Office of Quality Management
(Reports to the Office of Classification)

Mission and Functions

Mission
The Office of Quality Management develops and interprets Government-wide policies and procedures and conducts training to ensure the accurate identification of information and documents that must be classified or controlled under statute or Executive order to protect the national security and controlled unclassified Official Use Only information for the effective operation of the Government.

Functions

• Develops and interprets Government-wide policies and procedures to identify Restricted Data (RD), Formerly Restricted Data (FRD), and Unclassified Controlled Nuclear Information (UCNI). Develops and interprets DOE-wide (including the NNSA) policies and procedures, to identify National Security Information (NSI) and certain controlled unclassified information (Official Use Only).
• Develops and conducts training programs for Classification Officers, Headquarters Classification Representatives, original and derivative classifiers, derivative declassifiers, UCNI reviewing officials, and other-agency personnel.
• Develops and administers performance-based tests derived from current classification and control policy and guidance to each DOE Federal and contract classification officer, derivative declassifier, Headquarters derivative classifier, and Headquarters UCNI reviewing official.
• Certifies that each of the above officials has satisfactorily completed required training and passed all required performance-based tests prior to being appointed their respective authorities.
• Provides policy assistance to other federal agencies, Congress, and foreign governments concerning the classification and declassification of DOE information.
• Manages the Other-Agency Outreach Program to ensure that each agency with access to RD or FRD is conforming to requirements contained in 10 CFR 1045.
• Conducts quality assurance reviews of other agencies' document review programs conducted under EO 12958, section 3.3, as required in Public Law 105-261, section 3161, to ensure that they have processes in place using appropriately trained staff to minimize the likelihood of inadvertent declassification of documents containing RD or FRD.
• Submits annual reports to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and to the Assistant to the President on National Security Affairs, on the results of quality assurance reviews described above.
• Directs the appeal review of documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act or the mandatory review provisions of Executive Order 12958 but denied because they contain classified or controlled information. Advises HSS on the recommended course of action.
• Manages the training and appointment process for a network of Field Classification Officers and Headquarters Classification Representatives.