[DOE LETTERHEAD]

February 16, 1999

The Honorable John T. Conway
Chairman
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Avenue N.W., Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear Mr. Chairman:

In the Revised Implementation Plan (IP) for Board Recommendation 93-3, Improving DOE Technical Capability in Defense Nuclear Facilities Programs, the Department commits to the development of policies and procedures that enhance line management capabilities to preserve critical technical capabilities and positions (such as Facility Representatives, Senior Technical Safety Managers, Criticality Safety Engineers, Fire Protection Engineers, and Nuclear Explosives Safety Engineers).

As a deliverable pursuant to Commitment 5.5.1 of the IP, model policies and procedures were to be incorporated into the Facility Representative Personnel Guide. Model policies and procedures to preserve critical technical skills associated with Facility Representative positions were developed and promulgated by a memorandum dated April 21, 1998. The memorandum entitled "Guidance on Retention of Facility Representative Technical Competence during Reductions in Force" was signed by Timothy Dirks, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Franklin G. Peters, Acting Associate Deputy Secretary for Field Management. A copy of the memorandum is enclosed.

A copy of the memorandum has been included as Appendix D in the Guide entitled "RECRUITING, HIRING, AND RETAINING HIGH QUALITY TECHNICAL STAFF, A Manager's Guide to Administrative Flexibilities". That Guide has been revised as part of Commitment 5.2,3 and was issued on December 28, 1998 through the Department's Directives Management System. With the revision to the Manager's Guide and its inclusion in the Directives System, the information in the Facility Representative Personnel Guide was made redundant. It will not be revised or reissued.

The Department has completed the actions identified under this commitment, and proposes closure of this commitment.

If you have any questions please call me, or your staff may contact Mr. Dave Roth at (202) 426-1506.

Sincerely,

Thomas W. Evans
Executive Secretary to the
Federal Technical Capability Panel

Note: The enclosure is available in [PDF].