Selecting and Training the Team

DOE-HDBK-3027-99

completed. It is also important that the Approval Authority support and assist the Team Leader

in gaining the dedicated resources necessary to ensure that the verification is successfully

completed. As the verification proceeds, it is important to establish what briefings and status

reports are desired. This is particularly important for any ISMS issues affecting the DOE staff, as

the Approval Authority is normally responsible for directing action for any improvements

required. The Team Leader must not lose sight of the fact that he/she is ultimately responsible

for providing a recommendation to the Approval Authority as to the acceptability of the ISMS

Description and implementation.

6.3.2.2 Selecting and Training the Team

Selecting the team is one of the most important steps of preparing for an ISMS verification. As

discussed earlier, ISMS verifications are more wide ranging and subjective than other DOE

reviews such as ORRs, oversight assessments, and compliance audits. The team should develop a

broader approach to the review than would normally be required in these or similar review

processes. There are many ways to establish ISMS and the evaluation of the ISMS proposed

must be conducted with an open mind. Just because the ISMS proposed does not exactly

conform to a team member' past experience does not necessarily mean the ISMS will not work.

Good judgement and some good practical experience are needed to determine whether the

described ISMS provides appropriate and sufficient integration. The ISMS verification is by

nature more complex than other review processes. Issues and concerns developed in one

functional area may have significant consequences in other areas. There has to be unusually good

communications between the team and the site during the review to ensure the correct

perspective of an issue is understood. Team members must be good communicators and

information must be freely shared among the team, the affected contractor, and the DOE staff.

Often this information must be provided quickly so that an issue may be identified early in the

review. The Team Leader should ensure that a system, such as a daily team status meeting (with

selected contractor and DOE staff attending), is planned into the schedule. Team members

should have a proven ability to express their thoughts well both verbally and in writing.

Team members should be fully dedicated to conducting the ISMS verification. This is sometimes

difficult because ISMS verifications can be quite lengthy. There are always pressures for persons

at a site to continue to pursue their regularly assigned duties to the detriment of their temporary

review assignment. If team members lack the full dedication required, either in the time spent or

in personal commitments, the quality of the effort will suffer. In some cases, the Team Leader

may be forced into doing some of the specific team member' assignments just to get the ISMS

verification completed. This obviously detracts from the capability of the Team Leader to

effectively supervise the effort. There should be an understanding between the Approval

Authority and the Team Leader concerning the need for commitment from the team. If a team

member is selected and cannot dedicate the required time, a replacement should be obtained.

The Team Leader should have a good understanding of the history of the status of the safety

management programs at the affected site, facility, or activity. This understanding is a key factor

in tailoring the review approach. Selection of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the team

should be based on the Team Leader' understanding of that history. Disciplines that have a