Decision making in the U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Management Office of Science and Technology / Committee on Prioritization and Decision Making in the Department of Energy Office of Science and Technology ; Board on Radioactive Waste Management, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Prioritization and Decision Making in the Department of Energy Office of Science and Technology.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Hazardous waste site remediation--United States--Decision making.

Hazardous waste site remediation.

Hazardous waste site remediation--Research--United States--Decision making.

Radioactive wastes--United States--Management--Decision making.

Radioactive wastes.

United States. Department of Energy. Office of Science and Technology--Management.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (229 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, c1999.

Language Note:

English

Contents:

Decision Making in the U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Management Office of Science and Technology

Copyright

Acknowledgments

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REVIEWERS

Preface

Contents

Executive Summary

SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THIS REPORT

APPROPRIATENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF OST DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES

Process Element 1: Identification of High-Priority DOE-EM Site Technology Needs

Process Element 2: Program Planning

Process Element 3: Assessments of Technology Development Proposals and Projects

Process Element 4: Headquarters Oversight

APPROPRIATE TECHNICAL FACTORS AND THE ADEQUACY WITH WHICH THEY CAN BE MEASURED

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Application of Practices in Private-Sector RD&amp

D Decision Making

ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE REVIEWS

PROGRAM CHALLENGES AND MEASURES OF SUCCESS

Deployment of OST Technologies

CONCLUDING PERSPECTIVE

1 Introduction

PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT

DOE-EM AND OST

OST PROGRAM UNITS FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION

Expansion of OST's Role in Deployment

Tracking the Benefits of OST Technology Development Activities

IMPORTANCE OF BUY-IN BY TECHNOLOGY USERS

REPORT SCOPE AND ORGANIZATION

DECISION MAKING AS A DISCIPLINE

Development and Growth of Decision Disciplines

Risk Aspects of RD&amp

D Decisions

2 Historical Evolution of OST Decision Making

BACKGROUND OF DOE-EM AND OST

Early Years

Integrated Demonstrations and Integrated Programs

New Headquarters Priorities and New OST Program Units, 1993-1994

Implementation of the New Approach

Sharpening the OST Focus on User Needs

1996-1997 Changes in Top-Level DOE-EM Goals

THE DEPLOYMENT BARRIER

Accelerated Site Technology Deployment

Top-Level Efforts to Promote Deployment

CHAPTER SUMMARY

3 RD&amp.

D Decision-Making Practices in Other Organizations

BENEFITS OF A HIGH-QUALITY DECISION PROCESS

LESSONS FROM INDUSTRIAL RD&amp

D ORGANIZATIONS

INSIGHTS FROM THE BENCHMARKING STUDY

INSIGHTS FROM INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

Practices for Environmental Technology Development Decision Making and Management

INSIGHTS FROM VISITS TO DUPONT, EPRI, AND GRI

Institutional Structure

Effective Top-Level Strategic Goals to Define the Suite of Technology Projects

Measure and Evaluate to Guide Resource Allocation via Return-on-Investment Evaluations

Customer Buy-In

PROCEDURES AND METHODOLOGIES TO SUPPORT GOOD DECISION MAKING

Utility and Limitations of Quantitative Evaluations

4 Decision Making in Research, Development, and Demonstration for the DOE-EM Program

MAJOR DECISIONS AT A FUNCTIONAL LEVEL

RD&amp

D PROGRAM ENVIRONMENT

MODEL PROCESS STEPS FOR DECISION MAKING IN A CENTRALIZED FEDERAL RD&amp

D PROGRAM

External Constraints

Functional Steps

Allocation of the Budget among User and Provider Program Units

Planning Activity Involving Technology Decisions

Process Steps Internal to the Provider Program

Deployment

Necessary Interactions and Feedback

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MODEL PROCESS

User Program Funding (Boxes 1 and 2)

Provider Program Funding (Box 3)

User or Site Program Planning (Box 5)

Identification and Prioritization of Technology Needs (Box 6)

Aggregation and Prioritization of Technology Needs for Each OST Program (Box 7)

Funding Decisions on Technology Needs and Projects (Boxes 4 and 8)

Allocations among User Program Units (Box 4)

OST Headquarters Prioritization Process

Allocations of Funds to Specific Technology Needs and Projects (Box 8)

Solicitation of RD&amp

D Proposals and Select Providers (Box 9).

Performance of Technology Development Projects (Box 10)

Project Monitoring and Evaluation (Box 11)

Technology Deployment (Box 12)

CHAPTER SUMMARY: MAJOR DECISION PROCESS STEPS AND HOW THEY WERE DONE WITHIN OST DURING FY97-98

5 Application of Good Practices in Prioritization and Decision-Making Processes Relevant to OST

AGREE ON CLEAR AND MEASURABLE GOALS

UNDERSTAND AND FOCUS ON CUSTOMER NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS

COMMUNICATE ACROSS ORGANIZATIONAL BOUNDARIES

THINK STRATEGICALLY: HEDGE AGAINST TECHNICAL UNCERTAINTY AND INSIST ON ALTERNATIVES

Application: Balance Innovation and Incremental RD&amp

D

CONTINUALLY IMPROVE THE RD&amp

D MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Application: Document Bases for Retrospective Analysis, Especially in Headquarters' Discretionary Allocations

MEASURE AND EVALUATE TO GUIDE RESOURCE ALLOCATION

Application: Return-on-Investment (ROI) Evaluations for OST

Application: Measures to Capture Technical, "Market", and Cost Information

Application: Review Resource Allocations and Inputs

External, Independent Review at the Policy Level of the Allocation of Funds

Peer Review of Baseline Processes and Technology Needs Identified by the Sites

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS-GENERAL ISSUES

USE OF A FORMAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: EVALUATIONS OF DOE-EM'S IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROCESS STEPS OF FIGURE 4.1

Funding for the Technology Provider Program (Box 3)

Funding Allocations to OST Program Units (Box 4)

Evaluation of the OST Headquarters Prioritization Process

Identifying Technology Needs by Characterizing Problem Boundaries and Opportunities

Aggregation and Prioritization of Technology Needs for Each OST Program (Box 7).

Funding Decisions (Box 8), Soliciting RD&amp

D Proposals (Box 9), and Performing Technology Development Projects (Box 10)

Pragmatic Aspects of Funding Decisions Based on Prioritized Needs (Box 8)

Pragmatic Aspects of Proposal Solicitation and Provider Selection (Boxes 9 and 10)

Deployment (Box 12)

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS-SPECIFIC ISSUES

6 Findings and Recommendations

GENERAL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Importance of a Central RD&amp

D Function

Deployment of Technologies

Balancing Research with Development and Demonstration

Site Baseline Remediation Functional Flowsheets

Technical Alternatives to Baseline Remediation Functional Flowsheets

Independent, External Reviews

Reviews of Technology Development Projects

Reviews of Program Budget Targets and Their Rationales

OST Involvement in Reviews of Site Remediation Functional Flowsheets

SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

OST's Institutional Environment Affects Customer Interactions, Relevance to Site Needs, and Deployment

Top-Level Strategic Planning and Goals

Use of a Structured Decision-Making Process

Industrial RD&amp

D Decision-Making Practices Applicable to OST

Specific Methodologies

Summary

Project Selection and Evaluation Criteria

Procurement of Externally Demonstrated Technologies

Project Monitoring

Cost Estimates

Exploratory Development

RESPONSES TO ISSUES IN STATEMENT OF TASK

Cited References

Appendix A Summary of Past NRC Reports on Decision Making in DOE-EM and OST

NRC REPORTS PERTINENT TO DOE-EM BUT NOT ADDRESSED TO OST IN PARTICULAR

On the Decision-Making Process

On Exchange of Information within the Complex

On Independent Technical Advice

On Setting Standards and Priorities across the Complex.

On Characterization of Contaminated Sites

NRC REPORTS PREPARED FOR OST

Appendix B Site Technology Coordination Groups at Three Major DOE-EM Sites

SAVANNAH RIVER STCG

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) STCG

Structure and Composition

Decision Process

Resources Available to the STCG

EM Integrated Site Priority List

Development of Analytical Weighting Factors

Output of the Process

STCG Contributions

HANFORD STCG

STCG Membership, Mission, and Function

STCG Interactions with Other OST Program Offices

STCG Activities of Service to the Site

STCG Prioritization and Decision-Making Processes

STCG Tanks Subgroup

Attributes of Hanford STCG Process

COMMITTEE OBSERVATIONS

Appendix C Focus Areas

SUBSURFACE CONTAMINANTS FOCUS AREA

Status in December 1996

Process Description

From Aggregated Needs to Prioritized Work Packages

Input from Non-DOE Sources

Communication Plans

The Development of SCFA Prioritization Criteria

Portfolio Management Decision Processes

Peer and Gate Reviews

Technical Project Reviews

Responsibility for SCFA Decision Making

Funding

Committee Observations

MIXED WASTE FOCUS AREA

Process for Technology Development Decision Making

Inputs to the Process: Statements of Needs

Systems Engineering Approach to Establishing a Technical Baseline

Contracting for Technology Development Work

Monitoring Progress of Ongoing Projects

The End Point of MWFA Efforts

DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING FOCUS AREA

Decision Processes

Needs Assessment Activities

Funding Technology Development Activities

Large-Scale Demonstration Projects

TANKS FOCUS AREA

Structure and Composition.

Process Description.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786610186235

9781280186233

1280186232

9780309592703

0309592704

9780585261577

0585261571

OCLC:

45730510