Relation of the Evaluation Basis to the N&S Closure Process Manual

Relation of the Evaluation Basis to the N&S Closure Process Manual:

The manual for the N&S Closure Process guides those responsible for the development of the Work Smart Standards set. The

organization of the manual follows the process logic of the five Core Functions for Integrated Safety Management (ISM) as they are

applied to the work of "Identifying Safety Standards and Requirements", which is one of the seven Guiding Principles of ISM. In

particular the manual calls for iterative application of the five Core Functions until convergence of the participants' judgement is

reached that the material describing the proposed Work Smart Standards is acceptable for approval and implementation.

The three conclusive outcomes, identified above as the Performance Basis for Process Evaluation, are the sufficient independent

conditions needed to demonstrate closure on an adequate and feasible set. Each of the specific attributes of process effectiveness

and readiness described in the manual can be allocated to one or more of these conditions and thus when evidence of actual

process application is assessed, the degree of readiness for Confirmation can be determined. These assessment results, having

been pegged to the intermediate process outcomes called for in the manual, can form the basis for a conclusion that the N&S

Closure Process has been applied with fidelity and that there is reasonable assurance the proposed Work Smart Standards are

ready for the Confirmation process element.

The detailed evaluation criteria are organized so as to illuminate the cumulative performance of N&S Closure Process participants

toward the outcomes expected in each of four key Process control mechanisms. The key Process control mechanisms are: Process

Management, Protocols, Work in Teams, and Documentation of Process Implementation. Each mechanism is addressed by one or

more evaluation criteria. Each criteria is cross-referenced to specific expectations found in the N&S Closure Process Manual or in

DEAR 5204-2 on ISM. A third column provides additional reference points to the verification objectives for ISM programmatic

implementation. The specific statement of these objectives is provided in the final attachment to this document.

Use of the Evaluation Criteria:

The simplest use of the Evaluation Criteria is as a self-assessment tool applied by the responsible Process Leadership and

convened Group. However, in situations with large organizations and where the impact of the Work Smart Standards set is expected

to be significant, experience has demonstrated that a more independent internal assessment of Confirmation readiness can provide

a valuable benchmark. Use of the Evaluation Criteria by a selected group of interested parties (a.k.a. "murderboard") from the

affected organizations can strengthen confidence about the feasibility of the Proposed Work Smart Standards. Such reviews begin

the necessary process of transferring the Process participants' shared core knowledge to the full organization. In order for the

Evaluation Criteria to be effective in such internal reviews, users must be trained that these attributes of effectiveness relate to

conformance with Process manual requirements. The criteria only indirectly support conclusions about the technical appropriateness