The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) needs to improve the management policy and practices of its Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN), according to a recently published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
For its report, GAO was tasked by Congress via a provision in the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to examine DNN’s project and program management processes, its schedule and cost management, and the extent to which DNN has incorporated leading practices in its revised program management policy.
Specifically, GAO reviewed four subprograms within NNSA’s DNN office including the nuclear material removal, the highly-enriched uranium reactor conversion, the radiological security, and international nuclear security.
According to the Project Management Institute and GAO, each program should establish schedules necessary to achieve program goals, establish a life-cycle cost estimate, and measure performance against schedule and cost baselines.
However, none of the DNN’s subprograms were found to have schedules or cost estimates covering its planned life cycles and no program measured its performance against schedule and cost baselines.
Officials within NNSA stated that the subprograms did not have schedules and cost estimates that cover life cycles due to, in part, because DNN management did not require such estimates or baseline measurements.
The report further stated that the lack of a requirement was consistent with the limitations in DNN’s revised program management policy, which did not address leading practices on establishing schedule estimates, estimating life cycle costs and measuring against those baselines.
In accordance with leading practices, GAO stated that developing a schedule and life cycle cost estimates should define assumptions tailored to the program, including its life cycle phases.
Moreover, updating the DNN policy to include requirements and guidance on cost estimating and tracking performance against schedule and cost baselines could help ensure that NNSA managers and Congress have better information on how much DNN programs and subprograms cost, the report said.
In order to correct issues found within DNN’s subprogram, the report recommended that the office revise its program management policy to require DNN programs and subprograms to follow life cycle program management, such as life cycle estimates and measure against baselines.