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Assessment of the Results of External Independent Reviews for U.S. Department of Energy Projects (2007) / Chapter Skim
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Summary
Pages 1-6

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From page 1...
... , or major milestones, that require senior management review and approval to ensure that a project satisfies applicable mission, design, security, and safety requirements: • CD-0 Approve mission need • CD-1 Approve alternative selection and cost range • CD-2 Approve performance baseline • CD-3 Approve start of construction • CD-4 Approve start of operations or project closeout Each CD milestone marks an increase in the commitment of DOE resources and requires successful completion of the preceding phase. The order also required a variety of internal and external peer reviews prior to CD approvals, including EIRs and IPRs.
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From page 2...
... DOE project directors and program managers reported additional benefits such as professional development, management process improvement, transfer of lessons learned from other sites and projects, and improved communication between DOE staff and contractor personnel. If EIRs are intended only to validate project baselines, then the current review planning procedures, the practice of employing outside contractors responding directly to the OECM, and the use of a standardized set of key review elements might be appropriate.
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From page 3...
... DOE policies emphasize the need for tailoring, but the committee observed little evidence of effective tailoring. Finding 7: A clearly defined, systematic process for capturing data from peer reviews along with a system to catalogue, store, and disseminate this information is needed and, if implemented, would greatly enhance the benefits derived from peer reviews.
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From page 4...
... Recommendation 3: EIR review teams should be selected to provide the experience and expertise necessary to evaluate a project's baseline cost, schedule, scope, inherent risks, and the capabilities of the project management team. The acquisition executive could add DOE contractor personnel who are not project advocates to EIR teams when outside technical expertise is not available.
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From page 5...
... Recommendation 6: The DOE should document lessons learned from peer reviews and disseminate them throughout the department. • The OECM should establish a process to document and disseminate the lessons learned from all peer reviews across all program offices.
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From page 6...
... • The costs for EIRs and IPRs should be covered by project funding -- that is, be part of the preliminary engineering design funds prior to CD-2 and a part of project funds when these funds have become available to the PSO. • Prereview planning decisions about the most appropriate type of review (EIR or IPR)
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Key Terms

  • peer reviews
  • inherent risks
  • project complexity
  • external independent
  • independent reviews

  • management team
  • unless project
  • management process
  • factors warrant
  • warrant conducting

  • validate project
  • project costs
  • construction management
  • management capabilities
  • doe policies

  • doe staff
  • default unless
  • approve start
  • critical decision
  • energy projects

  • contractor personnel
  • alternative selection
  • cost estimates
  • cost range
  • assurance purposes

  • performance baseline
  • decision milestones
  • conducted prior
  • value engineering
  • capital assets


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