Interfaces - s1073ch20008

DOESTD107393

CM program can be fully described by an upper-tier program plan. The upper-tier program plan could

be developed as the general program plan with additional descriptions and clarifications as to how it is

applied to the individual facilities. In some cases, certain program elements or functions serve multiple

facilities. For example, document control could be established centrally for multiple facilities. In such a

case, the central document control measures would not have to be described in each facility's program

plan; they could be described once in the upper-tier program plan.

2.1.2 INTERFACES

Interface Control. Starting during development of the CM directives and continuing through program

planning and development, the CM program should identify and define the key programmatic and

organizational interfaces. Defining effective and efficient interfaces, both internal and external, Is critical

to the workability of a CM program.

Program interfaces are those relationships established to ensure that identification and integration of the

key facility programs are such as to effectively support and maintain consistency among the design

requirements, documents, and hardware. Program interfaces include those internal to the CM program,

such as the interface between document control and change control, as well as those between the CM

program and programs such as design control, project control (DOE 4700.1), surveillance testing,

maintenance, and any program or mechanism involved in defining, evaluating, and documenting

changes. As the fundamental approach to implementing the CM program is to identify, upgrade, and

integrate these existing programs, the program management element should clearly identify these

programmatic interfaces. Roles, responsibilities, and relationships among the program elements and

functions should be defined and documented. Relationships to other programs that interface with the

CM program should also be clearly defined and documented.

The CM program involves numerous interfaces among organizations. Organizational interfaces are

those relationships established to ensure that key functional organizations (such as design engineering,

operations, and maintenance) are aware of the roles, responsibilities, and interactions necessary for

adherence to the CM program. Organizational interfaces can be internal interfaces within the facility,

she, or corporate organization, as well as external interfaces with organizations outside the contractors

corporate structure. The program management element should entail identifying, formalizing, and

monitoring the organizational interfaces that can affect CM functions. Organizations and key personnel

involved in developing, implementing, and managing CM program activities should be identified.

Management expectations regarding the roles, responsibilities, and authorities of the organizations and

key personnel should be clearly defined and documented. Contractors might find it worthwhile to

designate CM program coordinators in each major organizational unit to ensure adequate interfaces.

External interfaces might need to be implemented by contractor interface agreements or formal

contracts, as appropriate.

Often, the weakest parts of CM program implementation are the interfaces between the program

elements and the organizations implementing these elements. The accuracy and completeness of

configuration information transferred within and across organizational and functional boundaries is the

focus of the CM program, in that the transferred information establishes and maintains the CM program

basic relationships. Since information needs to flow among interfacing programs and interfacing

organizations (e.g., change control functions should provide current information to support document

control functions), flowcharts are the recommended tool for defining and analyzing program and

organizational interfaces. Flowcharts are particularly effective in identifying program interface points and

thus in exposing weaknesses in program integration. Having learned this lesson, some organizations

now use flowcharts as part of the development of every procedure. Procedure flowcharts should be

functional, not administrative (i.e., showing only the handling of forms and documents, not necessarily

the functions being performed along the way).

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