[DOE LETTERHEAD]
National Nuclear
Security Administration
May 31, 2005
The
Honorable A. J. Eggenberger
Acting
Chairman
Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625
Indiana Avenue, NW
Suite
700
Washington,
D.C. 20004
Dear
Dr. Eggenberger:
The purpose of this letter is to describe our path forward for improving Quality Assurance (QA) at National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) facilities. The enclosed Roadmap for Nuclear Facility Quality Assurance Excellence will help us improve the effectiveness of the NNSA QA infrastructure for both safety systems and safety software. It provides us with an improved planning basis for effective QA.
The Roadmap identifies a series of actions, scheduled for completion in June 2006, to improve QA implementation. It also calls for completion of contractor QA effectiveness reviews by June 2007. It builds from, replaces and enhances the prior approach for NNSA actions as described in the Department’s Quality Assurance Improvement Plan for Defense Nuclear Facilities, provided to you in November 2002. Further, it fully supports and extends NNSA commitments in the Department's Implementation Plan for Quality Assurance for Safety Software.
The Roadmap consists of three focus areas: 1) People, 2) Programs, and 3) Processes. Currently, there are 16 Mile markers in the Roadmap, each one representing an actionable plan with desired end state, milestones, and champions. The champions and team members are from NNSA Federal and contractor organizations.
The Roadmap effort is being closely coordinated with other Departmental and NNSA initiatives, such as the Implementation Plan for DNFSB Recommendation 2004-1, Oversight of Complex, High-Hazard Nuclear Operations, and NNSA Safety Professional Career Development Program. The Roadmap will be reviewed and updated periodically. We will provide updates to your staff as activities are completed and also as a part of our quarterly QA briefings. The Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs will serve as the approving official for updates to the Roadmap and will keep me apprised of the progress.
If there are any questions regarding the Roadmap, please have members of your staff contact Rabi Singh of the Office of Operations and Construction Management at (301) 903-5864.
Sincerely,
Linton
F. Brooks
Administrator
cc
w/enclosure:
M.
Whitaker, DR-1
J. S.
Shaw, EH-1