Week One/Initial Site Orientation and Team Preparations

DOE-HDBK-3027-99

of the review. Two weeks, outside of the normal review activities, were scheduled to review

operations to assist in the preparation of a recommendation to the Approval Authority concerning

Phase II activities at eleven identified priority facilities.

a. Week One/Initial Site Orientation and Team Preparations . An initial three day site visit

was used to train the team, to explain the verification methodology, and to develop the

CRADs to be used for the review. The Team Leader presented a "straw man" as a starting

point for the team. This pre-visit was also an opportunity for the team to meet the WSRC

management personnel responsible for developing the Description. The ISMS Executive

Course, developed at DOE Headquarters, was presented for the team training.

b. Week Two/ISMS Briefings and Final Preparations. A second one week period at the site

was scheduled to permit the WSRC and DOE-SR management to present an overview of the

Plan to the team. WSRC presented three and one-half days of briefings on topics relating to

the manner in which the five safety functions were addressed in the WSRC ISMS Description

and provided two facility examples of the implementation strategy. DOE-SR personnel

presented a half day session on topics germane to the DOE oversight of ISMS programs. An

outline of the schedule used for these briefings is included at the end of the Phase I Lessons

Learned. Following the four days of briefings, team members developed a list of personnel to

be interviewed and records to be reviewed. This process was effective in preparing the team

and the WSRC and DOE-SR personnel and in establishing the expectations for the review.

The following lessons learned are pertinent to the team briefing and final preparations:

C The briefings by the contractor provide the verification team members with

information concerning the processes in place and should be made a part of every

verification effort. These briefings should be comprehensive to convince the team that

the ISMS is well understood and the efforts are integrated. (See "Content of the

Presentation" below.)

C Good communications between the team and the contractor and DOE are required so

that the presentations provide information useful to the team.

C Briefings provided for review should include information on the site's organization,

points of contact, and pertinent programs and documents.

C Guidance from the Team Leader should be provided sufficiently well in advance of the

briefings to ensure the content and format of this material is correct. See paragraph

4.b. (1) below for suggested guidance regarding content of the briefings.

C Allow sufficient time between the briefing, final preparations phase, and

commencement of the review process to permit the contractor to make all the

necessary preparations such as developing the interview schedule, assembling

documents for the team, and briefing site personnel on expectations. The one week

period allowed in this review was not sufficient. A two-week interval for this effort

would provide enough time for the contractor to develop the schedule and submit it to

the Team Leader for approval prior to the team arriving on site.

A-5-5