External Independent Review (EIR) Procedures
Under DOE O 413.3B, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets, the Office of Acquisition and Project Management (OAPM) must perform a Performance Baseline External Independent Review (EIR) prior to Critical Decision (CD) 2, and a Construction/Execution Readiness EIR for all Major System projects prior to CD-3. The EIR Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) discuss all elements of EIRs including review scope, review process, Corrective Action Plans, and OAPM’s Performance Baseline Validation Process. The intent of the SOP is to make clear the OAPM expectations for both the CD-2 and CD-3 EIR, and thereby facilitate the project planning process. In particular, OAPM expects that the Scope of Review and Required Documentation sections will be very helpful to Programs/Projects in their preparation for External Independent Reviews.
EIR Information
- EIR Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- Contractor Statement of Work (SOW) Template (for EIR)
- Statement of Work (SOW) Template (Combined EIR/ICE Support Contractor)
- EIR Scoping Meeting Agreement Form
- EIR Report Template
- GAO Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide (12 Steps of a High-quality Cost Estimating Process)
- Project Cost Profile Spreadsheet
Independent Cost Reviews (ICRs) and Independent Cost Estimates (ICEs)
DOE O 413.3B requires that Independent Cost Reviews (ICRs) and Independent Cost Estimates (ICEs) be conducted at various phases of certain capital asset projects. The Cost Review and Estimating (ICR-ICE) Standard Operating Procedures discuss ICRs and ICEs in detail. Various document templates are also provided to assist with various ICR and ICE requirements.
- ICR-ICE Standard Operating Procedures
- Contractor SOW Template – ICR
- Contractor SOW Template – ICE
- Contractor SOW Template – EIR & ICE
- GAO 12-Step Estimating Process
- Scoping Meeting Agreement Template
Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)
DOE Order 413.3B, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets, dated November 29, 2010, briefly reference the requirement for preparing a WBS in the context of planning and monitoring DOE projects. Furthermore, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide states, “Establishing a product-oriented WBS is a best practice because it allows a program to track cost and schedule by defined deliverables, such as a hardware or software component. This allows a program manager to more precisely identify which components are causing cost or schedule overruns and to more effectively mitigate the root cause of the overruns.
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Handbook – 16 Aug 2012 (pdf)
Energy System Acquisition Advisory Board (ESAAB) Procedures
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) discusses all elements of an Energy System Acquisition Advisory Board (ESAAB) to include membership, member roles and responsibilities, scheduling, procedures, and products, and assists those responsible in preparation for ESAAB meetings.
- ESAAB SOP - November 2011
Project Management Risk Committee (PMRC) – SOPs and Templates
The PMRC SOP serves as a reference for the PMRC Secretariat and Programs on the processes and procedures for how the PMRC is conducted and operates. The SOP also serves as a reference to assist Programs and project teams on how to interface with and prepare for sessions with the PMRC.
- DOE Project Management Risk Committee (PMRC) SOP - April 2016
Templates for briefing Baseline Change Proposals and Critical Decisions to the ESAAB and/or PMRC are provided below.
- Baseline Change Proposal (BCP) ESAAB and PMRC Brief Template - July 2015
- Critical Decision 0 (CD-0) ESAAB and PMRC Brief Template - July 2015
- Critical Decision 1 (CD-1) ESAAB and PMRC Brief Template - July 2015
- Critical Decision 2 (CD-2) ESAAB and PMRC Brief Template - July 2015
- Critical Decision 3 (CD-3) ESAAB and PMRC Brief Template - July 2015