Management Commitment - std7501990014

DOE-STD-7501-99

3.2

Program Elements

Properly implemented lessons learned should improve management decision making during every

phase of Department activity including initial program and project conception, facility startup,

mature conduct of operations, reengineering, and facility and site retirement. As a component of

planning and execution, management should establish expectations, provide resources and

monitor performance. The following DOE Corporate expectations are intended to provide high-

level guidance for developing, communicating and using lessons learned:

3.2.1

Management Commitment

For DOE organizations, responsibilities for using lessons learned and supporting effective lessons

learned programs are established through Functions, Responsibilities and Authorities documents.

For DOE contractors, requirements for lessons learned are translated into contract level

requirements through the DEAR. Managers at the appropriate DOE and contractor levels are

expected to tailor lessons learned programs for their particular work and hazards. Management

commitment should be expressed by demonstrating that lessons learned are developed and

communicated at local levels, shared with the rest of the DOE and by demonstrating that lessons

learned locally and from organizations with relevant work experience are factored into local

management systems and mechanisms for improving work performance. Managers should also

consider using awards, incentives, and recognition of individuals to promote creating and using

lessons and to promote system improvement and motivation by feeding back improvement

suggestions and success stories from using lessons.

At the local levels, contractor managers are expected to describe lessons learned programs as

part of their Safety Management System Descriptions. These Descriptions should express the

local management expectations for the development, communication and use of lessons learned.

They should also describe, in whole or by reference, the infrastructure mechanisms that support

development, sharing and use of lessons learned.

3.2.2

Program Scope

Lessons learned provide a powerful method of sharing good ideas for improving work processes,

facility or equipment design and operation, quality, safety and cost effectiveness. While individual

lessons may deal with narrow issues, the overall program should be broad in scope, with lessons

from many facets of an organization business, operations, management, and more. If an

organization focuses only on failures or non-compliance issues, their overall lessons learned

program's effectiveness will be reduced and they will miss opportunities to improve all their