[DOE LETTERHEAD]

September 2, 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 updating the Technical Qualification Programs (TQPs) to reflect the results of the Phase I assessments. As a deliverable pursuant to Commitment 5.4.3 of the IP, updated TQP Program Plans from each affected Office are to be provided to the Chair of the Federal Technical Capability Panel (Panel).

Phase I assessments were completed and reported to the Board on October 29, 1998. All of the defense facilities organizations modified their TQP plans based on the results of those assessments and submitted the plans to the Federal Technical Capability Panel for its review in early 1999. Those revised plans have been in use since that time. Two organizations were required to finalize negotiations with bargaining units before the plans could be signed and officially transmitted to the Panel. That process has been recently completed and the requirements under Commitment 5.4.3 have been met.

Enclosed for your information is a copy of the revised TQP Implementation Plan prepared by Richland Operations Office that is representative of the program plans received by the Panel. The Department has completed the actions identified under Commitment 5.4.3 and proposes closure of this commitment.

If you have any questions, please call me at (202)426-1506.

Sincerely,

David R. Roth
Executive Secretary
Federal Technical Capability Panel

Enclosure

cc:
Chairman, Federal Technical Capability Panel
Panel Members
Mark B. Whitaker, Jr., S-3.1

Note: This enclosure is not available at this time.