE EXTENSION. If requested by the Secretary, the Board may
grant additional time, not to exceed 45 days, for the Department to respond to the Board’s
recommendation. Requests for additional time should be reserved for exceptional
circumstances (e.g., when a complex technical analysis is required prior to finalizing the
Department’s response). The Responsible Manager must initiate a request for additional time
when it is clear that an adequate response cannot be completed within the initial 45 days.
Regardless of when the request is submitted, the extension begins after the initial 45 days has
expired. The Issue Lead should support the Responsible Manager by coordinating this request.
5. REJECTING A RECOMMENDATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART.
a. The Secretary may reject a recommendation, in whole or in part. Prior to formally
rejecting all or part of a Board recommendation, the cognizant Secretarial Officer and
the Responsible Manager should brief one or more members of the Board on the
Department’s concerns. In rejecting all or part of a recommendation, the response
letter must identify substantive differences that the Department has with the
recommendation. The Board may accept a Departmental response which rejects
portions of a recommendation if, based on the Board’s judgment, sound reasons are
given for rejecting the recommendation and alternative means of protecting the public
health and safety are specified (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2b).
b. If the Secretary rejects a recommendation in whole or in part, the Board may reaffirm
or revise the original recommendation and notify the Secretary. The Secretary must
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provide a final decision to the Board within 30 days of notification of the Board’s
reaffirmation or revision.
c. The cognizant Secretarial Officer must ensure that this final decision is reached and a
final response to the Board is prepared for the Secretary’s approval. This final
response prepared by the cognizant Secretarial Officer must identify the parts of the
recommendation that are accepted and rejected, and describe the reasons for the
decision. The cognizant Secretarial Officer, the Responsible Manager, the
Departmental Representative, and response team members should perform the same
roles in developing this final response as they performed in developing the initial
response. The Department must publish the final decision in the Federal Register and
also transmit it to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the Senate
Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2a).
Section 11
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CHAPTER III
IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING
1. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN DEVELOPMENT. The Secretary must submit an
implementation plan to the Board within 90 days of the date the Secretary’s acceptance of the
recommendation is published in the Federal Register (see Chapter I, paragraph 2a). The
response team should begin implementation plan development (Figure 3) immediately after the
recommendation is received and conduct plan development in parallel with development of the
Department’s response. The cognizant Secretarial Officer, Responsible Manager, and
response team that developed the Department’s response should develop the associated
implementation plan.
a. Team Leadership. Regardless of whether the Responsible Manager delegates
coordination of implementation planning to a technical lead, he/she must maintain clear
sponsorship and open communications with the response team. The Responsible
Manager should engage in the development process by interacting with the team,
reviewing progress, ensuring adequate technical basis, making key decisions,
advocating the Department’s position to the Board and its staff, and keeping the
cognizant Secretarial Officer informed. He/she should also ensure that the
implementation plan is complete, responsive, and achievable and that the resource
impact of the implementation plan is understood, acceptable, and consistent with the
associated safety improvement.
b. Internal Coordination.
(1) Organizations that have an interest in the outcome of an implementation plan
should be identified by the Responsible Manager early in the development
process and should be included in or represented on the response team and be
kept fully informed of the team’s activities. The members of the response team
should possess the necessary technical background and skills to effectively
develop the implementation plan.
(2) To ensure effective coordination, the Responsible Manager should prepare
early in the process a schedule for plan development that identifies milestones
and responsibilities. The Responsible Manager should identify Departmental
resources that will be required for developing the implementation plan (such as
travel funds) and identify sources for these resources. The Responsible
Manager should use periodic status reports to keep everyone informed of
progress, upcoming activities, action items, and responsibilities.
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Figure 3. Implementation Planning Process Overview.
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Figure 3. Implementation Planning Process Overview (continued).
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(3) As requested, the affected points of contact should assist the Responsible
Manager and response team, by coordinating review and comment, comment
resolution, and concurrence within their respective organizations.
(4) The response team should meet frequently to ensure effective progress in
developing the implementation plan. Team participants should be prepared to
represent the views of their respective organizations. As necessary, the
Responsible Manager should ensure that these meetings include participation by
the appropriate managers to obtain decisions on resolution approaches,
responsibilities, and schedules.
Section 12
(5) As an organizational change effort, implementation planning requires
development of a clear case for action, establishment of a coalition of key
players to lead the action, formation of a clear vision of the objectives and path
forward, and repeated communication and articulation of the vision through a
variety of means to the parties involved. A primary objective of the response
team is to obtain the buy-in, ownership and commitment of resources from the
affected organizations to fulfill their portions of the implementation plan.
c. Interaction with the Board and its Staff.
(1) The response team should interact with the Board staff during implementation
plan development to the extent necessary to understand the Board’s
recommendation. The Responsible Manager should focus early meetings on
gaining a full understanding of the recommendation’s content and intent, and
avoid discussing the Department’s planned resolution approach until the
Department has developed an adequate framework and basis for resolution.
(2) In communicating the framework and basis for resolution, the response team
should discuss underlying causes and assumptions, potential resolution
alternatives, and advantages and disadvantages of the various alternatives.
(3) In developing potential resolution alternatives, the response team should try to
build on existing programs and activities and invent new ones only when
necessary.
(4) The response team should request the Board staff’s opinion, to the extent
possible, on whether proposed resolution alternatives satisfy the intent of a
recommendation. The response team should not request the Board staff to
define or select resolution alternatives.
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(5) The response team should provide the Board staff with sufficient opportunities
(typically at least two) to review draft plan information during the development
process. The response team should request the staff to provide its comments
on the draft plan in writing.
(6) The Responsible Manager should participate in major interactions and be
cognizant of all interactions with the Board or its staff. The Issue Lead should
assist the Responsible Manager in arranging for and conducting interactions
with the Board staff.
(7) The Issue Lead should provide to the Responsible Manager and response team
any public comments received via the Board in response to the Federal
Register notice.
(8) Toward the close of the development period, the response team should seek
closure with the Board staff on the scope of commitments and an indication that
the staff will recommend to the Board that the planned activities are sufficient to
address the identified safety issues. If such indication is not received, the
Responsible Manager should inform the cognizant Secretarial Officer so that
interaction with one or more Board members can be arranged to brief them on
the Department’s position.
(9) When interactions with one or more of the Board members are necessary, the
Departmental Representative should support the cognizant Secretarial Officer in
arranging for and conducting interactions at this level. The cognizant Secretarial
Officer and Responsible Manager should brief the Board member or members
on the Department’s approach prior to finalization and formal transmittal of the
implementation plan.
d. Schedule, Cost, and Funding.
Section 13
(1) The response team should prepare a planning-quality schedule and cost
estimate prior to plan submittal for Secretary approval. To accomplish the
schedule and cost estimate within the allotted time window, the response team
should:
(a) begin development work as soon as possible,
(b) include a person with cost/schedule expertise,
(c) develop a reasonably accurate preliminary scope of work early in the
90-day window (see Figure 3).
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Departmental senior management will need a planning-quality schedule and cost
estimate (i.e., rough order-of-magnitude estimate) so that they can analyze the
resource impact of the plan before committing to it. The cost estimate will also
be used to assess cost-benefit and relative priorities among various potential
safety improvements. The desired degree of accuracy for this planning estimate
is minus 50 percent to plus 100 percent (see DOE G 430.1-1, Cost
Estimating Guide, dated 3-28-97). In addition, the Board will review the
Department’s implementation plan to determine whether it provides a realistic
and achievable schedule for plan implementation (see Chapter I, subparagraph
2b).
(2) Resolution of an issue (i.e., completion of all actions identified in the
implementation plan) should result in tangible improvement to safety within the
Departmental defense nuclear facilities complex. If possible, the Responsible
Manager should establish the resolution scope based on the goal of completion
within 1 year of plan issuance. To accomplish this goal, the resolution focus
may need to be on gaining substantive control of an issue rather than closing all
loose ends. For example, issue resolution may need to be defined in the
implementation plan as developing training and conducting initial sessions, rather
than as completing training of all Departmental personnel and performing a
follow-up evaluation. The goal of resolution within 1 year, based on the
expectations of Congress in establishing the Board, should be strictly pursued
by the Responsible Manager for recommendations that are narrowly focused
and affect only one site and one Headquarters office. Recommendations that
involve major systemic changes, multiple Headquarters offices, and multiple
sites can require more than 1 year for resolution. The Responsible Manager
must carefully consider exceptions to the 1-year goal.
(3) The response team, with the direction of the cognizant Secretarial Officer,
should identify how the implementation plan will be funded. Resources will
likely need to be reallocated to ensure funding during the initial phases of
implementation; the sources of these resource reallocations should be identified
by the affected Secretarial Officers. Funding allocations beyond the initial
phases of implementation should be established by the affected Secretarial
Officers through the Departmental budget process to ensure that sufficient
resources will be available to meet the Secretary’s commitment to the Board.
The Responsible Manager should apply schedule and cost performance
monitoring techniques to improve management effectiveness during plan
implementation.
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2. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FORMAT AND CONTENT.
a. The primary purpose of the implementation plan is to describe the appropriate actions
and schedule for ensuring that the accepted recommendation is resolved. The Board
uses the following six substantive criteria to judge the adequacy of an implementation
plan (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2b).
Section 14
(1) Understanding. The implementation plan must show an understanding of the
safety issues raised by the Board’s recommendation.
(2) Responsiveness. The Department’s planned course of action must address the
complete Board recommendation and accomplish satisfactory resolution of the
underlying safety issues.
(3) Assumptions. The important (engineering, technical, administrative, or
legislative) baseline assumptions for successful plan implementation must be
detailed.
(4) Planning Detail. The Department’s approach to resolve the associated safety
issues must be described in sufficient detail to permit the Board to
independently determine that the approach and schedule are reasonable and
achievable.
(5) Technical Basis. The Department’s plan must be based on sound evaluation,
including identification of the underlying causes.
(6) Focus on Closure. The Department’s plan must define completion deliverables
for demonstrating safety issue resolution in a verifiable manner.
b. Response teams should prepare implementation plans consistent with the Format and
Content Guide provided in Attachment 3 to address these six substantive criteria.
Attachment 3 applies to recommendations received after 1994; this guidance may be
considered for major revisions of previous implementation plans. In some cases,
exceptions and additions to this recommended format may be appropriate and should
be made on a case-by-case basis.
3. TRANSMITTAL OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS. The implementation plan is a
Secretarial commitment. The Responsible Manager must obtain final concurrence and approval
of the implementation plan in accordance with established Departmental procedures. The
points of contact should assist in expeditiously acquiring concurrence within their respective
organizations. After the implementation plan is approved and signed by the Secretary, the
Executive Secretariat will formally transmit it to the Board. As with other outgoing
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correspondence to the Board, the Departmental Representative’s staff will distribute copies of
the transmitted implementation plan to the affected Secretarial Officers and Operations/Area
Office Managers.
4. EXTENSION NOTIFICATION.
a. The Secretary may obtain one 45-day extension for submitting an implementation plan
by notifying the Board, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Senate
Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations. These extension requests by the
Secretary should be reserved for exceptional circumstances. If an extension is needed,
the Responsible Manager, supported by the Issue Lead, should begin drafting a
notification letter at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the original 90-day time
period.
b. The Responsible Manager must prepare the notification letter to provide the following
information:
(1) the reasons for the delay,
(2) the current status of the draft implementation plan, and
(3) the actions being taken by the Department to complete the implementation plan.
c. The Responsible Manager, supported by the Issue Lead, should ensure that the
notification letter is finalized and signed by the Secretary at least 2 weeks prior to
expiration of the original time period.
Section 15
5. BOARD ACCEPTANCE. The Board’s practice is to review and formally accept or not
accept each implementation plan submitted by the Department. Upon receipt of an acceptance
letter from the Board, the Departmental Representative should notify the affected Secretarial
Officers and Operations/Area Office Managers of the acceptance. If the Board does not
accept an implementation plan, the cognizant Secretarial Officer must evaluate the Board’s
comments, determine whether the implementation plan should be revised, and initiate actions to
expeditiously resolve the Board’s comments. Response actions will vary significantly
depending on the content of the Board’s observations. The cognizant Secretarial Officer, the
Responsible Manager, and the Departmental Representative should establish the strategy,
assignments, and timetable for the response actions.
6. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
a. The Responsible Manager must ensure that the associated safety issues are resolved as
described in the implementation plan and that the associated commitments are managed
to closure. The Safety Issues Management System must be used as a tool to identify,
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track, and close Departmental commitments to the Board. As committed actions are
completed, the Responsible Manager must prepare a closure package and transmit this
package to the Board.
b. The Responsible Manager should periodically inform the various Department
implementing elements and the Board regarding the status of plan implementation. As
needed, the Responsible Manager should also provide oral presentations, topical
reports, and documents to the Board and its staff to update them on implementation
progress.
c. The Responsible Manager should anticipate and manage implementation problems so
that they have a minimum impact on plan commitment dates. The Responsible Manager
and the Issue Lead should inform the cognizant Board staff member in advance of any
planned milestone due dates that will be missed. The cognizant Secretarial Officer
should periodically review implementation progress and assist in solving implementation
problems.
d. The Responsible Manager should ensure that sufficient funding and other necessary
resources are available to satisfy the Departmental commitments contained in the
implementation plan. If sufficient resources are not available, the Responsible Manager
must notify the cognizant Secretarial Officer and the Departmental Representative to
seek resolution. The Secretarial Officer, in consultation with the Departmental
Representative, should evaluate relative priorities and resource availability and take
appropriate steps to effect a resolution. Issues and disagreements over priorities and
resources that cannot be resolved should be raised to the Deputy Secretary for
resolution.
e. For implementation plans involving cross-organizational activities, the Responsible
Manager should consider establishing a formal vehicle, such as a memorandum of
understanding, to define agreements on the budgeting process and responsibilities for
out-year activities. The formal vehicle should ensure that: (1) the Secretarial
commitments in the Department’s implementation plan are met, (2) the Responsible
Manager can oversee the availability and expenditure of funds sufficient to fulfill the
implementation plan commitments, and (3) a stable, implementable, and enforceable
funding structure is established within the current Departmental budget. This vehicle
should be established before the next budget cycle is initiated, when Headquarters
provides budget targets to field organizations (typically in November of each fiscal
year). Such a vehicle may also be used to clarify the boundaries of authority and
decision making conferred on the Responsible Manager and other key implementation
leaders.
Section 16
f. The Responsible Manager should provide prior, written notification to the Board on the
status of any implementation plan commitment that will not be completed by the planned
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milestone date. This written notification should describe the reason(s) for the schedule
variance to the Department’s implementation plan, current actions underway to fulfill the
commitment, and an estimated completion date. If commitment completion will be
delayed by a substantial period (e.g., more than 3 months) from the committed due
date, or if the approach to fulfilling the commitment has been or needs to be changed,
the Responsible Manager should initiate a change to the Department’s implementation
plan and obtain Secretarial approval. Periodic reports may not be used to report
changes to plan commitments unless these reports are approved by the Secretary.
g. If the Department’s implementation plan for an active Board recommendation is no
longer valid or responsive, the Responsible Manager for that plan must aggressively
pursue development of a valid plan.
7. REPORTING THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS IMPRACTICABLE.
a. If the Secretary determines implementation of a recommendation is impracticable
because of budgetary considerations or impact on the Secretary’s ability to meet the
Annual Nuclear Weapons Stockpile requirements, the Secretary must submit a report
to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate
Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations, containing the recommendation
and the Secretary’s determination (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2a).
b. If such a report is required, the cognizant Secretarial Officer, supported by the
Departmental Representative, must prepare this report. The affected Secretarial
Officers, the Departmental Representative, and the Office of the General Counsel must
concur on the final report. The Departmental Representative must present the report to
the Secretary through the Deputy Secretary for approval and transmittal to the
President and Congress.
8. CHANGES TO IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.
a. Changes to commitments, actions, or completion dates may be necessary due to
additional information, improvements, or changes in baseline assumptions. The
Responsible Manager should identify necessary changes and, with the support of the
Issue Lead, bring to the Board staff’s attention any substantive changes to an
implementation plan as soon as identified. The Responsible Manager and Issue Lead
should discuss with the Board staff any proposed changes to implementation plan
commitments before making a formal submittal.
b. Any revision to the scope or schedule of plan commitments must be approved by the
Secretary (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2a). Commitment revisions must be clearly
identified and described by the Responsible Manager along with the basis for the
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revisions. Fundamental changes to the strategy, scope, or schedule of the plan must be
prepared by the Responsible Manager and provided to the Board through formal
revision and reissuance of the implementation plan approved by the Secretary. Other
changes to the scope or schedule of planned commitments must be prepared by the
Responsible Manager and formally submitted in appropriate correspondence signed by
the Secretary, along with the basis for the changes and appropriate corrective actions.
Examples of this type of change include:
Section 17
(1) a change in approach, based on new knowledge, that still fulfills the committed
objective, scope, and schedule, but in a different manner than originally
planned, or
(2) a change in intermediate milestone dates for a plan commitment for which the
original plan commitment scope and ultimate completion date are preserved.
c. The Responsible Manager should carefully consider the cumulative effect of the plan
changes made through correspondence from the Department to the Board so that the
fundamental approach, scope, and schedule of the plan are not altered; if these are
altered in a fundamental way, the Responsible Manager must prepare a formal plan
revision and reissuance. In order to maintain the implementation plan as an accurate
and useful management tool, no more than two plan changes should be approved and
provided to the Board without a complete plan revision and reissuance which
incorporates the previously approved changes.
d. Responsible Managers should prepare complete plan revisions/reissuances of
implementation plans consistent with the Format and Content Guide provided in
Attachment 3. Completed actions that are still important to the resolution of the original
safety issue should be described and identified as actions already completed.
e. The letter submitting implementation plan revisions should describe the Department’s
intentions regarding existing commitments under the existing implementation plan, if
previously accepted by the Board. Suggested text: “With submittal of this revised plan,
the Department will now focus its implementation efforts on the approach described
herein, rather than that previously described and provided to the Board.”
9. IMPLEMENTATION IN EXCESS OF 1 YEAR OF DURATION. The Secretary must
submit a report to Congress if completion of activities described in the implementation plan
requires longer than 1 year from the date it was transmitted to the Board (see Chapter I,
subparagraph 2a). The report must state the reasons for needing more than 1 year and when
implementation will be completed. This reporting requirement normally should be met by the
Responsible Manager by addressing it as part of the Department’s Annual Report to Congress,
when the Responsible Manager knows that implementation will require more than 1 year. If the
Annual Report is not used for this notification, the Responsible Manager should prepare and
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submit this report to Congress prior to exceeding the 1-year period, if possible, and no later
than 30 days following the end of the 1-year period.
10. CLOSURE OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
a. The Board reserves the right to close recommendations and commitments based on
their assessment of the actions completed by the Department. Responsible Managers
should identify to the Board when Departmental actions are complete on a given
commitment or recommendation. Responsible Managers must closely monitor
implementation plan progress and pursue closure of recommendations when issues are
resolved.
b. When all actions and commitments in an implementation plan are complete and
corresponding closure packages have been transmitted to the Board, the Secretary
must propose closure of the original recommendation in a letter to the Board and should
include the following sentence or equivalent: “The Department has completed the
commitments identified under its implementation plan for this recommendation, and
proposes closure of the recommendation.” Alternatively, proposed recommendation
closure may be based on resolution of the original safety concerns on some other basis
than completion of the associated implementation plan commitments. For such cases,
the Department’s rationale for proposing closure must be spelled out for the Board’s
consideration.
Section 18
c. In evaluating closure of Board recommendations, the Board usually considers the
effectiveness of Departmental actions to ensure the fundamental issues will continue to
be adequately addressed in the future. The Responsible Manager should be prepared
to show that the Department’s actions have been adequately institutionalized such that a
future recurrence of the subject safety concerns is unlikely. The Responsible Manager
should consider the following factors in demonstrating institutionalization:
(1) Departmental line management ownership of the safety issue and actions for
resolution;
(2) clearly defined roles and responsibilities;
(3) engagement and attention of senior Departmental managers on the issue;
(4) incorporation and integration of issue resolutions into standard practices,
procedures and directives;
(5) continued funding at sufficient levels into the near future; and
(6) overall safety culture and mindset relative to the subject safety issue.
The Responsible Manager should consider including the discussion of institutionalization
either in the Department’s letter proposing closure or in a briefing to the Board to
facilitate discussion on closure.
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CHAPTER IV
SAFETY ISSUES MANAGEMENT
1. IDENTIFYING SAFETY ISSUES. In analyzing Board recommendations and other Board
letters and requests for action, the Responsible Manager should identify the salient safety issues
being raised. Correct identification and formulation of the underlying safety issues establishes a
framework to focus Departmental efforts. Full understanding and ownership of the safety issues
involved are precursors to developing an effective, enduring resolution. By focusing on the
underlying safety issues, the Department can more efficiently and effectively apply resources to
achieving real safety improvements. The Safety Issues Management System is designed to
facilitate line management efforts in managing and closing safety issues.
2. MAKING COMMITMENTS.
a. The Department establishes commitments in order to resolve identified safety issues. A
commitment to the Board is defined as any documented obligation by the Secretary, or
designee, that describes products to be delivered on a specified schedule. Only the
Secretary, a Secretarial Officer, or a properly designated representative may make
commitments to the Board. Departmental elements may agree to take actions within
their authorities in response to Board and Board staff requests and inquiries. These
action items also need to be satisfied to maintain an effective working relationship with
the Board and its staff; they must be tracked and managed at the Departmental level
where the action items are undertaken.
b. The principal source of Departmental commitments is the implementation plans
developed in response to Board recommendations. Commitments may also be made in
other types of correspondence to the Board, such as responses to trip reports or
responses to Board letters requesting Departmental action or information. Additionally,
documented Board requests taken for action are also considered commitments because
it is the Department’s policy to respond to such formal requests originating from the
Board.
c. Prior to authorizing new Departmental commitments in response to Board initiatives, the
cognizant Secretarial Officer must consider the appropriateness and value derived. If
new commitments are needed, preference should be given to building upon existing
programs and activities rather than creating new programs and activities. The cognizant
Secretarial Officer should designate a Responsible Manager to assist in assessing the
need and formulating new commitments.
Section 19
IV-2 DOE M 140.1-1B
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d. The Responsible Manager must ensure that each newly proposed commitment is clearly
delineated in it source document. The Responsible Manager should ensure that each
commitment is uniquely numbered and includes the following information:
(1) a complete statement of the commitment;
(2) the manager responsible for implementing the commitment (i.e., Responsible
Manager);
(3) applicable facilities and programs;
(4) implementing activities and deliverables (i.e., specific work products) to
demonstrate completion; and
(5) specific due dates for those deliverables.
e. As part of implementing assigned commitments, the designated Responsible Manager
must provide status updates to the Safety Issues Management System and prepare a
closure package upon commitment completion. For commitments related to a Board
recommendation and the associated implementation plan, the designated Responsible
Manager for the implementation plan must perform tracking and closure for all
associated commitments. The Responsible Manager may designate a technical lead to
assist in coordinating implementation, tracking, and closure.
f. The following is an example of the desired presentation for commitments attached to
outgoing correspondence to the Board.
Commitment #8
Commitment Statement: Deficiencies observed during Phase I and Phase II
assessments will be tracked and managed in local corrective action management
systems. Resources allocated to address findings resulting from confinement
ventilation system and other assessments within this Implementation Plan will be
identified on an annual basis.
Deliverable: Summary of resources allocated within the FY 2003 budget request
to Congress.
Applicability: All Departmental defense nuclear facilities and programs.
Responsible Manager: Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health;
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management; Deputy Administrator for
Defense Programs.
DOE M 140.1-1B IV-3
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Due Date: February 2002.
The Responsible Manager, with the support of the Departmental Representative staff,
should describe the proposed commitments to the cognizant Board member or Board
staff member prior to finalizing them. The Responsible Manager must obtain
appropriate Departmental concurrence and approval of outgoing correspondence
containing commitments.
3. TRACKING COMMITMENTS.
a. The Departmental Representative’s staff should review implementation plans and
incoming and outgoing correspondence containing commitments to identify each
commitment and enter the corresponding commitment information into the Safety Issues
Management System database. The Departmental Representative’s staff should obtain
the concurrence from the Responsible Manager that the commitment information has
been correctly identified and entered.
b. Before the end of each month, the Responsible Managers should provide an updated
implementation status of assigned commitments by forwarding any changes to the
corresponding Issue Lead. For overdue commitments, the Responsible Manager
should provide the actions being taken to complete the commitment and the estimated
completion schedule. The Issue Lead should review this updated information for
completeness and accuracy and the Departmental Representative’s staff should update
the Safety Issues Management System database as requested. The Departmental
Representative’s staff should make these monthly updates available to Responsible
Managers, Points of Contact, Secretarial Officers, and other interested Departmental
elements. If a Responsible Manager does not provide a status report on his or her
overdue commitments or does not make substantive progress in completing the plan’s
commitments, the Departmental Representative should escalate attention to the
responsible Secretarial Officer for action.
Section 20
c. The Responsible Manager should anticipate and manage implementation problems so
that they have a minimum impact on commitment due dates. The Responsible Manager
and the Issue Lead should inform the cognizant Board staff member in advance (i.e.,
not later than the planned completion date for the milestone) of any planned milestone
due dates that will be missed. The Responsible Manager should provide prior written
notification to the Board on the status of any Departmental commitment that will not be
completed by the planned milestone date. For each commitment, this written
notification should describe the reason(s) for the schedule variance from the
Department’s plans, current actions underway to fulfill the commitment, and an
estimated completion date. If commitment completion will be delayed by a substantial
period (e.g., more than 3 months) from the committed due date, or if the approach to
fulfilling the commitment has been or needs to be changed, the Responsible Manager
IV-4 DOE M 140.1-1B
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should obtain approval from the same authorization level that made the original
commitment (i.e., the Secretary in the case of Departmental implementation plans).
d. The Departmental Representative should monitor overall performance in fulfilling
Departmental commitments to the Board and take appropriate action to focus
necessary Departmental resources to resolve underlying safety issues. The
Departmental Representative should prepare quarterly reports on commitment
performance.
4. REVISING COMMITMENTS.
a. Commitments may be revised during their execution. Revisions to commitments require
the same authorization as for the original commitments. For example, if the original
commitment went out under a Secretarial signature, then the Secretary must approve
any subsequent commitment revisions, whether in content or in due date. Outgoing
correspondence to the Board that contains commitment revisions must be prepared by
the Responsible Manager and must clearly identify and describe the revisions, and the
basis for the revisions. Acceptable reasons for revising commitments include the
following examples:
(1) an improved or more cost-effective method of accomplishment is identified;
(2) additional or supplemental actions are needed;
(3) commitments are no longer applicable due to a change in mission or need; or
(4) schedule changes are necessary due to changes in Departmental priorities.
b. The Responsible Manager, supported by the Departmental Representative’s staff,
should discuss commitment revisions in advance with the Board staff. The Responsible
Manager should address any Board staff concerns with the proposed revisions. If
necessary, the cognizant Secretarial Officer and the Departmental Representative
should interface with the cognizant Board member to review proposed commitment
revisions.
c. Alternatively, the Responsible Manager may report the status of commitments to the
Board as late. Such reports should describe the reason(s) for late completion, the
current actions underway to complete the commitment, and the estimated completion
date.
d. As a general policy, Responsible Managers should revise late commitments to correctly
reflect the current schedule. This is desirable for the following reasons: (1) a large list of
overdue commitments reflects poorly on Department management, (2) a due date in the
DOE M 140.1-1B IV-5 (and IV-6)
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Section 21
future is more motivating, and (3) a new due date ensures a future management review
on a set schedule. Responsible Managers should make maximum effort to ensure that
no outstanding commitments are over 12 months old.
5. CLOSING COMMITMENTS.
a. A commitment is considered complete when the commitment activities are
implemented, deliverables are developed and approved, and a closure package is
prepared and ready for Board staff review. A closure package is the set of documents
that provides objective evidence of completion of commitment implementing activities.
When the Responsible Manager determines that a commitment is complete and ready
for closure, he/she must prepare and transmit a closure package that includes the
following items:
(1) the original commitment statement,
(2) a description of how the Department satisfied the commitment, and
(3) the promised deliverables or evidence of completion of the implementing
activities.
b. The Responsible Manager must obtain concurrence on the closure package transmittal
from those Departmental elements necessary to ensure that the completed actions are
consistent with the original commitment. As with other outgoing Board
correspondence, the Responsible Manager must obtain concurrence from and provide
the Departmental Representative with a copy of closure package transmittals.
c. To propose closure of commitments, the Responsible Manager must prepare the
closure package transmittal letter using the following sentence: “The Department has
completed the actions identified under this commitment, and proposes closure of the
commitment.” After transmittal, the Responsible Manager, with the assistance of the
Issue Lead, should contact the Board staff to arrange discussions or review the closure
package, if desired.
d. The Departmental Representative’s staff must update the completion and closure status
of the commitment in the Safety Issues Management System.
e. The Responsible Manager must retain commitment closure packages such that the
closure packages can be retrieved, if necessary, within 2 hours of a request.
V-1 DOE M 140.1-1B
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CHAPTER V
CORRESPONDENCE MANAGEMENT
1. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE.
a. Upon receipt of incoming correspondence from the Board (other than Board
recommendations, which are addressed in Chapter 2), the Department addressee must
verify that the Departmental Representative is on the copy list or promptly provide
him/her with a copy. The Departmental Representative must review incoming
correspondence for required actions and initiate designations of responsibility,
consistent with input from the affected Secretarial Officers and the Deputy Secretary.
When a letter or staff issue report is addressed directly to a Secretarial Officer or
Operations/Area Office Manager, that individual must assume lead responsibility for
determining whether a response to the Board is necessary and developing and
coordinating that response. Responses are appropriate when the Board requests a
response, or when the Department wants to clarify facts or issues associated with the
incoming correspondence. For incoming letters requiring response, the Departmental
Representative’s staff must track the response as a deliverable in the Department’s
Safety Issues Management System.
b. The following guidelines should be used in responding to incoming correspondence.
Section 22
(1) The Responsible Manager should evaluate the implications of the information
contained in the letter or staff issue report on the subject facilities and programs.
Coordinating with the affected Departmental elements, he/she should develop a
coordinated response to the Board. The Departmental Representative will
assist the Responsible Manager with the resolution of internal disagreements or
conflicts, as requested.
(2) The Responsible Manager must describe commitments and noted actions
contained in the response in a manner consistent with the guidance on making
commitments (see Chapter IV, paragraph 2).
(3) The Responsible Manager must route the final version of the letter for
concurrence to those organizations affected by the commitments contained in
the response and to the Departmental Representative. Unless otherwise
specified by the Board letter or staff issue report, the coordinated response
should be transmitted to the Board within 45 days from the date of the initiating
letter or receipt of the issue report.
V-2 DOE M 140.1-1B
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(4) For responses that require more than 45 days to prepare (or require more
preparation time than that specified by the Board in its information request), the
Responsible Manager should prepare and transmit a letter acknowledging
receipt of the initiating letter or staff issue report, and providing the
Department’s plans and schedule for response.
(5) The Board routinely transmits staff trip reports and technical issue reports to the
Department, sometimes for action and sometimes for information only. The
Board’s policy is to transmit these reports to the Department if, in the Board’s
view, the reports contain safety information that might prove useful to the
Secretary, the Department, and site contractors in their joint pursuit of safer
conditions and practices at defense nuclear facilities. The Board has been most
interested in conveying information that will accomplish one of the following
purposes:
(a) stimulate line management self-assessment of questionable practices or
operations;
(b) assist in determining the root causes of specific safety problems; or
(c) aid in identifying generic problems at facilities that might benefit from
cross-transfer of remedial know-how from other facilities that faced
similar problems (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2c).
2. OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE.
a. Each office and organization should take particular care in preparing and reviewing
outgoing correspondence to the Board to ensure that it is complete, accurate, and
consistent. To help achieve this objective, the originating organization must provide for
review of all applicable correspondence (with the exception of responses to information
requests) by the Office of the Departmental Representative prior to transmittal to the
Board.
b. The Responsible Manager must route outgoing correspondence containing
commitments to the Board for concurrence to those organizations affected by the
commitments and to the Departmental Representative. A copy of the outgoing
correspondence and the associated signature concurrences must be established and
maintained by the cognizant organization. The Departmental Representative’s staff will
process commitments in accordance with the Safety Issues Management System.
c. The Responsible Manager must use the following approval guidelines to determine the
minimum approval level for outgoing correspondence to the Board.
V-3 DOE M 140.1-1B
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Section 23
Type of Correspondence Minimum Approval
Correspondence establishing Departmental
commitments or policy, such as
recommendation responses, implementation
plans, responses to Board requests for
action, and responses to staff issue report
findings.
Addressee on Board letter or
recommendation (typically, the Secretary or
Secretarial Officers)
Production and delivery of existing
publications, documents, and letters
Responsible Managers; points of contact;
Departmental Representative
d. The Responsible Manager should address formal correspondence to the Board to the
Board chairman (for example, The Honorable John T. Conway, Chairman) with the
salutation of “Dear Mr. Chairman:”.
e. The Responsible Manager should provide an electronic copy of outgoing
correspondence to the Office of the Departmental Representative, which will post this
information on the Department’s Information Archive of Board-related
correspondence.
3. DISTRIBUTION AND RETENTION.
a. The Departmental Representative is responsible for the internal distribution, retention,
and subsequent retrieval of incoming correspondence from the Board or its staff. To
accomplish this responsibility, the Departmental Representative’s staff must:
(1) maintain standard distribution lists;
(2) provide a weekly summary to interested parties;
(3) maintain an information archive of Board-related correspondence that is
accessible via the Internet; and
(4) provide timely and direct dissemination of Board-related correspondence that
contains time-sensitive or high-interest information.
b. The originating office must distribute outgoing correspondence to the Board or its staff.
The Departmental Representative’s staff can assist in distribution of outgoing
correspondence, if necessary.
c. Departmental elements may acquire copies of incoming or outgoing correspondence by
accessing the Information Archive on the Departmental Representative’s web site or by
contacting the Departmental Representative’s office.
V-4 DOE M 140.1-1B
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d. The Departmental Representative must review Board-related correspondence for
potential generic implications and transmit such documents to the appropriate
organizations for their review. Standard distribution of Board-related correspondence
by the Departmental Representative should include the Deputy Secretary, Secretarial
Officers, affected Operations/Area Office Managers, and the corresponding points of
contact. The points of contact should distribute correspondence within their respective
organizations.
e. Departmental elements that develop or identify Board-related information should
evaluate this information for potential generic applications to other Departmental
programs and sites. Points of contact should transmit information of generic interest to
the Departmental Representative, whose staff will make internal distribution of this
information, as appropriate.
4. INFORMATION ARCHIVE.
a. The Departmental Representative must maintain the Department/Board Information
Archive of documents and letters to, from, by, or relevant to the Department/Board
interaction. The Information Archive is formatted for viewing on the Internet using most
Internet browsers. The user may also download (i.e., save to a file) many documents
within the Information Archive. Departmental personnel with questions regarding
access to or contents of the Information Archive should contact the Departmental
Representative’s office.
Section 24
b. The following types of documents are included in the Information Archive:
(1) Board recommendations;
(2) Departmental responses and implementation plans;
(3) Departmental letters to the Board;
(4) Board letters to the Department;
(5) public meeting notices;
(6) policy statements and letters from the Secretary and the Board;
(7) Annual Reports to Congress from the Secretary and the Board concerning
Board-related matters;
DOE M 140.1-1B V-5 (and V-6)
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(8) Board technical reports;
(9) resumes of the Board members;
(10) this Manual; and
(11) staff issue and trip reports provided to the Department by the Board.
c. The uniform resource locator (Internet address) for the Departmental Representative’s
web site is http://www.deprep.org.
http:http://www.deprep.org
DOE M 140.1-1B VI-1
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CHAPTER VI
OTHER COMMUNICATIONS
1. BOARD REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION. The Board and its staff frequently request
information necessary to fulfill the Board’s statutory responsibilities. Requested information
may be contained in existing documents or may need to be developed. Requests for
information are normally made using a Board Information Request (Attachment 5). If not,
Departmental personnel should request completion of a Board Information Request. These
requests may be transmitted in either hard copy or electronic format. Departmental personnel
should fully cooperate with the Board and its staff in providing the requested information.
When the Board or its staff requests classified information, Departmental personnel should
request the Board or its staff to have the Board Information Request approved by the Board
Chairman. The Board has agreed to have its staff provide the Department with advance
notification of classified information requests several days prior to their issuance. The cognizant
Secretarial Officer or Operations/Area Office Manager should determine the appropriate
response to Board requests where significant funds or resources are necessary to prepare new
analyses, reports, or documents.
a. Responses to Information Requests.
(1) The appropriate point of contact should coordinate and transmit one copy of
the requested information and/or status of requests. The point of contact
should ensure that documents are reviewed for accuracy, classification, and
completeness prior to transmittal. Various points of contact have found it
helpful to develop and distribute protocols or procedures to ensure that Board
information requests are fulfilled in a consistent, accurate, and timely manner.
(2) The point of contact should normally provide readily accessible information
requested by the Board staff within 15 working days for unclassified requests
and within 20 working days for classified requests, using Attachment 6 or other
similar cover letter. The point of contact should provide the Board staff with an
estimated schedule for documents that cannot be readily provided. To ensure
that responses are consistent with the expectations of the Board staff, the point
of contact is encouraged to communicate directly with the requesting Board
staff member as necessary for clarification and confirmation.
VI-2 DOE M 140.1-1B
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(3) The Secretary may deny access to information for only two reasons:
(a) the person requesting the information has not been granted an
appropriate security clearance or access authorization by the Secretary
or
Section 25
(b) the person requesting the information does not need such access in
connection with his/her duties (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2a).
(4) The Department and the Office of Personnel Management have established
routine uses under the Privacy Act to permit disclosure of personnel and
radiation exposure documents maintained in certain systems of records to the
Board. Thus, the Department may transmit these records to the Board in
accordance with the Privacy Act when the Board deems that the records are
necessary to satisfy the Board’s statutory obligations (see Chapter I,
subparagraph 2e).
(5) The point of contact must ensure that classified and sensitive unclassified
documents are clearly marked in accordance with security procedures (See
DOE O 471.2A, INFORMATION SECURITY PROGRAM, and DOE CG
SS-4, Safeguards and Security Classification Guide). The “Official Use
Only” (OUO) marking should be used where appropriate to protect
proprietary information, source selection information, personal privacy
information, and other sensitive information not for public release. The
appropriate category of OUO information should be identified in accordance
with CG-SS-4 from the following options: Circumvention of Statute, Statutory
Exemption, Commercial/Proprietary, Deliberative Process, Personal Privacy,
and Law Enforcement. The front marking of an OUO document must contain
the following statement, using one of the above categories, at the bottom of the
document: “OFFICIAL USE ONLY, Contains Information.
Department of Energy approval required prior to public release.” Each page
must be marked top and bottom with the statement “Official Use Only.”
(6) The point of contact should maintain a record of information provided to the
Board or Board staff for 3 years or until no longer needed. The point of
contact should also maintain either copies of the transmitted information or the
location of that information. The point of contact should establish appropriate
record retention schedules consistent with this Manual and the controlling
direction from the Department and the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA).
DOE M 140.1-1B VI-3
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b. On-site Requests for Information by the Board.
(1) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact must ensure that Board
representatives (including the Board or its staff) have unencumbered access to
view information or documents during the course of on-site assessments,
inspections, or tours.
(2) If information is requested by the Board or its staff for off-site use or retention,
the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact must ensure the documents are
properly and expeditiously processed as described above. A completed Board
Information Request (Attachment 5) may be used to serve both as a record of
closure that information was provided while on site, and for historical tracking
of information that the site has provided to the Board and its staff.
(3) When practical, the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should arrange
for the materials to be processed prior to the departure of Board
representatives from the site. Presentation materials and handouts that have
been reviewed for classification and provided to Board representatives as part
of a formal briefing do not require a formal request.
c. Requests for In-process or Draft Documentation.
Section 26
(1) The Board and its staff have the right to access any Departmental or contractor
information that the Board deems necessary to allow them to perform their
defined oversight responsibilities (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2a). However,
the cognizant point of contact should handle requests for in-process or draft
documentation with special care and on a case-by-case basis. In some cases,
drafts are highly conceptual, immature, and have not been reviewed or
endorsed by Departmental management. In other cases, drafts may be highly
detailed, very mature, and represent the best current Departmental
documentation of the salient issues and analysis. In the former cases, providing
these documents without a full characterization of their maturity may result in
confusion and unnecessary interaction between the Department and the Board
to address topics that have not yet evolved to a final Departmental position. In
the latter cases, providing these documents to the Board staff is productive and
useful because access to these documents is needed for the Board staff to
perform their duties and the documentation is representative of the
Department’s current position.
(2) Understanding the Department’s responsibilities for “ready access,” the
cognizant manager should clearly characterize the status of in-process or draft
documentation whenever it is requested or provided. If the cognizant manager
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has clearly characterized the status of the requested documentation and the
Board requestor still maintains that the documentation is necessary to facilitate
performance of his/her duties, the point of contact should provide the requested
documentation along with the characterization of its status. In this manner, the
Board requestor can obtain a clear understanding of the quality of the requested
documentation and can use it appropriately. In practice, forming good working
relationships with Board staff members based on trust and openness has proven
both possible and beneficial.
d. Formal Reporting Requirements.
(1) The Board may establish reporting requirements for the Secretary which must
be binding upon the Secretary pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 2286b(d). Board
reporting requirements are usually made in written correspondence; these
requests do not require a Board Information Request (Attachment 5).
(2) The information the Board requires the Secretary to report may include any
information designated as classified information, or any information designated
as safeguards information and protected from disclosure (see Chapter I,
subparagraph 2a).
(3) The Board typically specifies a due date for the required reports. Departmental
elements that receive these reporting requirements must comply with the
requested schedule. In extraordinary cases, when the Department requires
more time than allotted by the Board, the Responsible Manager should prepare
and transmit a letter acknowledging receipt of the initiating letter, and providing
the Department’s plans and schedule for response. If the Board does not
provide a requested reporting date, the Responsible Manager should prepare
and transmit a letter to the Board within 10 days which acknowledges receipt
of the Board’s reporting requirements and provides the Department’s plans to
respond.
(4) Board contacts with the Departmental and contractor staff pursuant to
investigative authority authorized by statute (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2a)
and subsequent requests for or access to information or documents are exempt
from using the information request and response guidance provided in this
Manual.
Section 27
(5) Based on Department experience, development of timely and responsive
reports generally requires the following steps:
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(a) Assignment. The Departmental Representative should determine the
responsible Departmental element for preparing the response. The
Departmental Representative or Issue Lead should inform the Executive
Secretary of the assigned Departmental Office that will fulfill the Board
reporting requirements. The Departmental Representative should also
provide the Executive Secretary with the name of the Responsible
Manager within that office or site.
(b) First Meeting. The Responsible Manager should conduct a meeting of
representatives of organizations (response team members) with access
to information necessary for an acceptable report. The Responsible
Manager should create a list of tasks needed to gather the facts that will
form the technical basis of the report. The Responsible Manager
should assign an accountable person for completing each necessary
task. The Responsible Manager should obtain an agreement from the
response team members for a follow-up meeting to collect and review
the results of the assigned tasks.
(c) Follow-Up. The Responsible Manager accepts the outputs created by
the tasks and formulates the first draft of the report. The Responsible
Manager may schedule additional follow-up meetings, as needed, with
persons executing tasks. A follow-up meeting may create additional
tasks and assignments. Tasks need to conclude before the approval
cycle begins.
(d) First Draft Report. The Responsible Manager should forward a draft
report to the response team members, the Departmental
Representative, and the cognizant Board staff member.
(e) Feedback. The response team members should provide the
Responsible Manager with any feedback on the draft report. The
Responsible Manager should determine the disposition of the comments
provided. More draft and review cycles may be set up by the
Responsible Manager, as needed and as time permits. The
Responsible Manager is accountable for the factual accuracy of the final
report.
(f) Begin Signature Cycle. The Responsible Manager should provide the
draft report, which incorporates comments received, to each of the
organizations either affected by or involved in the report.
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(g) Obtain Concurrence. Representatives of each affected or involved
organization should determine whether their organization concurs with
the draft report and provide their concurrence determination along with
any contingent corrections.
(h) Submit for Final Approval. The Responsible Manager should submit
the response, in format ready for transmittal to the Board, to the
Departmental Office with the authority to issue the requested report.
When the signature authority is in the Secretarial Office, the
Departmental Representative should assist in obtaining the final
approval.
(i) Final Approval. The Responsible Manager should ensure that either
the requested report or a missed-date explanation letter is approved
and provided to the Board by the report due date. The schedule for
completing each of the above steps is a function of the due date. The
following table, based on report due dates, should be used as a guide
to ensure reports are completed on time.
Complete Step 30 Days 60 Days 90 Days General
Assignment 3 3 3 3
First Meeting 7 7 7 7
Follow-Up As time
permits
As time
permits
As time
permits
As time
permits
First Draft 16 30 60 DD - 30
Section 28
Feedback 18 33 63 DD - 27
Begin Signature Cycle 19 46 76 DD - 14
Obtain Concurrence 20 50 80 DD - 10
Submit for Final
Approval
23 53 83 DD - 7
Final Approval 30 60 90 Due Date
(6) If the Responsible Manager determines that the report due date cannot be met,
the Responsible Manager must notify the Departmental Representative. This
missed-due-date notification should be provided to the Departmental
Representative no later than 7 days before the report is due to the Board. The
Departmental Representative should review and confirm this determination.
DOE M 140.1-1B VI-7
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When the due date cannot be met, the Responsible Manager should create a
letter to the Board explaining the circumstances of the missed date, and an
expected completion date. The Responsible Manager should ensure that the
delay letter is delivered to the Board on or before the original report due date.
e. Standing Request for Departmental Evaluations and Assessments.
(1) The Board has a standing request for the Department to provide it with copies
of routinely developed reports in the health and safety areas for Departmental
defense nuclear facilities. This may include, but is not limited to, the following
documents:
(a) Environment, Safety, and Health Oversight Reports, such as Safety
Management Evaluations;
(b) Technical Safety Appraisals;
(c) Operational Readiness Reviews/Readiness Assessments ;
(d) Self-assessment documents (Headquarters and field), limited to final
Departmental reports or procedures;
(e) Rules/Orders/Standards development activities applicable to defense
nuclear facilities;
(f) Radiological evaluations, limited to final reports from formal
Departmental contractor assessments; and
(g) Five-Year Plans, such as final issuance of Environment, Safety, and
Health Management Plans.
(2) Managers responsible for preparing these reports should send copies to their
points of contact for transmittal to the Board staff with a copy of the transmittal
letter to the Departmental Representative. Departmental organizations may
establish internal procedures to ensure that the applicable evaluations and
assessments are identified and routed in accordance with this section. In
addition to forwarding reports, the Department may also brief the Board on
routine evaluations and assessments.
2. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND OTHER FORMAL BOARD MEETINGS. Public hearings,
public meetings, and other formal Board meetings are consistent with authorities granted under
the Board’s enabling statute (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2a).
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a. Coordination, Preparation, and Participation.
(1) The Departmental Representative or a designated point of contact should serve
as the Departmental lead for coordinating the Department’s participation in
meetings with the Board members. Coordination responsibilities include
ensuring the following:
(a) appropriate participants are selected (with sufficient technical
knowledge, accomplished presentation skills, and of appropriate
organizational position);
(b) the participants are adequately prepared;
(c) a consensus is reached prior to the meeting to the extent possible on
major technical or policy issues that are identified as the subjects of the
meeting;
(d) the views presented as the Department’s views will indeed represent
those adopted by the responsible Department managers, or else these
views will be clearly identified as opinions of specific individuals; and
Section 29
(e) the information provided is responsive to the Board’s needs.
(2) Requests from the Board members for meetings with the Department are
routinely made through the Departmental Representative. Other Departmental
elements that receive such requests from the Board or its staff must immediately
notify the Departmental Representative and the appropriate point of contact.
(3) Requests by Departmental elements for meetings with Board members must be
made through the appropriate point of contact, who must coordinate with the
Departmental Representative. Departmental elements initiating or participating
in meetings with the Board members must keep the Departmental
Representative informed of the schedule and content of the meetings.
Departmental personnel should use the Briefing Request format (Attachment 4)
for such requests.
b. Internal Notice of Meetings.
(1) The designated Departmental lead for meetings with the Board should prepare
and distribute a written notice containing a meeting agenda. The agenda
information should be developed by the designated Departmental lead for the
meeting through discussions with the lead Board staff member for the meeting
DOE M 140.1-1B VI-9
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and with Departmental organizations expected to support the meeting. If the
schedule or agenda requested by the Board cannot be accommodated, the
Departmental lead should resolve any issues or conflicts with the lead Board
staff member. The Departmental lead should provide a notice and agenda
which include the following information:
(a) the date, time, and location of the meeting;
(b) the subject of the meeting;
(c) the Board and key Board staff participants;
(d) the Departmental lead and other participants, including contractor
participants;
(e) specific topics to be discussed; and
(f) other special requirements, as applicable.
(2) The Departmental lead should distribute the notice to the cognizant Secretarial
Officer, the Departmental Representative, affected Operations/Area Office
Managers, and affected points of contact. The Departmental Representative’s
office should make any additional internal distribution determined to be
necessary to ensure that interested parties are notified of the meeting in
advance.
(3) If changes in the schedule or agenda topics arise after the notice is issued, the
designated Departmental lead should modify and redistribute the notice. If
there is insufficient advance notice of a substantive change in the schedule or
agenda to reissue the notice, the Departmental lead should contact the affected
participants to advise them of the changes as soon as possible.
c. Notice to the Board of Expected Meeting Attendees. The Departmental
Representative should provide the Board staff with advance notice of the expected
meeting attendees for meetings at the Board’s facilities. This allows the Board and its
staff to ensure the proper Board representation and meeting arrangements. The
cognizant manager or associated points of contact should assist the Departmental
Representative in developing an accurate list of expected attendees.
d. Documentation of Meeting Results.
(1) As needed to communicate the results of the meeting, the designated
Departmental lead should promptly prepare a meeting summary, using the
Board’s transcript, if available. This summary should include the following
information:
(a) the names and titles of individuals involved;
VI-10 DOE M 140.1-1B
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Section 30
(b) significant conditions, observations, or issues identified by the Board;
(c) a description of Departmental action items; and
(d) the responsible organization and due date for each action item.
(2) The Departmental lead should achieve agreement with affected parties on the
action items and associated responsibilities and due dates prior to issuing the
meeting summary. Approval authority for action items is established either by
the actions being within the normal realm of responsibility for that position or by
specific delegation of that responsibility from the cognizant Departmental
manager. These action items need to be satisfied to maintain an effective
working relationship with the Board and its staff; they should be tracked and
managed at the Departmental level where the action items are undertaken.
(3) The Departmental Representative’s office should distribute the summary as
necessary to ensure that affected parties are apprized of the meeting results.
The Departmental Representative’s office should also distribute the meeting
transcript to interested parties within the Department.
e. Price-Anderson Enforcement Process. The Board and its staff have no official mandate
for involvement in or oversight of the Department’s Price-Anderson Enforcement
Process. However, the Board does have legitimate jurisdictional interest in both the
safety issues and circumstances that prompted any enforcement actions. The Board
also has jurisdictional interest in the extent of corrective actions taken to address any
safety issues or deficiencies. When requested, Department personnel should discuss
with the Board and its staff the safety aspects of any enforcement action. Discussion of
the enforcement aspects of these actions, such as the basis for the fine amount, is not
within the Board’s mandate.
3. BRIEFINGS, DISCUSSIONS, TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS, AND OTHER
INFORMAL INTERACTIONS.
a. Departmental personnel contacted by the Board or its staff must cooperate with the
Board and provide requested information. Departmental personnel should be
courteous, open, honest, and responsive. Departmental personnel should be mindful of
their organizational authority and not agree to take actions outside their immediate level
of authority.
b. For discussion of complex issues, Departmental personnel should request prior
notification and scheduling to allow adequate preparation of a mutually agreeable
agenda and briefing materials. Prior notification and scheduling allows both parties to
be prepared and improves the quality of communications.
DOE M 140.1-1B VI-11 (and VI-12)
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c. Departmental personnel should handle briefings and discussions with members of the
Board or its staff in a similar manner to that described for formal meetings with the
Board (see section 2 of this chapter). The Departmental lead for the interaction is the
senior manager with responsibility for the issues being discussed. The Departmental
lead should notify the affected Departmental points of contact, the Departmental
Representative’s office, and any other affected Departmental personnel, and provide
information about the time, place, and content of the interaction. The Departmental
lead should reach agreement with the Board staff lead on the agenda, expectations, and
participants. The Departmental lead should provide feedback on substantive
information and actions discussed to the affected organizations and the Departmental
Representative. The Departmental lead should identify any resultant action items,
responsibilities, and due dates and provide tracking and follow-up of these items
through to their completion.
Section 31
d. Subsequent to any informal discussions or interactions, Departmental elements must
notify the appropriate point of contact of the substantive information and actions
discussed. The Departmental Representative, in conjunction with the point of contact,
should evaluate the information, request the individual to submit a written summary if the
information is of wider interest, and distribute the information to interested parties.
DOE M 140.1-1B VII-1
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CHAPTER VII
SITE INTERFACES
1. PREPARATION FOR SITE VISITS.
a. Schedules and Visit Plans.
(1) The Departmental Representative should coordinate with the Board and its
staff, to the extent possible, in long-range scheduling of planned site visits
(exclusive of those pursuant to formal investigations) and should publish weekly
updates of visit plans for the Department’s use.
(2) The Departmental Representative should obtain input from Secretarial Officers
and Operations/Area Office Managers regarding site schedules and facility
conditions for use in coordination of site visit scheduling with the Board staff.
(3) The Departmental Representative’s office should provide copies of the
schedules and plans to Secretarial Officers and Points of Contact.
b. Board/Board Staff Requests for Site Visit.
(1) The request for a visit to a facility is normally made by the Board or its staff
with the appropriate Operations/Area Office Point of Contact. The
Operations/Area Office Point of Contact must inform the Departmental
Representative and the appropriate Secretarial Officer Point(s) of Contact and
Program Manager(s) of the request. If the Board or Board staff’s request is
made directly to Headquarters or others, the cognizant Departmental staff
member should inform and coordinate with the appropriate Operations/Area
Office Point of Contact.
(2) The Departmental Representative should ensure prompt distribution of the
Board/Board staff requests for site visits. The objective is to ensure that
affected Departmental elements receive as much advance notice as possible.
The Departmental Representative’s office or the Operations/Area Office Point
of Contact should distribute additional visit information and a detailed agenda as
it becomes available.
(3) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should work with the requesting
parties to understand the topics being reviewed and to establish an appropriate
site visit agenda. If the topics or areas had recently been reviewed by other
VII-2 DOE M 140.1-1B
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Board representatives, the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should
raise this fact with the requesting parties and understand how the information to
be reviewed will be new or different from that which was reviewed previously.
The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should endeavor to obtain a
preliminary agenda or lines of inquiry to develop a preliminary agenda at least 3
weeks prior to the site visit. Early transfer of the preliminary agenda topics is
necessary to facilitate site visit planning.
c. Responsibilities for Site Visit Preparation, Coordination and Conduct.
(1) The cognizant Operations/Area Office Point of Contact must prepare,
coordinate, and conduct Departmental activities to support site visits. The
cognizant Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should ensure:
(a) local facility resources including tour escorts, operational and technical
expertise, and a schedule of facility activities for the duration of the site
visit are provided;
Section 32
(b) appropriate communication and responsiveness to requests by the
Board or its staff during the visit are provided; and
(c) affected managers, Secretarial Officer points of contact, Secretarial
Officer Program Manager(s) and participants are kept informed of
changes in the schedule or agenda.
(2) The Secretarial Officer point of contact should work with the Operations/Area
Office Point of Contact to coordinate the involvement of Headquarters and field
personnel within their organizations in preparation for and conduct of the site
visit.
d. Internal Notice of Site Visits.
(1) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should ensure a visit agenda is
prepared and distributed to affected personnel. The agenda should provide:
(a) the name of the facility(ies) or site to be visited;
(b) arrival and departure dates;
(c) dates, times, and locations of briefings and presentations;
(d) names of the Board participants;
(e) purpose of visit, including buildings and programs to be reviewed;
(f) topics to be discussed; and
(g) Departmental and contractor participants.
DOE M 140.1-1B VII-3
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(2) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact and affected Departmental
organizations should develop agenda information through discussions with the
lead Board staff member for the visit. If the schedule or agenda requested by
the Board cannot be accommodated, the Operations/Area Office Point of
Contact, in coordination with affected Departmental organizations, should
resolve any issues or conflicts with the lead Board staff member.
(3) If changes in the schedule or agenda topics arise, the Operations/Area Office
Point of Contact should modify and redistribute the agenda. If there is
insufficient advance notice of a substantive change in the schedule or agenda to
reissue the notice, the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should contact
the affected participants to alert them of the changes as soon as possible.
e. Site Access Coordination. The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact must
coordinate security and safety requirements for the Board visitors, including badging,
safety instruction, general employee training, escorts, transportation and dosimetry. To
the extent allowed by local procedures and programs, allowance should be made for
training and access requirements completed at other Departmental facilities.
f. Access to Subject Matter Experts. The Operations/Area Office Manager, in
coordination with the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact, must arrange for the
availability of Departmental and contractor subject matter experts for potential
discussions with the Board and its staff, consistent with the schedule and agenda topics.
2. SITE VISIT PROTOCOL.
a. Entrance Briefings. The Operations/Area Office Manager should request the
opportunity to hold an entrance briefing with the Board representatives. The entrance
briefing should introduce key personnel, review the planned activities and schedule,
identify protocols and procedures that will be used, and discuss any special
arrangements that have been or need to be made. If an entrance briefing is held, the
point of contact should ensure that appropriate Operations/Area Office officials and
management representatives from the contractor are notified to attend. As a minimum,
the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should meet with the Board
representatives upon their arrival at the site.
Section 33
b. Facility Tours. The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should coordinate
conduct of requested facility or area tours. To the extent any unannounced tours can
be accommodated, Departmental personnel should assist the Board representatives in
this matter. The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should be notified of any
such requests for unannounced tours. The Operations/ Area Office Point of Contact
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must ensure that appropriate access requirements, such as those related to security,
safety, and radiation protection, are satisfied for the areas to be toured, whether the
tour is announced or unannounced, before beginning the tour.
c. Document Reviews.
(1) The Department must provide the Board with access to information necessary
for the Board to accomplish its statutory duties. The Secretary may deny
access to information for only two reasons:
(a) the person requesting the information has not been granted an
appropriate security clearance or access authorization by the Secretary,
or
(b) the person requesting the information does not need such access in
connection with the duties of such person (see Chapter I, subparagraph
2a).
(2) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should coordinate arrangements
for the availability of such documents as may be requested by the Board or its
staff for review. Departmental personnel should accommodate, to the extent
possible, each request made prior to or during the site visit for documents or
other information required by the Board representatives (see Chapter VI,
paragraph 1b). Departmental personnel should encourage the Board
representatives to use a completed Board Information Request (Attachment 5),
approved by a member of the Board or its staff.
(3) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should determine prior to the visit
whether classified materials will be reviewed by the Board staff during their visit
and verify with the Board’s Technical Director that the Board staff members
have appropriate clearance and need to know. If the Board staff requests
additional classified information beyond the pre-established scope, the
Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should verify with the Board’s
Technical Director that this requested information is necessary for the Board to
accomplish its statutory purposes. If difficulties emerge in the process of
verifying the Board staff member’s need to know, the Operations/Area Office
Point of Contact should advise the Departmental Representative.
DOE M 140.1-1B VII-5
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d. Site Visit Briefings.
(1) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should serve as the Departmental
lead for site visit briefings. The briefings should be coordinated and conducted
in the same manner as described in Chapter VI, subparagraph 2a.
(2) Notice and documentation of site visit briefings are performed as a part of the
site visit process in lieu of Chapter VI, paragraphs 2b and 2d. Additional
briefings requested during the site visit should be accommodated by the
Operations/Area Office Point of Contact to the extent possible.
(3) The Board or its staff may also request to attend Departmental and contractor
briefings. These requests generally will be accommodated, consistent with the
Department’s responsibilities for full cooperation and ready access. The Board
or Board staff may be involved in the Department’s decision-making process as
observers, not as participants, to the extent that their involvement is necessary
for the performance of their duties and is in the interest of the Department for
facilitating efficient Board oversight.
Section 34
e. Personnel Interviews.
(1) Departmental personnel contacted by the Board or its staff must cooperate with
the Board and provide requested information. Departmental personnel should
be courteous, open, honest, and responsive. Departmental personnel should be
mindful of their organizational authority and not agree to take actions outside
their immediate level of authority. Subsequent to the interaction, the
Departmental personnel should report the substance of the interaction to the
Operations/Area Office Point of Contact.
(2) Departmental and contractor personnel, such as control room operators, who
are directly performing safety-related functions must request Board
representatives to schedule interviews at mutually convenient times when
safety-related duties cannot be compromised.
f. Potential or Actual Unsafe Conditions.
(1) If Board representatives identify any potential or actual unsafe condition,
Departmental and/or contractor personnel must immediately evaluate the
condition and implement the applicable approved facility procedures, if
necessary.
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(2) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should inform the cognizant
Secretarial Officer and the Departmental Representative of the concern as soon
as practical.
(3) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should coordinate a response to
the Board representative who originally identified the issue within an
appropriate amount of time. The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact
should take the initiative to inform the appropriate Board representative of
significant occurrences, particularly those related to topical areas the Board or
its staff has been or is investigating. The Operations/Area Office Points of
Contact are encouraged to perform as a continuing source of information on
site activities for the Board staff lead and site representative for that facility.
g. Exit Briefings. The Operations/Area Office should request the opportunity to hold an
exit briefing with the Board representatives. The exit briefing should include a
discussion of significant conditions, observations, and issues identified during the visit
and reach consensus on follow-up Departmental information transmittals and action
items. When exit briefings are held, appropriate Operations/Area Office officials and
management representatives from the contractor should be present.
h. Visit Summaries.
(1) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should prepare a visit summary,
which includes the following information:
(a) the names and titles of individuals involved,
(b) significant conditions, observations, or issues identified during the visit,
(c) a description of Departmental action items, and
(d) the responsible organization and due date for each action item.
(2) Departmental action items require approval by an authorized Departmental
official. Approval authority for action items is established either by the actions
being within the normal realm of responsibility for that position or by specific
delegation of that responsibility from the cognizant Departmental manager.
These action items need to be satisfied to maintain an effective working
relationship with the Board and its staff; they should be tracked and managed at
the Departmental level where the action items are undertaken.
DOE M 140.1-1B VII-7
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Section 35
(3) The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should transmit the visit summary
to the affected Secretarial Officer Points of Contact and the Departmental
Representative whenever the site visit has implications beyond the specific site
that was visited. The Departmental Representative’s office should make
additional distribution within the Department to ensure appropriate parties are
apprized of the results.
(4) The Departmental Representative’s staff should periodically interact with the
Board staff after site visits to verify follow-up actions are fully identified and to
receive significant comments and observations. The Departmental
Representative’s staff should also share this information with the affected
parties. The Departmental Representative’s staff should facilitate
communications and interaction among the various Operations/ Area Office
Points of Contact to ensure all are cognizant of emerging Board issues and
priorities.
i. Extended Site Visits. The point of contact should arrange for periodic progress
briefings between Department’s site management and the Board representative during
extended site visits lasting more than 5 days. Daily de-briefs during extended site visits
have proven to be an effective means to ensure that the Department promptly
addresses Board concerns and requests for information during the course of a site visit.
Summaries of significant issues discussed in the progress briefings should be
documented and promptly distributed to affected Departmental elements.
3. INTERFACE AT FACILITIES WITH BOARD SITE REPRESENTATIVES.
a. The Operations/Area Office Point of Contact must facilitate the on-site interface
activities of the dedicated on-site Board representatives (also known as site
representatives). This facilitating role includes the following responsibilities:
(1) scheduling interviews and other review activities with affected facility personnel,
(2) providing access to facilities and personnel,
(3) identifying and resolving any difficulties getting information or cooperation,
(4) notifying the Board site representative of significant site activities and
occurrences, and
(5) providing for distribution of routine information, such as facility operational
status, to the Board site representative.
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b. The Operations/Area Office Manager should establish the policy regarding use of
Board Information Requests (Attachment 5) for requests by the local Board site
representatives. Recommended policy is that documents and information requested
and used by the Board site representatives on site does not require use of the Board
Information Requests. However, transmittal of documents and information to other
Board representatives or off-site should be accompanied by documentation on a Board
Information Request.
c. To ensure full cooperation, the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should
frequently interact with the on-site Board representative to discuss the status of
Board-related issues.
d. The Operations/Area Office Manager should periodically review Board-related issues
with the Board site representative, along with the point of contact. If applicable to
other sites, the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact should prepare and transmit a
summary of such periodic reviews to the Secretarial Officer and the Departmental
Representative.
DOE M 140.1-1B VIII-1 (and VIII-2)
3-30-01
CHAPTER VIII
ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS
Section 36
1. The Secretary must submit an Annual Report to Congress on Departmental activities in
response to Board activities each year at the same time the President submits the budget to
Congress (see Chapter I, subparagraph 2a). The President historically submits the budget to
Congress ten working days following the President’s State of the Union address (i.e., during the
first week of February).
2. The Departmental Representative’s office must prepare the Annual Report. Responsible
Managers must provide the Departmental Representative with a status update on Department’s
actions in response to active Board recommendations. The Secretarial Officers, in conjunction
with the points of contact, should provide technical input and concurrence review.
3. The Annual Report to Congress will include the Board-related activities of the Department
during the previous year. The Departmental Representative should address the following topics
in the report based on actual activities for the year:
a. introduction (areas of Board emphasis, recommendations issued);
b. Departmental initiatives;
c. status of current year and previous year recommendations and implementation plans;
d. progress in areas of Board emphasis; and
e. notification of implementation plans in excess of 1 year.
4. For each active Board recommendation, if the implementation plan has not been or is not
expected to be complete within 1 year of plan issuance, the Annual Report should be used by
the Responsible Manager to notify Congress that more than 1 year will be required for plan
implementation. The notification must state the reasons for the requiring more than 1 year to
complete and the date when implementation is expected to be completed (see Chapter I,
subparagraph 2a).
DOE M 140.1-1B IX-1 (and IX-2)
3-30-01
CHAPTER IX
INTERFACE TRAINING
1. The Departmental Representative must ensure that appropriate Board interface training and
assistance are available to Department’s personnel.
2. The Departmental Representative, in coordination with the respective Secretarial Officers and
Operations/Area Office Managers, should determine the preparation for, formality, extent,
conduct, and documentation of such training.
3. Each Secretarial Officer and Operations/Area Office Manager should develop and maintain a
list of candidates for Board interface training and make personnel available for training during
scheduled sessions.
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 1
3-30-01 Page 1
ATTACHMENT 1
CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT
Under the laws, regulations, and Department of Energy (DOE) directives clause of the contract, the
contractor must comply with the responsibilities identified in this Contractor Requirements Document
(CRD) after the CRD is inserted into the contract. Additionally, under the laws, regulations, and DOE
directives clause the contractor is responsible for compliance with the requirements of the CRD,
regardless of the performer of the work and flowing down the requirements of the CRD to subcontracts
to the extent necessary to ensure the contractor’s compliance with the requirements. The contractor
must do the following.
1. Assign Board Coordinators to ensure adequate interface with their Departmental points of
contact on Board-related matters, including the following, as requested by their local
Departmental point of contact:
(a) Represent their company on day-to-day Board-related issues and interactions with the
Departmental point of contact on Board-related matters.
Section 37
(b) Be cognizant of, and coordinate, day-to-day Board-related activities as requested by
their local Departmental point of contact, such as:
(1) arranging briefings and coordinating site visits by the Board and its staff, as
requested by the Department,
(2) coordinating contractor input, developing draft deliverables, and formulating
proposed responses for resolution of Board-related issues, as requested by the
Department,
(3) conducting activities consistent with Departmental commitments that are
contained in approved implementation plans and other formal Departmental
correspondence to the Board,
(4) providing 30-day advance notice to the Departmental point of contact of any
schedule slippages in planned contractor deliverables related to Departmental
commitments to the Board, and
(5) providing closure documentation for Departmental commitments, as requested
by the Department.
Attachment 1 DOE M 140.1-1B
Page 2 3-30-01
(c) Establish training and procedures necessary for clear communications of the contractor
requirements contained in this Manual.
2. Notify their Departmental counterparts and the Operations/Area Office Point of Contact of any
planned or proposed briefings or direct contact with the Board or its staff.
3. Obtain approval from the authorized Departmental official before committing to completion of
actions to the Board or its staff.
4. Have a mechanism in place to expeditiously review and release contractor documents to
support the Departmental target of providing existing information to the Board within
15 working days of request.
5. Contractor personnel contacted by the Board or its staff have the following responsibilities:
(a) be courteous;
(b) be open, honest, and responsive;
(c) agree to no action items outside their immediate level of authority; and
(d) subsequent to any informal discussions and interactions, notify the appropriate point of
contact of the interaction, and describe any substantive information and actions
discussed.
6. Provide a representative at any entrance or exit briefings arranged for a site visit by Board
representatives and prepare briefing minutes, as requested by the Department.
7. Comply with the personnel interview process and procedures implemented by Board
representatives during a site visit in a manner that does not compromise safety. Contractors
should direct their personnel who directly perform safety-related functions, such as control
room operators, to request that interviews be scheduled at mutually convenient times when
safety-related duties cannot be compromised.
8. If Board representatives identify any perceived or actual unsafe condition, immediately evaluate
the condition and implement the applicable approved facility procedures.
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 2
3-30-01 Page 1
ATTACHMENT 2
RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATION GUIDELINES
This attachment provides the activities and schedule milestones of a systematic process for responding
to Board recommendations. It may be used as a checklist to ensure response development is on target
(schedule targets are from publication of the Board recommendation in the Federal Register). The
target dates and durations establish an appropriate pace to complete the necessary activities within the
required time frames.
Within 2 Days of Receipt
Section 38
Following receipt of a Board recommendation, the Departmental Representative will notify the affected
Secretarial Offices and their Points of Contact and will initiate the response process described below.
The Departmental Representative’s staff will distribute the Board recommendation to Secretarial
Officers, their Points of Contact, Operations/Area Offices, and other affected Departmental elements,
as appropriate. The Departmental Representative will identify a member of his/her staff as Issue Lead
to support coordination of the recommendation response.
Days 1-14
These activities are necessary to initiate the evaluation process:
• identify the Responsible Manager;
• identify the response team;
• assign preliminary team tasks and responsibilities;
• identify significant safety issues associated with the recommendation;
• identify underlying causes and implications of these safety issues;
• develop alternatives for resolving the safety issues; and
• establish recommended courses of action.
The cognizant Secretarial Officer must identify the Responsible Manager who will manage the response
as well as manage development and implementation of the associated implementation plan. The
Departmental Representative should inform the Executive Secretariat of the cognizant Secretarial
Officer and designated Responsible Manager within 14 days of receipt of the recommendation.
The Responsible Manager, assisted by the Issue Lead, will develop an agenda and call a meeting with
the designated representatives of the affected Departmental elements. These individuals (the response
team) must be empowered to represent their management throughout the evaluation of the
recommendation, the development of the Department’s response and implementation plan, and the
actual plan implementation, if necessary.
Attachment 2 DOE M 140.1-1B
Page 2 3-30-01
The Responsible Manager, the Issue Lead, and the response team should ensure the following features
that the Board considers key are demonstrated in the Department’s response: (1) an understanding of
what is being asked or recommended; (2) a commitment by the Department to take action to meet the
recommendation; (3) the name of the Responsible Manager; and (4) specifications of what the
Department intends to do so that the Board can determine whether material terms of the
recommendation will be met.
Throughout the evaluation process, the Issue Lead should provide guidance and support to the
Responsible Manager and the cognizant Secretarial Officer, including performance of the following
actions:
• coordinate actions agreed to by the affected parties;
• distribute key documents, comments, and agendas;
• disseminate requests pertaining to the recommendation; and
• facilitate communications between the Department and the Board staff.
Day 14
The Responsible Manager and the Issue Lead should work together to document the Departmental
strategy and identify significant issues, actions, milestones, and responsibilities necessary to develop an
acceptable response. The Issue Lead should distribute this information to affected organizations. The
Responsible Manager should also make an initial assessment of the need for a 45 day extension
request.
Days 14-25
The response team should complete a detailed evaluation of the Board recommendation, which includes
consideration of the following:
• applicability and substantive strategic input;
• schedule, cost, and funding for implementation; and
• need and availability of specialized resources for implementation.
Section 39
Affected organizations should transmit their evaluations and strategic input to the Responsible Manager
within the time frame requested. Response team members and points of contact should coordinate
these inputs from within their respective organizations. To develop the best response, affected
Departmental line managers should consider contractor/laboratory comments, but should validate this
input, ensuring its applicability, and verifying cost and time estimates.
The Responsible Manager should work with the Issue Lead to ensure plans and actions are responsive
to the Board’s recommendation. For clarification or guidance on the meaning or intent of any part of
the recommendation, the Issue Lead should provide the necessary liaison with the Board staff, and the
Departmental Representative should provide liaison with the Board.
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 2
3-30-01 Page 3
Day 25
In conjunction with the Departmental Representative, the Responsible Manager should develop an
agenda and schedule a meeting with the senior management team (affected Secretarial Officers) to
present the recommended Departmental position. The agenda should include discussion of the
Responsible Manager’s estimate of the associated costs and contribution to safety.
The senior management team, chaired by the Deputy Secretary, is composed of organizations that have
direct line responsibility or significant involvement in activities encompassed by the Department’s
response, and typically includes the following Senior Managers:
• Under Secretary for Nuclear Security (NA-1),
• Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs (DP-1),
• Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (EH-1),
• Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM-1),
• General Counsel (GC-1), and
• Appropriate field managers.
Some recommendations may require one or more of the following additional individuals to participate
with the senior management team:
• Chief Financial Officer (CR-1),
• Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-1),
• Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy (FE-1),
• Director, Management and Administration (MA-1),
• Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (NE-1),
• Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (NN-1),
• Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs (PO-1), and
• Director, Office of Science (SC-1).
If consensus is not expected within 5 days of the senior management team meeting, the senior
management team should consider requesting from the Board up to a 45-day extension to submit the
Department’s response. The Responsible Manager, supported by the Issue Lead, must prepare and
coordinate this request.
Attachment 2 DOE M 140.1-1B
Page 4 3-30-01
Follow-up actions for the two possible outcomes from the senior management team meeting
(i.e., consensus or not consensus) are described below.
Outcome 1: Senior Team Reaches Consensus on Agency Position
Day 28
The Responsible Manager finalizes the response and with the assistance of the Issue Lead delivers the
response to the affected Departmental elements for concurrence. Response team members and points
of contact should assist in acquiring the appropriate concurrence within their respective organizations.
Day 32
The Responsible Manager submits the response to the cognizant Secretarial Officer for approval and
ensures that it is delivered to the Executive Secretariat for processing.
Day 39
Section 40
Secretary approves the response to the Board. This completes the response actions. Follow-up
actions are described at the end of this attachment.
Outcome 2: Senior Team Does Not Reach Consensus on Agency Position
Day 26
The Deputy Secretary should provide guidance and direction to the cognizant Secretarial Officer and
Departmental Representative relative to resolution of the issues and conflicts.
Days 27-31
Affected Departmental elements will negotiate and attempt to agree on a position.
Day 32
The senior management team should meet a second time for the purpose of arriving at an agency
position.
If the Senior Team Agrees On An Agency Position
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 2
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Day 35
With the assistance of the Issue Lead, the Responsible Manager prepares and delivers the response to
the affected Departmental elements for concurrence. Response team members and points of contact
should assist in acquiring the appropriate concurrence within their respective organizations.
Day 38
The Responsible Manager will submit the response to the cognizant Secretarial Officer for approval and
ensure that it is delivered to Executive Secretariat for processing.
Day 45
Secretary approves the response to the Board. This completes the response actions. Follow-up
actions are described at the end of this attachment.
In Rare Cases When The Senior Team Still Does Not Agree On An Agency Position
Day 33
The Departmental Representative should contact the Executive Secretariat to advise of the need to
escalate the response for Departmental senior management decision. The senior management team
should brief the Deputy Secretary on the remaining material facts preventing development of a unified
Departmental position. The Deputy Secretary will then render a decision.
Day 36
In extraordinary cases requiring the Secretary’s participation to achieve consensus, the Deputy
Secretary should brief the Secretary on the material facts preventing development of a unified
Departmental position. The Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health, the cognizant
Secretarial Officer, and the Departmental Representative should support this briefing, as appropriate.
The Secretary will then render a decision.
Day 39
The cognizant Secretarial Officer prepares the response and delivers the response to the Executive
Secretariat for processing.
Day 45
Secretary approves the response to the Board. This completes the response actions. Follow-up
actions are described below.
Attachment 2 DOE M 140.1-1B
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Follow-up Actions
These follow-up actions described below should be taken based on the response:
1. If the response accepts all or part of the recommendation, the Responsible Manager,
supported by the Issue Lead, should complete development of the associated implementation
plan (in accordance with Chapter III, paragraph 1 of this Manual).
2. If the response rejects all or part of the recommendation, the Board may revise or reaffirm its
recommendation. Following receipt of the Board’s response, the Responsible Manager,
supported by the Issue Lead, should prepare the Department’s final decision (in accordance
with Chapter II, paragraph 5 of this Manual).
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 3
3-30-01 Page 1
ATTACHMENT 3
FORMAT AND CONTENT GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
I. Purpose
Section 41
This guidance incorporates experience gained and lessons learned from developing and completing
implementation plans, in response to Board recommendations, over many years; helps to focus
Departmental resources on preparing complete, effective implementation plans which improve safety
and provide for recommendation closure; provides for consistency of plan format and contents to
permit efficient review and use; and addresses the Board’s identified criteria for judging the adequacy
of implementation plans.
The technical content is the primary measure of an effective plan; this guidance should help focus
development of that technical content. This guidance should also aid Departmental personnel in
developing implementation plans that cogently and clearly communicate their technical content. Much
of this guidance will be applicable for all implementation plans. However, the subjects of
implementation plans can differ significantly, and, in some cases, exceptions and additions to the
recommended format and content may be appropriate and necessary on a case-by-case basis.
II. Board Criteria
Board Policy Statement No. 1, “Criteria for Judging the Adequacy of Department Responses and
Implementation Plans for Board Recommendations,” October 19, 1990, identifies the following six
substantive criteria that must be satisfied before the Board judges an implementation plan to be
adequate.
1. Understanding. The Department’s implementation plan shows an understanding of the safety
issues raised by the Board recommendation.
2. Responsiveness. The Department’s planned course of action addresses the complete Board
recommendation and accomplishes satisfactory resolution of the identified safety issues.
3. Assumptions. The Department identifies important baseline assumptions for successful plan
implementation.
4. Planning Detail. The Department’s implementation plan is described in sufficient detail to permit
the Board to independently determine that the approach and schedule are reasonable and
achievable.
5. Technical Basis. The Department’s plan is based on sound technical evaluation, including
identification of underlying causes.
Attachment 3 DOE M 140.1-1B
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6. Focus on Closure. The Department’s plan defines completion deliverables for demonstrating
safety issue resolution in a verifiable manner.
In addition to the substantive criteria, the Board Policy Statement No. 1 also identifies five procedural
requirements for implementation plans: (1) plan submittal meets statutory deadlines; (2) plan provides a
realistic and achievable schedule which includes intermediary milestones; (3) plan includes a process for
change control of plan itself; (4) plan addresses quality assurance, if appropriate; and (5) plan provides
a reporting scheme and schedule.
III. Format and Content
Implementation plans are written for three key audiences: Departmental personnel/contractors, the
Board and its staff, and the public. Departmental personnel and contractors will implement the actions
described; they need sufficient detail on the scope, schedule, and basis of planned actions so that
implementation will be effective and efficient. The Board and its staff will review the Department’s plan
for adequacy, monitor the plan implementation, and ultimately close out their recommendation based on
completion of actions described in the plan. The public is notified of all Board recommendations and
often follows the Department’s plans to ensure their safety interests are satisfied. The format and
content described below are designed to satisfy all three audiences. Each implementation plan should
contain the following contents in the format described below.
Section 42
Title Page
The title page should include the Department’s plan title, the plan date, the plan revision number (if not
original), and Board recommendation number. The title should be a Departmental title, demonstrating
Departmental ownership of the plan. For example, the plan title could be “Department of Energy Plan
for Improving the Technical Capability in Defense Nuclear Facilities Programs and Training and
Qualifications,” and the title page might include beneath this title, “(Implementation Plan for DNFSB
Recommendation 93-3).”
Executive Summary
The executive summary should summarize: (1) the relevant safety issues, (2) their underlying causes,
(3) the resolution approach and schedule, (4) the management approach to ensure plan implementation,
and (5) any baseline assumptions critical to successful implementation. If initiation of safety issue
resolution is urgent for safety reasons, this summary should highlight key completed and near-term
actions.
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 3
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Table of Contents
The table of contents should include the contents defined in this guidance, in the order described below.
The section headings and section numbering provided below should be adopted to ensure that
implementation plans are in a consistent format, permitting ease of review and use.
1. Background
This background section should demonstrate an understanding of the problem(s) being addressed. It
should provide a clear statement of the safety issues and their significance as determined by the
Department’s analysis of the problem. The implementation plan should be consistent with the approach
described in the Secretary’s response letter to the Board’s recommendation. In particular, if the
Department has set any conditions or limitations on its acceptance of the recommendation, these should
be reiterated.
The background section should identify and briefly describe the principal safety issues addressed by the
plan. These may be derived directly from the Board’s recommendation, from a synthesis or
combination of the various Board sub-recommendations, or from the Department’s own analysis and
implementation planning. The safety issues represent the Department’s template to organize and
structure implementation actions. Remaining sections of the implementation plan should be structured
based on the identified safety issues.
2. Underlying Causes
This section should identify the underlying cause(s) of the subject safety issues, so that it is clear why the
planned actions are appropriate. The underlying cause(s) can only be arrived at by understanding and
evaluating the direct causes of any technical problems and then identifying the underlying causes that
allowed the situation to occur. Underlying cause(s) may relate to hardware performance or capabilities,
operation procedures, management controls, personnel performance, and management performance.
With these causes identified, the broader implications, beyond the identified situation, should be fully
considered in developing a complete and effective resolution approach.
Underlying causes that relate to other Departmental implementation plans in progress should be
identified. The extent to which these other plans contribute to the resolution of the subject
recommendation’s safety issues should also be described.
3. Baseline Assumptions
Section 43
This section should present the primary assumptions, if any, upon which the implementation planning has
been based. These may include engineering, technical, administrative, or legislative assumptions. For
example, the following categories of baseline assumptions may be relevant: availability of general or
specialized personnel resources, availability of unique or specialized expertise, hardware or system
performance, availability of specialized equipment or parts, legal or statutory requirements, successful
Attachment 3 DOE M 140.1-1B
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completion of precursor activities in other programs, satisfactory progress of necessary research and
development efforts, availability of sufficient approved funding in the type and amount needed, and
impact of scope changes or expansions on schedule performance. The plan should describe each real
and relevant assumption in sufficient detail to allow understanding of potential impact (e.g., what
specifically? how many? how much? how long? of what type? how likely?). It is important to fully
identify the real and relevant assumptions that may potentially impact successful plan implementation.
4. Summary of Completed and Near-Term Actions
This section should describe mitigating actions that are already complete. The purpose of describing
key completed actions is to demonstrate responsiveness during the period between issuance of the
Board recommendation and completion of the Department’s implementation plan. It may be beneficial
to mention the parties involved in plan preparation to show that: (1) the Departmental organizations,
including field representatives, that are necessary for successful implementation were involved in the
planning process, and (2) there will be a smooth transition from plan preparation to plan
implementation. Near-term actions identified in the Secretary’s response letter should be included in
this section.
In some cases, for safety issues that involve a strong sense of urgency or that will require an extended
period to achieve resolution, the Department should describe important near-term initiatives and
compensatory actions that will be implemented no later than 6 months, for example, after plan issuance
to reduce safety risks associated with the recommendation. These will also demonstrate the
Department’s commitment to bring the identified safety issues to final resolution. Near-term actions
should be extracted and summarized from the full description of planned actions, presented in section 5,
Safety Issue Resolution.
5. Safety Issue Resolution
This is the main section of the implementation plan and should be structured using the Department’s
identified safety issues, with one section subheading for each issue. As an alternative, this section can
be structured by the sub-recommendations contained in the Board’s recommendation. Under each
subheading, the following structure should be provided: Issue Description; Board Recommendation;
Resolution Approach; and Deliverables/Milestones.
Issue Description. The issue description should consist of a summary restatement of the problem, why
the problem needs to be addressed, and how addressing the problem will provide a specific safety
improvement for the Department. Description of safety improvement objectives should show
consistency with overall Departmental safety objectives.
Section 44
Board Recommendation. After the Department’s issue description, the text of the original Board
recommendation that is pertinent to the issue should be quoted verbatim. The purpose of repeating the
Board’s recommendation is so that the reader may easily correlate the Department’s plan to the
Board’s recommendation and demonstrate that the plan is responsive. The portion that should be
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 3
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repeated in the body of the implementation plan is the text of the recommendation itself (i.e., the
numbered sub-recommendations), rather than the introductory and contextual material. The entire text
of the Board recommendation may be included as an attachment to the plan if desired.
Resolution Approach. The resolution approach needs to provide: (1) a specific description of the
Department’s intended course of action that is clear, tangible, and concise, and (2) sufficient detail so
that one may independently determine whether the approach is reasonable and achievable. This section
should specifically describe the safety improvements and how they will be achieved. For example, the
resolution approach should not consist of a plan to make a plan or a plan to do an assessment to make
a plan. Any changes in equipment, process, procedures, and/or personnel should be discussed in terms
of their impact on safety. Where it is absolutely necessary to perform some prior action before the final
scope of the resolution actions can be determined, the resolution approach should describe the specific
process and criteria that will be used to make these determinations.
Resolution of an issue (i.e., completion of all actions identified in the implementation plan) should result
in tangible improvement to safety within the Departmental defense nuclear facilities complex. If
possible, the resolution scope should be established based on the goal of completion within 1 year of
plan issuance. To accomplish this goal, the resolution focus may need to be on gaining substantive
control of an issue rather than closing all loose ends. For example, issue resolution may need to be
defined in the implementation plan as developing training and conducting initial sessions, rather than as
completing training of all Departmental personnel and performing a follow-up evaluation. The goal of
resolution within 1 year, based on the expectations of Congress in establishing the Board, should be
strictly pursued for recommendations that are narrowly focused and affect only one site and one
Headquarters office. Recommendations that involve major systemic changes, multiple Headquarters
offices, and multiple sites can require more than 1 year for resolution. Exceptions to the 1 year goal
should be carefully considered.
As part of this discussion, the technical basis for the selected approach should be provided. This
technical basis should demonstrate that the Department has performed a reasonable, logical, and, if
possible, quantifiable technical evaluation of the problems and solutions and should address the
underlying causes described in section 2, Underlying Causes. A strong technical basis is particularly
important for resolution approaches that are experimental or unprecedented, or differ from the
expectations of the Board and its staff.
Section 45
The resolution approach should be consistent with the Secretary’s response letter to the Board’s
recommendation and should reiterate any conditions or limitations on the Department’s acceptance of
the recommendation, along with supporting bases. Where credit is taken for implementation actions
described in other Departmental programs or implementation plans, this should be identified; the
implementation plan should not establish new commitments and commitment dates for other ongoing
implementation plans in response to Board recommendations.
Deliverables/Milestones. The plan must clearly provide a method for demonstrating completion or
closure in a manner that can be readily verified. Commitment deliverables should be tied to plan
milestones, readily verifiable, and transmittable to the Board for review. The plan should demonstrate a
Attachment 3 DOE M 140.1-1B
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focus on closure; the resolution actions and schedule should not be open-ended. For example, rather
than defining the resolution scope and closure actions through an ongoing process, such as through
periodic reports to the Board, the plan should establish a firm structure for achieving closure. The plan
should also reflect a systems engineering approach for resolving the issue that methodically defines the
entire effort, from inception to closure, for achieving the identified safety improvement.
In describing intermediary deliverables or commitments, the plan should establish only that number
needed to measure performance of the planned resolution approach. Frequently, further definition of
intermediary actions is needed to fully describe and measure accomplishment of a commitment. These
intermediary actions should not be identified as unique commitments, but may be noted as actions
contributing to commitment completion. For example, completion of a committee evaluation could
include the following noted actions, if appropriate: forming the committee, preparing the charter,
developing the evaluation procedure, conducting the evaluation, preparing a draft report, resolving
comments, and preparing a final report. Only those actions considered critical to successful completion
of the commitment should be identified and described.
The following information should be provided for each commitment: (1) a complete statement of the
commitment; (2) the manager responsible for implementation; (3) the facilities and programs to which it
applies; (4) the implementation activities and deliverables that will constitute completion; and (5) the
specific due date (such as December 15, 2005) for completion. In addition, to facilitate commitment
tracking, each commitment should be uniquely and sequentially numbered. Due dates should correlate
to the date for the Department to provide completed deliverables to the Board.
The schedule should be realistic and achievable, and reflect the results of a representative
resource-loaded schedule and cost estimate (see discussion on stand-alone attachment on resource-
loaded schedule and cost estimate). Intermediary deliverables and milestones should provide
meaningful measures of accomplishment toward final issue resolution.
6. Organization and Management
Section 46
This section describes how the Department will organize and manage implementation of the plan. The
cognizant Secretarial Officer and Responsible Manager need to be clearly identified along with their
functions, authorities, and responsibilities for successful plan implementation. To ensure plan
performance, strong consideration should be given to establishing a central project manager who has
broad, cross-organizational authorities. To the extent possible, single line authority should be
established for plan implementation. If useful, a figure describing the organizational structure for plan
implementation should be provided.
This section should also describe specific management systems and controls the Department will use to
accomplish planned deliverables on the committed schedule. For example, this section might include a
discussion of action item tracking and monitoring, including use of and interface with the Department’s
Safety Issues Management System. Methods for holding personnel and organizations accountable for
their performance should also be described, particularly where personnel and organizations responsible
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 3
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for portions of the plan performance do not report directly to the Responsible Manager. Management
controls over funding and budget allocation should be described. The following management systems
should be addressed specifically.
Change Control. Each implementation plan must include a description of its change control process.
The following paragraph is recommended to be used for all plans.
“Complex, long-range plans require sufficient flexibility to accommodate changes in
commitments, actions, or completion dates that may be necessary due to additional
information, improvements, or changes in baseline assumptions. The Department’s
policy is to (1) provide prior, written notification to the Board on the status of any
implementation plan commitment that will not be completed by the planned milestone
date, (2) have the Secretary approve all revisions to the scope and schedule of plan
commitments, and (3) clearly identify and describe the revisions and basis for the
revisions. Fundamental changes to the plan’s strategy, scope, or schedule will be
provided to the Board through formal revision and reissuance of the implementation
plan. Other changes to the scope or schedule of planned commitments will be formally
submitted in appropriate correspondence approved by the Secretary, along with the basis
for the changes and appropriate corrective actions.”
Reporting. Each implementation plan must include a description of its reporting scheme and schedule.
Acceptable means of reporting include periodic briefings and periodic progress reports. Briefings have
proven to be more effective than written reports. The frequency of these periodic briefings or reports
depends on the total scope and schedule of planned actions. Historically, many plans have offered a
quarterly reporting frequency. Less frequent reporting, such as on a semi-annual or annual basis, is
appropriate where the plan milestones are few and spread out, or the effort is winding down to
completion. The following sample paragraph addresses reporting.
Section 47
“To ensure that the various Departmental implementing elements and the Board remain
informed of the status of plan implementation, the Department’s policy is to provide
periodic progress reports until implementation plan commitments are completed. For
this plan, the Department will provide quarterly briefings to the Board and/or its staff,
within 1 month of the close of each quarter during plan implementation. Quarters will
coincide with the calendar and fiscal year quarters: January-March, April-June,
July-September, and October-December.”
Progress reports may be used to report minor schedule variances to plan commitments, but not to make
changes to planned commitment dates, unless approved by the Secretary. For example, if commitment
completion will be delayed by several weeks from the committed due date, this variance should be
reported in the periodic progress report. The report of a schedule variance acknowledges that the
commitment is overdue and provides current status information, but does not seek to adjust or change
the established schedule. Progress reports should not be used to make changes to plan commitments.
Attachment 3 DOE M 140.1-1B
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Quality Assurance. In appropriate cases, the plan should specify how quality of the planned actions will
be ensured. Quality assurance may include qualification of people involved; internal checks on the
implementation as the task is completed; final verification; independent oversight; and chain of custody
on records, samples, and other critical data and documentation.
Attachments to Implementation Plan (Optional)
Glossary. The glossary should define terms used in the implementation plan that are unique,
unusual, or of a highly technical nature that would not be commonly understood.
Acronyms and Abbreviations . This attachment should identify and define all acronyms and
abbreviations used in the implementation plan. A minimum number of acronyms and
abbreviations enhances general understanding and readability of the plan.
References. This attachment provides bibliographic information for all documents referenced
in the implementation plan.
Summary of Commitments. This attachment lists all Departmental commitments established
in the implementation plan. Inclusion of this attachment may be useful to delineate in summary
fashion the complete scope of commitments that the Department considers are made by section
5 of the plan. If used, this information should be presented in the same format that will be
employed to report status in the periodic progress reports. The following should be provided
for each commitment: (1) statement of commitment, (2) Responsible Manager, (3) applicable
facilities and programs, (4) closure deliverable(s), and (5) due date.
Summary Schedule. This attachment provides a top-level summary time line that shows the
start and end dates of resolution activities for each safety issue. Lower-level schedule
summaries may also be necessary to provide an overview understanding of the scope and
relationship between major activities.
Crosswalk to Board Recommendation. When the Department has structured the issues in a
different manner than portrayed in the Board’s recommendation, this attachment should be used
to provide a matrix showing that the recommendation is fully addressed. If necessary, the
matrix should provide and include the following headings: Board sub-recommendation,
Departmental issue, Plan references, and Discussion.
Section 48
Stand-Alone Attachment: Resource-Loaded Schedule and Cost Estimate
To ensure that the planned scope and schedule are realistic and achievable, each
implementation plan should be submitted for Departmental management review and approval
along with a separate, stand-alone attachment that provides a resource-loaded plan schedule
and cost estimate and describes the Departmental funding to support committed actions. The
attachment should also identify the critical path activities on the integrated schedule. The cost
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 3
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estimate should be sufficiently accurate (i.e., rough order of magnitude) to permit the
Department to evaluate the cost/benefit of these safety improvements. More detailed attention
should be given to complex activities that involve installation or operation of equipment or
accomplishment of multiple, dependent activities. The desired degree of accuracy for this
planning cost estimate is minus 50 percent to plus 100 percent (see DOE G 430.1-1, Cost
Estimating Guide, dated 3-28-97).
The resource-loaded schedule should identify what types of resources are needed, when they
are needed, how long they are needed, and the total amount of each resource type needed.
Budget requirements should include personnel resources by type, contract resources, and
capital equipment and expenditures. Resource summaries should be provided by year (e.g., for
each fiscal year) and by organizational unit (e.g., responsible Headquarters organization,
Operations Office, primary contractor, specialty contractors, supporting Departmental
organizations, etc.). This document should also identify the source of identified budget funds
and the type of funding (e.g., capital or operating budget). Where funding needs to be
appropriated by Congress, the amounts, schedules, and organizations requesting funding should
be identified.
IV. Presentation Tone and Style
The overall tone of the implementation plan should demonstrate the Department’s ownership of the
identified safety issues. To show ownership, the Department needs to assess the identified problem
area independently, perform its own analysis of the underlying safety issues and causes, reach its own
conclusions regarding issue significance, and develop an effective approach for issue resolution. The
implementation plan is the Department’s plan for resolving the identified safety issues, not just a
mechanism for responding to the Board’s recommendation.
The plan should be clear and concise. Executive Secretariat Style Guide, prepared by the Office of
the Executive Secretariat, is a useful tool to help in the preparation of effective, well-written materials
(available on the Internet at www.hr.doe.gov/es/estable.htm). A review by a technical editor should be
considered. Figures should be included where possible to demonstrate understanding of the safety
issues and causes, to illustrate resolution approaches and schedules, and to show management structure
and controls. The use of “will” statements should be carefully limited. Every “will” statement could be
interpreted as an explicit or implied commitment. Where a commitment is not intended, alternate word
choice should be selected.
www.hr.doe.gov/es/estable.htm
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 4
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ATTACHMENT 4
BRIEFING REQUEST FORMAT
FOR DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD
Briefing Date: Time:
Location: 8th Floor Conference Room
Classified: Yes
Board Members Requested:
Section 49
Conway
Eggenberger
Roberson
Other:
Duration:
No
DiNunno
Mansfield
Staff Participants: Outside Participants:
Date of Request: Requested by: Phone #:
Briefing Objective:
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 5
3-30-01 Page 1 (and 2)
ATTACHMENT 5
BOARD INFORMATION REQUEST FORMAT
Date:
To:
From:
Received by:
Department of Energy point of contact, Facility
Lead Board Representative (Print/Signature)
Department of Energy or Contractor Representative (Print/Signature)
Page ___ of ___
Item No. Title, Subject, Drawing Number, etc. Requestor (Board
Representative)
Knowledgeable Contact
(DOE or Contractor)
Date Requested
By
DOE M 140.1-1B Attachment 6
3-30-01 Page 1 (and 2)
ATTACHMENT 6
INFORMATION REQUEST RESPONSE FORMAT
Date:
To: Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
From: Department of Energy Point of Contact (Print/Signature)
Subject: Board Information Request
Reference: Information Request, dated ____________________
The above-referenced Information Request provided a list of information requested from the
Department of Energy by the Board or its staff. The requested information is forwarded except as
noted below (can be handwritten).
a. The following requested items contain classified information or sensitive unclassified information.
They will not be forwarded until a need-to-know is confirmed by the Board Technical Director.
(list item numbers from referenced Information Request)
b. Item numbers of information to be provided at a later date. (list item numbers from referenced
Information Request, reasons for delay, and expected delivery date)
Comments or amplifying information.
If you have any questions, please contact. (list name and phone number)
1. Purpose, 2. Applicability, 3. Cancellation, 4. Reference, 5. Contact
Contents
Chapter I, Overview
Chapter II, Recommendations and Responses
Chapter III, Implementation Planning
Chapter IV, Safety Issues Management
Chapter V, Correspondence Management
Chapter VI, Other Communications
Chapter VII, Site Interfaces
Chapter VIII, Annual Report to Congress
Chapter IX, Interface Training
Attachment 1, Contractor Requirements Document
Attachment 2, Response Recommendation Guidelines
Attachment 3, Format and Content Guide for Implementation Plans
Attachment 4, Briefing Request Format for DNFSB
Attachment 5, Board Information Request Format
Attachment 6, Information Request Response Format
Errata Sheet